 Now that you’re paying attention and looking for subtle and not-so-subtle changes in your aging loved one, you may be wondering, what’s “normal” and what’s not? How do you know the difference between typical “senior moments”, or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and the early stages of dementia? Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is defined by deficits in memory that do not significantly impact daily functioning. Memory problems may be minimal to mild and hardly noticeable to the individual. Writing reminders and taking notes allow a person to compensate for memory difficulties. To the untrained eye, the signs are not obvious, especially because people with good coping skills hide their frailties well.
Subtle Change in Short-Term Memory Your elderly relative may be able to remember years past, but not what they had for breakfast. Short-term memory loss includes forgetting where they left something, struggling to remember why they went into a particular room, or forgetting what they were supposed to do on any given day. Difficulty Finding the Right Words Struggling to communicate thoughts the way you want to, is beyond not being able to recollect a certain word. This may mean that a person can’t seem to explain things. They may reach for the right words, but just can’t seem to grasp them, and the words don’t “come to them” as they often do for others.  Confusion Someone in the early stages of dementia may often show signs of confusion. When memory, thinking, or judgment lapses, confusion arises as your loved one can no longer remember faces, find the right words, or interact with people normally. Confusion can also be brought on by dehydration, urinary tract infections or drug interactions. Difficulty Following Storylines Just as finding and using the right words becomes difficult, people with dementia also sometimes forget the meanings of words they hear. Struggling to follow along with conversations or TV programs is a classic early warning sign. A Failing Sense of Direction Sense of direction and spatial orientation is a common function of thinking that starts to deteriorate with the onset of dementia. This can mean not recognizing once-familiar landmarks and forgetting regularly used directions. It also becomes more difficult to follow series of directions and step-by-step instructions. Being Repetitive You might notice your elderly parent or loved one repeat daily tasks like shaving or collecting items obsessively. They also may repeat the same questions in a conversation after you’ve already answered them. Struggling to Adapt to Change For someone in the early stages of dementia, the experience is frightening. Suddenly they can’t remember people they know or follow what others are saying. They can’t remember why they went to the store and get lost on the way home. Because of this, they might crave routine and not want to try new things. Schedule a Family Meeting
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 When families live far away from one another, the holidays may be the only opportunity that long-distance caregivers and family members have to personally observe older relatives. Family members who haven't seen their aging loved one since last year may be in for a shock at what they see and experience a natural desire to close one’s eyes, turn the other way, pretend like everything is as it used to be. With pregnancy, one has several months to prepare...longer if you are planning for it. But with seniors it’s different. The revelation that your parents are no longer the independent, capable people you have depended on your entire life often hits you unexpectedly. Of course you realize that they will eventually slow down and need some assistance. You are aware that you may be involved with that assistance. However, you cannot predict when that inconvenient truth will surface. You cannot predict, but you can prepare. Just as a pregnancy book can guide you through the stages of development, Next Step Senior Care Inc is here to be your guide through the stages of life's autumn years. What To Look For This Holiday Season Be aware of subtle, yet obvious changes in your loved one's emotional well-being. Take note for signs of depression that may include loss of interest in hobbies, sleep patterns, withdrawal from activities with others, lack of basic home maintenance or personal hygiene. Pay attention to their surroundings. Your loved one may have always been a neat freak, or a stickler for paying bills on time and you notice unsafe clutter, an overflowing hamper and piled up mail. Yes, you desire to give them respect as an adult, but part of that may now come in the form of YOU supporting them with some run-of-the-mill activities of daily living that are no longer easy tasks for them to accomplish. Pay close attention to the way your parent moves, and in particular how they walk. A reluctance to walk or obvious pain during movement can be a sign of joint or muscle problems or more serious afflictions. And if unsteady on their feet, they may be at risk of falling, a serious problem that can cause severe injury or worse. Weight loss is one of the obvious signs of declining health. The cause could be based on physical or emotional factors and sometimes medications. Low levels of energy will often result and cause them to no longer be capable of accomplishing some of their basic care needs.  Notice how much water they consume daily. Dehydration, a serious condition for anyone, is often overlooked in the winter months. Encourage them to drink water and use the restroom frequently during the early parts of the day when they are more alert and often have more energy. This may help them to have less trips during the night.
Bring your listening ears with you. Choose to not judge, react or criticize their current lifestyle circumstances. Take your time assessing and talking over what you see with other trusted friends or resources so you will be able to process this strange, new reality and respond appropriately, when the time is right. If you notice sudden odd behavior with your loved one, be sure to seek medical attention. There may be other areas of concern, specific to your family member. Should this year's holiday visit open your eyes to current and potential problems or negative changes in your parent's physical or emotional state, then it's time to... put a plan of action in place.  During November, we honor the millions of nurses, home care aides, therapists, chaplains, and social workers who make a remarkable difference for the hospice patients and families they serve. What is Hospice & How Does It Help Everyone?
What Is Palliative Care?
To find hospice or palliative care resources in your area, please contact us.
...the HOLIDAYS. A word that stirs up various emotions about family, food, and fun. Spending time with family can be both joyous and heart-wrenching. It’s often because we position ourselves to be “schooled” in some way, shape or form. It’s called the School of Life and the class is usually titled ‘How You Have Grown (or Not) from the Last Encounter with Family.’ Regardless of the interactions, how are you going to be the best version of you that allows for maintaining good boundaries, but allows for you to show your care and support for each of the family and friends that you are gifted to spend time with. I love the lyrics from the Michael Jackson song “Man In The Mirror”, ‘If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change.’ May you appreciate and release thanksgiving for the friends and family you have around you at this season.  Make the choice to move into this holiday season with ‘Eyes Wide Open’. I encourage you to take the time to be the silent observer and check out what’s going on around you with your family and friends. There will be a plethora of little ways you can make your world, and someone else’s, a better place. Time is a gift that you can give to both yourself and to another person, your undivided attention. Take a few moments to engage in conversation to listen, support and encourage someone around you. (Note, I did not say enslave yourself to someone for a 45 minute monologue of their woes. Gracefully extract yourself after (10 minutes) and let them know you appreciated getting a chance to connect with them.) Give yourself the gift of time to sit, breathe deeply, nap, play in a way that brings you refreshment. As the relatives come out, choose awareness and assess how each person has changed from the last time you were with them… Be willing to ask yourself the harder questions: How is Aunt Sally is doing? What about my own parents; How are MY PARENTS doing? Dad’s been slowing down lately, do I really want to address his aging issues? If I don’t am I hiding my head in the sand and choosing to be in denial of the class we all have to take in the School of Life that most of us hate? Aging is inevitable and so is change? This season, don’t approach the holidays with your eyes wide shut. Family get-togethers are the ideal opportunity to open your eyes, your heart, and your mind to the changes in the abilities of your senior relatives. They need you to see what they can’t so that they can walk through life’s changes maintaining a feeling of safety, support and peace of mind. Click here to download our Checklist to Assess Daily Living Changes and move into the holidays with your ‘Eyes Wide Open’.
 In 1983, President Ronald Reagan designated November as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month . At the time, fewer than 2 million Americans had Alzheimer’s. Today, the number of people with the disease has soared to over 5 million; 1 in 10 adults are caring for someone with Alzheimer's and accounting for approximately 18 billion hours of unpaid care. This November, join us during National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month by showing the Power of Purple. There are many ways you can get involved: 
 For Alzheimer's and Caregiving resources, visit our Resources & Support Services page and The Alzheimer's Association website
 In the United States, there are more than 65 million people providing care for chronically ill, disabled or aged family members or friends during any given year.Those 65 million people spend 20 hours a week providing that care.That care is valued at $375 billion a year, which is almost twice as much as is spent on homecare and nursing home services combined.
As family caregivers ourselves, we know how difficult this labor of love is. That is why we work with seniors and their families who want to make
We know "It Takes a Village" ... 10 Tips for Family Caregivers
For additional resources to support the family caregiver and their loved ones, click here. Dotty had dementia. Her words of wisdom apply to all styles of communication but are especially helpful when speaking to a person with dementia. Try these tips to improve your relationships.  10. You talk too much -- instead try taking my hand and leading the way. I need a guide not a person to nag me all the time. Dotty went to Heaven on May 25, 2012.
We found her tips at the Alzheimer’s Reading Room http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/  Mark & I have done several talks in the last few weeks to the Baby Boomers - 55 years and over - on "Aging Gracefully" I have always been fascinated at how some people age gracefully and others don't, so I am listing the things that appear to contribute to graceful aging naturally. I find the areas of the body that trouble people most as they get older (and many who are younger) are: 1. The Bowels 2. The Bladder 3. The Brain 4. The Bones When you focus on living a life that helps each of these systems work optimally you will find that all the other areas that age noticeably, such as your skin, muscles, weight and energy improve dramatically. 1. The Bowels - Foods that improve bowel function are those containing water soluble fibre (the gentle soothing fibre) and this is found particularly in fresh ripe fruit. I encourage every one to add at least 3 portions of fresh fruit daily to their diet and they may do this by adding fruit to smoothies and or just eating them as they are. Recently I had a woman who is type 1 diabetes, tell me she could not eat fruit or any fruit juices. So I made her a smoothie with frozen - you can use fresh and just add extra ice - mango and strawberries, organic apple juice, a scoop of Propeas. Her blood sugar was 7.6 before she had the smoothie, within 15 minutes it was down to 7.2 and after an hour it was down to 5.4 - she could not believe what she was seeing and became almost tearful because she had been avoiding fruit for years and so badly wanted to eat it. Remember, fresh fruit contains the right fibre, sugar and nutrients to regulate blood sugar - and I have seen this in every diabetic we test. I do insist that they add the Propeas and or eat a handful of nuts or seeds as the plant protein also helps regulate blood sugar. Natural fats found in plant foods are essential for bowel function so make sure you have 1 portion of either one or the other of the following - Avocado, olives, raw nuts or seeds. Over and above that have 1 portion of flax oil (and the best I have ever used is Aimega from The Aim Companies) We take 2-4 a day. Don't over do the fats as too much of even good fat has now been shown to reduce the energy production centers in the cells (mitochondria) and this will slow down the metabolism causing weight gain. Cooking in fat - any fat - even organic coconut oil is too much fat - so try not to add fat to food or cook in it. Legumes like lentils, beans and chickpeas also contain very valuable fibre that helps digestive tract movement, stabilizes blood sugar and lower cholesterol levels. It may take your digestive tract a few weeks to adjust to the fibre in these foods so add small quantities to start with and then add as your comfort improves. 2. The Bladder - Foods that improve bladder function are whole plant foods and ideally your diet should contain at least 75% fresh, raw fruit and vegetables. Green leafy vegetables in particularly are extremely alkaline and contribute to a healthy bladder. Make sure to include the most nutritious of all green plants - barley grass juice (we use BarleyLife and find the nutritional profile still the best of all other green juices) Plants that help bladder function, Slippery elm and Shave grass or horsetail grass and our found in Composure - a combination of natural plants and herbs from the same company that makes BarleyLife and also contains Irish Moss , which strengths and thickens the skin in older people, making fine lines and wrinkles appear a LOT less. Irish Moss also helps regulate body weight and will contribute to getting rid of that spare tire around the waist. Composure also helps improve sleep, keep you calm and your mind clear and focused. Foods that contribute to bladder problems are ; - animal protein - limit this to not more than 3 times a week and never bigger than the size of the palm of your hand. Remember you don't need to eat flesh to make human flesh and that all plant foods contains protein in varying amounts. Nuts and seeds can contain more than animal flesh - up to 30% and if you feel you need extra protein in a supplement - Propeas contains 70% complete protein from peas with a great vanilla flavor. 3. The Brain - Foods that help the brain function optimally are fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, vegetables, grains and legumes. All these foods contain the right fibre and nutrients that help the body regulate blood sugar and regulated blood sugar is essential for optimal brain function. The right plant fats are needed to transport cholesterol from the liver, where it is made to the brain for optimum brain health. Cholesterol lowering drugs can cause memory loss and brain issues as the brain requires large quantities of cholesterol, but without natural plant fats, especially omega 3's found in flax oil (Aimega I find best) the cholesterol cannot be transported to the brain where it is needed and to several other places like the skin, where it is converted into Vitamin D , which is needed for healthy strong bones.which gets me to the next issue Then you need to have a sense of purpose - Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (Now been knighted for his work in the UK) believes that we have been created for the very specific purpose of healing and helping the the people in world, known as "Tikun Olam". I have seen that people that are focused on helping others rather than focusing on their own needs are younger in mind, body and soul and a lot nicer to be with as they seldom complain! Start by healing yourself with a healthy diet and lifestyle and then you will find it easier to help others get well. Our mission is to get the whole world well.  4. Healthy Bones -
Bones stay healthy when your diet is 75%-80% alkaline forming (which means that much of your diet should be fresh fruit and vegetables) and the www.100daystohealth.com free online program will help you do just that in 3 months. Bones need natural light on the skin to make the essential Vit D you need, but wont do this efficiently if you take cholesterol lowering meds. Sunlight on the skin lowers cholesterol natural as long as you take flax oil daily. Bones also need at least 20-30 minutes of outdoor exercise daily - as muscles pull on the bones, so they become stronger. Bones need natural minerals including calcium in the right ratio and barley grass juice has the best calcium to phosphorous ratio - another reason we take BarleyLife daily. So to age gracefully we suggest that you 1. Eat 75%-80% fresh fruit and veggies 2. Exercise outdoors daily for 20-30 minutes making sure you get natural light on the skin 3. Get well so you can help get the whole world well.. To Life! Mark & Mary-Ann www.naturalway.co.za (RSA) www.wholelifewell.com (USA) Dotty had dementia. Her words of wisdom apply to all styles of communication but are especially helpful when speaking to a person with dementia. Try these tips to improve your relationships.  9. Sometimes you talk to me like I am a child or an idiot. How would you like it if I did that to you? Go to your room and think about this. Don't come back and tell me you are sorry, I won't know what you are talking about. Just stop doing it and we will get along very well, and probably better than you think. Dotty went to Heaven on May 25, 2012.
We found her tips at the Alzheimer’s Reading Room http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/ Dotty had dementia. Her words of wisdom apply to all styles of communication but are especially helpful when speaking to a person with dementia. Try these tips to improve your relationships.  8. My attention span and ability to pay attention are not as good as they once were, please make eye contact with me before you start talking. A nice smile always gets my attention. Did I mention that before? Dotty went to Heaven on May 25, 2012.
We found her tips at the Alzheimer’s Reading Room http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/ Dotty had dementia. Her words of wisdom apply to all styles of communication but are especially helpful when speaking to a person with dementia. Try these tips to improve your relationships.  7. Make sure you have my attention before you start blabbering away. What is going to happen if you start blabbering away and you don't have my attention, or confuse me? I am going to say No - count on it. Dotty went to Heaven on May 25, 2012.
We found her tips at the Alzheimer’s Reading Room http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/ Dotty had dementia. Her words of wisdom apply to all styles of communication but are especially helpful when speaking to a person with dementia. Try these tips to improve your relationships.  6. Slow down. And don't sneak up on me and start talking. Did I tell you I like smiles? Dotty went to Heaven on May 25, 2012.
We found her tips at the Alzheimer’s Reading Room http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/ Dotty had dementia. Her words of wisdom apply to all styles of communication but are especially helpful when speaking to a person with dementia. Try these tips to improve your relationships.  5. You know what I am going to say if you go off into long winded explanations on why we should do something? I am going to say No, because I can never be certain if you are asking me to do something I like, or drink a bottle of castor oil. So I'll just say No to be safe. Dotty went to Heaven on May 25, 2012.
We found her tips at the Alzheimer’s Reading Room http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/ Dotty had dementia. Her words of wisdom apply to all styles of communication but are especially helpful when speaking to a person with dementia. Try these tips to improve your relationships.  4. Please try to understand and remember it is my short term memory, my right now memory, that is gone -- don't talk so fast, or use so many words. Dotty went to Heaven on May 25, 2012.
We found her tips at the Alzheimer’s Reading Room http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/  A recent study found that people tended to identify the “seat of their selves” as either residing in their hearts or their brains. And as you may already suspect, people who self-identified as emotional and sympathetic felt their essences resided in their hearts and those who self-identified as logical and rational thought their essences were brain-bound. What’s most striking about these findings is that the two organs associated with self-identity are the same ones that are most affected by the ravages of the aging process. As we get older, arteries may harden, and our brains can undergo a slow, age-related decline. To say that this is a frightening prospect is an understatement. The good news is that there is AIM BarleyLife. It’s chock full of vitamins and minerals that benefit both the heart and the brain. For example, research by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology that looked at nearly 1,000 adults and their eating habits for over a decade found that test subjects who ate one or two servings of leafy green vegetables per day had the mental faculties of someone a decade younger than those who consumed none.  The researchers accredit these health benefits to the vitamin K, lutein, folate and beta-carotene content found in leafy green vegetables. While most of these nutrients have been linked to cognitive health before, this is the first study in history that looked for both and found a link between vitamin K and brain health. BarleyLife contains 10% of your daily folate needs and 100% of vitamin K.
As far as heart health goes, a study published in April 2015 in the Journal Of Clinical Nutrition examined the mortality rates of chronic kidney disease (CKD) sufferers.The most common cause of death for people with CKD is cardiovascular disease due to increased arterial calcification. By analyzing data in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, scientists were able to determine that those CKD patients who consumed adequate amounts of vitamin K were less likely to die and significantly less likely to die from cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have also linked vitamin K to a reduction in arterial calcification. It doesn’t matter whether you identify with your heart or your brain, drinking BarleyLife is a boon to both. It’s a smart decision that will leave you feeling good. Don’t forget the Folate! Folate also plays a big role in heart and brain health. Folate consumption has been linked to lower homocysteine levels, a factor in determining the risk of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s. Low folate levels have also been linked to depression. Reprinted with permission of AIM International Inc, Nampa, Idaho Although my 81 year old father is not as tech savvy now, since the stroke and subsequent vascular dementia, he is able to enjoy the benefits of modern technology. On our Wednesdays together, I sometimes help him "get work done" on his tablet; he dictates while I type or I transcribe his notes from the previous week. Since he had been the president of his own corporation, having me be his secretary isn't demeaning to him now. Ironically, his business designed and manufactured computer components so he once knew his way around the world of computers. But now that technology is changing so rapidly, even I find it difficult to keep up. Remembering how much my dad enjoyed studying ( and knowing how his mind can't do that skill as well as it used to), I decided to introduce him to iTunes. Last week, I downloaded it onto his tablet, downloaded a few free teachings, and showed him where the play and pause button is located on the screen. We reviewed the process about three times and included my mom in case she needed to assist him during the week. My mother, who is more tech savvy than I, took him to Best Buy the next day to get bluetooth headphones. Now my mom is not obligated to listen along with him. Since then, I saw the trailer for Cyber-Seniors documentary on facebook. While trying to track down the original source today, I came across an international campaign to involve tech savvy youth mentoring seniors in the cyber world. The website states, "The ‘Cyber-Seniors – Connecting Generations’ campaign aims to promote intergenerational connections. It’s goal is to engage youth mentors in bridging the technology gap by empowering older adults to use technology to expand their social and physical worlds." What a fabulous idea! To learn more and perhaps get involved, click on the link below http://cyberseniorsdocumentary.com/
Dotty had dementia. Her words of wisdom apply to all styles of communication but are especially helpful when speaking to a person with dementia. Try these tips to improve your relationships.  3. Instead of getting all bent out of shape when I do something that seems perfectly normal to me, and perfectly nutty to you, why not just smile at me? It will take the edge off the situation all the way around. Dotty went to Heaven on May 25, 2012.
We found her tips at the Alzheimer’s Reading Room http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/  Summertime is here and so is the summer party season filled with traditional party foods that will leave you feeling sluggish. Now is the time for you to become a party-smarty. Make smart food choices and enjoy the flavors of what summer produces naturally - colorful bell peppers, vine-ripened tomatoes, and zucchini (to name a few). Here's a simple and delicious recipe to get you started. Stuffed Sweet Peppers with Hummus 1 t garlic salt, to taste
5 T olive oil 1 15-ounce can chickpeas 4 T sesame tahini 2 T water 1/4 c lemon juice 1/2 t pepper 2 T ground cumin 1/4 c raw pine nutsmini sweet peppers: red, yellow, orange 2 T fresh chives, snipped Blend ingredients (on the left) in blender until creamy. Slice peppers in half lengthwise and fill with hummus. Garnish with chives. You may also garnish with fresh parsley, cilantro or basil. Dotty had dementia. Her words of wisdom apply to all styles of communication but are especially helpful when speaking to a person with dementia. Try these tips to improve your relationships.  2. Did you ever consider this? When you get tense and uptight it makes me feel tense and uptight. Dotty went to Heaven on May 25, 2012.
We found her tips at the Alzheimer’s Reading Room http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/ This August, some of our senior clients are celebrating milestone wedding anniversaries, two of the couples happen to be my relatives. My parents, Joy & Jim, will be celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary on the 24th. Today as I write this, my in-laws, Mike & Cheryl are celebrating their 55th. As my mind ambled down memory lane, I thought of my grandparents who were married for 77 years before grandpa passed at the age of 97. Grandma lived another five years without him, in her own home making egg noodles and pies from scratch. They were 16 & 19 when they wed in 1926. They survived the Great Depression, the War to end all wars, the sudden death of their firstborn child at age seven, and later on the death of their only son and another daughter, each passing at age 63. My mother is their only surviving child.
When I was a young bride, I’d ask them “how they did it”. In humility, they responded as if they hadn’t done anything special…they just did what it took to get by and ended up getting by quite nicely. They worked as team, did not criticize or complain publicly, and laughed a lot. If you want to know the secrets to a long and happy life and a minimally dysfunctional marriage, then spend some time with a senior who is happy and has been married a LONG time. Their wisdom is priceless. Dotty had dementia. Her words of wisdom apply to all styles of communication but are especially helpful when speaking to a person with dementia. Try these tips to improve your relationships.  1. You know what makes me feel safe, secure, and happy? A smile. Dotty went to Heaven on May 25, 2012.
We found her tips at the Alzheimer’s Reading Room http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/  A topic that seems to repel those that are under 30, slightly peaks the interest of those in their 40’s and is a hot topic for those that are 50+. Sadly, the bottom line is that we are all aging. The question is, ‘Are you aging gracefully’? My motto is that we should look better as we age, kind of like a fine wine. We spend so much money on all of the anti-aging techniques, creams and procedures, yet they all address the external, creating a cool label for our bottle of wine for best presentation (flow with me on this analogy). Consideration for the internal quality of our livelihood, the excellence of the wine, is more often than not overlooked.  On June 9, 2015, Next Step Senior Care hosted a nutrition talk and dinner demonstration led by my dear friend, mentor, master Nutrition Educator extraordinaire and founder of the Natural Way Network, Mary-Ann Shearer. The Natural Way Network is a collective of inspirational natural health and wellness programs that promote eating primarily a plant-based vegan and gluten free diet to promote experiencing lifelong energy, vitality and an increased quality of living. I have trained under and been mentored by Mary-Ann and have taken my nutrition education training and paired it with my fitness background working with seniors 65+ to focus on helping seniors master the art of aging gracefully through my company Next Step Senior Care Inc.  Whether you are just tired all the time, have a so called incurable disease or are just fed up with feeling old before your time, the topic was presented from the context of what things we know and have control over that promote internal breakdown of our general health and well-being. Participants learned the simple yet profound truths of “putting God-made food into your God-made body, which provides you with God-made health. Putting man-made food into your God-made body promotes man-made disease”. The key to providing your body with the ideal environment to repair, restore and thrive in is daily consumption of dark green leafy vegetables. When you daily consume 6 servings of dark green leafy vegetables from a whole food plant based food source you nourish your body systems with the nutrients it needs. Sounds complicated? Let me simplify this for you. We recommend and consume the trusted AIM Barley Life as your daily source. When paired with the AIMega (omega 3 and omega 6 blend) you provide your body with all the vitamins and minerals that it needs to restore and repair so you can thrive. I have used these products daily for the last 12 years and have not had nothing but off the chart (positively) blood work, no need for doctor visits. Any and all ills that have come my way have been cured by rest.  My passion for working with seniors stems from my experiences caretaking my mother who lived in assisted living and skilled nursing communities for the remaining 10 years of her life as a diabetic. She also NEVER got sick living in these unavoidably contagious environments. It wasn’t her diet that supported her health, for that consisted of highly processed carbohydrates (Desert-Desert & more Deserts), non-organic-low quality meats served up at each mealtime and minimal amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables. Her lifestyle was a sedentary one, where she was wheelchair bound for her remaining 5 years. I included her AIM supplements as part of her medication management that the communities administered, so she daily ingested 6 servings of dark green leafy vegetables and her essential oils (Aimega – Omega 3 and 6 plays an important role in brain function, immune system function, blood pressure regulation, hormone function and may help you fight against cardiovascular disease). Mary-Ann stressed that consistent steps towards prevention of producing the side effects of inflammation, consumption and production of carcinogens (that affect every system of the body (the immune, respiratory, nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine/hormonal, digestive, skeletal, muscular, integumentary, excretory systems…) is what allows the body to heal.
To purchase the AIM products and begin your healing journey click here. To discuss purchasing AIM products at the wholesale rate contact us at 949-545-6641. Mary-Ann’s videos on YouTube Mary-Ann’s 100 Days to Health program  I spent the better part of an unplanned personal day puzzling with my Dad, one of his favorite pastimes. It seems we often had a table commandeered by a puzzle while I was growing up. I remember him standing, looking over the pieces for the longest time and then picking up a piece and putting it right in its place. At 86, he is slower these days, but still just as determined to complete the puzzle. On this particular day, we set up the puzzle outside on the patio table with a giant umbrella so he can enjoy the mild summer weather since he seems to need his cardigan all the time. Several times yesterday, the cardigan came off and he stood up to get a better view, signs of a win for me. This puzzle box was a beautiful village scene with a stone arched bridge, multi-colored rooftops, tiny boats anchored and a colorful blur of train on the arched bridge in I’m guessing Europe somewhere; it was quite idyllic looking from the puzzle maker’s viewpoint. I am sure there is worry and strife down there in this perfect little town under this amazing arched bridge, but that is not the view we were seeing. This viewpoint drew you in and made you notice all the details of this little village, wondering what it would be like to visit this unnamed place. As we sat there listening to an eclectic bluegrass playlist, but mostly sitting in conversational silence, we started to chat about how the train in its hurry to make its schedule wasn’t even able to enjoy the scene the puzzle photographer had captured for us. As Dad quoted a familiar lyric from his favorite old television show, HeeHaw, “pthhht, you were gone” . It got me to thinking about what am I missing in my daily walk? How many times every day do I whiz right by the beauty the Creator had put out for me to enjoy? How often do I think I am too busy to pray or too busy to read my Bible? How many times do I quickly walk by someone that needed encouragement if I had only stopped to ask? If we are truly living out the grace we have been given thru the gift of Christ, am I living in that mindset? It all left me appreciating that I had been given a day to play with Dad, to just sit with him and enjoy him. His short visits are sweet and often full of family and the simpler things, they always seem to fly by. He is so different these days than my first remembrances of him, when I used to say I would grow up and marry him, but he is still every bit my hero and role model. I have taken to hash tagging his pictures on Instagram with #cutestmaninmyworld as there was no other name more fitting. Traveling without ever leaving home, that is what a mental change of direction does for me. And yes, unlike life, puzzles will always look like the box they came out of, so even though there are no surprises there; I still loved the exercise of the search and the pleasure of popping in the piece on the first try. Just like my dad taught me. 
Contributed by Teri W.
Please join our online community and email your stories and pictures to [email protected]. Dating, romance, love - these experiences do not belong exclusively to the young. They are for people of all ages. Being in healthy relationships with other people is essential to a healthy life, no matter what your age is, and today’s seniors are not afraid to meet new people. With the “Baby Boomer” generation now numbering 80+ million, various opportunities have been created for them to get connected. Search for senior dating sites online and you'll be inundated with options. There's a New Game In Town
“Never too Late to Date” is the newest game show airing on Channel 6 in Laguna Woods, CA. Produced by local resident and associate producer of “The Dating Game” (1966-1968), Phil Doran is creating opportunities for members in his 55+ community, grey-haired or not, to meet and date.
Doran explained, “What intrigued me was that (the show) could illuminate a segment of life here that’s very under-reported - namely single people meeting and greeting, dating and mating and generally looking for love and companionship.” This village version of the iconic show is set up in the same fashion. A single senior questions three unseen single seniors and selects one for an all-expense paid date. Similar to “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette”, the contestants are accompanied by a camera crew so that audiences can view their special date. Perhaps this pilot will launch a whole new model for reality TV. Stay tuned...  Insights into the inner-workings of an Aspergian mind and a challenge to be different by being who you are.
Synopsis from www.randomhouse.com “I believe those of us with Asperger’s are here for a reason, and we have much to offer. This book will help you bring out those gifts.” In his bestselling memoir, Look Me in the Eye, John Elder Robison described growing up with Asperger’s syndrome at a time when the diagnosis didn’t exist. He was intelligent but socially isolated; his talents won him jobs with toy makers and rock bands but did little to endear him to authority figures and classmates, who were put off by his inclination to blurt out non sequiturs and avoid eye contact. By the time he was diagnosed at age forty, John had already developed a myriad of coping strategies that helped him achieve a seemingly normal, even highly successful, life. In Be Different, Robison shares a new batch of endearing stories about his childhood, adolescence, and young adult years, giving the reader a rare window into the Aspergian mind. In each story, he offers practical advice—for Aspergians and indeed for anyone who feels “different”—on how to improve the weak communication and social skills that keep so many people from taking full advantage of their often remarkable gifts. With his trademark honesty and unapologetic eccentricity, Robison addresses questions like: • How to read others and follow their behaviors when in uncertain social situations • Why manners matter • How to harness your powers of concentration to master difficult skills • How to deal with bullies • When to make an effort to fit in, and when to embrace eccentricity • How to identify special gifts and use them to your advantage Every person, Aspergian or not, has something unique to offer the world, and every person has the capacity to create strong, loving bonds with their friends and family. Be Different will help readers and those they love find their path to success. |
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February 2023
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26975 Calle Hermosa Ste #4 Capistrano Beach Ca 92624