A nice note from Florida

Our Florida office recently received a phone call from a man who decided it was finally time to seek home care.  At the pressure of his family and doctors, he ordered his daughter to "Call Hanson Services." He didn't care how many companies were out there that did this work, he only wanted Hanson Services.

He told his daughter that every time he went to the pool at his condo, he would listen to the radio and hear Maryann's voice streaming across the airwaves in her commercials.  He said "Her message was very clear, and her voice always captured my attention.  I can hear the passion in her voice and can tell she was sincere and cared about her business." He said that it is rare that an owner can have such passion and hire employees that share the same passion and vision.

We are delighted to be able to provide service at the level that we believe is due; to the people that have worked so hard their whole lives and are owed the respect, and privacy that old age demands.  This was Maryann's vision when she was managing and designing In Home Assisted Living Facilities.  This is something she told me once that stuck with me:

"These 98 year old ladies would come in and take a tour of the facility and tell me our place is so wonderful, and this is where they will come when they are ready.  I knew then they would never be ready.  These people need to be in their home." - Maryann Hanson

WCLV Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Hanson Services is thrilled to be able to celebrate thee 50th anniversary with Bob Conrad and the staff at WCLV.  Hanson Services has actively supported WCLV for the last 14 years and will continue our support after the transition.

The transfer was a tremendously generous gift to Northeast Ohio listeners. Bob cared and has succeeded in making certain that Northeast Ohio always has Classical Music available to its loyal supporters and listeners. You will recognize the voice of Jim Mehrling, the voice that has always introduced Maryann Hanson will now be the voice of Hanson Services underwriting WCLV.

We hope you're safe!

Over the past few days hurricane Sandy has definitely left her mark on Cleveland.  We have power at the office, but many of our employees are without power (including myself) and have taken shelter at our friends, hotels, and parents houses.

Over the past few days all of our caregivers have made it to their destinations!  We have been relocating some of our clients to hotels and relatives that have lost power.

If you or anyone you know is in need of transportation or services, please don't hesitate to call.  It's what we are here for! 216-226-5425 and 216-712-6245 after 5:00pm and weekends.

Have you had our Chocolate Covered Oreo's?

Yes, they are quite possibly the best tasting cookie desert I have ever had!  They are dangerous, and they must remain illusive in the office or they will disappear very quickly.

Our friends over at Sweet Designs created these for us, with a custom candy Hanson Services apple. If you have not been to Sweet Designs, I highly recommend a visit.  They were the first chocolate that NASA took into space!

Our cookies are usually packed in a nice little bag with our Hanson Services pamphlet, and you can find them at some upcoming events:

Nov. 1 - American Diabetes Assoc. Awards
Nov. 5 - Breakfast with the Mayor (Lakewood)
Nov. 7 - Veterans Pinning Ceremony (Eliza Bryant)

Meet Bentley Hanson

This is Bentley "Hanson", as he is most notably registered as at Lakewood Animal Hospital; the misfit dog that has been so adopted by Mary Ann Hanson and many others at the Hanson Services office.  As Mary Ann Hanson often reminds me, "You know you can never work anywhere else, because Bentley can never leave Hanson Services!"  He is laying at my feet as I write this, as he does every day I am at work.  He is my dog for sure, but he's nestled a little place for himself at Hanson.

Our CFO adds a side of chicken on his salad from The Soupermarket every day at lunch, and Bentley is off like a bullet when he hears his re-entry to collect on his chicken, that was purchased, just for him.  At a recent meeting celebrating our one year anniversary in our new building, Bentley's other adopted Grandma cited "This little guy" as her most memorable Hanson moment (who will often overlook his owner when introducing a new caregiver to the office and say "This is Bentley...He works here.")

In her ongoing effort to make Hanson Services one of the best work environments around (my favorite job hands down), Mary Ann Hanson has not just allowed, but demanded of me, that I bring my little guy to work.  Google, Amazon, Ben & Jerry's, Build-A-Bear, and many more corporations have been on the forefront of a dog friendly workplace for almost a decade now.  Google has been written up extensively on it, citing that it improves employee moral and productivity, and has even created a "doggie park" at their headquarters in California; Amazon has gone as far as weekly meetings to address any issues between the dogs (they get demerits for bad behavior), and converse about their benefit to the company.

Some people at the office have said he is the most loyal dog they have ever seen, as he follows a few feet behind me everywhere I go.  Some call it separation anxiety.  But it has become apparent that his presence has become mutually beneficial to the office and Bentley himself, as I am starting to believe he really does think this is his job now.

For Pain Sufferers: An Atlas Adjustment?

I guess I am very late to this stage of the game, considering the amount of national press that the "Atlas Oorthogonal" has already received from shows like "The Doctors" and other high profile celebrities.  This 4 ounce bone that sits at the top of our spinal column and holds our head in position, called the "Atlas" after the greek God Atlas who held the weight of the world on his shoulders, is being regarded as the only adjustment you need to properly align your entire body and relieve chronic pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, asthma, and numerous other diseases.

As I cannot endorse this from personal experience, there seems to be an enormous growing community bringing awareness to it.  Once such non-profit organization, comprised entirely of patients, is called  http://www.uppercervical.org/ which has a directory to local doctors performing this procedure.  Below is a video from one of the doctors websites.  If you are interested, there is another video with archival footage on youtube of the most aggressive and violent adjustment I have ever seen!  Apparently, their not using that technique anymore, so I won't post it to scare everyone.

This is a picture taken with one of our wonderful caregivers Sasha, at a clients grandnieces college graduation.  It was sent to us from her nephew with some very kind words that we would like to share with all of you. 

My aunt, who will reach her 103'rd birthday at the end of October, has been under the care of Hanson Services since 2007.  Thanks to the excellent care provided by Hanson caregivers, she continues to live in her apartment and to enjoy an excellent quality of life. 

Although my aunt has been fortunate to receive care from many excellent caregivers, I am writing to specifically commend the outstanding care which she has received from Sasha.  She has been my aunt's caregiver for a number of years and has developed a close relationship with her and it is clear to me and my family that she has developed a genuine affection for my aunt. 

More importantly, my aunt really likes Sasha, trusts her and looks forward to the times that Sasha spends with her. For a woman of her age who has survived her friends and all the family members of her generation, the close bond she has developed with Sasha is really important to the quality of her life.

Sasha has played a number of important roles in my aunts life, including:

• Setting up medical appointments and keeping doctors informed with regard to her health status and any issues that require their attention.
• My mom (who has also been under Hanson care for a number of years), Mae's sister, lived in the same apartment building and were extremely close.  When she passed away in March of 2011, we relied on Sasha to accompany my aunt to the funeral. To be sure, all of my Aunt's caregivers were wonderful through that difficult time, but because of the special relationship that Sasha had developed with both my aunt and with our family, her presence was especially helpful and comforting. 
• We again relied upon Sasha to accompany my aunt to the ceremony to unveil my mom's grave stone this year in early May and to the family gathering and dinner afterwards.
• Our daughter graduated from college on Memorial Day, 2011.  Having my aunt htere was really important to all of us, but we knew that, in addition to not having enough room in the car, we could not care for my aunt and, at the same time, participate in the graduation activities.  We asked Sasha to bring my aunt, knowing that my aunt would feel comfortable making the trip wiht her and thate there was no question that she would be in safe and caring hands.  It turned ou to be sunny, 95-degree day and, in spit of an hour drive each way and sitting outside for hours, my aunt had a wonderful time.  

These are just a few examples.  As you know, most of what Sasha and all of your caregivers do occurs "behind the scenes" and goes both unheralded and unnoticed by those of us who are not involved in the day-to-day care of our loved ones.  The fact that Sasha has been so consistently outstanding over the years...I would categorize it as the "Gold Standard" in caregiving...is remarkable and worthy of recognition.

A Letter from a Neighbor

We've been lucky enough to have received many unsolicited letters and thank you's over the years, from clients and friends of the family.  We love these letters.  It is a reward to know we were able to help someone, and allow them to age in a home they worked so hard to obtain.  Our most current letter was sent from a clients neighbor, who was aware of the circumstances that our client was undergoing.  

"Recently, a neighbor of mine was diagnosed with terminal cancer and wanted to spend her last days at home.  Hanson Services was contacted and a schedule of home health aids was established.  I had the pleasure of meeting Rachel and visiting with my neighbor at the Kirtland House in Lakewood several times before she passed away.  Rachel was quite competent and handled the situation very well.  Please pass along my thanks to her for a job well done and to Hanson Services for the work that you do."

We Walk Wrong

In short, this article is about how we've warped the anatomical structure of our gait (the pattern of movement in our feet) by wearing none other than modern day shoe.  Much of the information I come across to write about is quite old, this article in particular is from 2008 in New York magazine.   It covers a wide variety of documented research studies, and the authors own personal experience with a "walking coach" and shoes designed to mirror the barefoot walking pattern.

"Natural gait is biomechanically impossible for any shoe-wearing person" wrote Dr. William A. Rossi in a 1999 article in Podiatry Management.  For decades, the guiding principle of shoe design has been to compensate for the perceived deficiencies of the human foot; extra padding on the heel, arch supports, etc.. While rheumatologist's have advised patients with osteoarthritis of the knees to wear padded walking shoes to reduce the stress on their joints, a study at Rush Medical College in Chicago found that the impact on the knees was 12 percent less when people walked barefoot than it was when people wore padded shoes!

Another study found that we actually compensate for more padding by unconsciously landing harder on our heels when there is more padding present.  They found this not only in walking and running shoes, but in gymnasts who will land harder on mats that are more padded than others. We now know there are over 200,000 nerve endings in the bottom of our feet; a sensory perception that is overlooked and numbed by wearing padded shoes.

Quite a few shoe companies have been developing and releasing shoes to compensate for the hindrance the modern day shoe has put on the function of our feet.  You may have seen the shoes that look identical to the human feet?  Individual toes and all?  Reebok and Adidas have even been releasing their version of the shoe.   While an heir to the Clark shoe company has been providing more functional and fashionable shoes called Vivo Barefoot, and a quite popular golf shoe company, True Linkswear, is even being worn by PGA Tour players.  Being an avid golfer, and after reading this article, I think I may find myself walking in a pair of True's sometime soon.

The original article can be read HERE

Epigenetics

This a video that aired on PBS explaining how our diet and lifestyle can change the expression of our genes.  By influencing a network of chemical switches in our genes, known as epigenomes, doctors are polishing off the ability to manipulate the epigonome; cancer therapy being one of them.

The oldest recorded person in modern history

"I dream, I think, I go over my life.        I never get bored"

Recently I've noticed a trend in the topics I've been blogging about on here.  Much of it to do with living longer and healthier, linking stress and alzheimers, taking care of yourself better, and tips on "living to 100."  In all the searching I have been doing on the subject, I started to think "Who is the oldest person that ever lived?"

Let me introduce you to Jeanne Calment, who bucks about every nutritional trend that has been on the forefront of media for many years now.  I've even posted things that she rebuffs.

Jeanne was born in Arles, France in 1875 to a modest family, before the advent of the light bulb, phonograph, automobile, and 14 years before Alexandre Gustave Eiffel built his tower.


She married a wealthy store owner at the age of 21 which allowed her to lead a more leisurely lifestyle based upon tennis, cycling, swimming, rollerskating, piano, and opera.  As a teenager, she would meet Van Gogh at her future in-laws art supply store where he bought canvases.  She would later describe him in an interview as "Very ugly, impolite, ungracious, sick...we called him a madman."

"If you can't do anything about it, don't worry about it"

Some doctors have theorized that she was impervious to stress, based on her quotes such as above and her well known unflappability.  Others believed it was genetic, based on her lineage of relatives that lived fairly long lives.  But it's the French that believe it was her lifestyle, based on being - French.  Calment rode her bike every day up to her 100th birthday, smoked 2 cigarettes a day until she was 117, and subsisted on a diet of port wine and two pounds of chocolate a week.  

We have had the pleasure of taking care of more than a few centenarians at Hanson Services, and they all have had remarkable stories.  My great grandpa lived to just under 100 and looked pretty much the same to me as he did at 60, with a full head of hair that I used to cut every so often.  I asked him once what he ate to stay so healthy all these years, and he replied "Well...I sure ate a lot of hot dogs."  

Monkey helpers for the disabled

Yes, you are reading this correct.: Monkeys as full time caregivers, or "butlers."  A specific, smaller
version, called the capuchan monkey, that you may recognize from Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones, is raised in a human home as an infant.  When old enough, the monkeys attend Monkey College in Boston for 18-24 months where they learn to preform simple tasks, such as setting up a drink of water, fetching an out of reach object, and turning the pages of a book.  Probably the most beneficial of all the tasks it can provide, to the usually isolated and home bound recipient, is companionship.

Originally developed in 1979 by a doctor looking to aid quadriplegic's in their every day lives, Helping Hands has grown into a thriving national non-profit that has received support from The National Science Foundation, the Veterans Administration, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the US Government.   Through the support of generous donors and volunteers, Helping Hands has been able to provide these specially trained service animals and their lifetime support free of charge to their recipients.

This is a wonderful program to look into if you or someone you know are in need.  Some of the videos on their website are quite touching.  Below is a video by Helping Hands with their little monkey helpers.

11 Habits that will help you live to 100

This is an article that was published in US News, where researchers have discovered that centenarians tend to share certain traits in how they eat, move about, and deal with stress.  The idea?  We emulate the behavior, and we might live to see the same results!

1. Don't Retire
"Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic diseases skyrockets after retirement." - Luigi Ferruci, Director of The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging



2. Floss Every Day
Excess bacteria in the mouth is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk for heart disease.

3. Move Around
'Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists" says Jay Olshansky, professor of medicine and aging researcher at University of Illinois at Chicago

4. Eat A Fiber Rich Cereal For Breakfast
Yep.  Getting a serving of whole grains, especially in the morning, appears to help older adults maintain better blood sugar levels throughout the day.

5. Get At Least 6 Hours Of Shut Eye
"Sleep is one of the most important functions our body uses to regulate and heal cells"

6. Consume Whole Foods, Not Supplements
We've heard this a million times.  There is strong evidence that suggests that people who have high blood levels of certain nutrients - selenium, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E - age much better and have a slower rate of cognitive decline.  Unfortunately, there is no evidence that taking pills with these nutrients provides those anti-aging benefits.

7. Be Less Neurotic
There is a new study coming out that shows centenarians tend to not internalize things and dwell on their problems. Meditation?

8. Live Like A Seventh Day Aventist
Americans who identify themselves as Seventh Day Aventist have an average life expectancy of 89, about a decade longer than the average American. They abstain from alcohol, smoking, and overindulgence in sweets.  They stick to a relatively vegetarian diet, get plenty of exercise, and fast once a week.

9. Be A Creature Of Habit
Centenarians tend to live by strict routines, eating the same kind of diet and doing the same kinds of activities their whole lives.  Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is another good habit to keep your body in steady equilibrium that can be easily disrupted as you get on in years.

10. Stay Connected
Having regular social contacts with friends and loved ones is key to avoiding depression, which can lead to premature death, something that's particularly prevalent in elderly widows and widowers.  Some psychologists believe that the biggest benefits elderly folks get from exercise is the strong social interaction that comes from walking with a buddy or taking an exercise class.

11. Be Conscientious
The strongest personality predictor of a long life is conscientiousness - that is, being prudent, persistent and well organized, according to The Longevity Project, coauthored by Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin.  The book describes a study that followed 1,500 children for eight decades, collecting exhaustive details about their personal histories, health, activities, beliefs, attitudes and families. The children who were prudent and dependable lived the longest.  They also were likelier to report happier marriages and more satisfying work lives.

You can view the original article HERE

Animal Protein: Homocysteine levels as an Alzheimers risk indicator

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is produced by the body, usually as a byproduct of consuming meat. Amino acids are naturally made products, which are the building blocks of all the proteins in the body.  


Below are some cut and pasted sections of the study that were intriguing:


In cross-sectional studies, elevated plasma homocysteine levels have been associated with poor cognition and dementia. Studies of newly diagnosed dementia are required in order to establish whether the elevated homocysteine levels precede the onset of dementia or result from dementia-related nutritional and vitamin deficiencies.

Low serum levels of certain B vitamins (folate and vitamins B₁₂ and B₆) have been associated with elevated plasma homocysteine levels in several studies and with an increased risk of dementia in a few investigationsIn our study, the observed association between plasma homocysteine and risk of dementia was not significantly altered by adjustment for the plasma levels of these vitamins (Table 3). Furthermore, after adjustment for age, sex, andAPOE genotype, none of these vitamin levels were independently related to the risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease (data not shown).


Their Conclusion? An increased plasma homocysteine level is a strong, independent risk factor for the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.


Here is a link to the article in The New England Journal of Medicine

Joseph M. Foley M.D.- A dear client and friend will be missed by Hanson Services

We took care of Dr. Joseph Foley once a week for ten years, and our caregiver Cathy Santovin was the first and only caregiver Dr. Foley had from Hanson Services.  Dr. Foley passed away at 96 as the Emeritus Professor of Neurology of Case Western Reserve, was the founder of the Cleveland area's Alzheimer's Association, awarded the U.S. Bronze Star for being the first unit onshore at the beaches of Normandy, Harvard Medical School Graduate, and a continuous advocate for peace and love amongst his peers.

Our caregivers most memorable moments with Dr. Foley were singing songs and reciting poems from memory.  He would say "I think it's time to call and bug Peggie!" where he had a continuous rapor with our Human Resources Director about all subjects under the sun, which also included hand writing his own checks under a microscope at 96 years of age.  He was one of Hansons oldest and most wonderful relationships, and will be known as a simple man, humorous, and strong willed.  He requested to not be recognized for all his accomplishments, but many could not restrain, including The Plain Dealer which ran a large article on his life you can view at Cleveland.com.

Strength training key in preventing Alzheimer's - CNN Health

It’s well-known that exercising to maintain a healthy heart also helps create a healthy mind. But several new studies suggest that when it comes to preventing dementia, not all forms of exercise are created equal.

Studies presented at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference found that resistance training was particularly beneficial for improving the cognitive abilities of older adults.

While the studies were small, all including 150 participants or less, they did seemed to indicate that resistance training – such as weight lifting or using resistance bands – could possibly be an intervention for dementia in older adults.

One study divided a group of 86 women, all between the ages of 70 and 80, into three different exercise groups: Weight lifting, walking, or balance and tone exercises. Each group did the exercises twice a week for 6 months.

Everyone appeared to benefit from the exercise.

“We actually imaged their brains, using functional MRIs – and these people showed better brain function,” explained lead investigator, Dr. Teresa Liu Ambrose.

Participants were tested for cognitive executive functions such as attention, memory and planning. According to Ambrose, “the cognitive executive function and associated memory – those are the two traits most linked to dementia.”

At the end of the trial, those in the weight lifting group were most improved.

Ambrose, who is the director of the Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Neuroscience lab at the University of British Columbia, tells CNN: "We accept that exercise is the golden bullet – but we need to identify who might benefit the most from what exercise.”

“It’s definitely one of the first times resistance training has been looked at in connection with Alzheimer’s. And we’ve seen in that body of literature that people who do resistance training increase their ability to be more mobile, but it may have some other benefits,” said Heather Snyder of the Alzheimer’s Association.

What was also striking was that those who started with a higher cognitive baseline actually gained the most benefits from exercise.

Read the rest of the article on CNN Health HERE

Touching video on the impact of music

Role of stress in dementia investigated

This is a great article by Michelle Roberts at The BBC News Online linking stress to dementia. Many of Hanson's clients are suffering from this disease, and our education department is constantly on the lookout for methods to make the disease more manageable and support the research of understanding it's causes. 

UK experts are to begin a study to find out if stress can trigger dementia.

The investigation, funded by the Alzheimer's Society, will monitor 140 people with mild cognitive impairment or "pre-dementia" and look at how stress affects their condition.

The researchers will take blood and saliva samples at six-monthly intervals over the 18 months of the study to measure biological markers of stress.

They hope their work will reveal ways to prevent dementia.

The results could offer clues to new treatments or better ways of managing the condition, they say.

Dementia triggers

People who have mild cognitive impairment are at an increased risk of going on to develop dementia - although some will remain stable and others may improve.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

Something such as bereavement or a traumatic experience - possibly even moving home - are also potential factors”

Prof Clive HolmesLead of the new investigation

• BBC Health: Dementia in depth

And past work suggests mid-life stress may increase a person's risk of Alzheimer's disease.

A Swedish study that followed nearly 1,500 women for a period of 35 years found the risk of dementia was about 65% higher in women who reported repeated periods of stress in middle age than in those who did not.

Scottish scientists, who have done studies in animals, believe the link may be down to hormones the body releases in response to stress which interfere with brain function.

Prof Clive Holmes, from the University of Southampton, who will lead the study, said: "All of us go through stressful events. We are looking to understand how these may become a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's.

"Something such as bereavement or a traumatic experience - possibly even moving home - are also potential factors.

"This is the first stage in developing ways in which to intervene with psychological or drug-based treatments to fight the disease.

"We are looking at two aspects of stress relief - physical and psychological - and the body's response to that experience."

Dr Simon Ridley, of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "We welcome any research that could shed new light on Alzheimer's disease and other causes of dementia.

"Understanding the risk factors for Alzheimer's could provide one piece of the puzzle we need to take us closer to a treatment that could stop the disease in its tracks."