Take measurements of the new living space. This will help your loved one decide how to arrange the furniture and develop a rough floor plan for the new living space. Take photos of each room in your loved one’s current space. This will help you remember the décor and help provide a welcome sense of […]
Welcome to Alderwood's "Living Well"
In support of your own journey, we share some of the latest research and opinion on aging ‘well’ from multiple news sources. All information provided is offered only as talking points to support conversation with your medical provider. It is not endorsed in any way by Alderwood Assisted Living, its owners, management or employees.100 Year-Old Harmonica Player
She is 100 years old and as feisty as ever! Her humor and philosophy of life has helped her to remain vibrant. Click the below link to watch, laugh and learn. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rajji_4qNvo
Act ‘FAST!’
The American Stroke Association says, Act ‘FAST!”: Face drooping? Arm weakness? Speech difficulty? Time to call 911!
Can Caresses Protect the Brain from Stroke?
Neurons cut off by a stroke may have the inherent ability to reroute blood flow and save themselves. By Stephani Sutherland In Brief Saved by Caresses Stroke research has been stymied for many years by the complexity of the brain’s response and promising but failed therapies. An accidental discovery in lab rats revealed that stimulating […]
Coping with Depression
Things you can do to speed recovery and keep it from returning By R J Ignelzi Look around at the people in your office, the grocery store or your church or synagogue. Even though they may not be weeping or cowering alone in a corner, there’s a good chance that at least a few of […]
Depression
POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION • Sadness and crying • Loss of interest in formerly pleasurable activities • Withdrawal from social activities • Loss of energy • Feelings of uselessness, worthlessness, hopelessness • Irritability • Great concern with health problems • Vague aches and pains • Worry, self-criticism • Difficulty concentrating and/or making decisions • Loss […]
The Future of Medicine is Now
The Wall Street Journal In our era of instant gratification, the world of medicine seems like an outlier. The path from a promising discovery to an effective treatment often takes a decade or more. But from that process—of fits and starts, progress and setbacks and finally more progress—grow the insights and advances that change the […]
Say Chopsticks
Mike Suda, The Wall Street Journal Holding the sticks in the mouth activates the same muscles we use for smiling. After engaging in stressful tasks, people reduced their heart rate more quickly if they smiled, a recent study found. Participants held chopsticks in their mouth in different ways to, from left, keep a neutral expression, […]
Smiling could be good for your health
Sumathi Reddy, The Wall Street Journal Researchers are finding that wearing a smile brings certain benefits, like slowing down the heart and reducing stress. This may even happen when people aren’t aware they are forming a smile, according to a recent study. The work follows research that established that the act of smiling can make […]
A Plan to Chart Heart Risk in 1 Million Adults in Real Time
Ron Winslow, The Wall Street Journal Researchers are launching a major study that will marshal the power of smartphones and other personal technologies in an effort to develop new strategies for preventing and managing heart disease. The project, called the Health eHeart Study, will use tools such as smartphone apps, sensors and other devices to […]
Medical Advances Improve Chances of Stroke Recovery
U-T San Diego Catheter-based treatment, neurosurgery boost survival rates Every year, more than 750,000 Americans suffer from a stroke or what some call a “brain attack.” Strokes occur from a lack of blood flow to the brain, known as an ischemic stroke, or from bleeding within the brain, known as a hemorrhagic stroke. Past treatments […]
The American Diabetes Association says that…
…diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes Frequent urination Unusual thirst Extreme hunger Unusual weight loss Extreme fatigue and irritability Type 2 Diabetes Any of […]
HERMAN ~ Forum addresses ‘the talk’ for seniors
Agnes Herman, NCT A serious matter that concerns all of us: senior driving. When is it time to give up the keys? At 16, 17 or 18, we gleefully take on the responsibility, the privilege of driving an automobile. It is the most exciting event of the tumultuous teen years. It is freedom, independence, pending […]
Retiring the Keys
Joseph D Younger, AAA Westways Magazine How can you tell whether an older driver presents a hazard on the road? Experts agree: You can’t answer the question by age alone. “Biological age and chronological age are two completely different things,” says Linda Hill, director of preventive medicine residency at the University of California at San […]
Welcome to the Hall of Fame ~ A Celebration of Long Life!
Jeanne Louise Calment, February 21, 1875 – August 4, 1997, was a French supercentenarian with the longest confirmed human lifespan in history, living to the age of 122 years, 164 days. She lived in Arles, France her entire life, outliving both her daughter and grandson by several decades. She holds the record for being the oldest living […]
Wall Street Journal ~ A Few Extra Pounds Won’t Kill You–Really
A new finding could undermine many diet resolutions, a new government study shows that people who are overweight are less likely to die in any given period than people of normal weight. Even those who are moderately obese don’t have a higher-than-normal risk of dying. Being substantially obese, based on measure called body mass index, […]
Wall Street Journal ~ Why Doctors Die Differently
Careers in medicine have taught them the limits of treatment and the need to plan for the end Years ago, Charlie, a highly respected orthopedist and a mentor of mine, found a lump in his stomach. It was diagnosed as pancreatic cancer by one of the best surgeons in the country, who had developed a […]
USA Today ~ Change in gait could signal Alzheimer’s
Subtle changes in the way a person walks can be an early warning sign of cognitive decline and a signal for advanced testing, researchers reported Sunday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Vancouver, Canada. The findings are the first to link a physical symptom to the disease, which up until now required doctors to […]
USA Today interviewed Bill Thies, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer for the Alzheimer’s Association:
Q: What effect does sleep have on changes in the brain? A: Researchers report that cognitive health declines over the long term in some people with sleep problems. A large study done at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, of 15,000 participants ages 70 and older, reported important findings. Sleep duration shorter than seven hours […]
Excerpts from Health Magazine
Secrets from 100-year-old women on how to look and feel great till a ripe old age… A day in the life of Charlotte Falk looks like this: hitting the treadmill, browsing Facebook, maybe seeing a movie. Pretty standard—except this month she celebrates her 100th birthday. Fifty years ago, only one person in 67,000 lived to […]
Changing how we care for the incurable
By Judy Citko & Myra Christopher, San Diego Union Tribune Despite polarizing political views about what’s wrong with health care in America today, one thing that most people can agree on is that our current system does not work for patients, families or health care professionals. Few areas highlight what’s wrong with “the system” as […]
Attitude on Aging Affects Health of Seniors, Study Says
New research finds that seniors who view aging positively are much more likely to recover from disabilities that limit their ability to perform activities of daily living than older adults who buy into negative age stereotypes. Researchers at the Yale School of Public Health followed 598 individuals age 70 and older over a period of […]
104 Year Old Woman, Marguerite Joseph, Forced to Lie About Her Age on Facebook
GROSSE POINTE SHORES, Mich. (AP) — Facebook is apologizing for a problem that makes a 104-year-old Michigan woman lie about her age on the social media website. Marguerite Joseph’s granddaughter says Facebook won’t let Joseph list her real age. Gail Marlow says when she tries inputting her grandmother’s birth year as 1908, Facebook changes it […]