Happy Mardi Gras!!!




                What is Mardi Gras ? Where did it start and why do we celebrate it?
   
           Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday," reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual of fasting of the Lenten season....In countries such as the United Kingdom, Mardi Gras is also known as shrove Tuesday, which is derived from the shrive, meaning to "confess."
           Despite the holiday's rich history in New Orleans, Louisiana, Mayor Sam Jones of Mobile, Alabama, says the first Mardi Gras celebration in the USA took place in Mobile, Alabama. Mobile is the birthplace of Mardi Gras and it originated right in the port city in 1703. It was revived after the Civil War when citizen Joe Cain, fed up with civil war misery led an impromptu parade down the streets of Mobile. The people have been doing it up bigger and better ever since. They decorate floats and have enormous parades and flying moon pies. You can see masked mythical societies and ladies in ball dresses going all out for the occasion. This year the festivities kick off on January 26th and end on February 13th. You can catch all the information on @MobileMardiGras on facebook and Twitter! Don't miss the fun!

   








                                           January = National Alzheimer Awareness Month




    Triggers:

1. Failure to floss: For real...If visions of the dentist's drill don't scare you into flossing, maybe early signs of dementia will: An emerging body of evidence has shown evidence of gum problems that may raise your risk of dementia.

      2. Problematic Produce: Forty-five years after DDT was banned, traces of the pesticide are still evident in our soil and Alzheimer Pt's are said to be prone to this chemical. To guard against this ,eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to reduce your exposure to any one particular pesticide, and shop organic whenever possible.


      3. Habitual Snoring: Discuss persistent snoring with your Dr.,who may send you to a sleep specialist. If sleep apnea is the diagnosis, you'll likely end up with a prescription for a CPAP, shown to be effective in restoring normal breathing.


      4. Type 2 Diabetes: In a study of Middle-Aged men and women with a family history of Alzheimer's ,researchers linked to insulin resistance-key driver of type 2 diabetes-with poorer performance on memory tests. Research has shown that people with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.



                

                                                       Martin Luther King
                                                       Born: Jan.15,1929, Atlanta, GA
                                                       Assassinated : April 4, 1968, Memphis, TN

                Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate.
                Only love can do that.
                                                       

I am Thankful for the New Laws to Protect Seniors in Alabama From Exploitation

                                       


                                             New Exploitation Act in Alabama for Seniors




   As of Aug 1,2017 a new law has been passed to prevent the exploitation of older adults from


 financial exploitation. This law gives enforcement an additional tool to assist victims and prevent


 further incidents of abuse. The relief for victims of  elder abuse can come too late. In the case of


physical abuse, the injury has been inflicted and the abuser may return.In financial exploitation cases,


 the money has and continues to be spent with impunity. The Elder Abuse Protection Order and


enforcement Act  provides an early intervention, a civil court order, to stop the abuse and continued


financial exploitation.


    This act is a compliment to the already strong laws we have to prosecute those who commit elder


abuse. In 2013,Alabama passed the Protecting Alabama's Elders Act. That criminal law gave law


 enforcement and prosecutors additional avenues to prosecute elder abuse ,neglect ,and financial


 exploitation-serving to punish offenders and deter future crimes. This law will provide an expedient


civil remedy to victims of elder abuse-serving to prevent further abuse and financial


exploitation. For additional information, contact Emily Marsal,General Counsel, Alabama


Department


 of Senior Services,1-334-353-9394 or Emily T. Marsal@adss.alabama.gov                                    

 


                                       January is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month!




                            How can we better "arm" ourselves against this deadly disease? Are there ways to create an arsenal of self-help tools in our homes? What really are the benefits of knowing the "triggers?" What's "normal" memory loss and "abnormal" memory loss? Here are a list of "triggers" and What's "Normal and Abnormal " memory loss.


 
    Normal : 1. Being able to recall the details of a conversation or event of a year ago


                    2. Occasionally forgetting appointments or names


                    3. Sometimes searching for the right word


                    4. Fretting about your memory when no one else is, including your family.


Abnormal : 1. Being able to remember the details of an event or conversation that happened last week
                 
                    2. Forgetting things you once recalled easily


                    3. Frequently pausing to find the right word or using substitute words when the right    


                    one won't come to mind


                    4. Lack of concern about your memory while relatives or friends worry