• Assisted Living Providers May Want To Consider Chocolate On The Menu!

    A popular website for people involved in assisted living and care giving is called Care 2 Make a Difference (http://care2.com) where you can find some great information. In their “Green Living” section we ran across a great article titled “Chocoate Good for the Heart?”. Researchers from the UK and Colombia say their meta-analysis of seven studies focused on chocolate and a reduction in heart disease shows eating small amounts of chocolate could reduce the risk of heart disease by 37%, and the risk of stroke by 29%. “Although overconsumption can have harmful effects, the existing studies generally agree on a potential beneficial association of chocolate consumption with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disorders. Our findings confirm this, and we found that higher levels of chocolate consumption might be associated with a one-third reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

    Continue reading
  • New hope for Alzheimer’s Disease?

    Researchers have found a natural substance in a type of moss, Huperzia Serrata (also known as Chinese Club Moss) that could be a powerful treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease, and may potentially combat the effects of chemical warfare agents, too. Called Huperzine A, the compound is an enzyme inhibitor that has been used to treat Alzheimer’s disease in China since the late 1990s. It’s also sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement to help maintain memory. Unfortunately, the moss is extremely rare and may be near extinction in its native China. But now there has been a major breakthrough – Yale scientists have come up with a practical way to synthesize huperzine A in just eight steps, producing a yield of 40 percent. Their research was just published in the journal Chemical Science. Plans are underway to further test the therapeutic potential of Huperzine A in clinical trials involving research subjects with several different neurological disorders. In addition, according to […]

    Continue reading
  • Where Did I Put It? Regaining Memory.

    Forgetting where you put your keys a lot lately? Leaving that shopping list at home all of the time? Having trouble remembering names for all of those faces? Menopausal women often complain of fuzzy thinking, forgetfulness, and difficulty concentrating; some even wonder if this is the beginning of dementia. You are most likely not losing your mind! Join the Red Hot Mamas for Menopause 101 to find out the causes of memory loss during menopause and what you can do to fight it. Presented by Anne Hamburg, MD, Southwest Medical Group Neurology Associates. Social time and refreshments at 6 p.m. The program begins at 6:30 p.m.  Click here to learn more and sign up! Although it is unlikely that a menopause related forgetfulness will cause enough problems to require an assisted living solution, memory problems can make it difficult for people to live alone. If you or someone you care about is in need of an assisted living solution in Vancouver, WA […]

    Continue reading
  • Memory care – does the Internet hurt or help?

    Memory care is not just something we should look into when we start having problems. We should work to maintain our memory before a problem occurs. There have been many studies that show using technology can help our memory but is that always true? A recent study indicates that the internet may actually hinder our memory skills – not because of the technology but because we feel there is no longer a need to remember things on our own when it is so easy to access information online. Betsy Sparrow, assistant professor in psychology at Columbia, analyzed the impact of the huge accessibility of data from the internet on memory skills. Dr. Sparrow and her collaborators, Daniel M. Wegner of Harvard and Jenny Liu of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, staged four different memory experiments. One was for participants to type snippets of knowledge into a computer. One group was told the data would be erased and another was told […]

    Continue reading
  • Assisted Living, Adult Family Homes And Memory Care Are Only A Part Of Aging Readiness

    The Clark County Aging Readiness Task Force is going to be at the Clark County Fair at Booth 93 in the Exhibition Hall. In addition to helping families seek the right assisted living, adult family home or memory care location for their loved ones, Kathy has been an active member of this task force. The Aging Readiness Task Force was convened to help address how Clark County can meet the needs of an aging population. Kathy will be at the booth Saturday, August 6th from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.and would love to have you stop by to say hello and gather information. See you at the FAIR!!!

    Continue reading
  • What Are ADL’s?

    Activities of Daily Living – Everyday routines generally involving functional mobility and personal care, such as bathing, personal hygiene, dressing, toileting, meal preparation, eating, and mobility.  When there is a deficit in the ability to fully perform these tasks, assistance is needed.  Caregivers are trained to help residents to accomplish these tasks in order to have the best possible quality of life. For more information about how the A Caring Heart referral service works, Contact Us.

    Continue reading
  • What Are Adult Family Homes?

    Adult Family Homes are small communities with no more than six residents who live in a house that provides for their needs much like an assisted living facility. However the ratio of caregivers to residents is usually higher and can provide for residents whose needs are greater.

    Continue reading
  • What Are Memory Care Facilities?

    These are boarding home facilities that have staff that is trained to work with people who have such diseases as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and memory loss as a result of such impairments as strokes. A high level of both physical and mental care is usually available in these communities.

    Continue reading
  • How Do I Know When It Is Time To Move Into Assisted Living?

    When there is concern that it is no longer safe to stay at home or in your apartment alone. This could be related to health, physical, emotional, or social factors. A few examples of behaviors that might indicate you are at risk include: weight loss falling depression forgetfulness confusion wandering

    Continue reading
  • What Is Assisted Living?

    Assisted Living Communities provides a social environment with medical and safety monitoring. It includes support services plus a staff that is specially trained to provide personal care and intermittent nursing services including medication management. This care is outlined in the resident’s care plan, documented by the staff at the facility, and supervised by a nurse.

    Continue reading