Happy 4th of July!

Drone photo of the skies above Cummings Beach in Stamford, July 2024

Did you know?

Healthy relationships are a vital component of health. The health risks from being alone or isolated in one's life are comparable to the risks associated with cigarette smoking, blood pressure, and obesity.

Research shows that:

• People who have a strong social network tend to live longer.
• The heart and blood pressure of people with healthy relationships respond better to stress.
• Strong social networks are associated with a healthier endocrine system and healthier cardiovascular functioning.
• Healthy social networks enhance the immune system's ability to fight off infectious diseases.

Celebrate Social Wellness Month by nurturing your social relationships. Volunteer with a group. Call an out-of-state friend. Join a hiking club.

Social wellness means nurturing yourself and your relationships. It means giving and receiving social support - ensuring that you have friends and other people, including family, to turn to in times of need or crisis to give you a broader focus and positive self-image.

 A new coronavirus variant is spreading in many parts of the world.

The variant, NB.1.8.1, has been identified as the cause of Covid-19 resurgence in China and several other Asian countries. Experts in Europe are predicting a possible increase in cases there.

A summer wave also could occur in the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NB.1.8.1 already represents about one-third of new Covid-19 cases as of June 7. This is a significant increase from just a month before, when the new variant represented just 5% of new Covid-19 cases. 

Could another summer wave really occur? Do current vaccines still work, and if so, who should consider getting another dose now? And what precautions should people take to reduce their risk of contracting Covid-19? 

When blood flow to the brain is choked off, thinking and motor skills can diminish.

There are many causes of dementia. The most well-known is Alzheimer’s disease, in which brain cells are damaged by an accumulation of certain proteins in the brain. Vascular dementia, on the other hand, refers to a decline in thinking and motor skills caused by reduced blood flow to areas of the brain. The brain cells are then damaged by having less oxygen and fewer nutrients.

Damaged, shrunken or blocked blood vessels can all contribute to vascular dementia. Strokes are often a precursor to developing symptoms. Around 18 percent of people will develop dementia within a year of having a stroke, according to an analysis of 44 studies reported in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. High blood pressure is an important risk factor, as it can damage blood vessels in the brain. Essentially, “the things that are risk factors for heart disease and stroke are also the risk factors for vascular dementia,” says Anthony Levinson, M.D., a medical psychiatrist and researcher at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Other risk factors for vascular dementia include smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol.

These are the best brands of over-the-counter products that U.S. News and The Harris Poll have rated by surveying 357 pharmacists and 134 dermatologists. These medical experts evaluated these brands to help you find the best product.

Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley is looking for a part or full-time Home Health Aide to join our team! If you are passionate about providing quality care to individuals in need, we encourage you to apply.

Please submit your resume to: sfoley@visitingnurses.org.

Let's Stay Connected!

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

 Questions? Call Us! 860-767-0186