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In This Issue
Hey You, Avoid the Flu!
Making a List? Here Are a Few Ideas...
Holiday Gatherings Let You "Check In" on Aging Loved Ones
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Hey You, Avoid the Flu!

 

Did you know that someone with the flu can spread it to others as far as 6 feet away by coughing or sneezing? Put your flu knowledge to the "test" by taking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Flu Quiz.

 

While a bout with the flu is unpleasant and typically causes weakness, fever, body aches, sore throat, and a cough for as long as two weeks, serious complications from the virus can occur. Influenza can lead to pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus or ear infections. For certain segments of the population, especially those age 65 and older, complications from the flu can be fatal. Find out more about the importance of flu vaccinations on our blog!

Heart Healthy Recipe
 
Don't let dietary limitations restrict your holiday fun this season. The American Diabetes Association's website is full of helpful tips and recipes that will keep you happy and healthy at all of your holiday gatherings.

Holiday Meal Planning

Dates to Remember 

December 21st: Winter Solstice 

December 24th: Christmas Eve

December 25th: Christmas Day

December 31st: New Year's Eve

 

We've moved again!

  

Our new address is:

 

2040 eWall Street

Mt. Pleasant, S.C. 29464

 

 

 

 

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Home Care Plus is Hiring!

Are you or someone you know interested in joining the Home Care Plus team as a caregiver?  If you are compassionate, dependable, and have a current CNA certificate from an approved program in South Carolina, we are looking for you!  Visit our website for a complete job description. Make a difference in someone's life today--become a caregiver!

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December 2013
Holiday Gatherings Can Let You "Check In" On Loved Ones

Long distance caregivers have the unique challenge of judging how their loved ones are doing based on short visits that often occur weeks or months apart. Daily phone calls can help keep you in the loop, as well as having a close friend or relative stop by more frequently to help and report on the status of your loved one. But nothing compares to seeing firsthand how they are getting along. Telltale signs that they might need an extra hand may include unpaid bills, dirty dishes, an empty fridge, overflowing laundry baskets and/or trash cans, weight loss or gain, and an unkempt appearance. Monitoring their social connectedness is critical as well to get a full picture of whether or not they may need help. Do they still engage in their favorite activities, volunteer, or visit with friends? This holiday, use your visit to your aging family member's house as an opportunity to check in on them. People (especially older adults who have spent their lives caring for others) often don't like to ask for help, even when they need it!
Making A List? Here Are a Few Ideas...

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Who doesn't have someone who has it all on their gift list this holiday? Consider the following if you are stumped on what to give:
  • Support our local economy by Buying Local! Shop at any of the Lowcountry Local First stores and your dollars will support small local businesses!
  • Find a charity that supports their interests or passions and make a donation in their honor. Use a website like CharityNavigator to help find the right one.
Things To Do Around Town

 

There is a lot to do around town this month! Mark your calendars for these fun events:

 
 Holiday Festival of Lights Nov 8th-Dec 31st
Let the spirit of the season embrace you as James Island County Park comes alive with illumination at Charleston's most beloved nighttime event! Children of all ages will be dazzled by the spectacular light displays, Santa's Village and more.

The 32nd Annual Holiday Parade of Boats will be held in Charleston Harbor starting near the Mt. Pleasant side of the Harbor. You can participate in the parade by simply registering, decorating your boat from stem to stern with lights, and joining everyone on the water. 
 
The annual Holiday Farmers Market & Craft Show combines all the goodies from the traditional food market with handcrafted gifts created by local artisans. Come see this year's wonderful assortment of Christmas ornaments, glasswork, whimsical crafts, and a wide variety of original art by locally recognized potters, artists, craftsmen and photographers.  
 
Are you struggling with how to meet your weight loss goals?  This wellness seminar is presented by South Carolina BLUE.
 
This festive 5k raises funds to help support arthritis research! 
Recommended Reading 

Sycamore Row by John Grisham

Overview:
 
John Grisham takes you back to where it all began . . .

John Grisham's A Time to Kill is one of the most popular novels of our time. Now we return to that famous courthouse in Clanton as Jake Brigance once again finds himself embroiled in a fiercely controversial trial-a trial that will expose old racial tensions and force Ford County to confront its tortured history.

Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County's most notorious citizens, just three years earlier.

The second will raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row?

In Sycamore Row, John Grisham returns to the setting and the compelling characters that first established him as America's favorite storyteller. Here, in his most assured and thrilling novel yet, is a powerful testament to the fact that Grisham remains the master of the legal thriller, nearly twenty-five years after the publication of A Time to Kill.

Set Your Priorities This Holiday Season

Taking time to think about what is most important in your life while in the midst of the craziness of the holidays can help keep you sane throughout the season. Make and spend time on what means the most to you and say no to everything else. If you feel you are losing perspective, consider volunteering for a local organization, participate in a local food or clothing drive or adopt a needy family. Helping others not only brings happiness and gratitude to the recipients, but often imparts a sense of peace in yourself.