Events

Today I just wanted to talk a little bit about senior centers. Senior centers can be a great resource to seniors and caregivers of seniors. The purpose of senior centers is to provide an opportunity for older adults to remain active and engaged in the community. They have various activities and usually have lunch available. They also have 11 different senior centers in Utah county. If you want to learn more about senior centers and their location, just go to mountainland.org/aging, then go to"services" and click "senior centers".

FREE Dementia/Alzheimer's Family Care Consultations

The Alzheimer's Association has received a grant to provide care consultations and resources for families of loved ones suffering with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Contact Sylvia Brunisholz at  801-265-1944 or sylvia.brunisholz@alz.org to set up an appointment at Mountainland Department of Aging & Family Services located at 586 E. 800 N. in Orem.

 

Events:

Family Health and Fitness Fair

January 12, 2013 LOCATION: American Fork Fitness Center
                454 N. Center Street
                American Fork, UT 8400310:00am-2:00pm

The American Fork Fitness Center is very excited to announce the Annual Family Health and Fitness Fair. There will be vendor booths, fun events and demonstrations throughout the day. 

Support Groups:

Wednesday, November 28

Caregiver Support Group

6:00 pm

Bel Aire Senior Living

1088 E 390 S, American Fork

Complimentary refreshments and respite care for your loved one provided. For details, call  801-229-3814

Next Week’s Support Groups:

Tuesday, December 4

Caregiver's Night Out

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Eldred Senior Center

270 W 500 N, Provo

A light dinner will be served followed by a discussion of caregiver topics. For more details, call Geri Lehnardt at  801-229-3814

 

Wednesday,

CARE Meeting

6:00 pm

Golden Living

960 South Geneva Rd, Orem

For details call Devin Sims  (801) 225-6559

St. George Weeks 1 & 2

Huntsman World Senior Games Fun

http://www.seniorgames.net/

 

Each year a group of BYU students go down to St. George to volunteer at the Senior Games. It is a fun and interactive learning experience. Students work at the medical station doing various screenings for the seniors and fans involved in the Games. The students take blood pressures, check blood glucose levels, monitor bone density and do many other health check-ups.

 

Week 1:

 

 

Week 2:

 

Thanks to everyone for a great time! See you all next year!

Salt Lake County

Scientific Advances to Improve Memory For the first time ever, scientists have been able to improve memory, through electrical stimulation of the brain. This research is a long way from having practical implications, but it was still a major milestone in brain research. Researchers found that delivering electrical stimulation through electrodes implanted in epilepsy patient brains resulted in improved results in cognitive tests. But they also point out that the study size was only six patients, and the possible side effects of the treatment are still unstudied. This news coincided with the first reports that Alzheimer's brain damage spreads through the brain, starting in the area the epilepsy study stimulated. Scientists are just beginning to speculate about possible links - could Alzheimer's decline be slowed or even reversed? The research focused on an area of the brain called the entorhinal cortex, which is where the first signs of Alzheimer's disease normally appear. Thousands of people with Parkinson's and other disorders already benefit from implants that stimulate the brain, so electrical stimulation is a proven treatment for some brain conditions. Scientists believe this could be a major breakthrough in Alzheimer's research. You can read more about this here. Meanwhile, for those who suffer from age-related memory decline or Alzheimer's disease, most home care agencies provide expert assistance to enable people to remain living at home, and to provide respite for family caregivers.

Dear Katy     By Kate Uriz, Certified Senior Advisor

Dear Katy - Do agency caregivers report suspicious behavior by visitors to Mom and Dad's house? K.G., Hurricane, UT   Dear K.G. - This is a great question to ask while you are researching agencies. Most agencies have some sort of policy about visitors to the client. For example, our agency requires that if any worker comes unannounced to the house, the caregiver should call the agency to verify this person should be allowed access prior to allowing them in the residence. If there are any other specific people that you don't want to come visit your parents, it is important that the agency is notified and I also recommend that you post it in a open area in the home. Dear Katy - Can we give gifts to the caregivers? K.B., Sebastopol, CA     Dear K.B. - A simple thank you card is the best gift that you can give a caregiver. I always discourage families from giving any kind of gifts. My concern is that a client with cognitive difficulties gives a caregiver a gift of appreciation and then forgets that it was given to the caregiver. This can cause an awkward situation both for your mother and the caregiver. If you absolutely feel that you need to give the caregiver a gift, contact the agency to find out what their protocol with gifts is.  (Submit your questions to kuriz@professionalhc.com.    Follow her (@dearkaty) on twitter.

10 Alzheimer's Early Warning Signs Memory loss that disrupts daily life Challenges in planning or solving problems Difficulty in completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure Confusion with time or place Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships New problems with words in speaking or writing Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps Decreased or poor judgment Withdrawal from work or social activities Changes in mood and personality  Learn about the difference between typical age-related changes and early Alzheimer's indicators here.

Calendar of Events Nov 13th, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Free Memory Screening Day           Description: Concerned about memory problems? Early detection is important. Join us for a free, confidential memory screening. Our staff will be on site to administer cognitive testing, answer questions and give you tips to keep your cognitive function strong. Location: South Jordan Health Center 5126 W. Daybreak Parkway, South Jordan. More info: 801.587.7215 No Charge     Nov 15th - The Great American Smokeout      Description: The American Cancer Society is marking the 37th Great American Smokeout on November 15 by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By quitting - even for one day - smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life - one that can lead to reducing the risk of cancer and other diseases.    More info: Visit the Cancer.org Smokeout website for all kinds of information about how to stop smoking.    Nov 28th, 3:00 OM - 4:00 PM - Atria Sandy's Holiday Concert   Description: Our first holiday concert of the season, the Bells of Joyful Sound is an event not to be missed...what a great way to start the season! Location: Atria Sandy 10970 South 700 East Sandy, UT 84070 More info: 801-572-4456 No charge

Home Care Insights is a monthly publication of Haven HealthCare, an affiliate of PeopleFirst Homecare and Hospice, providing nursing, therapy, hospice and non-medical caregiver services to Salt Lake area families for eight years. If this email was forwarded, you can subscribe at havenhh.com. Add Home Care Insights to your safe senders list. If you are using Microsoft Outlook, open the Actions menu, select Junk Email, and then Junk Email Options. Go to the Safe Senders tab, and add: homecareinsights@gmail.com.   Haven HealthCare  5292 South College Dr., Suite 304, Murray, UT 84123  888-676-7678