Barking up the right tree: Holiday Retirement invests in Pet therapy to boost seniors’ Health and Happiness

Leading senior living provider welcomes furry and feathered companions to improve residents’ quality of life

Lake Oswego, OR, April 10, 2015 — Holiday Retirement is turning to four-legged caregivers to improve its residents’ lives. Recognizing that animals have a singularly positive impact on the lives of its residents, the senior living provider, which operates more than 300 communities across the United States, has become increasingly dedicated to finding ways to involve animals in seniors’ lives. Holiday Retirement encourages the use of therapy pets in its communities, operates pet-friendly communities, and has just launched a series of resources focused on helping seniors connect with pets.

Increasingly, pet-friendly senior living has become a sought-after option among retirement communities across the United States. It is no surprise, given that animal companionship has proven to improve seniors’ health, reduce anxiety and depression, and even help seniors live longer lives.

“Holiday Retirement strives to provide the optimal environment for residents of our senior living communities, which is why we are dedicated to helping seniors connect with animals,” said Harvey Brownlee, chief operating officer for Holiday Retirement. “The unconditional love an animal companion provides can help ease the transition into retirement living, provide ongoing companionship, and improve overall quality of life.”

According to one of the earliest studies on pet therapy, spending time with animals helps increase longevity. A study published in 1980 showed that heart attack patients who owned pets lived longer than those who did not. More recently, a 2005 research project from UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles found that a 12-minute visit with dogs helped heart and lung function and decreased anxiety.

Here are four examples of the ways in which Holiday Retirement communities have connected their residents with therapeutic access to animals.

1. Cats and dogs may be considered the “usual suspects” as therapy pets, but for residents at Jordan Oaks in Cary, North Carolina, miniature horses provide smiles and a dose of nostalgia. Today’s seniors often grew up in small towns or rural areas where riding horses was a common pastime; seeing and interacting with the miniature horses from Horse Hugs brings back special memories.

2. At Kittery Estates in Kittery, Maine, residents know firsthand how much a therapy dog can help increase socialization and minimize feelings of depression. Their weekly visits from Canine Companion Organization are filled with smiles and laughter. One resident even takes the opportunity to leave her wheelchair to sit on the floor with the dogs.

3. For residents of River’s Edge in Savannah, Georgia, tropical birds make regular visits. Trained to be hands-on through “Wings of Joy,” these birds are a welcomed treat for residents – making themselves at home on seniors’ shoulders and performing special tricks.

4. At Astor House at Springbrook Oaks in Newberg, Oregon, therapy pets come in all shapes and sizes. From miniature ponies to a black lab named Cherokee, residents truly enjoy the regular visits from these animal friends. Additionally, residents have made trips out to a small ranch in Oregon where they feed and pet the horses. “I love the smell of horse on my hands; I don’t plan on washing my hands for a few days,” says one resident.

“For seniors who have pets, we want them to be able to have experiences in our communities that benefit their quality of life,” said Brownlee. “For those who do not have pets, therapy pets offer an alternative in which seniors can still get these benefits.”

Holiday Retirement is dedicated to helping seniors in every living situation experience the benefits of pet companionship. If you or a loved one are interested in adopting a pet for a senior, visit holidaytouch.com/petsforseniors for a checklist, “Choosing the Perfect Pet for a Senior.” The checklist offers advice and tips for choosing a senior-friendly pet. Additionally, an infographic, “The Pet Perspective,” offers two- and four-legged friends’ viewpoint on why seniors make the best owners.

Media Contacts:
Brian K. Fawkes
Holiday Retirement
(971) 245-8837
brian.fawkes@holidaytouch.com

About Holiday Retirement
Since 1971, Holiday Retirement has endeavored to provide its signature “Holiday Touch” to residents and their families. Today, Holiday is a trusted name in senior living and provides security, comfort, and value to independent seniors seeking a fulfilling lifestyle. Holiday operates more than 300 retirement communities, making it the second largest senior housing operator in the United States. For more information about Holiday Retirement, please call 800-322-0999 or visit www.holidaytouch.com.

Contact:
Molly Koch
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
720-726-5435
mkoch@csg-pr.com
http://www.holidaytouch.com

Monterey Dentist Urges Patients to Choose Strawberries for a Healthier, More Attractive Smile

Dr. Jeanette Kern explains why our region’s #2 largest crop is not only delicious but very helpful to our dental health!

Monterey, CA, October 22, 2014, -- Smile whitening is the most popular cosmetic treatment in America. Whitening requires no downtime and can vary in cost from $10 for drug store whitening strips to more than a thousand dollars for multiple, light activated whitening sessions at your dentist’s office.

Not all consumers who want a whiter smile are interested in the use of whitening products on their teeth; many whitening products make teeth more sensitive, contain peroxide as the activating ingredient, and if applied improperly, which happens frequently with at home and over the counter applications, whitening solutions can burn gum tissue.

After speaking with patients and naturopathic clinicians who expressed interest natural whitening methods, Monterey Dentist, Dr. Jeanette Kern created a list of simple, natural and scientifically-proven ways to whiten your smile and also support local strawberry farmers.

Dr. Kern explains how strawberries help us achieve a whiter, brighter smile

Dr. Kern suggests we eat local Strawberries! Strawberries contain malic acid, which acts as an truly effective natural astringent cleaning away harmful bacteria that can cause tooth decay and discoloration. Strawberries also have high levels of vitamin C, which remove plaque, a major contributor to the staining of teeth.

About our local Strawberry Industry
The value of the California strawberry crop is approximately $2.3 billion with $713 million coming from Monterey County. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, strawberries are the sixth most valuable fruit crop produced in California.

Where Strawberries are Grown
In California, strawberries are planted on more 38,900 acres. Coastal California’s rich sandy soil and temperate climate extends the strawberry growing season 500 miles up the coast from San Diego to the Monterey Bay. Strawberry production shifts between north and south with the changing seasons. Fall and winter production starts in October in Ventura County and reaches south into Orange and San Diego Counties in late December or early January. Production in the south generally extends into April or May. Staggered planting schedules in the Santa Maria area bridges the seasons, with the harvest beginning in March, and continues into the late fall.

California's northern strawberry growing region is south of San Francisco and includes Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties and some acreage in Santa Clara and San Benito counties. Watsonville and Salinas account for almost half of the state's strawberry acreage. Shipments from northern areas begin in April, peak in May or June, and continue through November.

Growing & Harvesting
Strawberries are grown as an annual crop in California. The plants are first grown in a nursery and then transplanted into the fields by growers. In the northern districts, plants are replaced each fall at the end of harvest, and lay dormant through the winter. In the Oxnard and Santa Maria regions, plantings in late July through September provide strawberries through the fall and winter.

California's 12-month growing season contributes to higher strawberry yields per acre than any other growing area. Other areas of the country have shorter production cycles, from an average of five-months to as short as a few weeks.

Hand-Picked
All California strawberries are hand-picked to ensure only the highest quality berries are harvested. Strawberry plants continually produce new fruit throughout their season. During peak season plants are harvested every three days. Fresh strawberries are rushed to coolers, where huge fans remove the field heat, and then shipped within 24 hours on refrigerated trucks or air freighted to their final destination. Strawberries selected for processing are gently washed, sorted and frozen quickly to ensure the best flavor and appearance. Berries are sliced, pureed or kept whole for freezing.

About Dr. Jeanette Kern
Dr. Jeanette Kern is an award-winning dentist whose recognitions include Outstanding Woman in Monterey County by the Monterey County Commission on the Status of Women, Business Excellence Award from the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and Woman of the Year from the Professional Women’s Network.

Dr. Kern completed postdoctoral training with world-renowned dental instructors at the Rosenthal Institute at New York University and the Pacific Aesthetic Continuum at University of the Pacific. Prior to becoming a dentist, Dr. Kern worked as a dental hygienist and taught Hygiene at UCLA and USC. She graduated at the top of her class from the School of Dentistry at UCLA.

Dr. Kern utilizes the latest techniques and technology to make treatment comfortable for her patients.

For more information and valuable dental health information, check out the website at jkerndds.com. To schedule an interview call Wendy Brickman 831-633-4444.

Contact:
Wendy Brickman
Brickman Marketing
395 Del Monte Center #250
Monterey, CA 93940
831-633-4444
http://www.jkerndds.com

Empowerment Company Launched to Help People Find Love, Health and Wealth

Medizate, a newly launched empowerment company, offers the tools to help Americans achieve their personal goals – whether it is to ask for a raise at their job, find true love or become their ideal weight.

Long Island, NY, November 04, 2013 — Medizate, a new company that provides empowerment tools that can help develop confidence, self-love, health and wealth, was launched October 1, 2013 by two Long Island psychologists, Yvonne Pratt and Sheila Santi. The company, through its website, www.medizate.com, provides affordable, positive therapeutic tools for the mind and body -- unique meditation, subliminal and hypnotic CDs and downloads.

Empowerment Pods were created in subliminal message format to target specific goal areas such as confidence, assertiveness, health, wealth, self-love and other improvement areas. The messages combined with soothing, well-crafted music to specifically enhance each goal area. This allows the listener to go through their day while these positive messages are deeply absorbed, facilitating positive change and growth in the selected goal area. Guided Meditations are combined with relaxation and breathing components for a unique and complete meditative journey for listeners to explore and create their own healing.

Yvonne asserts “I see and experience life as a spiritual journey made up of many layers (mental, emotional, physical and spiritual) which appear at times to be conflicting and confusing. My work is a reflection of the experiences and knowledge I have gained on my continuing journey of self-actualization. I believe we are all one --- connected, however separate entities on this physical plane. If we are open we can all assist and learn from one another. Everything and everyone is a teacher. Growth is not always easy or pleasant but it is enlightening and freeing. The more self-responsibility we take, the freer we become. Transformation is not for the weak of heart. We are all here on a beautiful and magical journey together.”

Medizate’s goal is to empower individuals but also to reach into corporations and offer these tools to management so that their employees will be happier, healthier, more productive – for the benefit of the employee as well as for the company’s own bottom line.

Yvonne Pratt and Sheila Santi are co-founders of the Pratt-Santi Institute LLC and developers of Medizate Empowerment Tools. Yvonne is a LCSW-R, Certified Hypnotherapist, Master Hypnotherapist Trainer and Reikki practitioner. She is a member of National Association of Social Workers, International Association of Counselors & Therapists.

Sheila Santi is an Addictions Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist, Master Hypnotherapist Trainer and Reikki therapist. She is also a member of International Association of Counselors & Therapists.

The website is www.Medizate.com. Free downloads are available through the website.

For more information, please contact Wendy Hopper, Marketing Representative, at 631-903-0003 or send an email to blueribbonconcepts@gmail.com.

Contact:
Wendy Hopper
Medizate
PO Box 891
Bellport, NY 11716
631-903-0003
blueribbonconcepts@gmail.com
http://www.Medizate.com

IPHi Launches Model HIV/AIDS Care Program in PG County, Maryland

The Institute for Public Health Innovation Launches Model HIV/AIDS Care Program in Prince George’s County, Maryland

Washington, DC, April 29, 2013 - The Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHi) today announced Total Health Partners, a new initiative in Prince George’s County, Maryland that will use highly trained community health workers to provide personalized assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS to help them link to and remain in HIV medical care. The effort is a partnership with Prince George’s County Health Department, Greater Baden Medical Services, and Heart to Hand, Inc. and an expansion of similar efforts that IPHi coordinates in the District of Columbia and Virginia. IPHi recently received prestigious national grants from the Kaiser Permanente National Community Benefit Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation, AIDS United, and M·A·C AIDS Fund to launch the program, along with funding from Washington AIDS Partnership. 

Prince George’s County is home to approximately one-fifth of all people living with HIV in Maryland, second only to Baltimore City. According to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, only 65% of HIV diagnosed persons in the county were linked to care in 2010 and just over one-third (37%) of HIV diagnosed persons were retained in care. Fewer still, 27%, were on antiretroviral therapy, and just 19% achieved viral suppression. These rates are below corresponding rates for Maryland and the nation overall. Research demonstrates that viral suppression is critical not only for the health and quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS, but for preventing further transmission of the disease.

The community health workers will work as members of interdisciplinary care teams at medical and support service sites across the county. As trusted members of the community who can relate to the experiences of those they support, community health workers are in a unique position to help people living with HIV/AIDS overcome barriers to medical care, including stigma, lack of a basic understanding about the disease and available services, and challenges navigating community resources.

Since 2011, IPHi has trained over 100 community health workers, including approximately 40 who have specialized in providing support to people living with HIV/AIDS. IPHi, together with its partner Washington AIDS Partnership and over 15 community-based and medical providers, has created over 25 community health worker positions throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Among those are 13 community health workers involved in Positive Pathways, a nationally recognized HIV care model in DC that enrolled over 500 people living with HIV/AIDS in its first 18 months. Positive Pathways has an intentional focus on the Wards of DC closest to Prince George’s County.

“The area straddling the border between DC and Prince George’s County is one of the most concentrated HIV/AIDS epidemics in the country,” said Michael Rhein, President and CEO of IPHi. “While there are considerable resources available to address the epidemic in DC, community-based systems of care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS are less developed and integrated across the jurisdictional line in Prince George’s County. Total Health Partners will play a critical role in ensuring that county residents have the assistance they need to access life-saving HIV/AIDS medical and support services.”

“This project is a long time coming for our county,” said Dedra Spears-Johnson, Executive Director of a community-based organization called Heart to Hand, Inc. “Too many people living with HIV/AIDS in the county are not effectively linked to medical care. Total Health Partners will make a huge difference."

About the Institute for Public Health Innovation
The Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHi) provides technical capacity, leverages resources, and facilitates collaboration across sectors to develop, implement, and evaluate effective strategies that improve health and quality of life in the DC, Maryland and Virginia region. IPHi is one of the newest institutes within the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), an organization of 38 members throughout the United States and a growing aspect of the national public health infrastructure. To learn more about IPHi, visit www.institutephi.org.

Contact:
Janelle Suggs
The Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHi)
130, Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
202-407-7096
jsuggs@institutephi.org
http://www.institutephi.org

Exercise Trends That Could Be Hazardous to Your Health

Advanced Orthopedic offers guidance on mitigating potential risks of recent health trends

Denver, CO, February 20, 2013 — Each new year brings a renewed desire to get healthy and active. However, Advanced Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialists, Denver’s premier orthopedic practice for those determined to be active, warns of new exercise trends that may actually be hazardous to your health.

“Exercise and fitness trends are great at getting people active, healthy and engaged. But, they could also be harmful,” warns H. Andrew Motz, MD, orthopedic surgeon at Advanced Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialists. “It is critical that people approach these exercise options carefully to avoid ending up in our offices.”

Some of the recent health trends that the physicians at Advanced Orthopedic have identified as potentially harmful include:

1. Barefoot running advocates argue that the human body began running without shoes and that wearing shoes actually prevents foot muscle development. However, as this fitness trend continues to take off, runners could be risking injury by too quickly shifting to a new running style. Runners may experience stress fractures, shin splints and increased soreness in the calves as a result of not properly transitioning to this new running style and attempting to change their gait.

Instead of tossing your running shoes, Advanced Orthopedic recommends focusing on how your foot lands as you run and working to distribute the impact of each step throughout your entire foot, rather than mainly your heel.

2. High intensity circuit training classes have taken the fitness world by storm. But, the high intensity nature of these types of activities can pose increased injury risks if people try to do too much too fast. Without proper training and easing into an activity, even the most elite of athletes can suffer an injury.

If a high intensity workout is what motivates you to stay active, take part in a class that lets you move at your own pace and remember to take the crucial time at the beginning of your workout to warm up and stretch. Also, pay careful attention to form. Many times in these fast paced workout environments, in an effort to keep up, individuals struggle to maintain good form and end up hurting themselves.

3. For the right individual, yoga is a great way to de-stress and workout, but that does not mean it is the fitness trend for everybody. First-time yogis trying a more advanced class or pose could overextend their muscles aggravating them, even pulling a muscle. Yoga is all about stretching, but if you do not listen to your own body you could harm yourself.

If you are giving yoga a try for the first time, or even as you advance in your yoga practice, take it slow and come out of a pose if it is too difficult and you feel your muscles begin to shake and fatigue.

4. Spin classes are an excellent way to get a great cardiovascular workout, but many enthusiastic instructors may incorporate too many gyrations while on the bike. Incorporating squats, hovers, push-ups, hip thrusts, jumps or one-foot spins are not always appropriate to be performed on a bike. These types of moves can risk shoulder and knee injuries.

Remember that these extra movements are merely suggested options, not required and not recommended. Simply riding a bike at the appropriate intensity and incline level can be a productive workout.

5. At first glance, the exercise items being sold on TV may look like a fast, easy way to get in shape—but if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Whenever you bring a stationary piece of equipment into your home to augment your workout regimen, it is important to make sure you have taken all the proper precautions to ensure its safety.

Not properly securing punching bags or pull-up bars could cause injuries if they come loose from the wall during a workout. Additionally, a new abdominal or weightlifting machine may look like the quick fix on TV, but individuals should always slowly ease into a new activity to reduce unnecessary strain and stress on joints and muscle.

6. The Kinesio Taping® Method, an exercise trend seen frequently in the 2012 London Olympics, is applying highly elastic athletic tape to muscles in an effort to reduce pain and inflammation and support muscles in their normal, day-in and day-out movement.

However, it is certainly not a cure for tired or overused muscles. Kinesio tape can be helpful to ease muscle aches and pains, but is not advised as a replacement option for orthopedic treatments due to a torn meniscus or rotator cuff, for example.

“Exercise can help you lose weight, reduce risk of disease and prolong your life. But it should be done thoughtfully,” explains Dr. Motz. “A good rule of thumb is to listen to your mind and body—if it looks too good to be true, it probably is; and if you’re feeling shaky or overwhelmingly fatigued, you could be putting yourself at serious risk of injury.”

For other injury prevention guidance, visit Advanced Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialists at www.advancedortho.org/sports.html.

About Advanced Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialists:
Advanced Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialists is the premier orthopedic practice for those determined to be active. Home to the top doctors in their fields of expertise, Advanced Orthopedic educates, prepares and supports patients from diagnosis through recovery. Active in innovation, Advanced Orthopedic offers a full continuum of care – from physical therapy to non-surgical options to advanced surgery – for orthopedic injuries and conditions ranging from knees, hips, shoulders, backs, hands and feet. As the premier orthopedic provider, Advanced Orthopedic strives to return patients of all ages, at all levels of activity and who have a variety of orthopedic conditions to their peak performance.

Contact:
Molly Koch
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, Colo., 80206
(303) 433-7020
mkoch@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Wexford University Now Accepting Applications for January Classes in Health and Fitness for U.S. and International Students

Wexford University is now accepting registration for online classes starting in January 2013. The 100 percent online university offers a variety of health, exercise, sports and fitness degree programs of all levels.

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, September 17, 2012 - U.S. and international students who want to get an early start on their New Year’s resolutions can now register for online classes in health, fitness, nutrition, exercise and sports psychology at Wexford University; winter session online college classes begin Jan. 7, 2013. The 100 percent online university offers associate through doctoral programs with self-directed learning and flexible scheduling.

In addition, foreign students can complete international degree programs with an easy online credit transfer process, and all military personnel can enjoy a 15 percent discount on their health, fitness and wellness education through Wexford University online. Likewise, both U.S. and international students receive a 10 percent education when tuition is paid in full up front.

Online registration for degrees in fitness training, health and fitness, nutrition and sports psychology is now available at http://wexford.edu/. Innovative online classes run through mid-March, and spring, summer and fall online college sessions are also available in 2013.

“Starting out the year with a flexible online education is a great way to launch both the year and a career in health and wellness,” said Jack Bauerle, Chancellor of Wexford University. “Wexford’s real-world education can help people find lucrative careers in the growing health and fitness field, and our students can enjoy a convenient, affordable, self-paced education process.”

Wexford University’s online degree programs include the following options: associate of arts degree in Fitness Training, bachelor of science degree in Health and Fitness, master of science degree in Nutrition and Exercise, master of arts in Applied Sports Psychology and a doctorate degree in Applied Sports Psychology.

Interested students can complete an online application at http://wexford.edu/.

About Wexford University
Wexford University is dedicated to providing world-class education through cutting-edge technology, offering direct application degree programs in an accelerated format with 100 percent online learning to save time and money. Programs include an associate of arts degree in Fitness Training, bachelor’s degree in Health and Fitness, master’s degree in Nutrition and Exercise as well as master’s degree and doctorate degree in Applied Sport Psychology. Wexford University is the higher education division of NESTA (National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association). For more information, please visit http://wexford.edu/.

Contact:
John Ellis
Wexford University
30245 Tomas
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
866-583-7277
john@johnspencerellis.com
http://www.wexford.edu/