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 Angel News
November 2009 |
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Important Links to Our Web Site
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Living With and Writing About Alzheimer's
Follow
a blog written for USA Today by Bob Blackwell, a retired CIA operative
who now has Alzheimer's disease. Bob has agreed to blog regularly as he
becomes more cognitively impaired with the disease's progression. His wife, Carol, adds comments. You can leave questions and comments as well. Read here.
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What is your personal risk for cancer?
Take
a quick interactive online survey by WebMD to find your personal risk
for the 5 most common cancers. In just a few minutes you will get a
personalized report to share with your doctor, content tailored to your
personal risks, and tips from Web MD experts to help you prevent cancer.
Take the survey here.
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Simple Tips to Avoid Colds and Flu
Avoiding
colds and flu this season is at the top of everyone's list. Here are 14
tips to help you keep healthy and happy as compiled by medical experts
who want to keep you out of their offices and safe at home and work.
1. Wash your hands often, including every time you shake someone's hand.
2. Do not touch your nose and eyes.
3. Feeling bad? Go to bed and get some sleep.
4. Get a flu shot (you may need two this year with H1N1 widespread).
5. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
6. Exercise to enhance immune function.
7. Stay away from sneezers, coughers and sick people.
8. Use alcohol-based hand wipes often.
9. Stop smoking if you have not already done so.
10. Avoid 'double dipping' with chips or watch out for those who may be dipping double.
11. Use a purse that can be wiped down, like leather or vinyl.
12. No nail-biting.
13. Get happy!
14. Sneeze into the crook of your arm and not your hands.
To read why these 14 tips work, and get some tips on what to do if you are already sick, click here.
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Greetings!
This autumn we've harvested a number of encouraging articles on
preparations for an aging society. The demographic bulge created by the
baby boom generation is bringing about a refreshed focus on health and
innovations in architecture, care and technology in order to better
accommodate the lifestyles and needs of seniors as the population ages.
Some of the information may surprise you! In a spirit of sharing and
community, we hope you will find the included news informative and
beneficial. And we give thanks to all who make this community a
wonderful place to live, work and grow old.
Thank you,
Visiting Angels of Central Burlington & Mercer Counties
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Boomers will Retire Comfortably, but Later
 Retirement
expert Ken Dychtwald, the Age Wave guru, paints a pretty picture about
retirement for the boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964). In his
latest book, With Purpose: Going From Success to Significance in Work
and Life, he states that retirement for the boomers will be so
different from traditional retirement that we may well need a new word
to describe it.
The biggest reason for this changing retirement
scenario? Life spans are changing. Dychtwald sees a shift in attitude
about aging. "When our moms and dads reached their 65th or 70th
birthday, they felt like they were in the ninth inning, and they were
quite happy. Now, boomers look around and see 80-year-old newlyweds and
90-year-old marathon runners."
Dychtwald also forecasts boomers
working longer, but being happier than current retirees who report
boredom. And he expects boomers are going to continue to try new
things, no matter the age.
Feeling sad because you have lost 45% of your net worth as you head into retirement age?
Read the full article here and start to feel better.
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Benevolent Ballet Creates Exercise Regimen that Strengthens
 Because
no exercise regime can be successful without the full participation of
its students, the author of the Mini Mental State Exam (the gold
standard test in determining cognition) Dr. Marshal F. Folstein, Chief
of Psychiatry at New England Medical Center, has suggested an exercise
therapy program that patients enjoy enough to readily participate. The
Benevolent Ballet Program uses classical ballet concepts and was
developed with the goals of improving coordination, balance, range of
motion and strength to help the frail elderly prevent falls. Secondary
benefits are improvement of mood, confidence and self-esteem.
Participants also report improved socialization and feelings of
wellbeing.
The exercises have been taken to their simplest form
and have been developed into sets of easy-to-follow movements. All
exercises are presented as dance movements, not calisthenics, and are
accompanied by music. Since the program is capable of adjusting to the
functioning level of the participants, it has been especially useful
for Alzheimer's patients. Read about the program at their Web site.
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Aging in Place in the Suburbs: Making "Lifelong Communities"
 The
move to suburbia over the past decades has been for privacy, elbow
room, and affordability. Currently, the suburbs are home to as much as
half of the U.S. population and more than 30 million people age
55-plus. However, what may have been a good place to grow up starts to
be a tough place to grow old. Suburban living means maintaining yards
and homes and driving everywhere. (Research shows that men and women
who reach their 70s, on average, outlive their ability to drive by six
and 10 years, respectively.) Despite these difficulties, AARP surveys
report fully 85% of surveyed individuals age 50-plus still wish to
remain in their communities for as long as possible.
It is no
wonder that there is a growing movement afoot (a movement started in
the 80s with New Urbanism) with a community goal of allowing residents
to stay put in their own homes as they age, to redesign the suburbs
with more areas for walking to services, and more greenways and parks
to promote social interaction.
So look for retrofitting of
suburbs coming to a suburb near you. Look for redesign to include
neighborhood centers (think: town squares), "walkability" (leaving the
car in the garage) and lots of choices (a mix of housing options,
services and amenities) are emphasized.
To read this interesting article in the Wall Street Journal, click here.
To find out more about new Urbanism, click here.
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Gaining Better Understanding of Senior Living Design
 What better way to learn than through experience? Between March and September 2009, an innovative architectural firm assigned top architects to stay overnight in a diverse range of senior living communities from Boston to Los Angeles, Seattle to Miami. The selection of assisted living and skilled nursing communities was in urban, suburban and rural locations, and offered accommodations ranging from modest to high-end. The 'Sleepers' were assigned a specific medical condition and were instructed to assume the limitations of that condition to experience a simulated version of its treatment and care. For a full 24-hour period, the 'Sleepers' experienced the varying levels of service and activities that accommodated their condition and corresponding lifestyle.
All experiences were recorded in a journal, which is now online. The long-term goal of the Sleepover Project is to provide better design for building more responsive senior living communities. It is an earnest effort to gain insight into the daily lives of aging seniors who reside in assisted living and skilled nursing communities.
Read more about the CSD Architects Sleepover project here.
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What's Happening at Visiting Angels
"The Visiting Angels Difference": Lunch & Learn at Capital Health Mercer
 We successfully presented a "Lunch & Learn" entitled "The Visiting Angels Difference" at Capital Health Mercer in Trenton. These "Lunch & Learns" have proven to be successful forums to present the many unique strengths of our company to case managers, social workers and nurses in hospitals and assisted living facilities throughout Mercer and Central Burlington Counties.
The presentation, which was given by Rudy Tervooren, Co-Owner and Director, and Dave Sebra, Director of Sales & Operations, was well attended and was, as usual, followed by a lively question and answer session. |
Opening Our New Marlton Office
 In order to accommodate the strong growth of our business in Central Burlington, we are pleased to announce the opening of our new offices at 600 Route 73 North in Marlton (next to the First Trust Bank). This office will be the center for the interviewing, recruitment and training of our caregivers in the Burlington area. Ida Edwards, our recently hired Client Services Associate who will manage this office, said: "I am excited about being part of this dynamic company, and helping to expand our workforce in the Burlington region. I look forward to bringing on board many of the most highly qualified Certified Home Health Aides and Certified Nursing Assistants in the region and making them part of our Angels workforce."
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Lunch & Learn at Sunrise Senior Living
 Visiting Angels of Central Burlington & Mercer Counties was invited by Sunrise Senior Living in Mount Laurel to present a Lunch & Learn to their social workers and staff members on the many ways in which our company could provide assistance to their residents. In view of the growing number of assisted living facilities with whom we now have active working relationships, we have decided to expand the venues for our ongoing series of presentations on "The Visiting Angels Difference" and include assisted living facilities. Our presentation at Sunrise Senior Living was the first such presentation at an assisted living facility. The Sunrise staff was highly appreciative of the presentation and showed in the interactive session to have gained a solid understanding of the many ways in which we could benefit their residents. | |
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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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