According to a recent study by the Journal of Pain, keeping a daily record of your wellness improves your health greatly. When you track your symptoms every day, health professionals can understand your condition better and provide more effective treatment. (more…)
June 21st of every year marks the beginning of summer, and we still have more than a month till the first day of fall on September 22nd. Although those who live on the West Coast may feel the heat long before. For elderly patients and their caregivers, staying indoors all summer because of excessive heat can get really tiring. (more…)
If you don’t have a pet, you may start thinking about getting one (if it isn’t too much trouble for your health that is). Pets are rewarding in so many ways. It’s no wonder that at least 74.8 million people in the U.S. own a dog; that’s 39% of all U.S. households! And about 34 percent of U.S. households own at least one cat.
When I say we love being green, I don’t mean being green with envy; I’m talking about being environmentally green. RememberItNow! embraces green living in a million ways and wants you to start too if you haven’t already. Do you think it’s a coincidence our logo is green? Hmmm… I think not.
Anyway, here are a few reasons why and how we embrace being green.
1. We Save Trees!
Most importantly RememberItNow! allows you to save paper and store your notes online. No more scribbling medication instructions on a million different papers. They only get scattered around the house all over again. This is the same for all your contacts and health information. Now you can centralize all your medication information online and stop worrying about losing that special post-it.
We hardly ever use paper (maybe a napkin for lunch because I am a messy eater). We communicate via email, phone, and share documents through Google docs.
2. We will not send you junk mail!
The average American receives 41lbs or junk mail per year! We like to go paperless (I know I already mentioned saving trees before, but we will never send you any catalog or any type of mail convincing you to try more of our services). What you see is what you get with RememberItNow!
The only mail we receive are physical supplies, and most of our vendors are paid electronically through PayPal or direct deposit. It really is pointless to send mail when you can use the web.
3. We like to save gas.
We are really strong advocates of fitness and exercise. Walking somewhere instead of driving is a great way to prevent Cardiovascular disease and take control of your overall health. You can easily add your fitness routine into your RememberItNow! Wellness journal too. We strongly encourage you to set those weight goals, and achieve them by exercise.
We especially practice what we preach with this because we have a virtual team. There is no commuting (except for me, but only 2x a week :), and when we do meet, it’s once in a blue moon. We are fans of conference calls and web conferences too!
4. We encourage you to save electricity.
A while ago, we advised some terrific places to visit with a loved one in the article, “Cool Summer Places to Visit for You and Your Patient”. If you want to cut electrical costs down and enjoy yourself at the same time, follow this advice! Turn the AC off and head out to your local library, check out a bookstore, visit a museum, sip some cool tea at a cafe, and just enjoy yourself. Take advantage of public places and when you head out the door make sure to switch everything off (you will help even more if you unplug everything as well).
We definately take advantage of outside living here in Northern California. Pam loves to take her dog Domino out for hikes and long walks. And on the weekends, you will never see her in her car-only her beloved bike. People call me crazy for running everywhere, but that’s what you get with someone with too much energy and a former cross-country athlete in college.
We all feel very fortunate to live in a beautiful state and hope you take advantage of Mother Nature where you are too. Maybe a bike ride can be your next choice rather than a car ride. If we all embrace green living maybe we can make our Earth happy.
Many years ago, when my grandmother was driving my brother and sister home from school, she ran smack-dab into (and through) our local 7-Eleven. In attempt to back out of her parking space, she pushed down on the gas pedal. The only problem was that the car was not in reverse! Luckily, the only thing that sustained eternal damage was my grandmother’s pride. As the years rolled by, my grandpa died and my grandma maintained her independence through her driver’s license. At 89 years old, they took it away from her and she was never quite the same. (more…)
I can associate my mother with just two words- ‘fighting cancer’. Never have I seen such a brave and courageous lady as her. Even though she knew she had cancer, she never revealed a single frown. She simply lay there bearing her pain with utmost strength, never complaining and simply giving us strength.
After we discovered she was diagnosed with lung cancer, we did all we could, just as all loving families do. My father picked up Reiki (a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing), so he could comfort my mother’s pain. We all managed to throw in our efforts- prayed, went to religious places, tried herbal medicines etc, but like they say- it was destiny. However, the question that we all asked the Almighty was - why her? Why do bad things happen to good people? After a few days we realized, that perhaps our God fell short of good people and needed them up above. That being the reason he called my mother there. (more…)
As we grow older, we learn to take special precautions when exercising, because we realize that our bodies age right along with us. Here are a few exercise tips that every senior should live by:
-Wear comfortable clothing and footwear that is weather appropriate.
-Choose a safe place to exercise; one that provides a smooth, flat surface in a well-lighted, public area.
-Exercise with a companion. This makes exercising safer, more enjoyable and will keep you committed to your program.
-Take longer to warm up and cool down. Slowly stretch before and after every workout for at least for 10 to 15 minutes.
-Start at a slow pace and work your way up. Exercising for too long and at too high an intensity before your body is conditioned for it, may lead to injury.
-Drink plenty of water both before, during and after your workout. Heat-related illnesses are often related to decreased fluid intake.
Exercise has many benefits at any age. It helps increase your energy, keeps you firm and toned, alleviates depression and allows you to get a more restful sleep. It can also help prevent many types of illnesses, like diabetes and osteoporosis. If you want some help with staying on track, visit the Wellness section of BestSitePicks for some extra assistance.
Remember, check with your doctor to see if you are healthy enough before beginning any type of exercise program. Also use your journal on your RememberItNow! account so you can track your health and see improvements. You will notice and see the difference in how you feel over time.
When my grandmother was alive, her greatest fear was entering a nursing home and never leaving. Sadly enough, like a self-fulfilling prophecy, that is exactly what happened. She was admitted to the hospital for Cellulitis, then discharged to assisted living. After being there for only a day, it was clear to the staff she had been placed inappropriately. She was soon carted off to a nursing home. My sweet, little grandma was so strong, she almost refused to die by hanging on for months. Finally, with one blink of her ocean blue eyes, on April 24, 2004, she drew her last breath. (more…)
Bathing is an intimate activity which can cause difficulty for many caregivers and their loved ones as in this case example. A woman who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease becomes agitated and starts to strike at her husband when he tries to help her take a shower. The husband is ashamed and saddened that his wife has become abusive. During fifty years of marriage their relationship has had few sharp words and physical violence has never been present. The husband hesitates to tell his wife’s doctor, believing he is somehow at fault. (more…)
Have you ever poured your heart out to someone only to have them respond by turning the conversation right back to themselves? Nothing is more frustrating! Part of developing good communication skills is to learn that sometimes the best advice is no advice at all, and that all most of us really want is for someone to listen to us. This not only applies to family and friends but when caring for patients, as well. (more…)
