Can Coronavirus Be Chased Away With LED Light?

A blue background with some type of virus


Medical start-up EmitBio thinks it may have a solution for those suffering from low-grade coronavirus, and even the flu and other viruses.  It is testing a handheld LED device that delivers light with precise frequencies, which, when shined to the back of a patient’s nose and throat, can provoke an immune response.  So far, the results look good, with 99.99% elimination of the delta variant of coronavirus in lung cells after three days of shining the light twice a day for about five minutes.  The device could even be used at home.  What an amazing technology.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2021/09/01/this-startup-wants-to-treat-mild-cases-of-covid-with-led-lights/?sh=bc9cf4772f4a&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailydozen&cdlcid=607e1442fe2c195e916f3bb4

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

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Carmel, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside, Soledad & Watsonville

We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey County over the past decade and have recently expanded into Santa Cruz 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.

Pebble Beach, CA Family Caregivers Face Heartbreaking Journey With Alzheimer’s Disease, Often Ending Up In Hospice

A woman and an older person smiling for the camera.


There was a heart breaking article in the Wall Street Journal recently.  It featured Nick Clement, age 78, who has cared for his wife Lucy for the past decade.  Lucy has Lewy body dementia as well as Alzheimer’s disease.  Nick wanted to take care of his wife, however, he quickly found out how difficult it is taking care of someone who is slipping rapidly into dementia.  As her disease progressed, she was unable to brush her teeth or comb her hair, so Nick did that too.  He said that some friends stopped calling, which can be heartbreaking.  Eventually, after Lucy had dropped from https://www.homecaremag.com/june-2021/buzz-vibration-therapy125 pounds down to 90, it took its toll on Nick who was gaunt and depressed.  He had to call in hospice which took over Lucy’s care.  Hospice asked Nick if he had told Lucy it was OK for her to go.  He had not, but went to her room and looked into her eyes and told her he would be alright, it was OK to go.  Sadly, she died the next morning.  Unfortunately, most of us will have to go through this with a family member.  If you need help, CHOMP has a service called Hospice of the Central Coast, as does the Visiting Nurses Association (see links below).  Please reach out for help if you need it, they both have compassionated caregivers.

 

https://www.montagehealth.org/care-treatment/hospice/

 

https://ccvna.com/

Pacific Grove, CA Financial Elder Abuse Hit Record During Pandemic

A pile of money sitting next to stacks of cash.


year, a result of so many people being stuck at home and in front of their consumers.  Total consumer losses to online thieves in 2020 surpassed $4.2 billion, with almost half of that amount lost to those over 50 years old.  Unfortunately, since there is so much wealth in Monterey County—in Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach in particular—seniors here are disproportionately targeted.  Be suspicious anytime someone you don’t know calls or emails you. (AARP Bulletin May 21, P6).

Pebble Beach, CA Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease The Greatest Risk For Your Portfolio In Your Golden Years

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your retirement funds.  However, it noted that the greatest risk was not stock prices or interest rates.  Rather, it was a slow cognitive decline.  One big mistake or a series of smaller ones can wipe out your entire life savings.  To guard against this happening, investment firms like Charles Schwab, Fidelity Investments and Vanguard Group are strengthening the ways they detect possible signs of cognitive decline.  This includes making web sites more difficult to navigate for someone with an impaired memory, and monitoring for frequent password changes.  Some are notifying a designated family member when they see these signs.  Good for them!  Many people who start slipping into dementia or Alzheimer’s disease try to hide this from friends and family as they are embarrassed.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are wonderful 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://www.wsj.com/articles/baby-boomers-biggest-financial-risk-cognitive-decline-11622942343

Carmel, CA Many Nutritionists Recommending Vitamin B12 And Vitamin D3 For Seniors

A woman looking out of the window at her home.


There have been debates over whether it is prudent to take just one multivitamin per day versus taking a variety of different vitamins.  Part of it depends on what your diet looks like.  Some believe supplements are not that effective.  “When you take things out of the food matrix and you put a single ingredient into a pill, it doesn’t have the same effect,†Katherine Tucker, director of the Center for Population Health at the University of Massachusetts Lowell told AARP Bulletin (June 2021, page 32).  In regards to B12 and D3, experts say that you can’t get them from plants.  In addition, as we get older, we begin to develop difficulty absorbing them in their natural form.  Vitamin B12 plays an essential role in nerve function.  A shortfall has been associated with depression, dementia, decreased cognitive function and anemia.  If you don’t get out in the sun much, a D3 supplement can be helpful.  It’s needed to maintain a healthy immune system, bones and muscles while protecting us from cognitive decline.  If you have diabetes, with a doctors note you can enroll in diabetes nutrition classes here at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP):

https://www.montagehealth.org/locations/profile/diabetes-nutrition-therapy/

They also publish a monthly schedule in the Monterey Herald with classes on fitness, estate planning, cancer and other subjects.  Many of the classes are free.

Pacific Grove, CA Dealing With A Loved One With Alzheimer’s Disease Is Always A Struggle : Try The Montessori Method

A woman and an older lady standing next to each other.


Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are wonderful people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  It is always a struggle figuring out how to deal with a loved one, as the symptoms can seem to change from day to day.  And unlike most other chronic diseases, there is little that can be done in the way of treatment.  One relatively new method has been used for more than a century on special needs children and is being tried out on those with dementia.  It’s called the Montessori method for memory care, and it involves teaching a “new†skillset to someone.  Just as children need to know how to dress themselves, go to the bathroom, and communicate their needs, so do those with dementia who eventually may completely forget these skills which you and I take for granted.  Using the Montessori Method you will find that it:

  • Respects a person’s dignity, personhood and lived experience;
  • Allows freedom within your provided structure (essentially allowing a senior to be an improvisational artists of sorts);
  • Changes the environment to suit the individual and not the other way around; and
  • Takes into account that an individual benefits by serving their community.

Source: HomeCare Magazine, 03/21 P.40

 

And when all else fails, don’t forget that the Alzheimer’s Association has a 24-hour hotline.  If you need some additional support you can reach them at 800-272-3900.

 

https://www.alzheimers.net/montessori-method-dementia

 

Carmel, CA Can Driving Habits And Credit Scores Predict Future Alzheimer’s Or Dementia Diagnosis?

A purple background with the alzheimer 's association logo.


There has been such slow progress on the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, I was pleased to see that some researchers are focusing on finding early clues as to who may be vulnerable to getting Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia.  A recent article in The New York Times said that some scientists believe that pathologies underlying brain decline may begin many years before symptoms emerge.  A spate of experiments is underway to see if little things like overlooking a couple of credit card payments or habitually braking while driving could be a sign that dementia is in your future.  “Early detection is key for intervention, at the stage when that would be most effective,†said Saye Bayat, the lead author of a driving study funded by the National Institutes of Health and performed at Washington University.  The study took 64 older adults with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease as determined by spinal taps and 75 who were deemed cognitively normal (results were not shared with the study participants).  For a year, researchers measured both groups’ driving performance.  The study found that driving behavior and age could predict preclinical Alzheimer’s 88% of the time.  Those findings could spur recruitment for clinical trials and allow for interventions—like an alert when a car drifts—to help keep drivers safely on the road.  Dr. Jason Karlawish, a geriatrician and co-director of the Penn Memory Center, called the study “provocative†and well designed.  “The results suggest that monitoring a real-world, cognitively intense behavior can detect the earliest, subtle signs of emerging cognitive impairment,†he said.  Another study analyzed medical records and consumer credit reports for more than 80,000 Medicare beneficiaries and found that those who eventually received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease were significantly more likely to have delinquent credit card payments (and sub-prime credit scores) than those with similar demographics who never received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.  I hope these studies bear fruit.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are wonderful people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  It is always a struggle figuring out how to deal with a loved one, as the symptoms can seem to change from day to day.  Drop by or give them a call if you need help.  And when all else fails, don’t forget that the Alzheimer’s Association has a 24-hour hotline.  If you need some additional support you can reach them at 800-272-3900.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/23/health/dementia-behavior-alzheimers.html

Nursing Homes And Assisted Living Facilities Tepid On Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations, Biden Takes Action

Three vaccine bottles are shown with the words " covid-1 9 coronavirus vaccine ".


There is no question that there is a major labor shortage, we are suffering from this ourselves.  A recent report said that senior housing facilities are also being hard hit, with employees hard to find and commercial property values sinking as few investors want to be in this type of industry.  However, it’s unclear that many are doing everything in their power to please the customers.  About 39% of senior housing associations surveyed between July 22 and August 8 said that they definitely or probably would impose vaccine mandates.  That’s a surprisingly low number.  We have seen an influx of new clients due to adult children moving their parents out of facilities due to their fear of COVID-19.  That’s only likely to increase as new variants spread.  Thankfully, President Biden has stepped in and said that if nursing homes don’t require workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 they will no longer receive Medicare or Medicaid funding.  The current nursing home vaccination rate sits at only 61.5%, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  This is only a hair above the total population.  Some nursing home executives have bristled at the new Biden mandate, stating that staff departures may exceed 20%.  Good riddance I say to the anti-vaxers.  Keep them away from our seniors.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/senior-housing-industry-faces-higher-costs-as-it-plays-lead-role-in-vaccine-mandates-11630411200?mod=djem10point

Overweight Americans Should Be Screened For Diabetes At The Age Of 35

A person holding a hamburger in their hand.


Nearly one in seven Americans now have diabetes, a new record for the U.S.  It was a serious disease before COVID-19 and even more so now as symptoms could be more severe and the risk of death higher for those diabetics contracting the coronavirus.  Obesity in America has become a growing problem in recent years, as more of us develop a diet high in processed foods, which can be high in sugar and salt.  The popularity of fast food hasn’t helped either.  New guidelines have been issued by an expert task force (The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force) that were published in the journal JAMA suggesting that obese Americans and those with abnormally high blood sugar levels ought to be tested for diabetes starting at the young age of just 35.  That means that 40% of the adult population ought to be screened.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/24/health/diabetes-weight-screening.html?campaign_id=34&emc=edit_sc_20210831&instance_id=39237&nl=science-times&regi_id=52105769&segment_id=67677&te=1&user_id=7052b81671c57203c64c377c7522baa7