Gadget Corner

Our Gadget Corner features unique products designed for everyone, but also have extra benefits for the older population.   

Cool Touch Microwave Bowl:

This thermometer audibly announces when your meat is at the proper temperature...in five languages! Visit us.oregonscientific.com to read more. 

 Irregular Heartbeat May Be Your Body's Warning Bell 

The economy's ups and downs are enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat. But those occasional irregular heartbeats, flutters, slow beats or moments when your heart races may actually be a warning sign of something even more serious than the recession.

    If you frequently experience irregular heartbeats (especially if you also feel light-headed, dizzy or weak at the same time) make an appointment to have your doctor check if you're suffering from heart disease or possibly even heart failure.

    Your doctor will use a variety of tests to determine if your heart rhythm irregularities are serious or associated with heart failure.

    If your doctor diagnoses a heart rhythm problem, you may not necessarily need therapy; lifestyle adjustments may be sufficient. But if you do require therapy, it may include medicines such as blood thinners that help prevent clots and reduce the risk of stroke, an implantable device such as a pacemaker used to treat slow heartbeats, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator used to treat very fast heartbeats, or surgery.

    To learn more about heart failure and rhythm problems, log on to the Heart Failure Society of America's Web site: www.abouthf.org.

Courtesy of ARA Content

 Senior Humor 

An older woman told her friend, "I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over."

Skills2Care:  

Helping Families Manage Dementia*

The Mercer County Office on Aging is offering Skills2Care, a free program created to support those caring for people with dementia. It's designed to help families deal with the daily challenges of caregiving by pairing a specially-trained occupational therapist with each family. The therapist will then create individual plans of action that build skills needed to manage behaviors leading to caregiver stress. 

Steps involved: 

1. Initial Assessment: The occupational therapist will do an initial assessment of home safety, of the functioning level of the person with dementia, and of the emotional well-being of the family caregiver. 
2. Additional Visits: 3-6 visits to practice learned skills, stress reduction techniques, and ways to handle caregiver well-being.
3. Ongoing: Ongoing education about the process of dementia is continually offered.  

End result--family caregivers will:

• Learn new & creative ways to communicate with the person with dementia
• Understand & respond to dementia-related behaviors
• Simplify the home environment
• Simplify every day tasks creating a safe, meaningful home atmosphere
• Have more confidence as they learn these skills, thereby reducing their stress!

*This program is supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging, Alzheimer's Disease Supportive Services Program, Grant Number 90-AZ-2808.