[From the UnitedHealthCare article by Arleen Fitzgerald, L.I.C.S.W.]
You don’t have to be a Zen master to benefit from a quieter, more peaceful mind.
Meditation, an ancient mind-body practice, may do wonders to relieve modern-day stress — and enhance overall well-being.
In general, meditation involves learning to focus your attention. And, yes, it’s been done for thousands of years. But, research on the benefits of this practice is still ongoing.
It has been shown to produce positive changes in the body. For example, meditation may:
Produce a calming, relaxing response
Stimulate “feel-good” areas of the brain
Lower blood pressure
Improve blood flow and digestion
Increase the ability to concentrate during everyday tasks
Some research suggests meditation may be helpful in easing stress and certain conditions, including:
Anxiety
Depression
Chronic pain
Insomnia
Some people with chronic illnesses — such as cancer and heart disease — also use it to help cope with physical and emotional symptoms. Quiet your mind
If you’d like to give meditation a try, you can learn forms of it from classes, books, CDs, DVDs or online programs. But, you can also practice mindfulness on your own. Some basics for beginners:
Find a peaceful place. A quiet, distraction-free zone is best. Get comfortable. Find a relaxing position. You might avoid lying down — if you think you’ll fall asleep. Focus your attention. Some people choose a word, phrase or sound — a mantra, such as om — to repeat aloud or silently. Others just concentrate on their breathing — or visualize a pleasing setting. Don’t worry about perfection. It’s normal to be distracted, especially at first. Masters of meditation say the art is in letting your thoughts just come and go — without mulling them over. Give it time. You might start small — with five-minute blocks of time, for example. As you become more practiced, work up to longer sessions.
The cities of Redmond, Kirkland, Bothell, Duvall and Kenmore have declared March 9, 2012 “Evergreen Healthcare Day” in recognition of Evergreen Hospital’s 40th anniversary of service as a public hospital.
The proclamations recognize Evergreen for its history of dedication to “high quality, safe, compassionate and cost-effective healthcare.”
Redmond Mayor John Marchione and the mayors of the other cities have encouraged all citizens to join them in recognizing Evergreen Healthcare for 40 years of enriching the health and well-being of every life Evergreen has touched.
“On behalf of the board of commissioners, employees, our community provider partners, volunteers and staff, today we celebrate those who had the vision more than 40 years ago to anticipate and meet the health needs of a growing Eastside,” said Evergreen Chief Executive Officer Bob Malte. “For the next 40 years and beyond we’ll continue to honor that vision and provide breakthrough care in all of the communities we are proud to serve.”
National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. NNM also promotes the Academy and its members to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically based food and nutrition information.
The key to a long, healthy life includes eating a wide variety of foods including nuts, fruits, grains, vegetables, and lean meats. This is even more important as we get older and our nutritional needs begin to change.
This year, March is National Nutrition Month, an awareness-raising campaign sponsored by the American Dietetic Association to help people plan their diets in order to support a long and healthy life.
This year’s theme is “Eating Right with Color,” and the goals of the program are to teach people of all ages how to stay healthy and fit.
This information can be useful in a number of contexts, including home care for seniors. Often, seniors receive assistance from elder care professionals who may be responsible for doing their grocery shopping, cooking, or meal planning. This is an important job for any caregiver, and so it is vitally important to understand how to promote healthy eating for older people.
Many caregivers who work with elderly individuals say that they spend a considerable amount of time grocery shopping, cooking meals, or planning meals for their patients. This is important because it gives the caregiver an opportunity to help their patient find foods that are going to be nutritious. There can be a couple of obstacles to this, however. Some seniors regularly take several prescription medications that may interfere with the foods that they can eat. Others may have some kind of health problems that can restrict their diet. When hiring a home care professional, make sure they are aware of any restricted food items so these are avoided when planning meals.
As people grow older, their nutritional needs change, and many older people do not receive the proper amount of certain nutrients, such as calcium and Vitamin B, Vitamin B12, fiber, potassium, and others. These nutrients are important for helping maintain the bones and organs in old age. Many of these important vitamins and minerals are found in fortified cereals, fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt, and grains.
By working with a home care agency, you can rest assured that the foods provided for your loved one are both high in nutritional content as well as accommodating to their dietary needs. The caregivers will know which foods to avoid when grocery shopping and will be aware of any dietary restrictions or possible complications with medicines. Professional caregivers are well-trained to be able to identify ingredients in medicines that may interact with food products and adjust their menus accordingly.
Caregivers are also trained to know which nutrients are more important for men and women as they age. While both groups have less of an appetite as they get older, their nutritional needs are slightly different. Men should consume more potassium and fibers, whereas women need more Vitamin B12 zinc. Both men and women should increase their daily amounts of Calcium and Vitamin D. This is something that caregivers understand well, and they have the skills they need to properly care for your loved ones as they grow older.
This March, show your support of National Nutrition Month and consider hiring a professional caregiver for your loved one. By doing so, you will ensure that your loved ones are receiving the best possible care that caters to their special needs. All caregivers provide customized care for each patient to see that they receive the best care possible. Healthy eating is important for all people, and proper nutrition becomes even more important as we age. Consider hiring a professional elder care agency to care for your loved ones to be sure that they remain healthy and happy for many years to come.
Finding the right Medicare coverage can help save on health care costs and help make retirement worry-free. If you’re new to Medicare or know someone who is, here are a few easy tips to help make the transition easy.
Know when to enroll
Most people first become eligible for Medicare when they turn 65. You can enroll any time within three months before your 65th birthday month, the month of your birthday and three months after.
If you retire or your employer coverage ends after age 65, you have two months to enroll in a Medicare plan.
Enroll early
Be sure to enroll at least 30 days before your current coverage ends to avoid any lapse in coverage and to avoid Medicare’s late enrollment penalty.¹ For some plans, if you don’t enroll when you first become eligible you may be denied coverage or have to pay a higher premium.
Review your choices
It’s important to know that Medicare Parts A and B don’t cover all costs. Many people enroll in a Medicare plan through a private insurance company to help with costs not covered. Depending on location, there could be several Medicare plan choices available.
The Sno-Valley Senior Center is in the heart of the beautiful Snoqualmie Valley, housed in the beautiful refurbished Odd Fellows Hall in the middle of the town of Carnation one half block behind City Hall.
The Sno-Valley Senior Center has been serving Valley Seniors and their families since 1975. Their mission is to be an effective provider of quality services to support the independence of senior citizens.
They love to have visitors join them for lunch, which is served Monday through Friday at 12:00 PM. If you will be bringing a large group, please give them one week’s notice by calling (425) 333-4152.
The majority of programs are at Camp Don Bosco. 1401 327th Avenue Northeast, Carnation, WA 98014. The camp is located 2 miles south (toward Fall City) of their current location just off highway 203.
The Sno-Valley Adult Day Program supports frail elderly and/or adults with disabilities in maintaining the greatest degree of independence and well-being possible. The Adult Day Service provides a therapeutic environment designed to promote independence for seniors and other adults experiencing physical, mental, or social challenges. Individuals who are appropriate to participate in our program include those who are experiencing difficulties due to:
A stroke
Dementia-related diseases (including Alzheimer’s)
Parkinson’s disease
Other disabling conditions
Their professional care team—consisting of a nurse, an occupational therapist, a social worker, and an activities specialist—will partner with the participant’s doctor to design an individualized care plan with the goal of keeping your loved one independent and in the home as long as possible.
Structured activities such as art projects, games, exercise, and music encourage socialization and promote self-esteem.
Adult Day Program Schedule: Monday through Thursday from 9:30am to 2:30pm. Pparticipants enjoy a nutritious, made-from-scratch lunch daily. Scheduling options are available so that your loved one can attend from one to four days depending on your family’s need.
Transportation: Free door-to-door wheelchair accessible transportation may be available in the lower Snoqualmie Valley.
Program Fees: A $65 per day fee covers on-site nursing care, local transportation, a nutritious made-from-scratch meal, supplies, and all program services. Medicaid, State Respite, and limited scholarship funding are available to qualified participants which may reduce the family’s out-of-pocket cost.
One month into the job, with the paint on her new office’s walls still looking immaculate, Mount Si Senior Center Director B.J. Libby lets out a sigh that is three parts contentment and one part impatience.
“I can’t wait for the honeymoon to be over,” she said, “so I can engage in the work of the center.”
Center members and visitors seem to think Libby is already plenty engaged and engaging.
“I teach watercolors here,” Audrey Zeder said. “Been here for more than a year and she has been the first person from the center to visit us for that class. It was so nice for her to take time on a Saturday and visit.”
With energy to spare and an easy smile, Libby seems to be winning people over faster than she can meet them.
A Nov. 7 open house was Libby’s community debut as a hostess of the center, and in her short speech she displayed many of the qualities that have people so enchanted with her.
She drew her share of yuks by asking a man in a Santa hat if he could bring her a yellow Lamborghini for Christmas, and then asking a woman whether the container of eggnog was spiked and then making a beeline for it.
“It’s a really good thing to have her here,” said Mary Ann Moss, who attended the open house. “She has a lot of great ideas it seems like.”
Ideas include tournaments that go beyond that staple of senior centers across America: bingo.
“I want to start a chess club here,” Libby said. “Checkers, cribbage, Scrabble…”
Someone suggested Texas Hold ‘em, and the crowd laughed.
“I want to hear laughter,” Libby added. “Laughter makes things more fun.”
Libby’s idea that has people most intrigued is opening the center to people other than senior citizens.
“It’s very exciting,” Pam Whittington said. “It’s great for those who may not be young in age but are still young at heart.”
