Visiting Angels October 2017

Visiting Angels October 2017

October 2017

5274 Scotts Valley Dr #102 Scotts Valley, CA 95066 831-430-0616 www.VisitingAngels.com/SantaCruz 229 Reindollar Ave., Suite E Marina, CA 93933 831-392-0876 www.VisitingAngels.com/Monterey

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The Best Medicine Finding Value in a Good Laugh

“We don’t stop laughing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop laughing.” Several years ago, I met with a couple who wanted to hire Visiting Angels to help them at home. At the ages of 92 and 94, they had spent many years together and experienced so much. There were countless birthdays and weddings — and also surgeries and funerals. Some of their children didn’t survive to adulthood, while others would one day bring them grandchildren and even great-grandchildren! After 72 years of marriage, it’s easy to imagine two people would be sick of each other. Instead, they sat across from me, acting like a new couple in their early 20s. When I asked what their secret was, they just looked at each other with so much love in their eyes. “We laugh together every day,” they said in unison. Laughter kept them close and young. Find a new reason to laugh with the person you’re with, and you’ll fall in love with them all over again. It sounded like something from a sappy romance movie, but when you meet a couple like them, this is advice you take to heart — especially when you remember laughter is an incredibly important part of the human experience. It’s a universal language; every culture shares the value of laughter. The healing power of good humor has been recognized in the medical community for hundreds of years. In the 14th century, a French surgeon named Henri de Mondeville suggested doctors should have someone tell their patients jokes! Today, laughter is often used to help treat pain associated with cancer, arthritis, and other illnesses. Recent studies have been able to determine why laughter is so good for us.

A good laugh can increase endorphins, boost the

immune system, improve dopamine levels, combat depression and anxiety, and even help

exercise the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. In fact, since laughter helps reduce stress hormones, which then decreases blood pressure, the American Heart Association reports laughter is good for our hearts! An exercise called laughter

“It’s a universal language; every culture shares the value of laughter.”

yoga has also become popular among older adults. This activity blends the stretching and physical fitness of yoga with the health benefits of laughter in an environment where participants can bond with other members of their community.

It is possible to laugh when you’re alone, but laughter often comes easier when you can share it with a companion. Something I love about our Visiting Angels is they do a lot more than help with activities of daily living. For many, our caregivers provide valuable companionship, as well as someone to laugh with. Laughter truly brings people together, and our Angels are always happy to share stories, watch a funny movie, or drive their client to laughter yoga!

Please remember to laugh today, because laughter really can be the best medicine.

Cindy Saunders, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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4 WAYS YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PREVENT DEMENTIA BEFORE IT STARTS

coordination exercises. Check out eldergym.com for more info on staying active as you age.

From the moment you wake up in the morning, it feels like a dense fog fills your head. When you drag yourself out of bed and go to make yourself a plate of eggs and toast, it suddenly seems like a

Heart-healthy eating may also protect the brain. Limit your intake of sugar and saturated fats and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Replace butter and margarine with olive or canola oil. Two diets that have been linked to heart health are the DASH diet (dashdiet. org) and the Mediterranean diet. Frequent social engagement may help keep your brain sharp. Make efforts to speak face to face with someone you’re close to as often as you can. Try to make new friends, volunteer, join a club or social group, get to know your neighbors, or connect with people over social media. Mental stimulation may also be important to brain health as we age. Study something new to you, such as a foreign language or a musical instrument. Make reading books and newspapers part of your regular routine. Try doing crossword or sudoku puzzles. It’s not difficult to find an activity you enjoy that will also help keep your brain active.

much more complicated task than before. You lose track of time, and the smell of smoke enters your nostrils. Frantically turning the burner off, it occurs to you that you can’t remember the day of the week. According to Time Magazine, 47 million people around the world live with some type of dementia. Typically, as we age, we’re told that all we can do is hope for the best and bide our time until there’s a cure, but recent research by the Alzheimer’s Research Center paints a different picture. A set of simple lifestyle changes may be the key to staving off cognitive decline as we get older. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 50 percent, according to Help Guide, and it can even slow the onset of already- present cognitive decline. Walk or swim for about 150 minutes each week, along with two to three sessions of moderate resistance training, as well as balance and Maybe your decades-old car finally bit the dust. Maybe your ride got totaled by a teenager on a smartphone. Or maybe you just want a new set of wheels. There are a lot of reasons why you may find yourself looking to buy a car, and there are a lot of questions to answer before you do. The first question is, did you plan for this expense? The average American buys a new car every seven to 10 years, so if you plan on 20 years of retirement, you need to factor in at least two car purchases during that time — and possibly more. The second question is the biggest one: Where’s the money going to come from? Most people, including most retired people, will finance their new car and trade in the old one. This is a good option for people with steady retirement income, such as those drawing a pension. But it might be harder to get a loan if your income is less consistent, say, if you liquidate investment assets every month to pay the bills. Third, could you just pay cash? Most of us don’t have buckets of the stuff lying around, but you can always tap into an IRA

Tips for Buying a Car During Retirement

or other account for the money to buy a car. Try to do half in December and half in January to split the tax penalty between two years. You could also sell off two cars and use the money they generate to buy one, which will cut down on other car-related expenses as well.

The last question is, what are the hidden costs? Maintenance and repairs are just par for the course, but they don’t tell you that as you age, your insurance premiums could go up, especially after that texting teenager T-boned you. Your retirement planner should have a big-picture idea of what you should plan and watch out for when you buy a car.

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some personal information, including your name, date of birth, and Social Security number. After you hand over this information, the SSA employee will tell you the increase will appear on your next Social Security check before hanging up. Unfortunately, that increase will never arrive. There is no cost-of-living adjustment increase. The whole call was a scam! Gale Stallworth Stone, acting inspector general of Social Security, cautions citizens about this new scam targeting seniors. Under the guise of an SSA employee calling about increasing benefits, fraudsters are able to obtain all the information they need to steal your benefits for themselves. After calling you, the thief will contact the real SSA and use the information you gave them to authorize changes to your direct deposit, address, and phone number. While the SSA may sometimes reach out to citizens by phone, Stone clarifies that a real SSA employee will never request personal information over the phone. In fact, no reputable industry will ever reach out to you first seeking such valuable information. If you receive a suspicious phone call, hang up immediately and report it to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269- 0271, or report it online via oig.ssa.gov/report. Don’t let yourself become another victim.

WRONG NUMBER The New Scam Targeting Seniors

Are you one of the many retirees who have been contacted by the Social Security Administration about receiving a “cost-of-living adjustment increase” to your monthly benefits? Some retirees may even be entitled to a 1.7 percent increase! To qualify for this increase, a SSA employee will call you to verify

SUDOKU

REFRIED BEAN Poblanos With Cheese

This vegetarian meal comes together in less than 15 minutes. It’s the perfect way to avoid take-out on a busy weeknight.

Ingredients • 4 medium poblano chilies, halved and seeded • 1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans • 1 (8.8-ounce) pouch microwaveable cooked long-grain rice Directions 1. Place chili halves, cut sides up, on a round microwave-safe plate. Cover with wax paper; microwave on high 3 minutes. 2. While chilies cook, combine beans, rice, and picante sauce in a medium bowl, stirring well. Spoon bean mixture into chili halves.

• 1/2 cup picante sauce • 1 cup (4 ounces) pre-shredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend • Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Cover with wax paper; microwave on high 2 minutes. 3. Uncover chilies, sprinkle each half with 2 tablespoons cheese, and microwave on high 1–2 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired.

Recipe courtesy of CookingLight.com.

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Personalized Homecare ... When You Need It ... From People You Trust!

5274 Scotts Valley Dr #102 Scotts Valley, CA 95066 24/7 831-430-0616

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

Scotts Valley Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday–Friday

www.VisitingAngels.com/SantaCruz Home Care Organization #444700002

Inside

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Knock, Knock!

Can You Prevent Dementia Before It Starts?

Buying a Car During Retirement

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The New Scam Targeting Seniors

Refried Bean Poblanos With Cheese

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Local Events

Try Something New! Celebrate Autumn With Fun Local Events

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE: THE MAGIC FLUTE WHERE: Nickelodeon Theatre, Santa Cruz WHEN: Tuesday, October 17, 7 p.m. ADMISSION: $15 per ticket WEBSITE: www.landmarktheatres.com/santa-cruz/ nickelodeon-theatre In Mozart’s celebrated opera, Prince Tamino is sent to rescue the Queen of the Night’s daughter from an evil enchanter. But not everything is as it seems, and Tamino’s quest turns into search for wisdom, virtue, and love. Comedy blends with drama, romance meets heartbreak, and there’s magic all around. Recorded live, enjoy Mozart’s famous music in its original German with English subtitles. HERITAGE HARVEST FESTIVAL WHERE: Wilder Ranch State Park, Santa Cruz, California WHEN: Saturday, October 21, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. ADMISSION: $10 parking fee WEBSITE: santacruz.org/upcoming-events

harvest activities with living history re-enactments, see antique tractors, take a draft horse wagon ride, and eat your fill of your favorite fall foods. Complete with live music and square dancing, you’ll swear you’ve returned to the harvests of yesteryear. SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK CHILI COOK-OFF WHERE: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, California WHEN: Saturday, October 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ADMISSION: $10 per tasting kit WEBSITE: beachboardwalk.com/Chili-Cook-Off

Think you know chili? Well, you haven’t tasted anything until you’ve tried the local, handmade chili at this year’s Boardwalk Chili Cook-off. Professional and amateur chefs across the Bay Area go head to head and you help decide the winner! Sample dozens of chili dishes, find your new favorite, and take part in a Santa Cruz tradition.

Celebrate the fall harvest at the Wilder Ranch Cultural Preserve with an old-fashioned harvest party. Play classic

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