Former Pasadena Exec Starts Anew With Elderly

Former Pasadena exec starts anew with elderly
By Erick Galindo Staff Writer
Posted: 09/10/2010 08:44:45 PM PDT

PASADENA - On a cool Thursday in Pasadena, Sam Gopinathan, 45, drove a senior citizen to a doctor's appointment.

The new owner of a private non-medical, in-home care franchise, ComForcare Senior Services in Pasadena, was simply going out of his way to add a personal touch for one of his clients.

"One thing I've realized is that retired people just really enjoy company and I really enjoy theirs," he said. "I have several caregivers on my staff but I decided to take my client personally."

Sam Gopinathan
TITLE: Franchise owner
BUSINESS: ComForcare Senior Services
ADDRESS: 1350 N. Altadena Drive, Suite B, Pasadena
PHONE: 626-639-0226
WEB: www.comforcare.com
SECRET OF SUCCESS: Lots of business experience and a desire to provide professional service with a personal touch

Things have changed considerably this past year for Gopinathan, who spent the first 22 years of his career as an executive for three Fortune 500 companies, including the Ford Motor Co.

Last September, Gopinathan's career in corporate America took a downturn when he was let go from his position as vice president of M-S Cash Drawer, a manufacturer of cash registers and point-of-sale systems based in Pasadena.

....continue reading about Sam!

For information about ComForcare Senior Services in the Pasadena area, visit www.esangabriel.comforcare.com.
 

ComForcare Home Care in Pasadena Celebrates A Luau!

ComForcare Home Care Sponsors Luah in Pasadena!

 

 

Vista Cove Arcadia is an RCFE with 100 plus beds. It is a top tier community and they recently celebrated Luau party for the benefit of the residents.

ComForcare Home Care was the proud sponsor of the event. We brought in Hawaiian musicians and dancers who performed for about 3 hours. Some of the residents danced along with the staff and caregivers.

It was wonderful to see the residents transported in their mind all the way to Hawaii. The room decor had beautiful tropical flavor, the chef made some wonderful tropical and Hawaiian dishes. The dancers were wonderful. they performed 5 different types of dances, each of them representing a different island and a different theme.

The residents were very happy with the outings. It is wonderful to see such smiles on the face of the elderly.

Don't forget Grandparents Day Sunday September 12th!

September is Healthy Aging Month in Pasadena CA!

September is Healthy Aging Month!

What better way to spend a summer afternoon than going to the Farmers Market! The atmosphere, the neighbors, the fresh food! For healthy aging month, going to the Farmers Market is not a bad idea. Exercise and diet are so important for all of us. Our seniors especially benefit. Enjoy this article from seniorsforliving.com and remember, for the best in Home Care Services in the Pasadena area, visit www.esangabriel.comforcare.com

Farmer’s Markets: A Gathering Place for Community Seniors

By: Michelle Seitzer

One of my favorite things about living near Amish Country is the abundance of farmer’s markets in a 30 mile radius.  My husband and I try to buy the majority of our goods at the market, going only to grocery stores for things like orange juice and toilet paper.

There are a number of reasons we enjoy stocking our kitchen via the farmer’s market. The food is fresher and more affordable, we can shop at a leisurely pace and hardly ever wait in line, we’re supporting local farmers and small businesses, and when recalls dominate the headlines, we don’t have much to worry about. We’ve developed relationships with many of the vendors, sometimes stopping by their stands just to say hello even if we don’t intend to buy that day. It’s also a great place to bring our out-of-town family and friends. In fact, when my parents come to visit, it’s usually the first thing my Dad asks upon arrival: “Can we go to the market?”

A strong sense of community pervades the market. Besides befriending vendors, there are a number of regular attendees that we greet there. I always have my eye out for the seniors. Many of the mature market shoppers come dressed to the nines with a straw basket on their arm or a small metal shopping cart trailing behind them, which is clearly something they’ve done for decades.

Most of the senior shoppers arrive alone, even shop alone, but eventually, they bump into someone they’ve known for years, or maybe even someone whom they have befriended at the market. In downtown York, an old piano positioned in the middle of the market is available for anyone who wishes to tickle the ivories. Like clockwork, two older gentlemen can be spotted (and heard) on Thursday mornings, one plays as the other sings. I’ve sat there several times, enjoying the wide range of music they share, from old hymns to “My Funny Valentine” – each set is interjected with humorous comments and ready smiles for anyone who stops to listen.

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Cognitive Exercises In the Pasadena Community Educates Seniors

Cognitive Exercises

Cognitive Exercises (TM) is developed from the Feldenkrais R method of reeducation for posture, movement and breathing. Inputs from Bones For Life R also has been used to develop the program.

"What you can do, you can imagine and what you can imagine, you can do" - Moshe Feldenkrais. One of the reasons that the Feldenkrais Method is so successful with people in wheelchair and/or with dementia is that it is not about what the movement looks like. There is no right or wrong way. It is about sensing the movement inside, moving with your imagination, or smaller than you ever thought you could do. It is about paying attention to yourself.

Bones For Life R is specifically designed for seniors to strengthen their bones and correct alignment in a safe and gentle manner.

Steve Hamlin is a trained practitioner of Feldenkrais Method R and Bone For Life R . More information on Steve is available at www.mybodycanlearn.com.

We have been conducting Cognitive Exercises as a community service at the following retirement communities.

1. Pasadena Highlands, 1575 East Washington Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91104

2. The Terraces of Park Marino, 2587 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107

3. Arcadia Retirement Village, 607 W Duarte Road, Arcadia, CA.91007



When you can't be there, Call ComForcare

Sam Gopinathan-CEO

ComForcare Home Care

1350 Altadena Drive, Suite B

Pasadena, CA 91107

Ph: 626-639-0226

Fax: 626-283-5733

ESanGabriel@ComForcare.com

http://esangabriel.comforcare.com

Independently Owned and Operated ComForcare is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Supporting Independence, Dignity and Quality of Life

Caring About A Care Giver in Pasadena CA

Caring About A Care Giver
By Byron Pulsifer

So many emotions and so many thoughts of being helpless come to our mind. If you know of someone who is dying, or who is seriously ill, our hearts always seem to rest squarely on that person. For those who are concerned about this seriously ill or dying person, we usually want to help, but can't. We are not miracle workers; we are not able to heal them no matter what we may think of doing or wanting to do. But, in all our concern shown towards this person there may be someone else who desperately needs our help but seems to be far away in the shadows of our minds.

The person, who we can help, however, is the care giver especially if this person is the primary person extending at home care. Day in and day out, they are constantly vicariously living with their loved ones pain and anguish. The ups and downs that seem to come and go as if in a blur are there continuously. There is no way to escape the pain, the sorrow, the incessant question of being able to cope after their loved one has died. So, what can you do?

Frequently, the care giver needs to know there is someone there who they can talk to, to confide their inner emotions, their own anguish, and their feelings of deeper and deeper entrapment in a spiraling course of disease that they can not alter. The endless trips to the doctor, medical tests that seem to be repeated endlessly, the attempts to control pain or the progression of the disease, or the 24/7 knowledge that their life will be forever changed with the death of their loved one, is their constant diet.

If you are unable to visit because of distance, you can call the care giver on the phone every week. Of course, you'll want to know how their loved one is, but you also want to know how the care giver is coping. This is the time when you want to develop your listening skills. Often, a good listener is more valuable than a great conversationalist. You want the care giver to feel free, to open up, and to spill their emotions out to you. And, your role is not to offer trite "I know they will get better soon' meaningless phrases.

..continue reading

For information about how ComForcare Home Care Services can help you and your family in the Pasadena area, visit www.esangabriel.comforcare.com.

Healthy Diet In Monrovia CA Could Cut Alzheimer's Disease Risk

Healthy Diet Could Cut Alzheimer's Disease Risk

Eating a diet high in vegetables, fish, fruit, nuts and poultry, and low in red meat and butter may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, new research finds.

Researchers asked more than 2,100 New York City residents aged 65 and older about their dietary habits. Over the course of about four years, 253 developed Alzheimer's disease.

Those whose diets included the most salad dressing, nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, cruciferous vegetables (such as cauliflower and broccoli), dark and green leafy vegetables, and the least red meat, high-fat dairy, organ meat and butter had a 38 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than those whose diets included fewer fruits, vegetables and poultry and more red meat and high-fat dairy.

"Following this dietary pattern seems to protect from Alzheimer's disease," said senior study author Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, associate professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. But he added that "this is an observational study, not a clinical trial," meaning that researchers cannot say with certainty that eating a certain way helps prevent the disease.


Read more…

In Monrovia CA, ComForcare Home Care Services helps many families care for their loved ones. If you need information about care and assistance, please visit www.esangabriel.comforcare.com.

Formula Predicts Alzheimer's Longevity in Bradbury CA

Formula Predicts Alzheimer's Longevity

Researchers Develop Method to Predict How Long Alzheimer's Patients Will Live

"Tell me, doctor, how long do I have?"

That, says Gregory A. Jicha, MD, is the first question patients ask after receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Until now, the answer has largely been a guessing game. But Jicha and colleagues have developed a simple formula based on a patient's sex, age, and cognitive skills at the time of diagnosis to more accurately predict life expectancy.

"Having a better of idea of how long they will live will allow patients and families to better plan for the future," says Jicha, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

He presented his findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Read more from webmd.com…

If you need help caring for a loved one in the Bradbury CA area, visit www.esangabriel.comforcare.com.