Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
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People who eat diets rich in green leafy vegetables as well as other vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts and fish may have fewer amyloid plaques and tau tangles in their brain - signs of Alzheimer's disease - than people who do not consume such diets, according to a study published in the March 8 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study examined how closely people followed the MIND and Mediterranean...
By definition, the term "rare" implies something uncommon. When applied to diseases, it means a condition that impacts a small number of patients, usually fewer than one in 2,000. However, to have a rare disease, and the challenges it brings, is more common than many people may realize. Diane Ramsey-Paige – a rare disease patient, caregiver, advocate and nurse for more than 40 years – knows this all too well. Ramsey-Paige lives with two different rare blood disorders, and her...
Following regulatory action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has taken steps to simplify COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and allow more flexibility for people at higher risk who want the option of added protection from additional COVID-19 vaccine doses. On April 19, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met to discuss these COVID-19 vaccine recommendation changes, and the associated implications and implementation. Although there was no v...
On January 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb) via the Accelerated Approval pathway for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Leqembi is the second of a new category of medications approved for Alzheimer’s disease that target the basic pathophysiology of the disease. These medications represent an important advancement in the ongoing fight to effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease. “Alzheimer’s disease immeasurably incapacitates the lives of those who suffer from it and has devastati...
One of the biggest health risks facing older adults is falling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year 36 million older adults suffer a fall, with three million people requiring trips to an emergency room. Falls are a leading cause of hip fractures and traumatic brain injuries. But along with the physical injuries that can come with a fall, there’s another aspect of this issue that also needs to be considered: mental health. Mental Health Concerns While the physical effects of a fall might be...
A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that older adults with greater severity of hearing loss were more likely to have dementia, but the likelihood of dementia was lower among hearing aid users compared to non-users. The findings, from a nationally representative sample of more than 2,400 older adults, are consistent with prior studies showing that hearing loss might be a contributing factor to dementia risk over time, and...
“Grandpa, do you know who this is? Please don’t tell anyone, but I’m in trouble and need money right away.” So begins one of the most common scams targeting older adults. For older men in particular, getting tricked by a con artist impersonating their grandchild over the phone — or any other financial scheme — could have lasting effects on their health. Researchers at Rush Medical College in Chicago found that older men who reported being the victims of financial fraud saw their blood pressure rise — and remain elevated for...
The 2022 flu season is different from recent flu seasons, according to Tulare County Health Officer, Dr. Karen Haught. “During the 2020 and 2021 flu seasons, most people were using masks while in indoor spaces, which served to protect themselves and those around them from being exposed to respiratory viruses and from spreading the viruses,” she explained. “Masking protects against all the respiratory virus so though it was initiated due to the COVID pandemic, it also protected against influenza and respiratory syncytial virus...
In an effort to increase healthcare access throughout the Central Valley, Adventist Health unveiled a mobile health unit that will provide primary care services throughout the region. The mobile unit, for which a September 27th ribbon-cutting was held at Adventist Health Hanford, offers a wide range of services, including school and sports physicals, vaccines, health screenings, preventive health visits and dental care. "For many of our community members who face...
To better serve patients in Tulare County, where a recent community needs assessment found that urology services are severely lacking, Kaweah Health and Keck Medicine of USC have collaborated to open a urology clinic in downtown Visalia. Kaweah Health is operating the downtown Visalia clinic in coordination with Inderbir S. Gill, M.D., executive director of USC Urology, part of Keck Medicine, and chair and distinguished professor of urology at Keck School of Medicine. The...
Kaweah Health is celebrating November as National Hospice, Palliative Care and Home Care Month by emphasizing the importance of quality home-based care and dignified end-of-life care. Each year, Kaweah Health serves thousands of people through its hospice, home care and palliative services. These people depend on such services to remain comfortable, stable and away from costly traditional settings. For decades, caring for the elderly, disabled and chronically ill at home has...
The following article was posted at https://www.AlzheimersResearchUK.org on September 22. We are sharing the post with only minor edits so we don't lose any of the enthusiasm of the anonymous writer. It's news we've all been waiting for. Today, the pharmaceutical company Eisai announced that their drug Lecanemab has shown small but clear benefits for people with early Alzheimer's in a rigorous, well-conducted phase 3 trial. The drug is one of several in development that work...
During most seasons, people 65 years and older bear the greatest burden of severe flu disease, accounting for the majority of flu-related hospitalizations and deaths. For the 2022-2023 flu season, the CDC recommends any one of three flu vaccines for people 65 years and older: Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine. This recommendation was based on a review of available studies, which suggested that these vaccines are potentially mor...
Kaweah Health is the first in California using a new piece of technology, the SafeGait 360º Balance and Mobility Trainer to help people who are learning to walk again after suffering a stroke or injury. The integrated health system serving Central California has also debuted a 100-foot track for its patients – the longest track in the nation. "It is providing hope in motion and allowing us to take our therapy, specifically our stroke rehab as we are a stroke specialty ce...
Tulare County Public Health has reported two cases of St. Louis Encephalitis (SLEV) in the county. An additional five cases are currently under investigation and may result in either illness due to SLEV or West Nile Virus. Public health officials urge residents to take precautions against mosquito bites, as mosquito samples positive for West Nile Virus have been detected in multiple locations within the county. In addition, this case indicates that SLEV is also present,...
The first human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) of the year has been detected in Kings County. The Kings County Department of Public Health (KCDPH) reported the case to the California Department of Public Health on July 14 and it is the first case reported this season in the state. “West Nile Virus can have severe consequences for the elderly or others, including those that have pre-existing health conditions” said Rose Mary Rahn, director of the KCDPH. “It is important that anyone experiencing related symptoms seek medical att...
Bank of America awarded Adventist Health in the Central Valley a $10,000 grant in support of the COPE Health Scholar Program, which provides aspiring health care professionals an immersive educational experience in direct patient care within a clinical setting....
In July, the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was simplified to 988 – an easy-to-remember three-digit number for 24/7 crisis care. The lifeline, which also links to the Veterans Crisis Line, follows a three-year joint effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to put crisis care more in reach for people in need. This new, simplified tool is critical for older adults and those living with a disability b...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule on August 16 to improve access to hearing aids, which may in turn lower costs for millions of Americans. This action establishes a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, enabling consumers with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing impairment to purchase hearing aids directly from stores or online retailers without the need for a medical exam, prescription or a fitting adjustment by an audiologist. The rule...
Walking for as little as 15 minutes a day may help stave off Alzheimer's Disease, says a study at the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center. The study found that regular habits of daily or frequent walks were instrumental in helping reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease. According to study author Dr. Edward Zamrini, "One exciting finding of this study is that as people's fitness improved, their risk of Alzheimer's disease decreased – it was not an a...
Sascha Roth remembers the phone call came on a hectic Friday evening. She was racing around her home in Washington, D.C., to pack for New York, where she was scheduled to undergo weeks of radiation therapy for rectal cancer. But the phone call from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) medical oncologist Andrea Cercek changed everything, leaving Sascha "stunned and ecstatic - I was so happy." Dr. Cercek told Sascha, then 38, that her latest tests showed no evidence of c...
The monkeypox virus is a completely different virus than the viruses that cause COVID-19 or measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is not known to linger in the air and is not transmitted during short periods of shared airspace. Monkeypox spreads through direct contact with body fluids or sores on the body of someone who has monkeypox, or with direct contact with materials that have touched body fluids or sores, such as clothing or linen...
Area residents now have the opportunity to participate in a national study of the effects of COVID-19 on cognitive function. Kaweah Health in Visalia is one of four locations nationwide participating in the two-year study that compares those who have had COVID vs those who have not. The only restrictions are participants must be at least 18 years old and have not had COVID-19 in the past three months. They must also be available to participate in the 30-minute tests over the...
On March 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its recommendations to include a second booster shot for people over the age of 50 to increase their protection against COVID-19. "Boosters are safe, and people over the age of 50 can now get an additional booster four months after their prior dose to increase their protection further," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky. "This is especially important for those 65 and older, and those 50 and...