Community News
Transitioning to Assisted Living

It can be hard to know when the “right” time is to move a senior loved one into an assisted living community, but there are some important signs. If your senior loved one is having trouble keeping up with personal hygiene, cleaning their home, preparing meals, remembering to take medications, or is experiencing falls, it might be time to discuss a transition to assisted living. Your loved one will benefit from being in a safe environment, having more opportunities to socialize, getting adequate nutrition, having someone assist with medication schedules, and accessing transportation for a variety of outings and errands.

February Events

Walking Group (fast-paced): February 9, 16, 23 and March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 from 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Walking Group (slow-paced): February 10, 17, 24 and March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 from 9 AM – 10:30 AM
Caregiver Support Group: February 10 & 24 and March 10 & 24 from 1:30 PM – 3 PM
Fit 55+ Online Fitness Class: February 9, 16, 23 and March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 from 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Zoom Bingo: February 23 from 1 PM – 3 PM
Zoom Trivia: February 24 from 1 PM – 3 PM

Call for Volunteers

Join us this year to make a difference in your community! Whether as a friendly visitor, a walking group leader, senior connector, a driver, income tax volunteer, or senior peer support, we are excited to see all the different gifts and talents you have to share! Contact Shannen, our Volunteer Coordinator, at [email protected] or call 604-531-9400 Ext. 203 for more information!

Telephone Tree

The Telephone Tree program offers support services to seniors over the phone. Our volunteers make weekly social calls offering clients a chance to be heard by providing emotional support, companionship and a sense of community. Volunteers can also provide you with information and referral services as well as keep you informed about the programs and events in the community. It’s a great way to stay connected with the community from your home. Call us today if you would like to receive weekly calls. For more information contact Shannen, our Volunteer Coordinator, at [email protected] or call 604-531-9400 Ext. 203.

Welcoming Back our Meal Program

Seniors Come Share Society is happy to announce that the revered Meal Program is back up and running! Virtual Lunch and Learn events will take place once a month, with a meal provided free of charge to all participants. Meal packages will be delivered by volunteers for those living in the South Surrey/White Rock area and available for pickup at the South Surrey Come Share site if you are located outside of this region. Please contact our lovely new Meal Programs Coordinator, Nicole Worden, at [email protected] or call 604-531-9400 Ext. 207 if you are interested in joining or would like to learn more.

Fitness Classes with the City of Surrey

It’s not too late to start your New Year resolutions with an exciting and engaging virtual fitness class! Seniors Come Share Society has partnered with the City of Surrey, who will have trained instructors ready to guide you through the workout and make modifications for you as you require them. All adults ages 55+ are welcome to join from the comfort of their home, all that is needed is a computer! If you don’t have access to technology please contact us to get set up through our technology lending program. Visit sharevirtually.com to register today and we hope to see you there! For additional support contact Isaiah Clemente at [email protected] or call 604-531-9400 Ext. 220.

Video Games for Dementia

A recent study suggests that playing video games for 30 minutes a day could help older adults gradually fight the effects of dementia by improving memory function. Games that involve a 3D environment with more advanced graphics appear to be more effective, as they offer more immersive gameplay. During the study, participants were asked to play video games for about 30 to 45 minutes per day over four weeks. Improvements in both cognition and memory skills were found in the group that played video games with 3D graphics. This could offer a simple and fun anti-dementia approach for older adults!

Prevent and Treat Iron Deficiency

1.85 million Canadians suffer from iron deficiency. To ensure that you aren’t one of those, speak to your healthcare provider to ensure that you are meeting your iron needs. Iron is found in specific food sources, however if you are not meeting your iron requirements, iron supplements are available. There’s a once daily dosing option with the highest amount of elemental heme iron, and better gastrointestinal tolerability available. You no longer have to suffer from the well-known side effects of iron supplements or take 2-3 capsules a day. HEMAFORTE 1™ can be purchased at Hemaforte.ca or at your local pharmacy, give your pharmacist the product codes McKesson #146492 and #146497.

February Brain Teasers

Q. Where do boats with coronavirus go to get healthy? Q. I can’t be bought, but I can be stolen with a glance. I’m worthless to one, but priceless to two. What am I? Q. What is harder to catch the faster you run? Q. What can be seen once in a minute, twice in a moment, and never in a thousand years?

Hearing Loss Tools
Every day comes with its struggles for people who are deaf and live with hearing loss. There are actually side effects of dealing with a hearing loss, especially if left untreated. Often they deal with listening fatigue and an increased risk of burnout, which can be linked to mental health issues. But there are solutions available and technology is advancing every day to improve the well-being of the deaf and hard of hearing community.

We have laid out various tools and techniques you can start using to limit side effects and start improving your day-to-day life.

Communication Strategies
  • Each hearing loss is unique, but the recommended forms of communication are the same and if practiced, can truly make a difference.
  • Those with hearing loss rely on their vision to take body language cues and listening to fully understand language. Since they’re already good at lip-reading, making sure you have their attention and there is a direct line of sight to the person you are speaking with is essential.
  • Reducing background noise as much as possible will make it easier to focus on what someone is saying rather than listening to everything at once. You can turn down the volume on the TV or move to a quieter area if necessary.
  • Tell people you have a hearing loss. People will usually understand and make an effort to accommodate, but you have to communicate your needs whether it’s asking them to speak louder, mumble less or enunciate their words more.
  • Tell people you have a hearing loss. Often, others will understand and make an effort to accommodate, but you have to communicate your needs to see improvement. Asking someone to speak slower, focus on enunciating consonants and speak towards you are ways to help their voice sound clearer.
  • Consonants fall into the frequency where hearing loss lives, which is why it’s difficult to hear the sounds such as ‘th’, ‘ch’, ‘f’ or ‘sh’ because you can’t define what the words are. Sometimes if they are speaking a bit louder it can help, but if they start yelling it only becomes more difficult and stressful.

Apps
There are tons of apps on the market that are helpful for the deaf and hearing loss community in all kinds of situations where it can be difficult to hear.
  • Google released an app called Live Transcribe. It uses ASR technology to turn spoken words into text on an android phone screen in real-time. It works for 70 different languages and all it needs is a network connection. The app could be very helpful in situations such as live conferences, meetings or loud spaces when ordering a coffee.
  • Rogervoice, an essential app for those who are deaf and hard of hearing, produces a live transcription of phone calls and delivers the transcription directly to your phone. Similarly, Voxci transcribes voice mails and sends them to you via email or text.
  • TapSOS comes in handy during emergency situations and it won the AbilityNet Tech4Good Digital Health Award. By using this highly visual and interactive app, people that are deaf and those with hearing loss can communicate with emergency services without having to listen or speak. Its features include stored medical history and important personal information as well as GPS tracking to pinpoint locations.
Learn more or book an appointment today by visiting nexgenhearing.com.

Sources:

[https://www.hearatlanta.com/hearing-loss-articles/what-are-the-dangers-of-hearing-loss/](https://www.hearatlanta.com/hearing-loss-articles/what-are-the-dangers-of-hearing-loss/)

NexGen Hearing, NexGenHearing.com