Pacific Grove, CA Tip On Diabetes Management : Take A 10 Minute Walk After Dinner

A blood glucose level chart showing the optimal levels.


Keeping yourself healthy when you have Type 2 Diabetes can be a challenge.  However, according to Diabetes Forecast (September/October 2020, page 40), people with type 2 Diabetes who took a 10-minute walk after dinner had a smaller rise in their after-meal blood glucose levels than when they took a 30-minute walk at another time of the day.  The data comes from a study which was published in Diabetologia.    To get more information on diabetes, visit Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, CHOMP’s, Diabetes and Nutrition website.  You will find useful information about support groups, classes and more.

https://www.chomp.org/locations/location-profile/diabetes-and-nutrition-therapy/#.X9F3p9hKjcs

Another useful resource is Community Health Innovations.  A full 45% of Monterey County residents have Diabetes or pre-Diabetes!

https://communityhealthinnovations.org/what-we-do/diabetes-prevention-management/

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A close up of a cell with viruses inside


There were just 24 new cases of coronavirus reported in Monterey County today, bringing the total to 42,667 cases, with one new death reported.  Nationwide, there were 58,856 cases for a cume total of 29.599 million, while deaths rose by 574 to 538,134.  In California, there were 1,716 new cases, bringing the cume total up to 3.632 million.  Deaths rose by 145 to 57,016.  Please stay home and stay safe as much as possible.

Alzheimer’s Association Partners With AARP on Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia Webinar

A purple background with the alzheimer 's association logo.


Join Alzheimer’s Association and AARP on March 30 at 3:00 p.m. for a webinar on Understanding Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.  They will give you a great framework to guide both you and a loved one through this difficult process.  To register, click on this link:

https://action.alz.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Events/ALZ/MeetingRegistration.aspx?productId=73583196

Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are great people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.

https://action.alz.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Default.aspx?TabID=1356&productId=73583196

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A close up of the word coronavirus with an image of a virus


There were only 15 new cases of coronavirus reported in Monterey County today, bringing the total to 42,643 cases, with no new deaths reported.  Nationwide, there were 54,440 cases for a cume total of 29.540 million, while deaths rose by 1,563 to 537,560.  New research has indicated the lingering effects of COVID-19 on the brain, reaching it via the nasal passage.  The fear is that there are going to be a number of Americans that are asymptomatic for the virus but could be suffering from ill effects on the lungs, brain and other important organs. In California, there were a hefty 4,090 cases (versus 2,554 the day prior), bringing the cume total up to 3.630 million.  Deaths rose by 250 to 56,871.  Please stay home and stay safe as much as possible.

Pacific Grove, CA Retiring? Think About Decluttering

A woman helping an older person with papers


The November 2020 issue of the Kiplinger Retirement Report had an article on retiring and getting rid of all of that extra junk that you have lying around—while making a profit!  For instance, called Decluttr (available on both the Apple iPhone and Google Android) where all you have to do when selling electronics (as well as accessories like video games, DVDs and CDs) is input the make and model.  They will email you a price quote that is good for four weeks and a shipping label for mailing the item.  No need to send in photos or any information, just wipe all personal data clean and send the equipment in.  Another interesting app is The RealReal which will buy designer clothes.  You just bag them up and mail them in and they apparently give a decent price for used clothes. If you have things to give away, I recommend the Church Mouse, which is owned by the First United Methodist Church in PG.  They have always been kind to us and god bless them!

https://butterflychurchpg.wixsite.com/butterflychurch/ministries

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver


There were just 53 new cases of coronavirus reported in Monterey County today, bringing the total to 42,628 cases, with one new death reported.  Moderna announced today that the first children have been vaccinated in their KidCOVE study, which is testing the effectiveness of the vaccine on children from 6 months of age to 11 years old.  Moderna is running a separate trial on children 12-17.  Currently, the drug company only allows the vaccine to be given to people 18 and older.  Nationally, the numbers are not looking that good.  There were 57,083 new cases, significantly higher than the 38,034 reported the day prior.  That brings the grand total to 29.486 million and deaths rose by 1.114 to 535,997. In California, there were 2,554 new cases for a total of 3.626 million, while deaths rose by 75 to 55,621.  The number of cases are still significant so please stay home and stay safe as much as possible.

Carmel, CA If Seniors Are Feeling Lazy, Try Giving Them Resistance Bands For Exercise

A woman helping an older person with a blue object.


If you have a senior loved one who you are struggling to find a Christmas present for, try resistance bands.  They are great to give them some exercise while watching TV or just sitting around.  You can find them on amazon.com and other web sites in the $10-$20 range.  An easy exercise is to put the resistance band under both of your feet and hold the handles at your sides with the palms facing up.  Then slowly curl your hands to your shoulders, keeping your elbows at your sides.  Then slowly lower to the starting position, repeating as many times as it feels comfortable. Although it may seem inadvisable to go to Carmel Beach or Ocean Avenue for some fresh air and exercise because of the coronavirus, at least take them for a walk around the neighborhood once in a while.  It’s good to get out of the house once in awhile!

Pacific Grove, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) CNA Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available

A red heart with the words i love caregivers written underneath it.


We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey County.   We are currently looking for qualified caregivers.

Family inHome Caregiving of Monterey is seeking compassionate, mature and dependable caregivers who want to improve the lives of our elderly Clients by providing in-home, non-medical care.  Our services include:

Caring companionship

Meal preparation

Incidental transportation

Running errands

Light housekeeping

Medication reminders

Monitoring of safety while bathing

Information and referral services

Other services that improve the safety, security and quality of life of seniors.

If you believe you would make an exceptional Home Care Aide, we would love to hear from you!  We prefer those with experience helping the elderly, disabled and others with mobility problems.  Having cared for those with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s is a plus.  To work for us, you must have excellent references, a clear criminal record, a good driving record, and an insured reliable vehicle.  To apply, please visit our website www.fhcofm.com, click on home care aides, then careers where you can fill out an application online.  We have immediate openings all over Monterey County.

Carmel, CA Get Help Dealing With Long Term Care LTC Companies

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There was an article in the November 2020 Kiplinger’s Retirement Report (page 18) about the difficulties that many people are having getting their LTC provider to pay up.  At Family inHome Caregiving we have dealt with a lot of LTC providers, and each one is different.  We assist our clients by filling out the proper paperwork and giving the LTC provider the reports that they need in order to process the paperwork quickly.  We have found that typically, it takes a couple of claims to figure out exactly what the LTC provider is looking for.  However, once you get the kinks worked out, it is smooth sailing.

Carmel, CA Alzheimer’s Disease Can Be Kept At Bay By Having An Active Lifestyle

Three older women are holding pink dumbbells.


At Family inHome Caregiving we believe it’s important for our senior clients to have a healthy diet, social interaction and the proper amount of exercise.  That can be a challenge with COVID-19, particularly social interaction.  Teach your loved ones how to use zoom or skype.  A telephone call now and again is fine, but it’s not enough.  Seniors need face-to-face interaction with their family.  The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story about this issue, and pointed to a study where researchers compared the cognitive performance of mice who lived alone in empty cages with those who lived in large houses equipped with colorful Lego blocks for mental stimulation, running wheels for exercise and other mice for social engagement.  When mice lived in rich environments, their brains underwent physical changes: More neurons were generated in the brain’s memory center, the hippocampus, and strong synaptic activity supported learning.  Even mice that had their genomes altered to develop the equivalent of Alzheimer’s disease experienced enhanced brain activity and performed better in maze tests that they had previously flunked.  Other studies in humans have showed similar results.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-an-active-lifestyle-help-ward-off-alzheimers-11614264941