Assisted Living in Vancouver WA | Adult Family Homes | Memory Care

This is where we will share news and insights about our services and what is happening in Clark County regarding Adult Family Homes, Assisted Living and Memory Care solutions.

• Local newspaper shares information about assisted living options

  Our priority is to help families find the right solution in assisted living. We appreciate finding articles like this one recently posted in  Living Well. The title really says it all: “Making the right choice on long-term care

  Selecting for a loved one can be tough”. Read the full article here. If you have more questions please feel free to contact us. There is no fee to the families or residents for our services.

• Tips To Prevent Memory Loss As You Age

  (StatePoint) You may not realize it, but you can take steps to keep your brain fit and flexible as you age. In fact, some experts now say that through proper diet and routine mental health exercises, you even can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease long enough to avoid experiencing the symptoms.

  “The sooner you start to protect your brain against Alzheimer’s, the sooner you will notice improvement — not only in recall and mental focus, but also in energy level, mood, general health, and sense of well-being,” says Dr. Gary Small, M.D., Professor at UCLA, and author of the new book “The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program” (Workman Publishers).

  Small offers these stay-sharp tips to help you get started:

  • Eat brain food: Stock up on food filled with antioxidants like berries, avocados, and raw vegetables; omega-3 rich, anti-inflammatory food choices, like fish, whole grains, and legumes; and memory-boosting spices like turmeric and cumin. Alcohol in moderation can be beneficial too, so don’t shy away from a glass of wine or beer at dinner.
  • Train your brain: You can cross-train your brain, by jumping from right-brain to left-brain workouts. “The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program,” offers great daily mental workouts that combine wordplay, letter scrambles, 3-D drawings, tricky equations, logic challenges, and number sequences. For more information, visit www.drgarysmall.com.
  • Be flexible: Try simple tasks like writing and eating with your non-dominant hand. By engaging neural circuits in ways that are different from their usual patterns, you will provide your brain a good mental stretch.
  • Make discoveries: Like any muscle you’d work out at the gym, your brain needs variety and stimulation to stay in shape. Find new challenging mental activities that you also enjoy, so that engaging your brain is never a chore. For example, explore a genre of music you haven’t before, or take up a new thought-provoking hobby.
  • Get Moving: Hopefully you are already exercising for optimum physical health. If you aren’t, consider this: physical activity increases blood flow, oxygenating the brain. So turn off that mindless television program and take a brisk walk!
  • Reduce your stress: Practice yoga, meditate; take a vacation or even just a bubble bath.

  “Stress can temporarily impair one’s learning and recall,” says Small. “By taking away sources of stress, or reacting to stress differently, you can improve your memory.”

  Alzheimer’s is already affecting 5 million people in the U.S. alone. But a memory lapse today doesn’t need to become a bigger problem tomorrow. Take charge and help sharpen your memory now.

• MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HANUKKAH

  Written by Regina Brett

  90 years old Regina, is of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio . This is a reprint of her article on 45 lessons of life.

  To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

  1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good..
  2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
  3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
  4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
  5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
  6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
  7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
  8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
  9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
  10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
  11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
  12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
  13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what
  14. their journey is all about.
  15. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
  16. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
  17. Take a deep breath It calms the mind.
  18. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
  19. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
  20. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
  21. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
  22. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
  23. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
  24. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
  25. The most important sex organ is the brain.
  26. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
  27. Frame every so-called disaster with these words : ‘In five years, will this matter?’
  28. Always choose life..
  29. Forgive everyone everything.
  30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
  31. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
  32.  However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
  33. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
  34. Believe in miracles.
  35. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
  36. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
  37. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
  38. Your children get only one childhood.
  39. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
  40. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
  41. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
  42. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
  43. The best is yet to come…
  44. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
  45. Yield.
  46. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
• Adult family homes vs. boarding homes

  We are often asked the differences between Adult Family Homes and Boarding homes. One difference lies in the number of people that care services can be provided for.  An adult family home is licensed to provide care services for up to six adults in a regular house located in a residential neighborhood.  A boarding home is licensed to provide housing and care services to seven or more people in a home or facility located in a residential neighborhood.

  Adult family homes may be run by a family, single person or business partners. The adult family home may also hire other employees. Some adult family homes allow pets and in some homes, multiple languages are spoken.

  All adult family homes and boarding homes both provide housing and meals (room and board) and assume general responsibility for the safety and care of the resident. What additional services are offered will be different from home to home but may include:

  Varying levels of assistance with personal care.

  Intermittent nursing care (a licensed nurse available on a part-time basis).

  Assistance with or administering of medications.

  Some homes also provide specialized care to people living with developmental disabilities, dementia, or mental illness.

  We have provided several resources throughout our website to help you decide the best environment for your situation.

• Adult Family Homes in Vancouver WA make longevity more joyous

  Often our clients contact us because their loved one is having some challenges living alone. When we introduce them to adult family homes in Vancouver WA and the surrounding towns of Clark County, WA, we help families make choices that bring more joy to their loved ones as well as meet their basic needs.

  It is our experience that, though our body may put some restrictions on us,  getting older does not mean we can’t still have some fun! The right adult family homes in Vancouver WA provide the kind of support that helps each person live their life to full potential.

  Adult family homes should offer more than just meeting the basic needs of food and medical care. A good adult family home will provide a sense of family and community to each person that shares the living environment. This kind of community enhances our lives and helps keep the joy in our life!