TheTwin Pines Senior&Community Center, operated by the city of Belmont, provides a variety of programs and services to the community. They sponsor lunches, classes, lectures, social services, special events, and recreational activities. We were on the agenda today to hold a workshop that both educated and assisted seniors in getting set up to do some social networking of their own.While today I am the proud owner of a home care agency, in my past I was an IT person. I have a Masters of Science in Computer Science, and I worked in the computer field for over 20 years. Besides what I did for work, I was also the webmaster for a few non-profits and also hosted my own family website way before it was commonplace for people to do so. When I started with this company, I was excited that Synergy HomeCare was technologically more advanced than any other home care franchise out there, as I needed to be able to incorporate a little of my past into my current work. So, being able to use social networking to give my company a presence on the internet came naturally. And, since my family lives far away (in Brazil), we also use social networking for keeping in touch on a personal level.During the workshop today, we started out with facts - what's email, Facebook, YouTube and Skype. What the audience was really interested in, however, was the real applications to my personal life - because this way they could see how it would work in their life. So I showed my Facebook page, with my friends, and told them how I met each of those people - some were family members, some from high school (in Brazil), some from college (in Iowa), some from past jobs, etc. They were all over the world. I also showed them how to "Like" both my company and the Belmont Parks and Rec Facebook page. I even showed them where the event we were in at that moment was listed on the Facebook page for Belmont Parks and Rec.On YouTube, I showed how my daughter made a tap-dancing video as a birthday present for her grandma and how easily you can go to YouTube to see things like that. They were impressed with the personal touch, and the priceless present that was. We also showed one of our favorites - the video of the the nice old lady who got mad at the young man honking at her to hurry up and cross the street. The crowd loved it.Up to here, there were a lot of questions and concerns. I addressed concerns about privacy (and explained they can always delete a post by someone else on their page, like that old boyfriend they don't want to remember), and I explained how they should not be offended if their teenage grandson does not accept their friend request on Facebook. The interaction flowed, and the audience was engaged and entertained.The real hit of the workshop was when my 11 year-old daughter (who was able to get out of school to do this community service project) Skyped with her grandparents, who live in Brazil. These are my parents, and it just happened that the workshop fell in the middle of my nephew's birthday party, so my mother just took her iPad with her, and Skyped with us during the birthday party! This was so much fun, as the room got to see 3 generations of my family, tropical trees, and even birthday cake! Now this they could really relate to as a way to be a part of their family even if they cannot be there in person. I coudn't have planned it any better. I even pointed the camera at the audience so they could all wave to my parents in Brazil. Everyone was having fun.As we concluded the workshop, a few people lingered with questions. My daughter Bela (who is just 11 but very tech savvy), had been at the computer, going to different websites as I talked about them, and running my PowerPoint presentation. Some of the audience members, who started the workshop saying that they did not want a Facebook account, actually asked us to set up a Facebook account for them on the spot (which Bela did), and another asked us to set up Skype on her iPhone (which Bela also did after I added the app to her phone).One of our most active audience members said that it just doesn't seem possible that we can do all we can do with computers today, and that she just couldn't believe that we were talking with my parents live like that. She said she was convinced to buy a computer today so she could do all these things. She then asked if I could send a caregiver to her home, to not only help her with everyday things, but also with social networking. I said I definitely could find caregivers who were adept at all of this.This was an amazing experience for us all, and it was so gratifying to be able to educate the group, and to actually know that given what we did today, some of these seniors will be more connected with their family, and their lives will be enriched.We are looking into doing a few more of these workshops, and will always welcome more opportunities. I confess that I was a little nervous as I was planning the presentation, but there was no reason to be. I know the domain, and I believe in the power of social networking to fight depression and loneliness, and to help us stay close to family members. I am passionate about sharing this knowledge with my dear seniors, and am really looking forward to the next one! Saili Gosula, Owner and Executive Director, Synergy HomeCare of San Mateo ...read more

Lost your keys? Don't stress — a memory glitch here and there often accompanies aging. Lost your way home? This could be signaling something more serious. Is it just age-related memory loss — or the early signs ofAlzheimer’s disease? Sooner or later, you will ask this about yourself, your spouse, or someone else in your family. But the question of whether you are noticing dementia signs is not an easy one to answer. A certain degree of forgetfulness may accompany aging. Normal memory loss most often means that you have a harder time recalling new pieces of information, such as the name of a person you met for the first time last week. “Typical signs [of dementia] are extreme forgetfulness, not just forgetting the keys here and there. Rather, forgetting where one is, whether or not one just ate, forgetting to put shoes on before going outside, and that sort of thing,” says Ross Andel, PhD, associate professor at the School of Aging Studies at the University of South Florida in Tampa. So if you go for your daily walk and experience a littleconfusion about how to get home, should you worry? Many experts, like Andel, think it’s a good idea to err on the side of caution and get in touch with your doctor if you have moments of forgetfulness that worry you. “The difference can be very subtle, and any suspicion should be consulted and/or confirmed by a professional, such as those working at memory clinics of Alzheimer’s disease centers,” he says. The advantage to working with an expert, such as a neurologist, is that an expert can give you memory tests that help determine whether your experience with memory loss is normal or not.   Dementia Signs that Indicate a Problem Consider these red flags of memory loss and cognitive problems: ·Does it interfere with daily life?Everyone forgets a name, only to remember later — but if you’re consistently forgetting appointments, can’t remember how to cook foods you’ve always been able to cook, or people tell you you’ve asked them for the same information multiple times, those are more serious signs. ·Do you have trouble thinking things through?We’ve all made a mess of our accounting once or twice, but if you just can’t figure out how to balance your checkbook or plan the kind of trip you used to enjoy, it may be time to seek help. In fact, a recent study suggests that problems remembering how to handle money foreshadows anAlzheimer’s diagnosisby up to a year. ·Are you having trouble retracing your steps?Everyone misplaces their keys, but most people usually can go back over their steps to find them again. Dementia signs include an inability to retrace your steps to find lost items. ·Are you at a loss for words?We all know about the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon, when a word you want is just out of reach. But frequently being unable to come up with the word or phrase you want can be a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. ·Do you lose your sense of place and time?Forgetting where you are, how you got there, the order of events, or even what day it is — these are all more than just “normal” signs of memory loss.   Other Causes of Forgetfulness It’s natural to worry about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as causes of your more-than-normal forgetfulness, but you should know there are some other possible causes, including: ·Alcoholism ·Dehydration ·Depression ·Head injury ·Medication side effects ·Protein deficiency ·Stroke(s) ·Vitamin B12 deficiency When you talk to your doctor about your concerns about memory loss and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, she should also ask questions that will help her find out whether there may be other causes of your problems. “True dementia cannot be reversed whereas cognitive impairment due to other causes can be reversed" in many circumstances, says Andel. So if you’re worried, talk to your doctor. At best, you will be reassured that your occasional forgetfulness is normal for your age — and at worse, you will be able to start early withdementia treatmentand management strategies. Original article at: http://www.everydayhealth.com/alzheimers/normal-memory-loss-or-dementia.aspx?xid=aol_eh-emo_7_20120716_&aolcat;=HLT&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl23%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D181649 ...read more

FREE class for Caregivers and Care Partners who are caring for a relative or friend with dementiaDementia Care: An Overview for Family Caregivers and Care PartnersDate : Wednesday July 25, 2012 Time : 6:00-8:30 pm Location : San Mateo Senior Center, 2645 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Ma...teo, CA 94403 Registration : email caregiversupport@cccyo.org or call 650.592.9325.Few of us are prepared for the challenges of caring for a family member or friend, especially when memory loss and confusion are part of the picture. This overview will be helpful for caregivers with all levels of experience. Among the topics we will review are: basics of dementia, effective communication, personal care, challenging behaviors, managing and reducing caregiver stress and where to find extra information and assistance. The class is not for professional/paid caregivers.This class is offered free of charge thanks to a generous grant from the Peninsula Health Care District.For more information about this class, visitwww.cccyo.org/ ...read more