February is American Heart Month
Each February, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and The Heart Truth® celebrate American Heart Month by motivating Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles to prevent heart disease. Focusing on your heart health has never been more important. People with poor cardiovascular health are also at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Research shows that we're more successful at meeting personal health goals when we join forces with others. When we take care of #OurHearts as part of our self-care, we set an example for those around us to do the same. Inspire and motivate yourself and those you love to make heart health a regular part of your self-care routine.

To learn more, click here.
Tips for Better Heart Health
Vitamins and COVID-19:
Do They Help?
Researchers are looking into the role vitamins and minerals play in prevention, treatment.

There is a long-established link between nutrition and immune health. But when it comes to the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), scientists still don't have a definitive answer on whether certain vitamins and minerals can help stave off an infection or make one less severe.

"And that's because it's such a new phenomenon,” one that researchers are learning more about every day, says Walter Willett, M.D., professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Nothing is known to prevent or cure COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. However, “it's not impossible” that essential vitamins and minerals could provide some benefits, he adds.

To read more, click here. Content Credit: AARP
Are Two Masks Better Than One?
With COVID-19 cases surging and the discovery of new, faster-spreading coronavirus strains in the U.S., it might be time to double down on face masks — literally — by wearing two at a time. Layering one mask over another can significantly boost your protection against the coronavirus, some experts say, especially if your ordinary mask is thin or loose-fitting.

"A mask is like an obstacle course for particles to get through,” said Linsey Marr, an expert in virus transmission and a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech. “Adding a second mask adds another obstacle course, increasing the chance that the particle will be trapped before it gets through to the other side."

For more information, click here. Content Credit: AARP
COVID-19 Vaccine Update:
How and When Can You Get Yours?
Want to know when you can get the COVID-19 vaccine? Well, you're not alone. Here's what we know:

We're currently in Phase 1a and 1b (healthcare personnel, residents of long term care facilities, medical first responders, individuals 75 and over, residents and staff of select congregate settings) of the vaccine rollout, but by February, we should be moving into the remaining Phase 1b, as well as Phase 1c and, by the summer and fall, the general population.

Once you're eligible, you'll receive an email from the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS), where you can register for your vaccine administration.

For more information, click here.
February Recipe of the Month:
Chickadillo
Lower Valley Care Advocates
is Hiring!
Lower Valley Care Advocates (LVCA), a subsidiary of Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley, is now hiring for the following positions:

  • Home Health Aides
  • Personal Care Aides
  • Companions
  • Homemakers

LVCA offers competitive rates and will train new hires.

For more information, call 860-767-2695 or email info@lowervalleycareadvocates.org.
Let's Stay Connected!
To learn more about Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley, click here.
To learn more about Lower Valley Care Advocates, click here.
 Questions? Call Us! 860-767-0186