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SAFE
Aging Newsletter |
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Volume 3, Issue
8 |
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New Year,
New Challenges, and New Opportunities |
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January
2007 |
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In This Issue:
- Variety is the Spice of Life
- New and Noteworthy
- New Website for Long Term Care Planning
Help
- Newsletter Resources
A whole new year is suddenly ahead of us.
2006 is forever gone, never to come back again. What's done is
done. But, wonderful, glorious 2007 is a new beginning. 2007 is
sure to bring new challenges and opportunities to achieve
personal happiness and fulfillment.
What challenges will you face and what
opportunities will you create in 2007? Here are some things to
think about that could lead the way to personal happiness and
fulfillment.
What Can You Do In 2007?
How you
build your personal path in 2007 is up to you. This is your
year!
1.
Variety is the Spice of Life
How
many times have we heard the old adage variety is the spice
of life? Well, it turns out, it is true. Doing new things or
old things in new ways challenges the brain and is really good
for brain heath.
Research has shown that the brain's capacity to learn is always
there, regardless of age. However, the brain really benefits
when it is pushed beyond what is easy. For anyone worried about
losing vital brain skills, read on.
 Tips
for Brain Fitness
The brain needs "exercise"
to remain fit. Research is suggesting a good way to delay aging
is to continually challenge the brain. Unused parts of the brain
can easily decline or stop working (so to speak). Especially
good brain activities are those that require thinking and
action.
- Be involved in activities that require memory, use of
strategy or thinking ahead, such as bridge or chess.
- Start a new hobby, such as painting, flower arrangement,
toy building, jewelry making, knitting, sewing, etc. Learn all
about it and apply what you learned.
- If you work crossword puzzles and quit when you get to the
"hard" words, keep at it. Get the dictionary, and work that
puzzle to the end. Push the mind a tad beyond what is easy or
comfortable.
- Join the local library. Choose a how-to book and try to do
what you read. Set a comfortable reading goal. Read for
pleasure and mental health. Choose topics you know nothing
about, or choose topics that add to your knowledge base.
- Learn how to use a computer. If you already know, take the
next step, and learn how to do something new. If you are
beyond this, teach someone else who doesn't know.
- Become an explorer! Each month, plan a day trip to a
place you have never been. Map out your plan. Delve into the
history of the town or city. Explore the area. Keep a journal
of your explorations.
- Learn a new sport, such as golf, tennis, ping pong,
shuffleboard, swimming, sailing, fishing, skiing, etc.
- Learn how to play cards, chess, dominoes, table games, or
if you already know how, work on becoming an expert or teach
others.
- Join a new social group, get out and meet new people.
- Learn a new language. Or if you speak another language,
teach others.
- Learn how to square dance, line dance, ballroom dance,
etc. It is fun, good for your heart, brain and body. What's
not to love about that?
- Volunteer. Read to others. Assist in a nursing home or
local hospital.
- Write a journal about your life or family history.
You get the picture. For brain health, and
to delay the loss of cognitive abilities, push just beyond what
is comfortable. Spice up your life with a little variety this
New Year.
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2.
New and Noteworthy
AUTO-CAB
We saw this
new innovative product at the World Congress on Disabilities, in
Philadelphia, October, 2006. The inventor, Kevin Jobe, and his
brother Kyle, developed the AUTO-CAB for their wheel
chair using parents. Both parents were unable to reach up into
their cabinets. Kevin and Kyle created the "traveling cabinet".
Press a button, and the cabinets gently travel to the counter
top! Voila! No need to use reachers or ladders. Their ingenious
design made it possible for Mom and Dad to independently, safely
and easily reach into their kitchen cabinets. They brought the
cabinets to Mom and Dad!
The
AUTO-CAB cabinets mount flush with other cabinets, so it is
does not appear to look any different than other cabinets. For
more information, visit
www.AutomatedCabinetSystems.com.
 Smoke
Signals
2007 is a great time to quit smoking.
We came upon this product at the International Employee
Assistance Professional's conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
This device helps smokers stop smoking, using tailored tapering
and web delivered counseling and feedback. It is an alternative
to drug based programs
Smoke Signals is a hand held
computerized cigarette case that provides a low cost, highly
effective smoking cessation approach. It holds one pack of
cigarettes and automatically time stamps when its lid is opened
to retrieve another cigarette. The device electronically records
a user's smoking patterns for one week during a baseline period,
and builds a personalized quit plan based on the natural smoking
patterns. Quite ingenious and effective!
This product was developed with grant
funding from NIH and sells in volume through corporate and
military wellness programs. For more information, refer to
www.smokesignals.net.
MedicTag: A Personal Medical Alert
Device
The MedicTag, a personal medic
alert device was developed by Mr. Ed Ricci for his ailing mother
who lived alone. She took multiple medications and had a number
of life threatening health conditions. She needed some help to
keep the details straight, and Ed realized he did, too!
Ed was also afraid his Mom would be unable
to convey vital life saving emergency information in a crisis.
So, Ed developed the ingenious MedicTag. Ed put her
personal medical information file on a USB flash disk. It
helped him to easily organize and update his mother's changing
medical information. She could easily carry it on her key ring.
Ed's Mom was able to hand the MedicTag
to her various health care providers. Neither Ed nor his Mom had
to worry about providing the wrong information or forgetting
important details. A new potentially life saving product was
born!
The MedicTag is a new product useful
for anyone who lives alone, drives a vehicle, travels, works in
risky jobs, has health conditions, takes multiple medications,
or has difficulty communicating with others.
For more
details or to order the MedicTag, refer to
www.medictag911.com.
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3.
New Web Site for
Long Term Care Planning Help
Did you know about 60
percent of people over age 65 will require long-term care (LTC)
services at some point in their lives? LTC services include help
with basic daily living activities such as bathing, dressing and
toileting. Planning ahead is a must for safe aging, health and
well being.
The U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services has developed a new web site that
organizes information and resources about long-term care (LTC)
information in one easy to find location.
This site was developed for people who may
not need LTC services now, but want to be prepared in the event
of future changes. Just learning about options in advance, can
make a huge difference in preparation and peace of mind. Keep
this valuable new link as a good resource.
http://www.longtermcare.gov/LTC/Main_Site/index.aspx
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4.
Newsletter Resources
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