Firefighters deliver, distribute fans - Local 540 Firefighters Union members deliver fans donated by the the firemen and CLECO to Rapides Parish Council on Aging for distribution to the elderly. (L to R) Firefighter Chris Rini, Captain Donnie Gauthier, Fire Equipment Operator Scott Mobley, Captain Anthony Gaines, Bettye DeKeyzer, Council director, Bob Mullivan and Tatum Lyles, CLECO and First Assistant Chief Junior Price.


COUNCIL CELEBRATES 41 YEARS OF SERVICE

Rapides Council celebrated 41 years of service to the elderly of Rapides parish on August 1, 2010.  Employees of the Council were honored with a lunch and celebration to recognize their dedication to the elderly of Rapides parish.

 Gov. John McKeithen signed the Charter that created the Council in 1967 and the Council has provided elderly services under contract to the State of Louisiana since that time.

Services and programs of the Council began in a small office on Monroe Street in Alexandria and four years later moved to a building on Lee Street.  In 1984 the Council  moved to  two-story building on Elliott Street next to St. Francis Xavier Cathedral.  The former Trinity Methodist Church Complex on Chester Street was purchased in 1996. 

VOLUNTEER – YOU  COULD LIVE LONGER

There has never been a time when there is a greater need for volunteers than now.  In addition to a wonderful feeling of giving something back to the community, volunteering can, according to a recent study, make you healthier.  Those who donate even one hour a week have lower incidences of heart disease and depression and have longer life expectancies.  Another study revealed 63% of women participating in the survey said volunteering had positive effect on their lives and that it helped them develop leadership and communication skills.

Kala Meadows, RSVP Project director said, “Retired and Senior volunteer Program offers volunteers mileage payments, automobile insurance and two recognition events each year,”  Mrs. Meadows added, “ A volunteer can choose where , when and how much time they would like to volunteer.”

RSVP is also recruiting new sites for volunteers. Agencies or facilities that are non-profit, governmental or proprietary health agencies may be designed as volunteer sites.

Call RSVP at 442-2405 for more information.

PHYSICIAN ACTIVITY BENEFITS BRAIN FUNCTION

(NAPS)—Cognitive health—or brain health—is on everyone’s mind. According to a recent national survey by Research! America, adults worry more about losing their mental capacity than their physical ability.

Conventional wisdom says that mind-engaging activities, such as working through crossword puzzles, may decrease the risk of brain disease and dementia, but researchers are still working to find the full evidence.

“We want to target the activities that people identify as appealing, such as playing games and staying involved, and then find out what works for brain health and what doesn’t,” said Susan Ivey, M.D., of the University of California at Berkeley Prevention Research Center (PRC).

The PRC Program, a network of 37 academic centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), supports a Healthy Aging Research Network (HAN) consisting of researchers at seven PRCs across the country. The HAN focuses on the health needs of older adults, including factors that promote brain health.

In one project, HAN members asked more than 600 people in nine states what they believed about brain health and how they thought it could be maintained. Now, researchers are using this information to craft clear messages about maintaining a healthy mind.

“People hear about brain health but they find the information confusing or conflicting,” says Daniela Friedman, Ph.D., of the University of South Carolina PRC. “We need to discover the best ways to talk about it in different communities.”

So while research continues, people of all ages are encouraged to eat healthy, be physically active and engage in social activities. Researchers emphasize that physical activity benefits both body and brain.

“The best single thing anyone can do for his or her brain is to be as active as possible,” says William Satariano, Ph.D., who leads a study at the Berkeley PRC on how walking contributes to health. “You don’t have to run a marathon. Whatever you can do is good.”

“Exercise also lowers your risk for heart disease and other illnesses,” adds Amy Fiske, Ph.D., of the West Virginia University PRC, where researchers are providing physical activity programs for seniors in rural areas. “The kinds of things that promote brain health are beneficial for everybody.”

For more information on the PRC Program, visit www.cdc.gov/ prc.

DON'T LET FALLS TRIP YOU UP: TIPS ON AVOIDING FALLS

(NAPS)—An activity as simple as falling down can have a number of serious consequences for an older person.

For example, some say a fear of falling can be a very real factor when it comes to a loss of
mobility in the elderly.

Fractures of the hip or forearm are also common results of falling among the elderly. Hip fractures in particular can lead to other health problems because of prolonged immobility and risks associated with surgery.

To help, here are some general tips to reduce your risk of falling:
•  When you first wake up, sit on the edge of the bed and make sure you are not dizzy before you get out of bed.

•  Eat breakfast every morning. Skipping a meal could make you dizzy.
•  Use a cane or walker if you are unsteady, and replace worn rubber tips.
•  Never grab a towel rack, shampoo holder or soap tray for support in the shower. These will not support a person’s weight.
•  Let the soap suds go down the drain before you move around in the shower. Don’t turn suddenly.
•  If you are not close to the telephone when it rings, don’t rush to it. Fast moves can throw you off balance.
•  Make sure you have access to a telephone that you can reach to call for help if you fall. Consider carrying a portable phone.

According to a leading national provider of home care—Interim HealthCare—some medicines may also increase your risk for falling, particularly if they have side effects such as drowsiness, fainting or extreme weakness.

However, it suggests that people should never discontinue taking such medicines on their own without consulting with a doctor. The types of over-the-counter drugs that can cause problems include:

•  Antihistamines. These are medicines commonly bought to control allergies or when you have a cold and include Benadryl Allergy, Dimetapp Allergy, Aller-Chlor and Chlor-Trimeton. These drugs can cause drowsiness and increase the risk of falling.
•  Cough Medicines. A drug called dextromethorphan is common and is in Delsym, Drixoral, Pertussin CS and Robitussin. All these medicines have the risk of some sedation or making you very sleepy and unsteady on your feet.
•  Decongestants. Pseudoephedrine is a primary ingredient in allergy and cold medicines such as DayQuil and Sudafed and can cause dizziness.

To learn more, visit www.interim healthcare.com or call toll free (800) 944-8888.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP CURE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

(NAPS)—There’s encouraging news for the 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. While there are currently no treatments available to slow or stop the brain cell deterioration that occurs with the disease, more than 100 clinical studies in Alzheimer’s and dementia are currently taking place, and dozens more experimental compounds are poised to move from the laboratory to clinical testing.

Families affected by Alzheimer’s need better diagnostics and treatment now, but the development and testing of these new treatments are being delayed by a lack of volunteers in Alzheimer’s clinical studies.

“Alzheimer’s disease is reaching epidemic proportions with devastating impact on families and the potential to wreck Medicare, Medicaid and the health care system,” said William Thies, Ph.D., chief medical and scientific officer at the Alzheimer’s Association. “The immediate need for advances in diagnosis, treatment and prevention has led to an unprecedented need for clinical study participants.”

That’s why the Alzheimer’s Association recently launched Alzheimer’s Association TrialMatch, a confidential, free tool that provides comprehensive clinical trial information and an individualized trial matching service for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

“By volunteering for clinical studies, people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers can play a more active role in their own treatment while also contributing to scientific discovery and benefiting future generations,” said Dr. Thies. “It is public service in the best possible sense.”
According to Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins and director of its Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, “By referring our current patients to trials, we offer access to potential cutting-edge treatments while unlocking the door to potentially more widely available treatments for people with Alzheimer’s in the future.”

The service contains a comprehensive, constantly updated database of Alzheimer’s, mild cognitive impairment and other dementia trials taking place across the U.S.

Alzheimer’s Association TrialMatch can be accessed at www.alz.org/TrialMatch or by calling (800) 272-3900 toll-free.