Resources for Seniors, Family Members and Caregivers
Senior Services of Alexandria
Alexandria’s seniors can benefit from a vast array of services and programs available through local non-profits and city programs, but it may be challenging to know where to start. The good news is that there are a variety of ways to get information about what is available to seniors living in the City of Alexandria:
Rebuilding Together Alexandria: Southern Charm
Alice* is a D.C.-native who moved to Alexandria in the 1970s for a job. She and her husband built a life in this “sleepy, southern town,” eventually buying a home. They watched as the small town grew into a bustling mini-metropolis, spurred by the Metro. Despite the growth and change, Alice believes her neighborhood was “just as lovely then as it is now.”
Over $45,000 Raised for Fragile X
Second Annual Fragile X Walk hopes to raise $50,000.
Families and friends of those with Fragile X gathered at Burke Lake Park last week to participate in the second annual Fragile X walk.
County Schools’ Autism Program Could Face Major Cuts
School board to vote on program's budget this Thursday.
Arlington public middle and high schools are facing possible budget cuts regarding the schools' autism programs.
Bringing Hope and Health to Lorton
Hope and Health Festival provides health information and screenings for area residents.
In the south county area, many residents have trouble receiving health care, says Linda Patterson, executive director of the Lorton Community Action Center. It was this struggle to access care that was behind the motivation for the Hope and Health Festival, a collaborative effort between the Lorton Community Action Center, South County Church, and the Lorton Library.
Helping the Earth and Having Fun
Visitors flock to Vienna’s sixth annual Green Expo.
The Vienna Community Center recently hosted the sixth annual Green Expo, in which some three dozen, earth-friendly exhibitors showed those attending how to achieve a green lifestyle. There were spiffy cars that use alternative fuel, plus people providing information about everything from water conservation to ways to protect the environment, how to recycle and even opportunities to go on eco-adventures.
Few Roll Through Town
Bike to Work Day sees low participation due to heavy rain.
Bike to Work Day was a washout at many event locations this year.
Biking to Work Despite Rain
Bike To Work Day highlights alternative travel in Fairfax County.
On Friday morning rainy weather hit Northern Virginia, yet volunteers at 14 bike stations throughout Fairfax County still assisted bicyclists for the annual Bike To Work Day. Coordinated by Commuter Connections and Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), the Bike to Work Day event attracts participants from around the Washington metropolitan region. This year’s theme was “Get your workout before you get your work in.”
Too Patient a Patient
Since I’m in the honesty business (as you regular readers know; and based on many of the e-mails I receive, commended on being so), if I were to admit anything concerning my behavior during these last five-plus years as a lung cancer survivor, it would have to be my continual tendency to minimize new symptoms, and in turn, not contact my oncologist (which from the very beginning is the exact opposite of what we are told to do). Stupid, stubborn, scared, naive, in denial; you pick.
Know Stroke’s Warning Signs
Do you think you would recognize if you or a loved one were having a stroke? Early recognition and prompt treatment are critical to minimizing serious or permanent disability from stroke; yet, a study in the journal “Stroke” published in March found that one in five U.S. women couldn’t name even one symptom of stroke. In previous studies, men have fared no better.
CERT Helps Citizens Prepare for Emergency Situations
Training provides hands-on disaster response skills.
Steve Willey, a member of Virginia Task Force One and lead instructor of Fairfax County’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), acknowledges that the police and fire department are dependable in the community after a major disaster. But, it’s important to be prepared, since police and fire and rescue are sent first to major incidents, making it important for community members to take control of their own safety. That’s where CERT comes in.
Keeping Youth Happy and Healthy
NEXUS Conference discusses best strategies.
According to the Fairfax County 2012-2013 Youth Survey, youth with fewer assets were more likely to be depressed. These assets include high integrity, extra-curricular activities, help from parents, and more. This topic, along with ways to promote positive health for children and youth, was discussed at this year’s NEXUS conference at the Virginia Hills Center on May 9. The conference centered on ways to keep youth mentally and physical happy and healthy.
Raising Awareness, Funds for Fragile X
Second Annual Fragile X Walk is May 17 at Burke Lake Park.
Throughout the United States, over 1,000,000 individuals are at risk of developing or already have a Fragile X disorder. Despite the numbers, many people still remain uneducated about Fragile X. The Fragile X Families of Northern Virginia are working to raise awareness and money for research and education on this syndrome with their second annual Fragile X walk, coming this Saturday, May 17 to Burke Lake Park in Fairfax Station.
Still Curious, But Maybe Not Dying
Although one never knows, especially if that one is living in "cancerville." And by "cancerville" I mean, euphemistically speaking, anywhere where one of us diagnosed with cancer is living. Living being the operative word. Still, as my column from a few weeks ago entitled, "Dying With Curiosity" discussed, cancer patients are often besieged by their subconscious, changing fact into fiction and manipulating feelings into inevitabilities. If only there was a switch to turn off the mind games that don’t exactly mind their "man-ners" or "women-ers" for that fact, I’d flick it in a second. Cancer creates physical problems – as we all know, but I have to tell you, it’s the mental problems that can be just as deadly.
C-Section Boom in Northern Virginia
Region has some of the highest rates of cesarean-section deliveries for low-risk pregnancies.
Behind the closed doors at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church and the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, a quiet change has been taking shape over the last few decades.