GOT BOOKS? Do you ever find your bookshelves in need of a good purge? Avid readers have to periodically find new homes for many of the books they own in order to make room for new ones. While you can always sell your books at used book stores around town, you could also consider donating them to the Austin Public…
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month Alzheimer’s Disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, deaths from this disease have increased by a staggering 123% in since the year 2000. Costs associated with Alzheimer’s approach $277 billion per year. 16.1 million family and friends provide care to people…
Heat Safety June is that time of year when we all start talking about the heat and speculating whether this summer is going to hotter than the last one. The summer heat can be more than just bothersome. It can be downright dangerous. According to the Red Cross, excessive heat has caused more deaths than all other weather…
Older Americans Month: Fall Prevention Falls are serious and costly. One out of every five falls causes a significant injury such as a broken bone or head injury. Once a person has had a fall, it is common that fear of another fall may result in the person limiting their activity. This creates a vicious cycle of decreased activity,…
National Nurses Week: Sunday, May 6 -Saturday May 12 It’s hard to imagine that there is anyone that hasn’t been touched by the skill and compassion that nurses bring to their work. Nursing professionals impact the lives of us all from “cradle to grave.” Most likely a nurse was intimately involved with you and your mother on the…
May is Older Americans Month The month of May finds many of us enjoying springtime while the weather is warm and pleasant in anticipation of the joys and challenges of what might be a long, hot summer here in Central Texas. So along with the nice weather, May is also designated as Older Americans Month. The contributions of older…
Central Texas Wildflowers: In Central Texas when we think about wildflowers we always think about our beloved bluebonnets. No doubt about it, the bluebonnets are having a fabulous showing this year. My yard has the thickest batch ever 33 years after we first aimlessly threw out bluebonnet seeds on our patch of hill country soil. Children who had their first…
Assisting Hands Adopted a Highway We officially adopted a highway! You can find our stretch of highway off of Parmer Lane between Silver Creek Drive and Corpus Christi Drive. This past weekend, our team volunteered with TX Dot’s “Trash-Off” event, and spent the day picking up litter on the side of the highway. We cleaned our stretch and did our…
Have you ever wondered what the views are like from the high- rise buildings in downtown Austin? Well, now everyone can enjoy spectacular views from the rooftop native plant garden on the sixth floor of the new Austin Central Library. Opened in October of 2017, its designers clearly embraced the notion of bringing people together. The architecture showcases the views…
What is the Difference Between Dementia and Alzheimer’s? Dementia is a condition, not a specific disease. Dementia is defined as cognitive loss so severe that a person can’t perform basic tasks to get through the day independently. Memory loss, impaired judgement, unclear thinking and difficulty with social situations are all indicators of dementia. Reversible dementia: Dementia has various causes, some…
