I came across this video of an 82 year old woman with over 1,000 dives under her belt. She is truly inspirational. Enjoy!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxdlKldPAV0
May you embrace life as much as possible. Be well and have a wonderful week!
Laura
AltaGolden Inc
In-Home care for older adults
Adult Day Care for dementia
www.altagolden.com
HCO License: 374700084
Adult Day License: 374603172
Monday, August 8, 2016
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
WHO SAID 90-YEAR OLDS DON'T ROCK!
Greetings and salutations. I hope your summer has been filled with joy so far. I have a quick and fun post for you today.
OK, my dirty little secret is that I've become addicted to the America's Got Talent show. On the recent auditions a 90-year old gave her own unique dance and it is screamingly funny. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLh6qqJRELA
If you would like to be a rockin granny (or grandpa) we may be able to help you! Call AltaGolden to see how we can help you with your fun mojo. 858-779-9254 www.altagolden.com
OK, my dirty little secret is that I've become addicted to the America's Got Talent show. On the recent auditions a 90-year old gave her own unique dance and it is screamingly funny. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLh6qqJRELA
If you would like to be a rockin granny (or grandpa) we may be able to help you! Call AltaGolden to see how we can help you with your fun mojo. 858-779-9254 www.altagolden.com
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
How to Pick a Walker
Greetings all. Laura Barish here to talk with you about the selection and use of walkers. Walkers are a great assistive device and can help ensure safe ambulation. Unfortunately most of the people I see using walkers are pushing them ahead of themselves and are hunched over because the walker is too far in front of them.
I believe there are two reasons for this. First, most people are not taught how to properly use a walker. The walker is provided and hopefully the height has been adjusted so it is properly set to the individual. Rarely, however, does someone receive the training or work with an occupational therapist on how to properly walk with their walker; and so we see them hunched over as they stroll along. Sometimes the 'hunch' is due to physical decline but many times not. This hunch, however, can end up throwing off the body's alignment and creating physical pain associated with an incorrect walking pattern.
The second reason we may see the hunch is due to a poor walker design. On many rolling walkers the seat impedes the natural swing through of the leg resulting in the walker being pushed forward to ensure enough.
So, how do you pick a walker that meets all your criteria. My suggestion is to go to a medical supply store in your area that offer many different types of walkers. Try them all. Are you able to stand straight upright and walk in a relaxed manner or are you having to push the walker forward in order to walk?
There is one walker that I have found that meets most of my criteria for a good design. It is a rolling A frame walker with a fold down seat. The hospital A frame walker is, in my opinion, the best designed walker on the market. However, it is limiting for some adults who find the lack of 4 wheels and hand brakes to be problematic. And then there is the lack of seat and storage that comes with many rolling walkers. The rolling A Frame does not have storage but a bag can easily be attached. The walker is safe, stable, and very adjustable.
Regardless of the walker you choose, select one that will allow you to stand up straight and walk comfortably.
One of my favorite places to look for walkers is Accucare in Escondido. www.accucaremedical.net. 941 East Valley Parkway. 760-746-2331. AltaGolden clients get a 10% discount.
Do you need some help at home? Give AltaGolden a call. Our in-home support and adult day care for people living with dementia provide great services for all our clients. Just call to see how we can help. 858-779-9254. www.altagolden.com
Monday, July 20, 2015
A Prayer for the World
Greetings and happy July 20th. Today I was working with a client and they had a wonderful prayer posted on their refrigerator. I thought it would be nice to share:
A Prayer for the World
Let the rain come and wash away
the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds
held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory
of the hurt, the neglect.
Then let the sun come out and
fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us
wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog so that
we can see each other clearly.
So that we can see beyond labels,
beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness
of the sun melt our selfishness.
So that we can share the joys and
feel the sorrows of our neighbors.
And let the light of the sun
be so strong that we will see all
people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain,
bring forth flowers
to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts
to reach upward to heaven.
Amen.
by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner
May your day be blessed and refreshed.
Laura Barish
AltaGolden
Do you need help at home? Give us a call and see how AltaGolden can help.
Do you have a friend of loved one living with dementia? Perhaps our wonderful day program in Rancho Bernardo is a good fit for you. Join us for a free half day and try the program with no obligation. Just call for an appointment: 858-779-9254
A Prayer for the World
Let the rain come and wash away
the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds
held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory
of the hurt, the neglect.
Then let the sun come out and
fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us
wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog so that
we can see each other clearly.
So that we can see beyond labels,
beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness
of the sun melt our selfishness.
So that we can share the joys and
feel the sorrows of our neighbors.
And let the light of the sun
be so strong that we will see all
people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain,
bring forth flowers
to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts
to reach upward to heaven.
Amen.
by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner
May your day be blessed and refreshed.
Laura Barish
AltaGolden
Do you need help at home? Give us a call and see how AltaGolden can help.
Do you have a friend of loved one living with dementia? Perhaps our wonderful day program in Rancho Bernardo is a good fit for you. Join us for a free half day and try the program with no obligation. Just call for an appointment: 858-779-9254
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Keep Dancing!! A holistic approach to keeping dementia at bay.
Greetings and welcome! Today's topic is about healthy aging and was written by my sister, Dr. Maxine Barish-Wreden. Max is a certified Alternative Medicine doctor in the Sacramento area. She entitled this article, "Keep Dancing!!" Enjoy!
Want to avoid your risk of dementia holistically? Besides controlling your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugars and decreasing your intake of inflammatory foods, what else can you do? Start dancing! Dancing has been shown to have numerous health benefits in various studies. The most obvious are increased socialization and improved physical functioning. Two recent studies conducted by University of Missouri researchers found that participation in dance-based therapy can improve balance and gait in older adults. This can reduce the risk of falls and injuries in this population.
Studies also have shown a strong link to a decrease in the development of dementia among participants who danced. A study funded by the National Institute of Aging and published in 2003 in the New England Journal of Medicine showed a significantly reduced risk of dementia in older adults who danced frequently. The study looked at almost 500 adults aged 75 and older, tracking their activities and incidence of dementia for 5 years. It showed a surprisingly strong correlation between dancing and reduction in dementia -- a whopping 76 percent. Dancing was also the only physical activity that reduced dementia. There was, for example, no reduction in the development of dementia among those who golfed frequently. Other physical activities studied included playing tennis, swimming, bicycling, walking for exercise and doing housework.
Some mental activities that did reduce the risk of dementia were reading and doing crossword puzzles. Why does dancing help maintain the brain? The principle of Neuroplasticity hypothesizes that we continue to rewire synapses in the brain with continuous activity. This is literally a "use it or lose it" phenomenon. When we are dancing, we are using our cerebral cortex and hippocampus, which are critical to dancing. These areas of the brain are remarkably plastic, and they rewire themselves based upon their use. Researchers hypothesize that perhaps this greater cognitive reserve and increased complexity of neuronal synapses keeps dementia at bay.
Published by Drs. Maxine Barish-Wreden and Kay Judge for The Sacramento Bee The Daily news Online.
So, I guess the message is to shimmy up to your loved one and go out and dance, dance, dance! It will work both your brain and body.
I hope you have enjoyed the article. Check back for more topics of interest related to health, caregiver issues, and support.
Do you need help at home to help maintain your independence? Just give us a call and we'll see how AltaGolden can help you. 858-779-9254
Take care and have a blessed day! Laura Barish
Want to avoid your risk of dementia holistically? Besides controlling your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugars and decreasing your intake of inflammatory foods, what else can you do? Start dancing! Dancing has been shown to have numerous health benefits in various studies. The most obvious are increased socialization and improved physical functioning. Two recent studies conducted by University of Missouri researchers found that participation in dance-based therapy can improve balance and gait in older adults. This can reduce the risk of falls and injuries in this population.
Studies also have shown a strong link to a decrease in the development of dementia among participants who danced. A study funded by the National Institute of Aging and published in 2003 in the New England Journal of Medicine showed a significantly reduced risk of dementia in older adults who danced frequently. The study looked at almost 500 adults aged 75 and older, tracking their activities and incidence of dementia for 5 years. It showed a surprisingly strong correlation between dancing and reduction in dementia -- a whopping 76 percent. Dancing was also the only physical activity that reduced dementia. There was, for example, no reduction in the development of dementia among those who golfed frequently. Other physical activities studied included playing tennis, swimming, bicycling, walking for exercise and doing housework.
Some mental activities that did reduce the risk of dementia were reading and doing crossword puzzles. Why does dancing help maintain the brain? The principle of Neuroplasticity hypothesizes that we continue to rewire synapses in the brain with continuous activity. This is literally a "use it or lose it" phenomenon. When we are dancing, we are using our cerebral cortex and hippocampus, which are critical to dancing. These areas of the brain are remarkably plastic, and they rewire themselves based upon their use. Researchers hypothesize that perhaps this greater cognitive reserve and increased complexity of neuronal synapses keeps dementia at bay.
Published by Drs. Maxine Barish-Wreden and Kay Judge for The Sacramento Bee The Daily news Online.
So, I guess the message is to shimmy up to your loved one and go out and dance, dance, dance! It will work both your brain and body.
I hope you have enjoyed the article. Check back for more topics of interest related to health, caregiver issues, and support.
Do you need help at home to help maintain your independence? Just give us a call and we'll see how AltaGolden can help you. 858-779-9254
Take care and have a blessed day! Laura Barish
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Social Group for Seniors
Good morning all.
Last night AltaGolden hosted our monthly support group. A gentleman who attended talked about his loneliness and feeling of isolation now that his wife is no longer living with him. I told him that I would reach out to some of our clients that might value a new friend.
After he left I realized that perhaps when I need to do is to start a social group for older adults that have lost their partner in one way or another. Please give me a call if you would be interested in coming to a social group to meet people and establish new friendships. If we get enough interest I will start the group.
Laura Barish
AltaGolden
858-779-9254
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