Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley
Serving the Older Adult Population of Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, and Sunol

5353 Sunol Boulevard, Pleasanton, CA 94566
Issue 31: March-2018
Our mission is to provide service and assistance to seniors that will foster independence, promote safety and well being, preserve dignity, and improve quality of life

Don't forget to change you clock.
Spring ahead  on Sunday, March 11.




Volunteers are the heartbeat of our organization .

If you have time to keep our heart beating along
call Lorie Rohloff at 931-5388 for volunteer info.




Family  Caregiver Support Group
News



Family Caregiver Support Group 
meets
Monday, March 12
from 1:00-3:00 pm




5353 Sunol Boulevard, Pleasanton
In the main classroom at the Pleasanton Senior Center


Contact Barbara Will at 925-931-5389 or bwill@ssptv.org for more information.


Wisdom of the Ages





February is American Heart month, but ever month counts.



Heart Attack Warning Signs Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, but most of them start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. 

Here are some of the signs that can mean a heart attack is happening.

* Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. 

* Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
* Shortness of breath. This may occur with or without chest discomfort. 
* Other signs. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. 

As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain. 

Stroke Warning Signs
* Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body * Sudden confusion, or trouble speaking or understanding
* Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes 
* Sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination
* Sudden, severe headache with no known cause Dial 9-1-1 FAST 

Heart attack and stroke are life-or-death emergencies - every second counts. If you suspect you or someone you are with has any of the symptoms of heart attack or stroke immediately call 9-1-1 or your emergency response number so an ambulance can be sent. Don't delay - get help right away! For a stroke, also note the time when the first symptom(s) appeared. If given within 3 to 4.5 hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug may improve the chances of getting better faster.


Courtesy of American Heart Association



Healthy Living Ideas

Here's something people do every day that many of us apparently do wrong - bending over, you know, to pick things up or put things down or even just to sit down. Now, a group of scientists who study bending say Americans are doing it in a way that may make back pain more common. 


Remember: As always talk with your Dr. before making changes to your exercise routine.


Courtesy of NPR

Finding Wellness


A New Finding Wellness Class  could be just what you're looking for.



FINDING WELLNESS SERIES 1:

Ashland Community Center
TUESDAYS from  10:00 am - 11:30 am 
March 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th
April 3rd, 10th, 17th


TAUGHT IN MANDARIN:
Avelina Apartments
WEDNESDAYS from  10:00 am - 11:15 am 
March 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
April 11th, 18th

.............................. .............................. .............................. ........

FINDING WELLNESS SERIES 2:

Dublin Senior Center
THURSDAYS from  1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Remaining Classes:  March 8th, 22nd




From The Desk of Joey Tchang
Fall Prevention Coordinator


Hearing loss has been linked with a variety of medical, social and cognitive ills, including dementia. However, a new study led by a Johns Hopkins researcher suggests that hearing loss may also be a risk factor for another huge public health problem: falls.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have compiled data from a study during the years of 2001-2004 which involved 2,017 participants ages 40 to 69. Each participant had their hearing tested and answered questions about whether they had fallen over the past year. Researchers also collected demographic information, including age, sex and race, and tested participants' vestibular function, a measure of how well they kept their balance. Their findings are published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Lin, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the university's Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Ferrucci found that people with a 25-decibel hearing loss, classified as mild, were nearly three times more likely to have a history of falling. Every additional 10-decibels of hearing loss increased the chances of falling by 1.4 fold. This finding still held true, even when researchers accounted for other factors linked with falling, including age, sex, race, cardiovascular disease and vestibular function. Even excluding participants with moderate to severe hearing loss from the analysis didn't change the results.

Lin, an otologist and epidemiologist, says among the possible explanations for the link is that people who can't hear well might not have good awareness of their overall environment, making tripping and falling more likely.
Another reason hearing loss might increase the risk of falls, Lin adds, is cognitive load, in which the brain is overwhelmed with demands on its limited resources.

"Gait and balance are things most people take for granted, but they are actually very cognitively demanding," Lin says. "If hearing loss imposes a cognitive load, there may be fewer cognitive resources to help with maintaining balance and gait."

So, the takeaway from these findings is that hearing should not be taken for granted and it is just as important to get your hearing checked as it is to get your eyesight checked.
 
Source: JAMA Internal Medicine Feb 27, 2012




Make time for a healthy, fun cooking class.
Limited seats available so don't wait.


Fresh Bites Cooking Class

When: Thursday, March 15  at  2:00 pm
Where: at the SSPTV office 5353 Sunol Blvd


RSVP  no later then  March 8.  
Register by phone or in person.  
 Call Nancy Bennett at (925)-931-5382


We just received a generous donation of  Depends brand of  incontinence pads in both Medium and Large sizes. 

If you are in need of these personal items, please call Lori Rohloff at 931-5388.  

There is no charge for the pads and they will be handed out on a  first come first serve basis.



Have you fallen recently? Are you worried about falling?
 Do you wish to increase your physical fitness?

Join A Matter of Balance! This FREE, 8-week fall prevention course for seniors aged 60 and over is designed to manage falls and increase physical activity. 

Call Katie at  925-931-5382







Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley
Social Group for Widowed Seniors

car_cartoon.png Movin'On 
 2017-2018 Calendar



Please call:  Mary McNamara  (925) 931-5381
 or  Barbara Will (925) 931-5389



Senior Support Exercise Program 
at Kottinger Gardens
251 Kottinger Dr. Pleasanton
 
March 2018    
 
NEWCOMERS ARE WELCOME!
 
Mondays from 11:15am - 12:15pm
Bring your bands, balls, and water.
 

 Call with any questions: Nicole Albrecht (925) 931-5378


Funded by Alameda County Departments of Public Health and Area Agency on Aging, including grants from Measure A, Kaiser Permanente, and Private Donations.




 Friendly Visitor Program
Volunteers are what keep us going strong.

Are you looking for a way to give back to the seniors in our community?   The Friendly Visitor Program may be just what you are looking for.

A few hours a week that can fit around your schedule provides:
  • socialization,
  • grocery and shopping assistance,
  • home and telephone visit. 
Our volunteers put in many hours providing support and friendship and the rewards are priceless. We also welcome v olunteers who are multi-lingual  in Mandarin, Spanish, Farsi and Bengali.

We also have opportunities to help senior's run errands and get groceries. It offers a flexible time commitment.  Interested? Contact Lori for more details.



For further information 
Contact Lorie Rohloff at (925) 931-5388 or lrohloff@ssptv.org




S.O.A.R is looking for volunteers!



S.O.A.R. (Stepping Out and Reconnecting)  is an existing program striving to help Tri-Valley seniors. 

S.O.A.R was created to reach out to seniors living alone whose health and independence is deteriorating due to social withdrawal and isolation.
Through this program, S.O.A.R participants are emotionally supported, physically cared for, and mentally challenged to expand their social lives to be healthy members of their community.  

Activities includes lunch and dessert, guest speakers, crafts, group discussions and some light exercise. 

They meet from  12:00 - 3:00  on the 2nd and 4th  Friday  of the month at the Senior Support Program office located at  5353 Sunol Blvd  in Pleasanton.  

If you are interested in volunteering your time to help this group, please contact Amy Jones @  925-931-5393 .  Thank you!
 










 
We're on Facebook!

Follow our page for updates, newsletters, articles, special events and more! This is a positive space where seniors, their families and community members can connect.

Like, comment and share photos! Invite others to Follow us too!
Join our community of online Friends at  www.facebook.com/seniorsupportprogram/


 

Our local Parkinson's Support Group 
offers a monthly support group
 on the second Saturday of each month.
 10:00- Noon 
 Pleasanton Senior Center 
 5353 Sunol Blvd.

They also offer a group exercise class for Parkinson's Disease and other neurological & mobility challenges. 
on
Thursdays 9:00 am- 10:00 am
Lynnewood United Methodist Church
4444 Black Ave, Pleasanton CA


For more information on either the support group or the exercise class, please contact; 
Mary Behrendt 
 (925)-989-0209 or mary.behrendt@comcast.net





A big thank you to our local business and community organizations that support our seniors.

Commercial Casework, Inc.
                            
Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley 
would like to 
thank the following sponsors 
for their 
continued support over the years:


Cities of Pleasanton, Livermore, and Dublin,
Alameda County Departments of Behavioral Health, Area Agency on Aging, and Public Health,
Alameda County Transportation Commission for their support of our VAST Program,
Alameda County Measure A,
 Supervisor Nate Miley,
Supervisor Scott Haggerty.




We love our  Individual Donors

Mary Lou Lowell
Valorie Kelley Ivy Chan
Arline Dust
Arlene Yauch
Mrs. He
Kung Peng
Rosa San
Katherine Abbot
Carol Thorngate
H. Roger Lewis
Virginia B. Reid
C. Cordova Marilyn M Lane
Mark Sampson
Susan Springer Maybelle Lee. Ralph W. Greenlee
Evelyn M Woolsey Amy Jones Lydia S. Cesar
Karen and Gerald
Hookey




Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley | 925-931-5379 | ssptv.org
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