Walk-ins are welcome but RSVPs are appreciated
lauren@familypartners.com (314)686-4444

6:00—10:00a.m. Drop In for Breakfast
Bagels and coffee will be provided; tours will be available

9:30—10:00a.m. Event Registration

10:00—1:00p.m. Activities

• Caregivers participating in the event can enjoy a free massage, free salon services, free lunch or free time out!
• Family Member or Loved one can enjoy a free brain fitness program and lunch!

1:00—6:00p.m. Visit Family Partners
Tours will be available. Sia’s Italian Ice will be available for purchase; proceeds will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The study, published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, revealed that over the course of the 10-year study “the proportion of patients who spent part of their last month in an intensive care unit grew from 24% to 29%, and the percentage who were hooked to a ventilator rose from 8% to 9%. Among dying patients, the median number of disruptive moves—for example, from nursing home to hospital, from hospital to hospice, from rehabilitation facility to home—grew from 2.1 to 3.1.”

Learn more about the study’s findings and the further ramifications of aggressive end-of-life care versus hospice care in this article from the L.A. Times.

The clinical aspect that they bring to the team is one of the things that make us different. Our nurses provide assessment and supervision to each client, allowing us a broader spectrum of care management. They work hand in hand with our social workers, field supervisors, and caregivers to make sure clients are receiving the very best care possible, and they communicate with family members to ensure care needs are being met.

Cheryl, Rhonda, and Marie—Where would we be without you? We hate to think! Thank you for all you do!

Getting ready to have some grapefruit for breakfast? If you’re on prescription medication, beware. When mixed with the fruit, many prescription drugs can have severe side effects, including respiratory failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, acute kidney failure, and even sudden death.

According to researchers, over 85 different medications may have interactions with grapefruit, and 43 can have harmful effects. Why? The same team of researchers discovered twenty years ago that grapefruit disrupts the body’s metabolism of certain drugs. The fruit contains compounds called furanocoumarins that interfere with enzymes that break down the drugs, causing more of the drug to remain in the body, potentially building up to toxic levels. The study reports that the same compounds are also found in other citrus fruits, including limes, pomelos and seville oranges.

Learn more about the potential dangerous side effects caused by mixing medication and grapefruit in this article. If you are concerned about whether or not grapefruit will cause any of these harmful side effects with your medications, be sure to discuss your concerns with your doctor.

People with positive attitudes about aging also saw slower decline in their ability to do daily tasks such as dressing and bathing. It’s common sense that a positive attitude helps you feel better about yourself and your life, while a negative outlook can make you feel depressed. However, this study suggests there may be tangible health benefits to having a more positive view about aging. So, put on a happy face and learn more in this article from WebMD.

The road to an Alzheimer’s cure often seems like a never-ending one. But could a recent study point to a potential cure for the disease? A new molecule called TFP5 appears to offer a new hope for Alzheimer’s patients. New research by scientists from the National Institutes of Health seems to indicate that when a molecule called TFP5 is injected into mice with a disease that is equivalent to human Alzheimer’s, the symptoms of the disease are reversed and memory is restored. All this, without any obvious toxic side effects.

According to senior researcher Harish C. Pant, Ph.D, the hope is that, “Clinical trial studies in AD patients should yield an extended and better quality of life as observed in mice upon TFP5 treatment.” Learn more about this exciting study in this article from ScienceDaily.

When brains were scanned again three years after beginning the study, those who exercised regularly tended to have larger brain volumes of gray and normal white matter, and physical activity was linked to less brain atrophy.

“It is pretty clear that exercise is one of the most potent things we can do to protect our brain as we age.” – Kirk Erickson, PhD.

Read more about the study and its findings in this article from WebMD.

Review the study in Neurology.

Before having the difficult conversation about when an aging loved one should stop driving, consider some modifications that could make driving easier and safer for a senior.

This article from eCare Diary lists several simple car modifications and tips for safe driving that can help seniors maintain their reputation as safe drivers.

According to Gay Hanna, executive director of the Center for Creative Aging, “[Humans] have this enormous capacity to learn, and the arts are so intrinsic within us that even with dementia we still retain that ability for imagination and creativity.”

To learn more about how creative programs can positively affect people with dementia, and to find out more about the Center for Creative Aging, take a look at this interesting article.

Click here for information about the benefits of tumeric, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and garlic.