Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
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In a new study, higher daily step counts were associated with lower mortality risk from all causes. The research team, which included investigators from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), both parts of the National Institutes of Health, as well as from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also found that the number of steps a person takes each day, but not the intensity of stepping, had a strong association with...
The Alzheimer's Association has converted all of its in-person programs and support groups to virtual platforms for education, and to telephone for support groups. "In addition to converting all of our local programs, the California Southland Chapter has added several new virtual programs and support groups," said Judy Ardray, the chapter's educator and care specialist. "You don't have to be a caregiver to participate in our education programs. This time of sheltering at home offers an opportunity for people who want to...
"It's not a gym," said Angela Patterson about OsteoStrong, the business she and her husband, Eddie, recently opened in Visalia. They are also the owners of an OsteoStrong location in Porterville. "People can come in in day clothes," she explained. "There's no sweating. It's pain-free." "It's basically a 12-minute-a-week program," said Eddie, offering an estimate based on two minutes on each machine. He is enthusiastic about the benefits of OsteoStrong for seniors. "We're...
On February 11, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced awards totaling $4,500,000 to six local health jurisdictions to help address dementia. Each local health jurisdiction awardee will receive $750,000 in funding for three consecutive fiscal years starting on June 1. "California has more aging people than any other state in the nation, including more people living with Alzheimer's, other age-related brain dementias, and the people who care for them," said Maria Shriver, former California first lady....
Loneliness, which affects one in three aging adults, is a serious epidemic among seniors in the U.S. According to a National Poll on Healthy Aging, chronic loneliness can impact one's memory, physical well-being, mental health and life expectancy. The symptoms of loneliness are complex, and while its signs can be concealed, they often come during a change of circumstance in a person's life. Retiring from a career and missing the social contact that came with it, health issues...
Tulare and Kings Counties are working closely with the California Department of Public Health and other health partners, and following the latest news about the new Novel Coronavirus (recently renamed COVID-19), which caused an outbreak of respiratory illness in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December. Since then, the outbreak has expanded in scope and magnitude, and there is a growing number of cases in the United States, including 15 in California (at press tim...
On January 14, Kaweah Delta Healthcare District celebrated the opening of Sequoia Health and Wellness Centers, which opened to better care for all people in Tulare County, including those who face obstacles seeking care because they are either new to the area, covered by Medi-Cal or uninsured. The event, which included tours and a ribbon-cutting celebration, was attended by nearly 100 community members at Sequoia Health and Wellness Centers (SHWC) in what was previously known...
In response to feedback from patients and community members, Kaweah Delta is limiting the number of visitors a patient can have with them in the Emergency Department (ED). Patients can now choose two visitors to accompany them while they are in the ED waiting area and one of those visitors should accompany them while they are in the ED. All other visitors are being asked to wait in the Medical Center’s nearby waiting areas. The change will help ensure that the waiting area can accommodate patients seeking emergency care d...
Temporarily disabling a single protein inside our cells might be able to protect us from the common cold and other viral diseases, according to a study led by researchers at Stanford University and University of California San Francisco. The findings were made in human cell cultures and in mice. "Our grandmas have always been asking us, 'If you're so smart, why haven't you come up with a cure for the common cold?'"said Jan Carette, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology...
After decades of research, a new study links optimism and prolonged life. Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, have found that individuals with greater optimism are more likely to live longer and to achieve "exceptional longevity," that is, living to age 85 or older. Optimism refers to a general expectation that good things will happen, or believing...
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urges Californians to get the influenza (flu) vaccine to protect their health, and the health of others, during this flu season. In California, flu usually begins to increase in late November or December. It takes a couple of weeks after vaccination for the body to build immunity, so this is the time to get vaccinated to have the best protection now that the flu season has started. "Getting vaccinated is the best line of...
The holiday season offers many opportunities to spend quality time with family and friends. If you are a caregiver or family member of an aging loved one, you may observe a change in their mood or behavior during the holidays. You may notice unusual signs of fatigue or sadness or perhaps limited interest in the holiday season. The winter holiday season (and the colder months which accompany it) can intensify feelings of sadness which aging seniors often experience. Most often...
Research reported at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) held in Los Angeles earlier this summer identified a number of differences in the progression and risk of Alzheimer's disease between women and men, including newly identified sex-specific risk genes and contrasting presentation of Alzheimer's biology in the brain. Two-thirds of people living with Alzheimer's disease in the United States are women, according to the Alzheimer's Association's 2019 A...
New research suggests that regular use of certain types of commonly prescribed drugs used to treat bladder conditions, Parkinson's disease and depression could significantly increase the risk of dementia in later life. The study, carried out by researchers from the University of Nottingham and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), found that there was nearly a 50% increased risk of dementia among patients age 55 and over who had used strong...
LATE, formally known as limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, a recently recognized brain disorder that mimics the clinical features of Alzheimer's disease, could be more common than Alzheimer's, according to a report published on April 30 in the journal Brain. The report suggests that many patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's might instead be suffering from this newly discovered disease. "While we've certainly been making advances in Alzheimer's disease...
A sampling from a mosquito trap in southwest Visalia has tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). Delta Vector Control District, the testing agency, and the Tulare County Health & Human Service Agency’s Public Health Branch ask Visalia residents to be vigilant against mosquito bites. WNV is an illness caused by the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms of WNV can vary in severity, and though most individuals experience minimal to no effects, symptoms can include fever, h...
On June 1, the CalFresh food program in Tulare County and statewide expanded to serve qualifying individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) benefits. Participation does not change or reduce SSI/SSP benefits. "A tremendous change in legislation means we can now provide CalFresh benefits to SSI recipients for the first time," said Vienna Barnes, deputy director of Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA), TulareWORKs....
People can reduce their risk of dementia by getting regular exercise, not smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, controlling their weight, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, according to new guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO). “In the next 30 years, the number of people with dementia is expected to triple,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We need to do everything we can to reduce our risk of dementia. The scien...
May is Mental Health Month, and the Tulare County Health & Human Services Mental Health Branch and its partners are raising awareness about the connection between physical and mental health by holding events throughout the county. "Prevention, early intervention, education and engagement are key in addressing mental health issues," said Donna Ortiz, deputy director of Mental Health Integrated Services. Maintaining mental health involves a balanced diet; regular exercise and...
Red flag laws allowing for the removal of firearms from people with mental illness need to be widely extended to patients suffering from dementia, according to an article in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. The authors noted that the current lack of public policy could lead to an increase in suicide and accidental shootings among baby boomers and older adults, who have high rates of gun ownership and increasing risk for age-related dementia. While...
Physical activity is important at any age as it helps to build a healthy heart, strong bones and improve movement and flexibility. As we get older, there are additional benefits such as preventing disease or chronic conditions, assisting the body with healing, lowering the chance of injury, improving mood, life expectancy and overall quality of life. It is with these goals in mind that the Visalia Senior Center is introducing a new program sponsored by the Arthritis...
Kaweah Delta has officially joined forces with Cleveland Clinic's Heart & Vascular Institute, the No. 1 ranked heart program in the country, in an effort to elevate services for people seeking cardiovascular care in the Central Valley. The announcement was made at a January 25th press conference attended by over 100 people at Kaweah Delta. As an affiliate, the two organizations will stay independent, and physicians and staff of Kaweah Delta's heart program will remain the same...
After 25 years as the chief executive officer of Visalia Medical Clinic, Richard (Rick) Strid is retiring and beginning a new career in teaching. Strid has overseen significant growth in the multi-disciplinary clinic, which now offers over 60 providers as well as on site imaging, lab, physical therapy and a sleep lab. Under Strid's leadership, the clinic was named Large Business of the Year by the Visalia Chamber of Commerce in 2014. He has been a member of the board of the...
Older adults go to the emergency department more often than other age groups, stay longer and require more resources and medical interventions. The most common conditions among geriatric frequent users include diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, congestive heart failure and blockage or damage to veins or arteries, according to new research in Annals of Emergency Medicine. "Efforts to improve care for vulnerable older Americans should focus on enhancing delivery and...
Measles, a highly contagious viral disease, is spreading, most signifi cantly in the American Northwest. The Washington State Department of Health reported 25 confirmed cases in one county. Measles begins with a fever that lasts for a couple of days, followed by a cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis (pink eye), and a rash. The rash typically appears first on the face, along the hairline, and behind the ears and then affects the rest of the body. Fortunately, however, if the outbreak manages to spread to Tulare and Kings...