January 2010 Newsletter

Dear Subscriber,

Every January brings with it a time of reflection on the past year and thoughts on how to make the New Year a success. More often than not, this includes striving for better health in our daily lives and a desire to maybe not defy age, but certainly age more gracefully. This month’s articles highlight a few ways to accomplish this. In a spirit of sharing and community and with the heartiest of wishes for a wonderful beginning to your year, we hope you will find the included news informative and beneficial.

Thank you,
The Team at American Companion Care

American Companion Care Is Expanding

American Companion Care is expanding to provide more service! We are proud to announce the roll-out of two new companies: American Companion Care Transportation, LLC and American Care Management, LLC.

American Companion Care Transportation services make aging in place and living in the comfort of your own home possible by providing transportation to wherever you may need to go:

• Doctor appointments
• Grocery shopping
• Personal errands
• Visiting with friends and relatives
• Special occasions
• Social events
• Hospital drop-offs and pick-ups
• Any place you need to go in the local community

All drivers are licensed, bonded and insured. "I am so pleased with your company,” said Arlene, the daughter of a satisfied client. “I know at all times my mother is in good hands.”

American Care Management is founded by Natalie Schneider, Registered Nurse and Case Manager Certified. A case manager is a health and human services advocate who helps families care for seniors. The case manager is trained and experienced in keeping seniors at home safely while maintaining a high quality of life. Case management services include but are not limited to:

• Personal advocate coordination of medical care
• Medication management
• Nutritional supervision
• Transportation coordination
• Insurance benefit assistance
• Travel arrangements
• Maintenance of home environment
• Assistance with transitions to a new home, such as packing and moving, utility hookup, mail delivery notifications

For more information about American Companion Care Transportation, please call 913-390-6300 or email Tom@AmericanCompanionCare.com. For more information about American Care Management, please call 913-529-8400 or email GCM@AmericanCompanionCare.com.

Loneliness is Actually Contagious

New research suggests that loneliness is actually contagious…spreading from person to person up to three degrees of separation. This means if someone close to you is lonely, or his or her cousin or friend is lonely, you may have a good chance of being lonely, too. This research is published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Read more about this in an article.

Listen to John Cacioppo discuss the need for human interaction to combat loneliness in this podcast.

Access the journal, but note there is a fee to purchase articles.

Aging Population Means More Vision Issues

In 2010, an estimated 2.8 million Baby Boomers will celebrate their 60th birthdays, and within the next 30 years, the National Eye Institute estimates the number of blind or visually impaired Americans will double.
According to the AOA, 20.5 million people age 60 and over have cataracts, a leading cause of poor vision in the United States. The American Optometric Association (AOA) is issuing a reminder that early detection through a comprehensive eye exam can prevent or slow vision loss due to cataracts and other age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

Read more here.

Organ Growth Now Possible for Repairing Bodies

This is not science fiction, this is the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine where the researchers are applying the principles of regenerative medicine to repair or replace diseased tissues and organs. A wholly laboratory-grown organ, engineered bladder tissue, has now been successfully implanted in patients. “Smart biomaterials” are being used to patch damaged organs and grow new heart valves, blood vessels, liver, muscle, skin, ears, and even fingers. Although still quite controversial, the researchers are working to grow more than 22 different organs and tissues in the laboratory. 

Learn more about it here.

Adding Style to Functional Senior Products

Michael Graves, a world famous architect, is now applying his design style to heating pads and simple shower seats for the mobility impaired. He anticipates that his Michael Graves Solutions line eventually will have its design stamp on everything from walking canes to complicated wheelchairs. Read the full story about how a serious health issue caused the architect and designer to become interested in applying style, multifunctional elegance, and beauty to a line of previously rather mundane products.

See some of his designs that are available for purchase here.