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 Angel News
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June 2009
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Helpful Devices Yet To Be Created
Some
disabilities and obstacles to living are particular to individual
circumstances. If you have a problem or you know someone who has a
problem and you've tried to find a solution on the commercial market
with no success, there may be a way to get a design created and built.
Tetra's services are free to the client. The only costs are materials and the incidental expenses of the volunteer.
Check out Tetra's website here.
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No-Contract Cell Phone Plans
Now there are several ways to have cell phone service without long-term contracts and for low prices. Check out Jitterbug, Consumer Cellular, Tracfone and Hop-On for some options.
Mobile Peace of Mind: A New Phone Concept
Check
out the ClarityLife C900 Amplified Mobile Phone that is twice as loud
as an ordinary cell phone and offers large buttons for easy dialing.
View the Web site here.
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Greetings!
According to the Alzheimer's Association in the "2009 Alzheimer's
Disease Facts and Figures" report, one in eight persons ages 65 and
older has Alzheimer's disease. In the race to find new ways to
stimulate the brain to fend off the effects of the disease, science has
increasingly been found waltzing with the arts.
Music memory is
preserved better than verbal memory, dancing massages memory function,
and art stimulates the brain through positive self expression. With
nearly 10 million Americans caring for someone with Alzheimer's at
home, every new piece of information to help cope with the disease
deserves attention.
As always, we send this newsletter in a
spirit of sharing and community. We hope you will find the included
news informative and beneficial.
Thank you,
Visiting Angels of Central Burlington & Mercer Counties
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Music, Dance and Art: Winning the Culture War Against Alzheimer's Disease
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Musical Interludes
 If
you can find the songs that were popular when the Alzheimer's patient
was young, it is possible that music can help the patient relate to
others and experience some long lost joy in life. Music seems to
trigger strong feelings and cue the body to synchronize with its
rhythm, according to recent articles.
The Journal of Music
Therapy reports several studies that show activities like moving to
music, playing rhythm instruments and singing lead to more group
involvement and less wandering and disruptive behavior.
Access an abstract of one of the articles here, and read more about music therapy here.
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Dance to the Music
 Some
studies are showing that dancing may reduce the risk of illness and
even counteract the ravages of aging. In addition, dancing offers
mental, physical, and social benefits. These findings were reported in
a study at Queen's University in Belfast.
Ballroom dancing was
also found to help prevent dementia, as reported in a study by
scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Another study
there found that older people who danced had better balance and gait
than those who did not dance. So, dance to the music!
Read more here.
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Enjoy Art, Enjoy Life
 Imagine
an Alzheimer's patient exposed to art in a non-threatening and open
environment. The Museum of Modern Art in New York City (MoMA) has
created a program for early- and moderate-stage Alzheimer's patients
and their caregivers. Once a month, after hours, groups of patients and
caregivers are led to selected artworks for observation and discussions
by trained professionals.
Brain stimulation is a known antidote
to the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Now, the positive results of
exposure to art prove that viewing and discussing art offers an
opportunity for positive social engagement, self-expression and brain
stimulation for those with Alzheimer's disease.
Because of the
success of this program, the museum is offering to help other museums
and professional caregivers develop their own programs for people
living with dementia and Alzheimer's. The offerings include print and
online training guides and nationwide workshops.
For more information, click here.
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What's Happening at Visiting Angels
Golf Classic Benefiting the T.O.U.C.H. Organization from Leisuretown
 We were very pleased to have participated in the 8th annual Joseph A. Hewitt Memorial Golf Classic, a charity event benefiting the T.O.U.C.H. organization from Leisuretown in Burlington County. Visiting Angels of Central Burlington and Mercer Counties was a proud sponsor of the event. There were 80 golfers participating in the day-long event held at the Ramblewood Country Club in Mt. Laurel. Our own Dave Sebra, Director of Sales and Operations, participated and even won the the "closest to the pin" contest on hole nr. 9.! The event was a success with revenues matching those of last year.
Visiting Angels of Central Burlington and Mercer Counties Helps Bring
"SPANISH OUTREACH SUNDAY" to Trenton's Hispanic Community
 Nora de Cárdenas, Co-Owner and Director of Visiting Angels of Central Burlington & Mercer Counties, addressed members of the Trenton Hispanic Community at a health fair over the Memorial Day weekend. "Spanish Outreach Sunday", held at St. Mary's Cathedral in Trenton, was sponsored by Interfaith Caregivers/Trenton ("ICF"), the Mercer County Office on Aging, St. Francis Medical, the Alzheimer's Association and Visiting Angels of Central Burlington & Mercer Counties. Nora presented to the group entirely in Spanish, providing guidance on the importance of nutrient-dense food choices; fluid balance; and showed samples of nutritious foods.
"Spanish Outreach Sunday" also offered blood pressure checks; door prizes; and information in Spanish on various health-related topics including St. Francis' free health care assistance and new LIFE program. Executive Director of ICF, Mary Ann Isaacs, discussed the neighborly assistance ICF provides to seniors through its volunteers. In addition, Eileen Doremus, Executive Director of the Mercer County Office on Aging, explained that the Office has numerous programs and can provide free information to assist in caring for older adults in the community.
 Samaritan Hospice Golf Tournament
 On June 22, we demonstrated our support to the hospice community by participating as a sponsor in the annual Samaritan Hospice Golf Tournament. This major event, which saw more than 250 golfers participate, was held at the Little Mill Country Club in Marlton. Dave Sebra, who is seen here with Joanne Rosen, Vice President of Marketing and Development of Samaritan Hospice, said, "We were very pleased to participate in this event and support the hospice service which provides such a vital element of care to patients and their families. Our relationship with Samaritan Hospice started when two Samaritan hospice patients specifically asked us to provide them with Visiting Angels homecare as part of their overall hospice service from Samaritan. This gave us a wonderful opportunity to show the Samaritan hospice staff the extraordinarily high level of care we provide to our clients."
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Visiting Angels of Central Burlington & Mercer Counties:
About Our Care
Visiting Angels of Central Burlington
& Mercer Counties is a New Jersey-licensed, non-medical home care company
committed to going well beyond the "industry standard" to provide an
exceptional level of security, comfort and peace of mind to our clients and
their loved ones. Our "Angels", all certified home health professionals, are ready to
provide compassionate and dependable assistance with the activities of everyday
living to seniors, the disabled, those recovering from surgery and to those who
are simply frail. Our services include such simple tasks as light
housekeeping, meal preparation, errands and shopping to more personal tasks
such as hygiene assistance, bathing, dressing and grooming.
Visiting Angels' in-home
care helps make it possible for seniors and adults with special needs to
continue to live at home and maintain the independence of their daily routines
and familiar surroundings, for as long as they can do so safely. We truly
understand how challenging and alien the entire home care selection process can
be ... and we are experienced in working with families; with loved ones
"resistant" to receiving care; and with third-parties payors (such as insurance
companies and the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs) to help insure that the best
interests of the family and their loved ones are met. Visiting Angels' services
help families spend more mutually-rewarding and meaningful time with their
loved ones and also helps provide comfort and peace of mind to those who face
the challenge of long-distance caregiving.
For more information, please
visit our website, www.VisitingAngels.com/Burling-Mercer; call us at
609-883-8188; or contact us by email at
info.VisitingAngels@comcast.net.
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