Seniors Need To Be Educated On Antibiotics

A woman is helping an older person in the bathroom.


There is a critical need to educate seniors on the use of antibiotics, according to a study published by University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging, sponsored by AARP.  Researchers found that almost 13% of those with antibiotic prescriptions stopped taking the drug before running out of the medication, while 34% wrongly believe antibiotics can be used to treat a cold or the flu.  More than half of those who reported having leftover antibiotics used to treat an earlier ailment took the old drugs. (AARP Bulletin May 21, P6).

Carmel, CA Exercise Is Critical For Those With Early Onset Alzheimer’s

Three older women are holding pink dumbbells.


We have written repeatedly on our blog about the importance of proper nutrition, social interaction and exercise is to keeping the mind and body healthy for seniors.  A new study from Arizona State University Edison College of Nursing and Health Innovation had participants either ride a stationary bike or do stretching exercise for six months.  Those who took part in the regular exercise program had significantly less memory loss than those who don’t follow a particular exercise regimen.  The results were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease. (AARP Bulletin May 21, P6).  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.

Prunedale Resident Facing Nine Year Prison Sentence For Elder Abuse

A pile of money sitting next to stacks of cash.


Severiano Negrete, Jr., 24, of Prunedale, plead guilty to assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury, battery causing serious bodily harm and attempting to dissuade a victim from prosecuting a crime.  He faces a nine year prison sentence.  On April 1, 2020, he was arrested by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office for assaulting his 64-year-old father.  He punched him in the face multiple times causing a nasal fracture and other serious injuries.  From jail, Negrete repeatedly called a third party and asked her to contact his father and request that he drop the charges against him.  He called her again and asked her to take him to the sheriff’s office to drop the charges before he went to court.  Let’s hope he gets the maximum sentence.  Sadly, most elder abuse cases are done by family members, caregivers and others who the victim is intimately involved with.  If you see elder abuse happening, please call Adult Protective Services.

Capitola, CA Caregivers Looking For Relief For Clients With Arthritis Or Osteoporosis Might Want To Turn To Vibration Therapy Or Light Therapy

A nurse is smiling next to an older woman.


With the opioid crisis, it has becoming increasingly difficult to get doctors to embrace any kind of pain medication therapy for those struggling with debilitating and painful diseases which impact the muscle and bone.  Amplitude Vibration Therapy is now getting a lot of buzz in the medical community, providing relief for a number of ailments without having to turn to prescription drugs.  It works by stimulating muscles and ligaments, which increases blood circulation and can reduce pain and inflammation, promote immune response and improve joint strength as well as more flexibility.  A recent study by the National Institutes of Health and researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa found that those living with rheumatoid arthritis showed improvements in functionality and decreased pain after using vibration therapy over three months, and an even better response after six months.

 

https://www.homecaremag.com/june-2021/buzz-vibration-therapy

 

Best of all, vibration therapy doesn’t bring the feeling of electric shock that is commonly associated with some other therapies.  Clinical studies suggest vibration therapy may offer benefits for patients with arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis and other ailments. It is also a trendy workout recovery option due to ease of use. A study completed earlier this year indicates that five minutes of low-level vibration therapy was as effective as a 15-minute massage at reducing muscle soreness and improving recovery time after strenuous exercise.

Potential Benefits of Vibration Therapy:

  • Increased blood and lymphatic circulation
  • Reduced pain and inflammation
  • A boosted immune response
  • Additional joint strength and flexibility
  • Increased healing of fractures, strains and sprains
  • Decreased stress and increased energy levels
  • Assistance in detoxification and removal of wastes from the body
  • Safe and effective

Source : www.brownmed.com

Locally, Sol Santa Cruz provides a number of different therapy programs for those in pain, including exercises like Pilates, Active Relief and Light Therapy.

https://solsantacruz.net/about-us/featured-services/a-perfect-light/

Commonly Treated Conditions

  • Back pain
  • Ligament injuries
  • Muscle strains
  • Contusions and bruising
  • Arthritis
  • Muscular atrophy
  • Chronic pain conditions
  • Muscle aches and pains
  • Tendinitis

Source : Sol Santa Cruz

 

Experiment with these traditional and non-traditional treatments and see what is best for you.  You may be surprised at how your body reacts.  My chiropractor has evolved over the years to combining massage therapy, ultrasound, laser therapy and other services which are sued to relieve chronic pain along with traditional chiropractic treatments.  I’ve been very pleased with the results.

https://drbarkalow.com/services/

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

A nurse is helping an elderly woman to get out of her wheelchair.


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

Carmel, CA Zoom Calls Can Stave Off Alzheimer’s Disease And Dementia, New Study Finds

A nurse helping an elderly person walk with a walker.


A recent study by the University of West London’s Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory found that video conferencing services like Zoom has helped older people stave off the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia.  The study was massive, analyzing data from 11,418 men and women over the age of 50 who were asked how often they interacted with friends and family online, on the phone and in person.  They then completed memory tests which involved recalling keywords at various intervals.  Researchers found that regular communication helps seniors maintain long-term memory and those that use online tools have shown less decline in memory than those who don’t.  “This shows for the first time the impact of diverse, frequent and meaningful interaction on long-term memory, and specifically, how supplementing more traditional methods with online social activity may achieve that among older adults,†said Snorri Rafnsson, the study’s lead author.  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.  They have also been doing more and more support groups online since the pandemic started, something I believe will continue into the future.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/15/health/elderly-zoom-dementia-pandemic-scli-scn-intl/index.html?utm_term=1621168651160e67555ee3ae3&utm_source=cnn_Five+Things+for+Sunday%2C+May+16%2C+2021&utm_medium=email&bt_ee=PyKeGR6jgg4O%2FIwFnTbgeQRv%2FPTqOwbLuOHcHkbLYEvioBrrxjpBWGqGzMGsjw9v&bt_ts=1621168651163

New Prescription Drugs Are Coming With A Hefty Price : By Derek Baine


More and more prescription drugs are coming to market with outrageous wholesale prices and many have wondered whether Medicare and private insurance companies will cover them.  They got their answer on Friday for the new Alzheimer’s drug from Biogen when The Department of Veterans Affairs said they won’t cover Aduhelm.  Medicare has yet to weigh in.  The VA cited the risks of causing series side effects and a lack of evidence that it improves cognitive function in denying coverage.  By law, the VA has greater leeway than other government health programs like Medicare and Medicaid to deny coverage of medicines it deems to be of poor value.  A group of VA doctors concluded last month that more than 150K veteran beneficiaries diagnosed with Alzheimer’s could receive the drug.  However, it would come at a cost of $4 billion annually.

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

A purple background with the alzheimer 's association logo.


There was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal that talked about prudently investing 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

New Fitbit Luxe Great For Tracking Activities And Building On Them : By Derek Baine

Three older women are holding pink dumbbells.


At Family inHome Caregiving, we focus on making sure that senior get proper nutrition, enough social interaction, and the appropriate amount of exercise.  But the question always comes down to, how much is enough and how much is too much?  Everyone is different, so let your own body be the judge of that.  But if you are feeling tired, try doing just a slight amount more the next day and eventually your stamina will build.  There are a number of gadgets on the market to help you measure your activity, and one that is getting great reviews is the Fitbit Luxe, which you can get at amazon.com for about $150.  It tracks your activity all day long, with things like number of steps, distance walked and number of calories burned off at the touch of a button—and it is waterproof to boot.  You can also set a targeted heart rate for when you are exercising, and it will give you a buzz when you have hit your target.  Give it a shot!

 https://www.health.com/fitness/fitness-gear/fitbit-luxe-review?did=661357-20210811&utm_campaign=hth-nonewsubs_relationship-builder&utm_source=health.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=081121&cid=661357&mid=64352459181

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

A woman and two men sitting on the couch


Carmel, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel, 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.