Happy Halloween!

Lisa Moore the Fairy

Levi Holl the Shadow Man

Happy Halloween everybody!  We hope you have a spooky and fun holiday! Please be safe and responsible if you plan to go to any parties.  Keep an eye on your children if you plan to go trick or treating with them as well! It's difficult to see out of some masks at night and some costumes are hard to see in the dark, putting children at risk for car related injuries.  Get some reflective tape or a toy with lots of flashing lights for your child's costume, Flashlight, they even have light up candy pails for kids too! Anything to improve visibility in the dark.  What ever you do for Halloween, we hope you have loads of fun with friends and family!














Everyone knows fish is super healthy for you to eat, but fish can be pretty tricky if you don't know how to cook it!  Thankfully I love cooking fish, especially salmon, and I know a few pointers to get you started in the right direction.  The first and most important thing to think about is what you want to eat, have you had fish before? If not you should probably look into more mild fish like Cod or Haddock, and make sure its skinless.  While the skin has the most nutrients in it, that's where most of the fish oily flavor comes from, and people new to fish don't particularly care fore that.  Pay close attention to the quality of the meat too, more vibrant colors means its fresh, and has the best flavor!

As you can see here, the Tuna on the right is a deep red freshly cut, sushi-grade delicious, whereas the tuna on the left is pale pink, still tasty but not as fresh.  Get your fresh cuts and you won't be sorry!

Now you want to start thinking about seasoning.  Refine that flavor.  Sometimes salt and pepper is all you need, but shop around, smell some seasoning containers, a good rule of thumb is if it smells good it'll taste good.  I personally love a grilled salmon with lemon pepper seasoning.  You can't go wrong with seasoning, especially if you don't like strong fishy flavors.  Make sure you rub the seasoning into the flesh, coat the top and bottom, and let it rest in your fridge for a half hour at minimum.  That will let the seasoning have enough time to soak into the meat, giving a more even and rich flavor.

Got your meat ready? Time to cook!  There are many ways to cook a fish, each method has its own quirk, and every cut of meat has its own cook times.  Don't be afraid to google a recipe or proper cook times of your particular fish.  You can steam, fry, grill, bake, even microwave, it all depends on what you have and how much time you need.  Thankfully fish cooks very fast so its a good meal to make on the fly.  Grilling and Steaming are probably the easiest and healthiest methods since they don't require a lot of oils.  I grill my fish on each side until it's blackened, cooking on a medium-high heat to quickly char the outside but not so fast as to leave the inside still raw.  You shouldn't have to flip your fish more than once if you grill it, fish is a flimsy meat that falls apart very easily when cooked, so you want to avoid touching it as much as possible.  Don't be afraid to drizzle a little bit of citrus juice over your fish while cooking, lemon pairs incredibly well with fish, especially salmon!

You'll know when your food is ready to eat when the flesh has a significant color change, obviously the color will vary depending on the raw color of you initial fish cut.  Salmon should go from a pink-orange to a pale orange when steamed, or a deep golden brown if you grill it.  Steaming tends to make the meat pale where as grilling and pan-frying tends to make it dark on the outside.  If you are still unsure if it's ready, get a food thermometer, prod the thickest part of the meat and see how hot it is.  The minimum safe cooking temperature for fish is 145 Degrees Fahrenheit.  Some fish meat can safely be eaten raw, but don't risk it unless you are certain from your seller that it was Sushi Grade Fish.

Too long to read? Here's a brief recap:

Get the vibrant meat
Pick your seasoning
Decide how to cook
Dont flip the meat too much or it'll break apart
145 degrees or sushi grade? Dig in!

Things to Look Out for This Holiday

Greetings everyone! As you all are aware, the Holiday Season is right around the corner!  It's the time to reconnect with family, sit down, have nice dinners and enjoy each other's company.  We all have parents and grandparents who are growing older, so we need to keep our eyes out for signs of dementia.  With 1 out of every 10 Americans over 65 developing dementia, odds are we all have a family member with it.  My grandfather slowly developed it where we didn't even notice, and then two years ago it progressed seemingly overnight.  It can't hurt to be prepared.  Pay attention to their behavior like; forgotten and unpaid bills, expired foods, slowed movement, disorganization, and worsening memory issues.  These are all signs that alone could just be forgetfulness and aging, but together and rapid progression might signify something worse, like dementia.  It can't hurt to see a neurologist, and even start preparing to bring on additional help like an in home caregiver.

Last weekend we had out Annual Employee meeting, where we all meet up, talk about Touching Hearts as a business, and our caregivers have the opportunity to vent through our support group and eat food!  Each caregiver we employ is a family member to us, and while they are taking care of peoples loved ones, we want to make sure they are cared for as well, that their concerns are aired and questions answered.  To all our caregivers, we thank you so much for all your hard work, without you all, we wouldn't be the amazing team we are today!  If you have any concerns our doors are always open, and we want to make sure you have a fantastic experience while working with us!










Last Friday a new video went up! Did you see? It's a montage of all our memories with the community! Be sure to give it a look, and if you like our videos, why not give it a like? Maybe a comment, perhaps of what you would like to see more in the future for our videos? Subscribe too if you want to continue to see more from us as we post them!

Hurricane Michael and the Flu Season

I hope everyone stayed safe during Hurricane Michael!  Unfortunately the Florida Panhandle was hit hard by the hurricane and are in dire need of help.  If you can afford to help, please donate any supplies you can spare to your nearest collection drive, or volunteer for the relief efforts.  If you live in Mobile, the SouthWest Mobile Chamber of Commerce is accepting donations on weekdays from 9 am -5 pm.  You can donate anything from: water/sealed beverages, baby supplies, cleaning supplies, hygiene supplies, ready to eat foods (like canned goods or prepackaged snacks/meals), kitchen/household supplies, and blankets/sheets.  Anything you can spare to help the people of Florida.  Visit www.SWMCChamber.com for more details.


Flu Season is right around the corner! Thankfully due to the harsh flu season we had last year, we are unlikely to see that strain spread like it did, meaning a less severe year.  However, you shouldn't rely on herd immunity (herd immunity is the idea that if everyone else is immune, then they can't get sick so you won't either by being around them), be safe and get your flu shots before its too late.  Your body is designed to become immune to a virus after you have been exposed to it, "Now Levi," you ask "If we become immune after being exposed, how are people still getting the flu year after year?"  Good question, each flu strain has a unique structure to it, after we are infected by it, the body memorizes that particular strain, making you immune.  However, there isn't just one flu virus, the flu adapts and changes year after year into new strains that your body might not recognize.  This is where flu shots come in.  Shots have "deactivated flu viruses" in them, meaning a dead virus; it's just the parts your body uses to recognize the infection. These deactivated viruses are completely incapable of infecting someone, however you may display flu like symptoms and feel sick.  This is because the flu isn't what causes the symptoms, that's your cells reacting to pathogens in your body, it's perfectly natural, and shouldn't last nearly as long as a flu infection.  After your body has identified the deactivated strain you are immune to that particular flu and have a stronger resistance to modified strains of it.  For your health, it's very important to keep your immunizations up to date!  Not just for your sake, but even for the sake of people who have weaker immune systems or are allergic to the immunizations.  Seniors and small children are at the most risk when it comes to the influenza virus.  Hopefully you found this article interesting and informative!

Breast Cancer Awareness and Hurricane Michael

Happy Columbus Day everybody!  We hope you are enjoying your day off if you have it!

It's a little bit late, but this month is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Did you know, that men can also develop breast cancer? It's very rare for men to get but it's still very likely!  Be sure to get regular check ups with your doctors, and if you notice any lumps (male or female) to speak with your doctor right away.  Early detection is very important when treating cancer!  If you can spare it, please donate to a cancer research center of your choosing or to a related charity to help fund the research needed to develop a cure.  Every penny helps and brings society one step closer to a cancer free world!

Last week we got our first I Spy submission from David Carpenter! There's still plenty of time so keep your eye out for this Kia Soul and send your picture to us on our Facebook Page!  Remember, your submission puts you in for a drawing for a $50 gift card for Outback Steakhouse!

Keep your eye out in these locations for our car this week!

-Mon: Mobile
-Tues: Saraland and Semmes Alabama
-Wednesday: Connie Hudson Senior Center
-Thursday: Mobile
-Friday: Mobile

Tomorrow we are holding our Bi-Monthly Dementia Support group!  If you're a caregiver or a family member who is taking care of someone with Dementia, feel free to come by our head quarters at 11 am tomorrow and the 23rd to speak with other caregivers and our professionals.  Share your stories, learn about the disease, and get referrals to respite services if you feel like you need it!

Everyone please be safe, Hurricane Michael is headed in our direction and was located off of the Gulf Coast today.  While it's projected to pass us without any issues, it is moving fast and may change directions.  If it does hit, meteorologists believe it will be on Wednesday.  Please take the necessary precautions, stock up on non perishable food, and drive safe until the storm has passed!

Back to Blogging!

Hello everyone, sorry there hasn't been a post in a while!  My name is Levi, and I'm in charge of the social media for Touching Hearts Senior Care now.  I will be giving weekly recaps of what's going on, up coming events and other interesting information from Touching Hearts Senior Care!

Coming up we have Gina Germany, Janet Rich Pittman, Dr. Douglas Brown, and David Johnson speaking at a seminar called "The Dementia Tsunami!"  This November, come learn about what dementia is, how to recognize it, and how to care for someone with cognitive disabilities.

You can RSVP any time between now and the 14th by calling us at the office, 251-445-4204, or sending an email to Lisa@thscmobile.com!

Come learn about Dementia and earn some CEUs while you're there!

The Dementia Tsunami is coming to the Ben May Library on 11/15/18, at 9am.  We hope to see you there!

We are sponsoring another event coming this month as well! At the end of this month you can come to the Connie Hudson Senior Center and learn about identity theft, how it happens, and the steps you can take to protect yourself in case it does happen. 

This event is on October 30th, 2018 from 10 am to 12 pm.

In big news, we have restarted our YouTube Channel!  We post a new video every Friday that I personally edit.  This week we are celebrating one of our most reliable caregivers, Lisa Donahue, as our October Employee of the Month!

And lastly, we are holding a contest giveaway for 50 dollars to Outback Steakhouse! To enter all you need to do is keep your eye out for our brand new company car.  If you see it in public, take a picture and post it to our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/touchingheartsseniorcare/

You have until November 30th to submit a photo, so keep your eyes peeled!

This giveaway is solely held by Touching Hearts Senior Care, and is in no way sponsored or affiliated with Outback Steakhouse, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, or LinkedIn.