Long Term Care and Aging
Announcements:
- 2012-2015 Draft Area Plan on Aging
Public Comment is sought for the 2012-2015 Draft Area Plan on Aging, through August 24, 2011. To view the draft plan, go to the 2012-15 Draft Area Plan webpage.
Mind Your Mouth!
This summer, the Washington Dental Service (WDS) Foundation is launching an awareness campaign – Mind Your Mouth – to educate older adults about dry mouth and its impact on health. Please visit www.seniorsoralhealth.org. At www.seniorsoralhealth.org, people can: · Learn about dry mouth remedies and general oral health information, · locate community dental resources, · and even be entered to win a $50 VISA gift card by taking a quick survey.
About the Mind Your Mouth Campaign
Why dry mouth?
It’s a common condition – afflicting one in three adults age 65 and older – but many seniors see it as mostly just an annoyance. Truth is, untreated dry mouth can lead to serious tooth decay and gum disease, which is linked to diabetes, health disease, and other serious conditions.
Medications are the most common cause of dry mouth (xerostomia). It’s listed as a potential side effect of more than 400 prescription and over-the-counter medications, including seven of the ten most frequently prescribed drugs.
WDSF has established a strong partnership with Bartell Drugs and they will provide information on oral health and dry mouth to customers at all 58 stores and through their pharmacy, in-store newsletters, and website. As you know, pharmacists are trusted allies in older adults’ health care, so it’s an ideal partnership.
Another exciting partnership is with AARP. In the fall, they will host a statewide Tele-Town Hall meeting on oral health. This format is very impressive and allows people to be involved in an interactive conversation from their own home.
For more information about oral health and the Mind Your Mouth campaign, please visit www.seniorsoralhealth.org.
-
Voices from the Community: Focus Group on Aging
With the increasing average life expectancy and aging of the baby-boomer population, Snohomish County's population of people 65 and older will increase by 160% between 2010 and 2030 and will constitute 20% of the county's population. This increase wil impact every person and agency in our community.
This growth presents an opportunity to engage community members in making communities more aging-friendly and supporting healthy aging. To help prepare the county for these changes, the Snohomish Health District, in collaboration with the Senior Consortium of Snohomish County, is conducting an assessment of the aging population's needs and interests. This is the first in a series of five reports entitled, "Creating an Aging-Friendly Snohomish County." To view the focus group report, please click here. For more information about this project, please contact Susie Starrfield at (425) 388-7218 or s.starrfield@snoco.org.
-
Community Educational Forum: “When Mental Health is an Issue - A Special Program for Family Caregivers”
Caring for someone with depression, declining memory, or other mental problems may be particularly stressful and difficult. Are there best strategies to cope with and manage these special challenges? Yes.
Please join us to find the resources to deal with these, and other frequent questions. Local community resouce specialists will be available.
WHEN: Friday, November 4, 2011. Doors open at 8:30 a.m.; program will be from 9:00 until 12:00 noon.
WHERE: Merrill Gardens at Mill Creek, 14905 Bothell-Everett Highway, Mill Creek.
MUST PRE-REGISTER: Contact Stefanie Novacek at (425) 388-7019 or s.novacek@snoco.org
HOSTED BY: The Mental Wellness committee of the Snohomish County's Council on Aging, Snohomish County Long Term Care & Aging, Merrill Gardens at Mill Creek, Snohomish County Senior Information & Assistance, and the Alzheimer's Association of Western & Central Washington.
Other Long Term Care Programs Information:
For program information: 425-388-7377.
Volunteer Opportunities:
For information on the Medicare "Part D" Prescription Drug Coverage program, select the Medicare Part D Tips document in your preferred language:
For more information on Aging and Long Term Care issues, try these external (non-county) websites:
*NOTE: selecting one of the links below will take you away from the County website.
Note: Linked documents on this page are in Adobe PDF format, document size is noted in parenthesis.
Comments or suggestions about this web page?
|