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January 2021
 
COVID Recovery Iowa
Do you feel anxious? Lonely? Isolated? Frustrated? A sense of loss? All these feelings are normal and the pandemic has not affected everyone in the same way. COVID Recovery Iowa is here to listen and offer support to individuals with disabilities. They offer free, confidential counseling through a one-time meeting or ongoing basis, and social support through text, phone, email or zoom. As well as education and resources about COVID and online group activities and events to increase social interactions. Click here for more information.
Emergency Preparedness
After the 2020 year a possible 2021 New Years Resolution is to reflect on what has happened this past year and take the life lessons learned to re-evaluate previous plans and restock valuable resources that you have depleted over the past 10 months. Think about what you had on hand when something bad/unexpected happened in 2020, what did you use and what do you need more of? What is something you wish you had, or had more of? Next get informed about what disasters could affect your area and how best to respond to them. Make a plan and get your benefits electronically. Check out the links below for help getting started.
Seniors: Click here
Individuals with disabilities: Click here
 
Healthy Eating in 2021
Use a food diary to help you keep track of your total daily calories, carbs, protein, etc., and see if you are making healthy choices. Understand how many calories you need based on your level of daily activity. Choose a variety of foods that are packed with nutrients and low in calories. Check the food labels to understand what foods will meet your nutritional needs each day. Visit www.nia.nih.gov/health/healthy-eating (here) and www.choosemyplate.gov (here) to learn more.
2020-2025 Federal Dietary Guidelines
The Federal government has provided advice on what to eat and drink for more than 100 years. The Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services are required by law to publish the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" every five years. The nature of dietary guidance is to provide advice on foods and nutrients to eat more or less of. Most of the report has remained relatively consistent, however some specific messages have changes as the process to create the guidelines has evolved and nutrition science has progressed along with methods used to review the science have also advanced in the last 100 years. You can read the guidelines and find more information here.
 
Setting 2021 New Year's Resolutions
Making New Year's Resolutions to eat better, exercise, watch your weight, see your healthcare provider regularly, or quit smoking all can help you get healthier and feel better for many years to come. The American Geriatrics Society's Health in Aging Foundation recommends ten healthy New Year's resolutions for older adults to help achieve your goal(s). Check out the top ten recommended resolutions here.
 
Muscle Health and Aging in Motion
Everyone loses muscle mass and strength as we age, but some lose it more quickly because of a serious condition call Sarcopenia. You can learn more about this condition by watching a short video here, or by reading more here.
 
Guardianship Mediation Training
Kristin Boldt, Harmony Law, will be presenting a 15-hour online training for mediators wishing to practice in the area of guardianship, conservatorship mediation. This class is for mediators that have already taken general or family law mediation training. It is known that mediators play a crucial role in helping families and substitute decision makers navigate this new landscape as they work to provide care for the protected person. The training will include:
- The values and skills required for guardianship mediation
- The challenges and tools for working with large group mediation
- Updates from the 2020 guardianship and conservatorship legislation
- Successful examples
For more information, contact Kristen at Kristen@harmonylawdsm.com
 
Far From Alone
Social, environmental and economic factors all have a major influence on what makes people healthy. As we follow guidance amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the effects of social determinants of health are increasingly apparent, especially for those experiencing loneliness and social isolation. Loneliness and social isolation can happen to anyone and by addressing health-related social needs, like promoting social connection, we can contribute toward positive health outcomes.
- Lonely seniors are
- 29% of lonely people have an increased risk of premature death
- Experts day that health effects of prolonged isolation and loneliness can be as dangerous as obesity or smoking
- Loneliness and social isolation cause higher risk of heart disease and a lower immune system
- 6.7B Medicare spends each year as a result of people being socially isolated
- Lonely seniors are 3.4X more at risk of depression and 2X more at risk of Alzheimer's disease
- 64% of lonely people have an increased risk of dementia
More information and resources can be found here.
I challenge you to think of one person that you can call once a week and talk to for 10 minutes. That will add up to be much less than 1% of your year but can add years to their life. Think of that one person and make a difference!
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