This is an amazing story about astronaut Rich Clifford, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease when he was 42 yrs old. He went on to fly in another space shuttle mission and complete a lengthy space walk in spite of his diagnosis. After 15 yrs of staying silent on the subject, he now tours the country to raise awareness for Parkinson's and to tell his own fantastic story.
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/14/parkinsons-didnt-stop-his-space-walk/
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
China Mandates That Children Care For Their Parents.
The People's Republic of China made waves recently by enacting "The Law of Protection of Rights and Interests of the Aged." Among other things, this law mandates that children visit their parents regularly in order to provide for their financial and spiritual needs. Senior issues are an area of critical concern for China. Currently, they have approximately 185 million people over the age of 60. By 2050, the elderly are predicted to account for more than a third of the entire population. Read more about it below.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/02/world/asia/china-elderly-law/index.html?iref=allsearch
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Woman Marries for the Fourth Time at 80 Yrs Old
A local woman made headlines this week when she married for the fourth time at the age of 80. When a local news station interviewed her recently, they asked her a myriad of questions about life, marriage, happiness, and of course her new husband.
The interviewer asked her questions about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then... about her new husband's occupation. "He's a funeral director," she answered.
"Interesting," the newsman thought.
He then asked her if she wouldn't mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living. She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years. After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she had first married a banker when she was in her 20's, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40's, and a preacher when in her 60's, and now - in her 80's - a funeral director.
The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.
She smiled and explained,
"I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go."
- Thanks to HISC franchise owner Karin Lindblom for sending this to me.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
AARP says that 1 out of 4 Retired Early to Care for a Spouse
One-in-5 employees age 45-74 say they expect to take time off of work to care for a spouse, a parent or relative in the next five years, AARP officials say.
An AARP report, "Keeping Up with the Times: Supporting Family Caregivers with Workplace Leave Policies," also said 1-in-4 retirees said they left the workforce earlier than planned to care for an ill spouse or other family member.
"The aging of the population, changing workforce demographics and increasing demands on family caregivers are colliding at the expense of working caregivers," Lynn Feinberg, senior strategic policy adviser with the AARP Public Policy Institute and author of the report, said in a statement.
An AARP report, "Keeping Up with the Times: Supporting Family Caregivers with Workplace Leave Policies," also said 1-in-4 retirees said they left the workforce earlier than planned to care for an ill spouse or other family member.
"The aging of the population, changing workforce demographics and increasing demands on family caregivers are colliding at the expense of working caregivers," Lynn Feinberg, senior strategic policy adviser with the AARP Public Policy Institute and author of the report, said in a statement.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Want to Improve Your Memory? Eating smart really can help you keep your brain sharp.
Antioxidants! Omega-3s! Anti-inflammatory diets! Can something you eat really help you remember — again — where you put your cellphone or reading glasses? If you add blueberries to your morning oatmeal or sip a glass of red wine at dinner, will your brain cells stay healthier longer?
http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-06-2013/worried-about-your-memory.html?intcmp=HPBB1J
http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-06-2013/worried-about-your-memory.html?intcmp=HPBB1J
Monday, May 13, 2013
6 Kids and Counting
The rumors are true. I have six children. Let me rephrase that. I have six, beautiful, perfectly healthy, intelligent sons. To say that I am blessed doesn't nearly encapsulate all that I have been given. The fact that my wife and I have brought six children into this world with little to no medical complications is miraculous. The fact that we have even been able to conceive six times is amazing. And yet, the one reaction that we consistently receive from those around us is pity. The pity is especially profound when people find out that we have six BOYS. "Oh you poor thing!" "You must have been just desperate for that girl." "Oh your poor wife!" And my personal favorite: "Don't y'all know what causes that?"
The last several weeks have been emotionally draining for me. I am, by nature, an empathetic person and tend to carry emotional baggage for the people in my life. There has lately been much baggage to carry. I have close friends that have lost babies, are facing the possibility of losing a baby, are facing the possibility of losing a young child, or have been trying desperately for years to have a child to no avail. Each night they come home to an empty nursery or find themselves curled up in a vinyl hospital chair praying that God will somehow intervene.
I believe that we live in a fallen world. I believe that this world was created perfect and pure and that because of our rebellion against the Creator things have deteriorated to this point. I believe that death and disease and sickness and heartbreak were not the Creator's intent. I believe that there is a battle being waged between good and evil because I see the evidence of it all around me. It is everywhere I look.
And then I see my children. I see my six, beautiful, perfectly healthy, intelligent sons. For whatever reason, God has gifted my wife and I with the ability to bring good things into this world. Each one of my sons stands in defiance of a world where babies die and people hurt. Their laughter and joy reminds us all of a purity lost but not forgotten. I have no doubt that we battle an enemy who seeks to kill and destroy. I have seen his victories in the lives of those who matter most to me. Each of my sons is a victory over his wicked agenda. Each of my sons is a reminder that the Creator of life has not forgotten us. In a cruel and dark world, they are a beacons of goodness and light. My children strengthen my hope in the God who promised that he will return and make all things new again.
And so for the people who seem so bewildered by the size of our family, for those who are perplexed by our ever-increasing brood, for those who in word and thought pity us for the "burden" we have to raise a large family, I would point you to the book of Psalms chapter 127 verses 3-5.
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is a man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."
My children are a blessing. They are a rich reward that someone else paid dearly for me to receive. I will cherish them as such and continue to welcome every blessing God chooses to send my way.
The last several weeks have been emotionally draining for me. I am, by nature, an empathetic person and tend to carry emotional baggage for the people in my life. There has lately been much baggage to carry. I have close friends that have lost babies, are facing the possibility of losing a baby, are facing the possibility of losing a young child, or have been trying desperately for years to have a child to no avail. Each night they come home to an empty nursery or find themselves curled up in a vinyl hospital chair praying that God will somehow intervene.
I believe that we live in a fallen world. I believe that this world was created perfect and pure and that because of our rebellion against the Creator things have deteriorated to this point. I believe that death and disease and sickness and heartbreak were not the Creator's intent. I believe that there is a battle being waged between good and evil because I see the evidence of it all around me. It is everywhere I look.
And then I see my children. I see my six, beautiful, perfectly healthy, intelligent sons. For whatever reason, God has gifted my wife and I with the ability to bring good things into this world. Each one of my sons stands in defiance of a world where babies die and people hurt. Their laughter and joy reminds us all of a purity lost but not forgotten. I have no doubt that we battle an enemy who seeks to kill and destroy. I have seen his victories in the lives of those who matter most to me. Each of my sons is a victory over his wicked agenda. Each of my sons is a reminder that the Creator of life has not forgotten us. In a cruel and dark world, they are a beacons of goodness and light. My children strengthen my hope in the God who promised that he will return and make all things new again.
And so for the people who seem so bewildered by the size of our family, for those who are perplexed by our ever-increasing brood, for those who in word and thought pity us for the "burden" we have to raise a large family, I would point you to the book of Psalms chapter 127 verses 3-5.
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is a man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."
My children are a blessing. They are a rich reward that someone else paid dearly for me to receive. I will cherish them as such and continue to welcome every blessing God chooses to send my way.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Seventy-Seven Is Not Really That Old
When John Glenn was rocketed back into orbit at the sprightly age of 77 there were many differing takes on the situation. Many people celebrated the idea that our medical technology had advanced to the point that it was even possible to send a geriatric into space. Many people looked down on the idea as nothing more than a publicity stunt, intent to revive public interest in a beleaguered space program facing major budget cuts and possible extinction. Press conferences were an understandable blitz of questions from both sides of the issue and were emotionally taxing for the Astronaut turned Senator turned Astronaut. Rumor has it(although I can find no specific reference to it online) that at one point Senator Glenn became exasperated by the incessant questioning of one particular journalist. After the umpteenth pseudo-rhetorical question, Mr.Glenn had clearly had enough and raised his voice over the the din of the press corps saying: "Just because I am 76 doesn't mean that I don't still have dreams." The audience fell silent.
Aging has always been an arc. We begin life with little to no independent functionality and gradually gain the ability to live our life on our own. As the years go by, we pass the zenith of the arc and begin to gradually lose our independent functionality. It is the tragic reality with which man has contended since the dawning of time. Rev. Chris Osborne, pastor of Central Baptist Church in College Station, Tx ( Home of the Fightin' Texas Aggies. Whoop!) says that the reason that we so vehemently reject the concept of aging and seek to avoid our own deaths is that God has placed eternity on the hearts of men. We are designed with an eternal soul and anything that reminds us of our fallen state also reminds us that we are sojourners in this foreign land. I tend to agree.
However, we now find ourselves pushing into a brave new world where age no longer limits the human body in the way in which it once did. Fifty is the new forty. Sixty is the new fifty. Seventy is the new sixty and eighty is not really that old after all. This massive cultural shift requires nothing of those who find themselves a part of the aging demographic. They will just continue to do what they have been doing all along; living their lives. For the rest of us, it requires that we change the very core of how we think about aging. At Home Instead Senior Care, this is in our DNA. It is fundamental to everything we do. We are part of a movement that refuses to accept a 'less than' life. We are actively working to Change the Face of Aging. Daily we join with seniors and the families whom we serve to declare to all who will listen that we will not go quietly into the night! A new day has dawned and dreams can still come true.
Aging has always been an arc. We begin life with little to no independent functionality and gradually gain the ability to live our life on our own. As the years go by, we pass the zenith of the arc and begin to gradually lose our independent functionality. It is the tragic reality with which man has contended since the dawning of time. Rev. Chris Osborne, pastor of Central Baptist Church in College Station, Tx ( Home of the Fightin' Texas Aggies. Whoop!) says that the reason that we so vehemently reject the concept of aging and seek to avoid our own deaths is that God has placed eternity on the hearts of men. We are designed with an eternal soul and anything that reminds us of our fallen state also reminds us that we are sojourners in this foreign land. I tend to agree.
However, we now find ourselves pushing into a brave new world where age no longer limits the human body in the way in which it once did. Fifty is the new forty. Sixty is the new fifty. Seventy is the new sixty and eighty is not really that old after all. This massive cultural shift requires nothing of those who find themselves a part of the aging demographic. They will just continue to do what they have been doing all along; living their lives. For the rest of us, it requires that we change the very core of how we think about aging. At Home Instead Senior Care, this is in our DNA. It is fundamental to everything we do. We are part of a movement that refuses to accept a 'less than' life. We are actively working to Change the Face of Aging. Daily we join with seniors and the families whom we serve to declare to all who will listen that we will not go quietly into the night! A new day has dawned and dreams can still come true.
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