Caregiver The

A program of Health Projects Center MARCH/APRIL 2020

Health Projects Center Springs Forward in 2020

Coming Soon: Care Journey! These are exciting times at Del Mar Care-giver Resource Center because we will soon become the third organization in the United States to offer a new online service for family caregivers called CareJourney. CareJourney is a website that tailors infor-mation, training, and services for family caregivers. After answering a brief ques-tionnaire, tailored information, resources, and communication channels are provided in a personalized dashboard that the care-giver can return to throughout their care-giving journey. The information and re-sources in CareJourney are universal to the caregiving experience so anyone anywhere can be a CareJourney member. CareJour-ney can also be a first step to becoming a client of the Del Mar CRC. Keep tuned to www.delmarcaregiver.org for the upcom-ing launch. John Beleutz Health Projects Center, Executive Director

What is

Health Projects Center?

We are a local non-profit organization We implement Del Mar Caregiver Re-

source Center to support family care-givers to provide quality care to their loved ones, and to take better care of their own physical and mental health.

We manage health care and supportive services for medically frail low-income elders so that they can stay safely at home.

We strengthen and support the health care workforce to effectively address geriatric and chronic care management. .

“In the garden of memory, in the palace of

dreams.. that is where you and I shall

meet.” Alice through the looking glass

Exercise and Parkinson’s Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best exercise for Parkinson”s? It's not a popular answer, but it's the truth: The best exercise is one that is safe, enjoya-ble and that pushes you. Research supports a variety of exercises for Parkinson's -- treadmill walking, boxing, dancing and many others -- but one is not necessarily better than another. Some people prefer swimming to biking; others like group fit-ness classes rather than exercising alone. Still others like to mix up their routine with a variety of workouts. Find what you enjoy and what motivates and challenges you. Then do it regularly, at least three times per week. How do I find what exercise works for me? Experts recommend beginning physi-cal therapy as soon as possible after diagno-sis, but it's never too late to get started. A physical therapist can help guide you to the best exercise program for your needs, as well as help you improve your mobility. (More on finding a physical therapist be-low.)

Are There Specific Exercises for Motor Symptoms? Certain exercises may be helpful for spe-cific motor symptoms of Parkinson's:

• For balance, consider tai chi and yoga. • To improve coordination and agility, look into dancing or boxing. • For significant balance problems or limited mobility, seated aerobic exercises can give a challenging workout that raise the heart rate. • To target freezing of gait (sudden, temporary inability to move) or falls, find a Parkinson's-specific physical therapy program that emphasizes bigger move-ments with walking and activities and can help with fall prevention strategies. Talk to your neurologist about finding a therapist who specializes in Parkinson's. For dystonia -- muscle cramping that of-ten affects the calves, feet or toes -- try lower impact exercises (water aerobics or walking, for example) that don't bring on symptoms. Stretching overactive muscles and strengthening the opposing muscles also may help. (A physical therapist can show you proper exercises.)

Do Certain Exercises Target Non-motor Symptoms? You can tailor most exercises to work on memory and thinking. For example, while exercising, you can do math problems or name as many items as you can think of in a category (such as animals or automobiles) in one minute. Your physical therapist can provide other suggestions. Most exercises also can help fatigue, a com-mon Parkinson's symptom. It sounds coun-terintuitive to exercise when you feel tired, but this is one of the best treatments for fa-tigue. You may feel a little worse before you feel better (most people with or without Parkinson's feel tired when starting an exer-cise program). Rate your fatigue before and after working out and keep a log to see how much you can do and how fatigue improves over time. Can Exercise Worsen Parkinson's? Pushing yourself too hard (lifting too much weight or with improper form, for example) can result in injury. People with Parkinson's may notice that some symptoms such as tremor increase during exercise, but this doesn't mean tremor will worsen over the long run. If you're new to exercise, a physi-cal therapist can help you start slowly and gently increase your intensity. How Hard Should You Push Yourself? Everybody has a different limit with exer-cise. With time, you'll learn your boundaries and how to push them. Keep a log of when and how much you exercise, when you take your medications, and how you feel to help you determine the best type and amount of exercise for you.

Can Exercise Prevent Parkinson's? No therapy, including exercise, has yet been proven to prevent Parkinson's. But studies of large populations have shown that people who exercise are less likely to develop Parkinson's. (This means that exercise is associated with less risk of Parkinson's, but is not necessarily the cause of the decreased risk.) Does Exercise Slow Disease Progression? Pre-clinical work demonstrates that ex-ercise has protective effects on brain cells. It boosts trophic factors, which are like "fertilizer" for brain cells and in-creases the number and activity of mito-chondria, the cells' energy sources. It al-so helps you use the dopamine your brain already has, more efficiently. (Dopamine is the brain chemical respon-sible for normal movement that decreas-es in Parkinson's.) Clinical studies also suggest that symptoms may progress more slowly in people who exercise. Can Exercise Replace Parkinson's Medication? Exercise is just as important as the medication you take for Parkinson's but it's not a replacement. Some people are able to decrease their medications be-cause they can manage symptoms with exercise, but others need more medica-tion in order to exercise. (Marathon run-ners, for example, may need more medi-cation to run for longer distances.) To get the most benefit, work with your doctor to make sure you're on the best combination of medications to control your symptoms so you can exercise regularly.

Excerpts from The Michael J. Fox Foundation

for Parkinson’s Research

Current best medical treatment for pa-tients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in-volves a medical professional who ap-plies state-of-the-art knowledge of diag-nostics and treatment— as derived from cohort studies and clinical trials— to the healthcare process of individual pa-tients. Thus, the much-needed personal-ization of medicine depends on the abil-ities, experience and intuition of med-ical professionals to adjust group-based knowledge to individual decision mak-ing. Within 20 years from now, such personal clinical decisions will be large-ly supported by digital means, also defining a new ecosystem of healthcare often referred to as

“digital medicine”.

Management of

Parkinson’s Disease 20 Years from Now:

Towards

Digital Health Pathways

We expect that the next phase of digitalization will include new “digital health pathways”: data-driven personalized decision sup-port that is based on a combination of multimodal data sources, includ-ing evidence-based medical knowledge (e.g., clinical guide-lines), personal disease profiles (including genetic determinants of disease progression and treatment response), insights into individual disease trajectories (thereby defin-ing subgroups of patients) and in-dividual patients’ needs. For futher reading :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6311358/

J Parkinsons Dis. 2018; 8(Suppl 1): S85–S94.Published online 2018 Dec 18. doi: 10.3233/JPD-181519

Salmon in Tomato Sauce with Capers The theme of this issue of The Caregiver is Parkinson’s Disease, a progressive neurological disease that affects certain nerve cells in the brain. One of the most healing and supportive foods for the neurological system is fish. Fish is high in protein, which is essential for neurons to rebuild, and it is an ex-cellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, which the body us-es in the protective layer that coats the outside of nerve cells. Salmon is one of the best sources of fish because it is low in mercury and pesticides, and very high in omega 3s-averaging a whopping 1725 mg per serving. When choosing your salmon, look for wild caught-wild caught salmon tends to be 20% higher in protein and has a low-er pesticide residue than farmed.

Ingredients:

-1.5 lbs. salmon fillets (wild-caught & fresh is best) -1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 4-5 medium fresh, diced) -juice of ½ a lemon -1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped finely -2 tbsp. capers -2-3 tbsp. olive oil -3-5 large cloves garlic, minced -1/2 tsp. sea salt -1/4 tsp. ground pepper -Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds-just until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, capers, and half the parsley. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened. While the sauce is cooking, add the salt and pepper to your salmon. Once the sauce is a thick-ened a little, use a spatula and move aside the sauce to make space for the salmon. Add the salmon to the pan, and then spoon a good amount of the sauce on top of it. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until the salmon flakes off easily. Uncover and add the other half of the parsley and cheese as garnish. Makes about 5 servings. This recipe is versatile and can be served over pasta, rice, spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or with potatoes. References:

Murray, Michael, N.D., Joseph Pizzorno, N.D, and Lara Pizzorno (2005) The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York, NY: Atria Books. Bauman, Ed, M.Ed., Ph.D., and Jodi Freidlander, N.C. (2014). Therapeutic Nutrition: Part 2. Bauman College: Penngrove, CA. https://www.webmd.com/parkinsons-disease/default.htm

The Culinary Edge by Holly Anne Cagliero , N.C.

Artistic Matters

Music is powerful for a number of

reasons; listening to it releases dopamine and serotonin – neurotransmitters that decline in Parkinson's patients. But a study pub-lished in 2008 suggests that learning how to play an instrument also develops motor skills and reasoning abilities.Jun 12, 2019

Interesting Reads

Caregiver Support Groups

Walk and Talk Caregiver Support Group When: Third Tuesdays of each month, 10:15 -11:30 am Where: Rio Del Mar Beach Facilitator: Bobi Souder, Family Consultant Sponsors: Del Mar CRC

Participants will meet in the Parking Lot For information call (831) 459-6639

Can’t attend a support group in person? Try a Telephone Support Group (no phone

charge) for free. For more information call the Alz-heimer’s Association’s office at 800-272-3900 Additional support groups: Alzheimer’s Association 800-272-3900 Cabrillo College Stroke & Disability Learning Center: Santa Cruz 831)425-0622 Central Coast Center for Independent Living: Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz - (831) 462-8720 Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula: Monterey (831) 625-4606 Dominican Hospital: Santa Cruz (831) 462-7700 Hospice of Santa Cruz County (831) 430-3078 Jovenes de Antaño: San Benito (831) 637-9275 Twin Lakes Church: Aptos (831) 465 3368

Sponsored by Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center

Caring for a Spouse or Life Part-ner Caregiver Support Group When: 2nd Tuesday of every month, 1:30 – 3:00 pm Where: 1537 Pacific Avenue, Suite 300, Santa Cruz Facilitator: Jessica Mattila, Family Consultant

For information call (831) 459-6639

Caregiver Support & Education Group - In Spanish

When: Second Monday of every month, 5:30 –7:30 pm Where: Quadrangle Building, 1000 South Main Street, Room 302, Salinas Facilitator: Maria Quiroz, Family Consultant Sponsors: Del Mar CRC For information call (831) 424-4359

Parkinson’s Support Group When: Second Friday of each month, 1:30—3:30 p.m. Where: Hollister Community Center, 300West Street, Hollister Facilitator: Christina Andrade, Senior Family Consultant Sponsors: Del Mar CRC, Jovenes de Antaño For information call (831)975-5841

Memory Impairment Caregivers Support Group When: First Wednesday of each month, 6:00-7:30 pm Where: Hollister Community Center 300 West Street, Hollister

Facilitator: Christina Andrade, Senior Family Consultant Sponsors: Del Mar CRC, Jovenes de Antaño

Consider A Business Sponsorship

with Health Projects Center

Your contribution as a sponsor will help the Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center to support these caregiver heroes with comprehensive free and low cost services.

Caregivers face a daily chal-lenge of keeping all the pieces of a loved one’s life going at the sacrifice of letting the pieces of their own life slip away.

Sponsorship is an effective way for you to ensure that caregivers in our local commu-nity learn about the services that your organization provides.

To inquire about levels of Health Projects Center sponsorships available

please contact Arlene Galindo at 1-800-624-8304

Health Projects Center’s

Del Mar Caregiver Resource

Center is here to meet the

needs of family caregivers.

For more information about free

and low cost services for caregivers

of people with brain impairment

please contact:

Health Projects Center

1537 Pacific Avenue,

Suite 300

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

831-459-6639

Or visit us online at www.hpcn.org

www.delmarcaregiver.org

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID

SANTA CRUZ, CA PERMIT 207 Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center

1537 Pacific Avenue, Suite 300

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Current Resident or:

* ©2014 CareTrust Publications LLC. All rights re-

served. Reproduction of any component of this publication is forbidden without a license from the publisher. It is for informational use and not health advice. It is not meant to replace medical care

but to supplement it. The publisher assumes no liability with respect to the accuracy, completeness or application of information presented or the reader’s misunderstanding of the text.

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Your generous private donation will help the Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center to support caregiver heroes in our community with comprehensive free and low-cost services. If you have any questions or would like any further information

on private giving opportunities please contact : Arlene Galindo at 831-471-8019.

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