Happy Leap Day!

It only rolls around once every four years - happy Leap Day! Have you ever wondered why we tack on an extra day to the calendar ever four years? It's because a complete revolution of the Earth around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours. Every four years, after an extra 24 hours have accumulated, an extra day is added to keep the count coordinated with the sun's apparent position.

Here are some other fun facts about Leap Day:

• It is a popular tradition in some countries for a woman to propose marriage to a man on February 29. If the man refuses, he is then obligated to give them woman money or buy her a dress.
• In Greece, it is considered unlucky to marry on Leap Day and even during a Leap Year.
• People born on Leap Day are called "leaplings."
• Julius Caesar introduced the first Leap Day back in 45 BCE.

Sodium Phosphate Enemas Can Cause Kidney Failure, Death in Elderly

A new study has linked sodium phosphate enemas, commonly used to relieve constipation, to kidney failure and even death in the elderly.

According to the researchers, the amount of sodium in the enema solution can overwhelm the kidneys of elderly people who frequently have kidney disesase, especially those who don't drink enough water. They recommended that high-risk individuals, including nursing home residents with a tendency toward atonic bowel, those taking medications with anti-cholinergic effects, individuals with colitis and patients with renal failure avoid enemas containing sodium phosphate.

To learn more, click here.

LeadingAge Cofounder Dies

Reverend Howard Washburn, a founding member of LeadingAge, has passed away at the age of 89.

Washburn, a New Jersey Native, helped establish the American Association of Homes for the Aging (which later became AAHSA and then LeadingAge) in 1961. He was also lauded as a pioneer in resident-centered care and spent 25 years working for Otterbein Senior Lifestyle Choices in St. Marys, Ohio, where he lived after his retirement.

To learn more about Rev. Washburn's life and legacy, click here.

HHS Expands Vision on Alzheimer's National Action Plan

Back in January, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it was creating a national action plan against Alzheimer's disease. Now they're offering additional details.

A draft released by the HHS on Wednesday calls for:

• Registries to better direct Alzheimer's patients into clinical trials
• Establishing a national inventory of research investments
• Private partners to work with government officials in formulating evidence-based guidelines for Alzheimer's care
• Creating a national clearinghouse to publicize the above-mentioned guidelines
• Analyzing healthcare entities and accountable care organizations for outcomes among Alzheimer's patients

To read the full draft, click here.

Panel: All Adults Should Get Whooping Cough Vaccine

On Wednesday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a federal advisory panel, voted to recommend that all adults in the U.S. get vaccinated against whooping cough.

Since a whooping cough vaccine for adults and adolescents was first licensed in 2005, the group has continued to add age groups to the populations it recommends receive the vaccine. In 2010, they added elderly people who spend a lot of time around infants to that group. Wednesday's recommendation now means that all adults should receive at least one dose of the vaccine.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial disease that can be fatal in rare cases.

To learn more, click here.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!

Today is Mardi Gras, AKA Fat Tuesday! Why not kick off a celebration at your facility by whipping up a batch of non-alcoholic Hurricanes for your residents to enjoy? Mix up a batch and laissez les bon temps roulez (let the good times roll)!

Non-Alcoholic Hurricanes
2 cups passion fruit juice
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 cup orange juice
¾ cup lemon juice
2 cups sparkling water
Ice cubes
Pineapple wedges and maraschino cherries (for garnish)

Combine all of the juices in a pitcher. Just before serving, stir in the sparkling water. Pour the mixture into hurricane or highball glasses filled with ice and garnish with pineapple wedges and cherries. Yield: 9 servings (3/4 cup each).

Thought Flu Season Was Over? Think Again.

Though it seems like flu season should be on its way out by now, the CDC cautions that it's actually just getting started.

Until February, there weren't enough flu cases in the U.S. to signal the start of the flu season, making this the latest start to a flu season since the winter of 1987-'88. So far, California has seen widespread cases over the past two weeks and Missouri had a recent spike in reports of flu-like illness.

But there's good news as well - so far, the flu vaccine seems to be well-matched to the strains that are making people sick, so it should provide a good defense against the virus.

To learn more, click here.

Sweet Tips for Your Valentine's Day Celebration

Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to celebrate all of the love that your residents have experienced throughout their lives. It’s also the perfect time to show them how much you appreciate and care for them! Here are a few suggestions for creating a memorable Valentine’s Day celebration at your facility.

Sweet treats At your party, invite residents to decorate cupcakes using pink and red frosting and sprinkles. After the cupcakes are decorated, it’s time for the really fun part – eating them!

To wash down the cupcakes, serve up a simple, low-sugar punch. Pour one liter of diet lemon-lime soda into a punch bowl and stir in ½ cup of fruit punch concentrate. Using an ice cream scoop, add one pint of lemon or lime sherbet. When the sherbet starts to melt, stir the punch and serve.

Music Set the tone at your party with romantic songs that topped the charts when your residents were younger. Music from past decades is easy to find on iTunes or on CDs from the local library. Here are a few song suggestions:

• “In the Mood,” Glenn Miller
• “Crazy,” Patsy Cline
• “Moon River,” Andy Williams
• “Come Rain or Come Shine,” Billie Holiday
• “Fools Rush In,” Frank Sinatra

Love on the big screen If your residents are in the mood for a more subdued celebration, consider popping in a DVD of a romantic movie. The following are on the American Film Institute’s “100 Years…100 Passions” compilation of the best romantic movies from the past 100 years.

• Casablanca
• Gone with the Wind
• Roman Holiday
• From Here to Eternity
• It Happened One Night

We hope these ideas help you create a sweet celebration! Head on over to our Facebook page and tell us how your facility is honoring Valentine's Day!

Obama Administration Devotes $130 Million to Alzheimer's Research

As part of its goal to identify a treatment for Alzheimer's disease by 2025, the Obama administration has announced it will devote $50 million to research this year and an additional $80 million in 2013.

The funds will assist the National Institutes of Health in creating a treatment for the disease and better identifying those who are at risk for developing it.

To learn more, click here.

CDC: Nine Out of 10 Americans Eating Too Much Salt

According to a new report from the CDC, nine out of 10 of us are eating too much salt - and it's lurking in unexpected places!

Excessive sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure, which in turn can lead to heart disease and stroke. Every year, more than 800,000 people die from heart disease, stroke and other vascular diseases.

Where does all the salt come from? You might be surprised. Below are the 10 top sources of sodium in the average American diet:

1. Bread and rolls
2. Cold cuts and cured meats
3. Pizza
4. Poultry
5. Soups
6. Sandwiches
7. Cheese
8. Pasta dishes
9. Meat dishes
10. Snacks (such as chips, pretzels and popcorn)

To learn more, as well as view strategies on how you can lower your sodium intake, click here.

100-Year-Old Ohioan Still Practicing Medicine

We frequently come across stories of senior citizens who are still on the go and accomplishing great things despite their advanced age. Today we wanted to share one of those with you.

Fred Goldman, an internist in Cincinnati, Ohio, is still seeing patients at the ripe old age of 100, making him the oldest practicing licensed physician in the state. He's been practicing medicine since 1935, a time in which Sigmund Freud was still seeing patients.

To learn more about the remarkable Dr. Goldman, click here.

Healthcare to Account for 25 Percent of New Jobs by 2020

More good news for people pursuing jobs in healthcare - the U.S. Department of Labor is estimating that jobs in healthcare and social assistance will make up 25 percent of new jobs created by 2020, with personal care aides and home health aides being in the highest demand.

The report credits this increase to a large aging population and growth in the healthcare and social assistance industries.

To learn more, click here.

Groundhog Day Trivia

Happy Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, which, according to legend, means we're in for six more weeks of winter. Keep in mind, however, that Phil only has a 39 percent accuracy rate.

 

Want to learn more about Groundhog Day? Just read on!

• Groundhog Day can trace its origins back to Germany, where the groundhog's role was originally played by a hedgehog.
• The first official Groundhog Day was celebrated on February 2, 1886 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
• Punxsutawney Phil's predictions are entered into the Congressional Record.
• Phil's full name is "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary."
• During the rest of the year, Phil lives in a climate-controlled home in the Punxsutawney Library.
• The 1993 movie Groundhog Day was actually filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, not Punxsutawney.

To learn more, click here.

Can Bingo Boost Cognition?

Just in case you needed another reason to love shouting "Bingo!" - a new study has found that using large, high-contrast bingo cards can improve cognitive skills and visual perception.

The researchers observed a group of healthy seniors, healthy younger adults and seniors with Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other types of dementia playing bingo. They discovered that when participants played bingo on computer screens that had been adjusted for size, color contrast and brightness, the seniors with mild dementia performed as well as their healthy peers.

To learn more, click here.