SENSE

Sense

Volume IV, Issue 2

Aging Well: Summer Skin Care Although good skin care is important year round, the approach of summer and outdoor activities means an increased attention to skin care. There are some things you should keep in mind for the summer months to help reduce your risk of skin cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer among older Americans, and the main cause is sun exposure. The ultraviolet or UV rays in sunlight break down the elastic tissue in the skin causing wrinkles, sagging, stretching, blotchiness, new moles or changes to existing moles.

Volume IV Issue 2

The more sun and UV rays you have been exposed to during your lifetime, the higher your risk for skin cancer. It is never too late to adopt good skin care habits and prevent further damage.n Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM.n Do not burn.n Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.n Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed

hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.n Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen daily

with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher; for extended outdoor activity, 30 or higher, water-resistant.Important: When choosing a sunscreen, make certain it protects against UVA and UVB rays. Many sunscreens only protect against UVB, but UVA rays have been found to do more damage to the body than UVB rays.

n Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.

n Examine your skin head-to-toe every month looking for new moles or growths, and any existing growths that begin to grow or change significantly in any other way. Lesions that change, itch, bleed, or don’t heal are also alarm signals.

n See your physician every year for a professional skin exam.Source: The Medical Team’s “Skin Care” Wellness Presentation, 2013.

Inside this Issue:

n Aging Well: Summer Skin Care n Keep Moving! n To Your Health: Onions Are the New Superfood n Did You Know: Meditation Combats Loneliness In Seniors n Test Your Mental Acuity n Celebrating 35 Years in Business n Our Commitment to Customer Service

a quarterly newsletter from THE MEDICAL TEAM

HomeHealthSense A Quarterly Newsletter from THE MEDICAL TEAM

Keep Moving! Bowling and chickens don’t necessarily go together, but they do in one case. Our Texas staff came up with an innovative activity for our clients at area senior living facilities—Chicken Bowling! Instead of a regular bowling ball, a frozen chicken is wrapped with bubble wrap and duct tape. It is a wonderful social opportunity for seniors, gets them moving and is an excellent way to maintain balance and strength. According to the National Institutes of Health, exercise in seniors plays a vital role in warding off depression too. Chicken bowling has been a great hit and so much fun. If you have ever heard a room full of seniors laughing, you know it is worth it.

Note: Always check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine.

Many people steer clear of onions as a cause of bad breath, but they are a nutri-tional powerhouse. A recent study shows they help protect the brain, keep the heart healthy, strengthen bones, reduce cancer risk and aid digestion. If you are worried about bad breath from raw onions, choose sweeter varieties and try grilling, sauteing

or roasting onions to bring out their natural sweetness.

Source: Are Onions the Next Superfood?, retrieved from www.washingtonpost.com.

There are many ways to incorporate balance and strength exercises into your daily routine to ensure that you keep active. Here is a great one to get started, and best of all you can do it almost anywhere.

One-Legged Stands – Whenever you find yourself standing in waiting lines at the grocery store, bank or bus stop, “multitask” and exercise! Place one hand on the top of your shopping cart, a chair or ledge. Gently raise your right foot from the floor, bringing your heel toward your behind. Place all body weight onto your left foot and leg. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Slowly return to the original position. Relax for 10 seconds. Repeat this exercise 15 times. Do the exercise again with your left leg. As you become stronger, rely less on holding onto the cart or chair and more on balancing yourself on one leg.

Source: Beginner Strength and Balance Exercises for a Senior, retrieved from www.livestrong.com.

To Your Health: Onions Are the New Superfood

Rachael Ray’s Cucumber, Tomato & Onion SaladIngredients:• 5 medium plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced• 1/4 red onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced• 1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced• A generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons• 2 splashes red wine vinegar

• A sprinkle of coarse salt and black pepper (Note: skip the salt if you are trying to limit your sodium intake)

Directions: Dress the tomatoes, onions, and cucumber with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Let stand while you prepare dinner, about 20 minutes. Re-toss and serve salad with crusty bread for mopping up juices and oil.

Source: www.foodnetwork.com.

Private Duty Services Are you having trouble preparing meals at home? Did you know you can get help at home

with meal preparation and light housekeeping? These Private Duty Services are offered by THE MEDICAL TEAM. Please call to find out how we can help you around the home.

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HomeHealthSense

Loneliness among seniors has been linked with a variety of health problems, including heart risks and even a higher risk of premature death. A recent study published in the journal Brain, Behavior & Immunity, found that seniors who participated in an 8-week training program in mindfulness meditation experi-enced decreased feelings of loneliness. Mindfulness meditation is a very straightforward type of meditation that is quite easy to learn. Mindful meditation will train you to silence negative thoughts and achieve a far more relaxed, calm state of mind. Aside from alleviat-ing loneliness, mindfulness meditation has also been shown to have positive effects on the brain that may even have effects against mental illness.

We can all benefit from tips to help improve our memory. A psychologist from New Jersey’s Montclair State University reports in a fascinating new study that clenching your right hand for 90 seconds will help you memorize facts, whereas clenching your left hand for the same amount of time will help you recall them. There are many practical uses for this, such as remembering where you parked your car in the parking lot. Clench your right hand to help you memorize where you parked, and clench your left when you want to find your car.Sources: www.aarp.org.

Follow these tips to get started:

1 Sit in a comfortable position in a chair and make sure that your back is straight (if you’re too comfy you could fall asleep).

2 Close your eyes and gently focus your attention on the space in front of them, between your eyebrows.

3 Concentrate on and listen to your breathing. Notice the rise and fall of the abdomen on each inhalation and exhalation.

4 Open your awareness to include the sounds around you – outside and inside the room.

5 You’ll find your mind will tend to wander. That’s OK. When it does, just bring your attention back to your breathing and the sounds you hear.

6 Try to sit and keep your mind calm for as long as you can. Start with 20 minutes a day and work yourself up. The more you practice, the longer you will be able to hold this mental focus.

If you are experiencing persistent feelings of loneliness, grief and even depression talk to your physician as there are programs that can help. THE MEDICAL TEAM’s Journey Behavioral Health Program provides patients, families and caregivers with specific services and support to “journey” toward recovery from depression. For more information, go to www.medicalteam.com/journey.Sources: Mindfulness Meditation Tips, retrieved from www.mindbodygreen.com.

Mindfulness Meditation Could Combat Loneliness In Elderly: Study, retrieved from www.huffingtonpost.com.

Meditation Combats Loneliness In Seniors DID YOU KNOW:

Volume IV Issue 2

Need to Remember Something? Try Making a Fist

LouisianaHouma (985) 872-6666 Fax (985) 872-3263Metairie (504) 834-4447Fax (504) 834-4448

MichiganLivonia (734) 779-9700Fax (734) 779-9799Flint (810) 239-3000Fax (810) 239-3650

VirginiaReston (703) 390-2300Fax (703) 390-5818

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San Antonio/New BraunfelsHome Health Services (210) 227-9000 Fax (210) 224-7224Community Care Services (210) 227-9900 Fax (210) 227-2003In New Braunfels (830) 626-3525Fax (830) 629-2465

• Medicare Certified Home Health Agency• Private Duty and Personal Care Services• Catastrophic Care Solutions• Community Care Services

When Home is the Best Place to Get Better …. Bring Home THE MEDICAL TEAM

HomeHealthSense A Quarterly Newsletter from THE MEDICAL TEAM

www.medicalteam.comEmail: info@medteam.com© 2013 THE MEDICAL TEAM, INC.

Our family of companies:THE MEDICAL TEAM, INC. • Med Team, Inc.THE MEDICAL TEAM Personal Care ServicesCatastrophic Care Solutions

THE MEDICAL TEAM NewsCelebrating 35 Years in BusinessTHE MEDICAL TEAM celebrates this milestone in our history of providing the full range of home care services. We have been proud to serve your communities, and look forward to offering care for many years to come.

Our Commitment to Customer ServiceTHE MEDICAL TEAM is always striving to improve our customer service. We have launched a program designed to reward staff who we hear are doing a great job. We love to hear your comments about your experience with us and how you think we can improve our customer service. Please send your comments to info@medteam.com.

1 Johnny’s mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child’s name?

2 A clerk at a butcher shop stands five feet ten inches tall and wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?

3 Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?

4 How much dirt is there in a hole that measures two feet by three feet by four feet?

5 What word in the English language is always spelled incorrectly?

Test Your Mental Acuity

Answers: 1.) Johnny. 2.) Meat. 3.) Mt. Everest. It just wasn’t discovered yet. 4.) There is no dirt in a hole. 5.) Incorrectly (except when it is spelled incorrectly).

Challenging yourself on a daily basis with memory and other brain games is a good way to fight brain decline. Try these word puzzles.

Source: 10 Brainteasers to Test Your Mental Sharpness, retrieved from www.forbes.com.

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This publication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your doctor or other healthcare professional about health-related questions and concerns.