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Always There Home Care Newsletter
December 2008 |
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Keep Active - Keep Mentally Alert
A 2008 study by the Harvard School of
Public Health found evidence that seniors in the United States with active social
lives may have slower rates of memory decline and lower mortality rates. In fact, memory decline among the most integrated
of the study subjects was less than half the rate among the least integrated
(findings were independent of age, gender, race and health status).
To read the full press release, click here.
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High-Fat Diet Could Promote Development of Alzheimer's Disease
A
recent study conducted
on mice suggests that metabolic changes induced by a diet rich in fat
(diets
typical of most industrialized countries) could
affect the inflammatory response in the brain, thus contributing to
Alzheimer's disease. The study was done on mice and the authors of this
study admit that the work might not translate from mice to humans, but
they feel
the addition of more Omega-3 fatty acids to a diet are not likely to
hurt a
person and may significantly help.
Read the entire
article here.
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Greetings!
"Home
for the Holidays" is a theme people often use this time of year. Home is
considered more comfortable and for many people, home is where the heart is. At Always There Home Care, we work hard to ensure that our clients spend as many years in the
comfort of their homes as possible. In this newsletter, we continue our mission
of sharing the latest in home care, home health care and elder care news with
colleagues, clients and friends.
Please
enjoy these articles in the spirit of community in which this newsletter was
sent.
Happy Holidays! |
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Given
Housing Market Issues, Aging in Place is the # 1 Choice
 South Florida is one of the nation's worst hit areas for real estate
downturns, but the region's bad real-estate market is having at least one
positive side benefit. An article in the Orlando Sentinel states that,
"Businesses that help South Florida homeowners 'age in place' - or stay in
their homes as long as possible - are gaining popularity with seniors and their
adult children as more elders choose not to move into assisted living
facilities." Read the full article here.
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Breaking Myths of Aging
Tips, advice and anecdotes offered by geriatrician Dr. John
Morley:
 The
artist known as Grandma Moses, who passed away at age 103, took up painting in
old age after her hands and fingers became so crippled that she could no longer
quilt. The Impressionist Art movement was helped along by Monet's blurred
vision. Willem de Kooning made his best art after being diagnosed with
Alzheimer's disease. Ditto Ravel's simple, repeating melody we know as "Bolero"
was composed after dementia settled into the composer's brain. Critics think
Michelangelo's first Pieta, done when the sculptor was 25, is inferior to the
one he did at 80. Nelson Mandela's presidency was all the more remarkable
because Mandela survived years as a political prisoner to become president when
he was 80. Roger Bacon's prescription for healthy aging included all things in
moderation, proper diet, rest, exercise and - for the book jacket - "inhaling
the breath of a young virgin."
Read the full article.
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Losing the Sense of Smell? Could Be a Sign of Impaired Cognition
 Participants in a hearing loss study
at the University
of Wisconsin, Madison, were reported to
have unexpectedly presented an intriguing connection between reduced odor
identification ability and the association with the subsequent incidence of
cognitive impairment. This conclusion was reported in the August issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.
Lead investigator Carla Schubert told Reuters Health that "participants
who performed poorly on an odor identification test were at higher risk for
cognitive impairment 5 years later."
Read about the study.
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 Open enrollment time? To
save money, open a flexible spending account, use mail-order prescription drug
services and tap into discounts on gym memberships.
A simple online calculator for businesses to estimate the
costs of elder care in the workplace.
A primer on aging related terms.
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About Always There Home Care
Always There Home Care provides compassionate, dependable and professional one-on-one care for seniors who need assistance in the comfort of their homes or residential care communities. Services from highly qualified and trained caregivers range from companionship, meal preparation and incidental transportation to personal care, medication management and RN-directed case management. Available 7 days a week, services range from a few hours a day to 24-hour care. Always There Home Care understands that every situation is unique and creates individualized care plans to help improve a client's quality of life. For more information, visit us on the Web at www.AlwaysThereHomeCare-CT.com or call 203-879-6675. | |
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