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 Angel News
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December 2009
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Over 65? Keep Working!
Early total retirement may actually be detrimental to health and emotional wellbeing. A new study found that retirees who held down part-time jobs after retirement, referred to as "bridge employment," experienced better overall health and mental stability, compared to those who retired from work completely.
Also, working in the same field was important to the results. Seniors who continue to work in their same field experience fewer major diseases and fewer functional limitations than those who fully retire. However, retirees who held jobs completely unrelated to their previous careers did not enjoy the same mental health benefit.
The full study can be found in the October issue of the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.
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Pet Therapy
A video on pet therapy with Boston Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara shows pet therapy for patients. View this video for a good example of a positive pet encounter.
Watch it here.
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Quilts for Healing
Fiber
Artists @ Loose Ends has a legacy of providing art quilts for healing
centers. The quilt designs are oftentimes based on a particular
disease. Check out their Diabetes quilts and Chemotherapy quilts at
fiberartists-looseends.com.
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Greetings!
Dealing with an aging body and the ongoing search for ways to heal or
improve health go hand in hand. During the holiday season especially,
the typical added stress, gluttonous feasts, and decrease in physical
fitness culminate in a demand for paying attention to a body's health
needs. In a spirit of sharing and community, we hope you will find our
kaleidoscope of tips and information in this well intentioned holiday
newsletter informative and beneficial.
May you have the happiest
of holidays, and remember that sometimes the greatest gifts are found
not in a box, but within the people who surround our lives.
Thank you,
Visiting Angels of Central Burlington & Mercer Counties
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Art: One Remedy for Health Promotion and Health Care Cost Savings
 Medicine
for the soul appears to be good for the health as well. Both the
National Endowment for the Arts and the National Institute of Health
report that a recent multi-site national study shows persons aged 65
and older who are involved in weekly participatory arts programs run by
professional artists report better physical and mental health, fewer
doctor visits, and the need for less medication. Get more information here.
Download the report in a PDF here.
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Many Not Up With the Low-Down on Long-Term Care
 What do YOU know about long-term care? If you are like most Americans age 40 to 70, not much. According to the MetLife Long-Term Care IQ Survey, only 21 percent of those surveyed achieved a score of 70 percent or higher when questioned about their knowledge on long-term care.
Most respondents did know what long-term care is and how much it costs, but their scores were low on how many people will need it and how they will pay for it.
According to the study:
- Just about four in ten (36%) know that 60% - 70% of 65-year-olds will require long-term care services at some point in their lives.
- Just over one-third know that most long-term care services are received at home.
- Fewer than half (45%) are aware that one in five American households care for an adult family member or loved one.
- More than six in ten (64%) are aware that transferring financial assets to one's family will not allow one to qualify immediately for Medicaid payment of long-term care.
Download an informational guide, The Essentials: Long-Term Care Insurance.
Read more about the study here.
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How to Avoid Tummy Trouble if Traveling this Holiday Season
 Over the holidays we tend to indulge in high-fat and high-caloric foods. Add travel to that mix and in addition to an upset stomach, tiredness, irritation and fatigue can set in.
"Understand your gut's internal rhythm and watch what you eat when you travel," says a University of Michigan physician. Holiday travel, along with stress and poor eating habits, can create a recipe for tummy trouble. Even traveling by car for a couple of days can disrupt your gut's natural rhythm.
Respecting your biological rhythms is the key. And, even though it is tempting to take that second helping, try to eat modestly and avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol. Caffeine and alcohol can make stomach upset worse - increasing heartburn, indigestion, bloating and exhaustion. Some common remedies? For constipation, the doctor suggests an osmotic laxative, like milk of magnesia. For diarrhea, over-the-counter medications like Imodium will help.
Read more here.
Listen to a podcast of Sandra Hoogerwerf, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the U-M Medical School speaking on this issue.
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Fitness Fades Fast After 45
 Because
of the aging of the population, a new study showing the declines in
fitness that accompany growing old has broad implications. The decline
actually speeds up after the age of 45. However, staying (or getting)
lean, exercising and refraining from smoking can slow the rate of
decline.
"The Social Security Administration actually has an
aerobic capacity threshold. If you're below the threshold, you are
considered disabled," said study author Andrew Jackson, professor
emeritus of health and human performance at the University of Houston.
The
reductions in cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) after age 45 did not
appear in a steady downward line. Instead, after the age of 45, the
slope became much steeper, and accelerated even further with increases
in body-mass index (BMI), smoking and lower levels of physical activity.
The lesson: Take care of yourself and, in a sense, stay younger than your years. Read here.
The Archives of Internal Medicine
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What's Happening at Visiting Angels
3rd Annual Women's Expo
 We were very pleased to have participated in the 3rd Annual Women's Expo, "A Day For You", hosted by the Burlington County Woman and Camden County Woman newspapers. The event was held on November 14th at the Hartford School in Mount Laurel. Both the Expo and our booth were well attended, and we witnessed a strong interest in our many eldercare informational resource materials.
We want to congratulate Publisher and Expo Director, Ingrid Edelman, and her staff on once again making this annual event so FUN and informative for all attendants.
 "Angels with Bagels", Part II, at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital  As a sequel to the highly successful breakfast meeting held this past summer, we conducted another "Angels with Bagels" meeting for social workers and nurses at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Hamilton. This time, Visiting Angels' representatives Rudy Tervooren, Co-Owner & Managing Director, and Dave Sebra, Director of Sales &  Operations, spoke with the RWJ staff on the unique ways in which Visiting Angels vastly expedites the process of obtaining home care benefits and assistance to qualifying US Veterans and their spouses. The meeting was highly appreciated by all and the "Angels with Bagels" were asked to return in 2010.
Visiting Angels Holiday Open House!
Our Holiday Open House, held on December 17, was a festive time for all! Everyone who attended was in the holiday spirit-office staff, nurses, and caregivers. All enjoyed great food, conversation, and gifts. Congratulations to the winners of our Special Holiday Prizes:
- MP3 Player - Tammy Glover
- Tracfone - Kaibah Gogergo
- Tracfone - Courttny Brown
- Snowglobe - Jennifer Smith
- Set of Black Totes - Kimberly Tregaskes
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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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