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Victorian Home Care Newsletter
August 2009
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Alzheimer's Documentary Available Now
The
Alzheimer's Project features a four-part documentary series, 15 short
supplemental films, a robust Web site, and a nationwide community-based
information and outreach campaign. View the HBO Alzheimer's Project
videos now online for free here.
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Get in the Driver's Seat Before You Take the Keys Away
Billed
as the world's first senior driving simulator, Liberty Mutual has a
brand new Flash-based video game called "Driver Seat." This game allows
players to experience the physical and cognitive limitations that older
drivers may experience.
Check out the game here.
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Age Information for Retirement Milestones
Ever
wonder about the exact ages mandated for retirement and Medicare
benefits? Now you can easily read the recap of everything from 401(K)
plan contribution/withdrawal/penalties to taking IRAs and getting
Social Security.
Access a complete Retirement Timeline here.
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Greetings!
Think you're ready to retire? Want to learn the secret to long life?
Have you heard about GPS footwear? At Victorian Home Care, we believe
that in order to stay at the top of our game, we need to be informed of
the latest studies, newest technologies, and most recent trends in the
elder care spectrum. In a spirit of sharing and community, we hope you
will find the included news informative and beneficial as well.
Thank you,
The Team at Victorian Home Care
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Fountain of Youth in Okinawa?
 The
long-running Okinawa Centenarian Study which began in 1975 reports that
residents of this island show 90 percent less coronary artery disease
than in the wider world, and a third less incidence of cancer. Breast
cancer is virtually unheard of. So what is the secret?
Okinawan
elders in the largely agrarian society stay active through their old
age, take a sparing approach to food, have a strong sense of purpose
and have no word in their vocabulary for "retirement." They also have a
joie de vivre, don't dwell on problems and tend to just let things
bounce off their backs.
It may be time for Americans to practice
the same philosophy in aging. Estimates put the U.S. centenarian
population at nearly 80,000 today with a projection that by 2050, as
many as 600,000 people will live beyond 100 years.
Read the entire story here.
Access more information on the Okinawa Research Center for Longevity Science (ORCLS) here.
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Health Information 2009: Google It, BING It, or Tweet It
 The
latest Pew Internet/California HealthCare Foundation survey shows that
61% of American adults look online for health information. In the past,
someone might have called a health professional, Mom, or a good friend
first. Now people are more likely to read blogs, listen to podcasts,
update their social network profile, or post comments. Once they find
health information online, the majority of people talk with someone
about it offline.
The survey found that technology is not an
end, but a means to assist in the information discovery, widen social
networks, and sharpen the questions someone might ask when he or she
does get to talk to a health professional. Plus, mobile devices are
making the access to information more immediate and accessible.
Read more here.
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Track...ing Shoes Use GPS for Wandering Alzheimer's Patients
 Currently
in development is a shoe which can house a GPS device to help track
down "wandering" seniors suffering from Alzheimer's disease. A
shoemaker (Aetrex Worldwide) and a technology company (GTX Corp.,
which makes miniaturized Global Positioning Satellite tracking and
location-transmitting technology) have teamed up to develop this
specialty footwear.
Read the full article here.
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Early Alzheimer's Diagnosis is Key to Planning Future
 A
doctor's positive attitude to Alzheimer's diagnosis and a trusting,
personal relationship with local dementia support service providers
makes for powerful enablers for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's.
The
latest International Alzheimer's conference reports that while there is
currently no cure for Alzheimer's, early detection and diagnosis are
critical to ensuring that people living with Alzheimer's have the power
to plan their own healthcare and future. Opportunities to make key
decisions about treatment, care and future planning are missed if the
diagnosis is made late in the progression of the disease.
The
researchers recommend that doctors should be educated to have a higher
level of suspicion for symptoms of cognitive decline, especially in
caregivers and people with complex, multi-system diseases, and that GPs
should offer referrals to support services on multiple occasions for
people with dementia and their caregivers.
Read about ICAD 2009 and more findings here.
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About Victorian Home Care:
For nearly 30 years Victorian Home
Care has been providing superior home care and geriatric care management
services to seniors or people with physical and/or mental disabilities in Monterey,
Santa Cruz, and San
Benito Counties. Care, compassion, integrity, and exceptional customer service are Victorian's
guiding principles, employing only carefully selected caregivers who are
the most dedicated and qualified and strive to ensure the same kind of care
family members would provide. Victorian Home Care services include
assistance with activities of daily living, personal care, transportation,
respite care and medication management. For
more information visit www.victorianhomecare.com
or call (831) 655-1935 in Monterey
or (831) 662-3093 in Aptos.
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