Parkinson’s Awareness Month is the perfect time to brush up on your Parkinson’s Disease (PD) facts:

• Nearly 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s each year.
• Scientists believe a combination of environmental and genetic factors cause PD.
• People with Parkinson’s experience both movement and non-movement related symptoms.
• Symptoms can be managed through treatments like medications, lifestyle changes, exercise and in some cases, surgery.
• Early-onset Parkinson’s disease occurs in people younger than 50 years of age.

10 Early Signs of PD:

1. Tremor
2. Small Handwriting
3. Constipation
4. Loss of Smell
5. Trouble Sleeping
6. Dizziness or Fainting
7. Stooping or Hunching Over
8. Trouble Moving or Walking
9. Masked Face
10. A Soft or Low Voice

The winter chill has mostly faded away, and as flowers bloom, this is the perfect time for seniors to embrace the rejuvenating spirit of Spring through a bit of “spring cleaning.”

This annual tradition isn’t just about tidying up your living space but also about mentally resetting and clearing the way, quite literally, for a safer living environment. Here are some tips to make your spring cleaning both effective and enjoyable:

•    Declutter
•    Freshen Up Your Diet
•    Make Exercise a Routine
•    A Good Clean for a Healthier Home
•    Schedule Health Screenings
•    Practice Self-Care

What to do if you catch the highly contagious virus — and tips for avoiding it during outbreaks

You’re fine one minute, and the next, it hits you: stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. You’ve got a stomach bug. And while a few different germs could be to blame, chances are it’s the dreaded norovirus, the most common cause of these symptoms. Each year, norovirus sickens about 20 million Americans and causes around 900 deaths, mostly among adults 65 and older. 

A significant share of adults 65-plus take five or more prescription drugs, increasing their risk for dangerous side effects

If you’re one of the millions of older Americans on multiple medications, it may be time to ask your doctor if all those drugs are doing you more harm than good.

There’s a growing trend when it comes to prescribing medications, and surprisingly, it has nothing to do with writing new prescriptions. Instead, it’s all about working with your doctor to scale back on unnecessary pills and potions.

A new study focused on ways to maximize lifespan found that it’s never too late to boost longevity.

• A new study looked at different lifestyle factors that help people live to 100.
• The researchers found that exercise was associated with a 31 percent higher likelihood that a person would become a centenarian, followed by never smoking (25 percent higher chance) and a healthy diet (23 percent more likely).
• Even for people who are already 80 or older, good lifestyle choices increase the odds of reaching 100.

Let's Stay Connected!

To learn more about Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley, click here.

 Questions? Call Us! 860-767-0186