Family values

Some very special mother-daughter bonding takes place year-round for Beth Neylan of Los Altos and her daughter, Claire – not just on Mother’s Day.

They belong to the Stanford Hills Chapter of the National Charity League, a non-profit organization of mothers and daughters who serve the community. Within the chapter, there are six groups of 28 girls, divided by grade level from seventh to 12th.

Filmmaker documents family’s caregiving journey

Caring.com, founded in Los Altos, is a Web site dedicated to helping adult children take care of their aging parents. The mission of the site, whose motto is “Helping You Help Your Parents,” is to offer caregivers information and other resources, easy-to-use tools and personal support. Following is a new column profiling the ins and outs of caregiving.

In “The Sandwich Generation” and “Living With Herbie,” filmmaker Julie Winokur and photojournalist Ed Kashi turned their lenses on themselves, documenting their family’s day-to-day struggle to care for Winokur’s father, Herbie, through his dementia.

Alzheimer’s Association opens new facility

The Alzheimer’s Association has scheduled an open house 4-6 p.m. May 22 to mark the opening of the Northern California Chapter Headquarters at 1060 La Avenida St. in Mountain View.

The open house will feature information and resources on research, programs, advocacy, volunteer opportunities and the Alzheimer’s Association’s Memory Walk.

Proceed with caution before hiring an in-home caregiver

Recent studies estimate that adults over 50 and their families in the United States employ approximately 24 million caregivers. In an attempt to save time and money, families hire underground caregivers – those not affiliated with a company or organization that can provide professional management and training.

Many states have or are passing laws to protect seniors from caregiver abuse or neglect.

El Camino YMCA offers program for active seniors

The Active Older Adult Program has scheduled “50+ Active Older Adult Day 2008” for seniors 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 29 at the El Camino YMCA at 2400 Grant Road, Mountain View.

Learning the ‘vitamin alphabet’ has lasting effects

After the age of 50, seniors must learn a new alphabet. Whether it’s for purposes of antiaging, balancing one’s diet or in pursuit of overall better health, deciphering and properly ingesting the “vitamin alphabet” can be quite overwhelming for some.

Today’s fast-paced lifestyles often do not allow time to eat sensibly. Compounded by modern-day farming techniques and overprocessed foods, it is difficult to get complete nourishment solely from the diet. Taking a vitamin regimen is beneficial, helping to replace depleted nutrients required for good long-term health.

Food strategies offer arthritis relief

Over the past two decades, an enormous amount of information has addressed how diet impacts arthritis, in both positive and negative ways. While fasting and eliminating whole food groups have proven to be ineffective strategies, scientifically sound dietary changes help those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Following is a food guide to improve arthritis symptoms and overall health.

Senior New Ways kit guides facilitators with DVD, activities

Los Altos-based Senior New Ways’ “Coming Fully Alive as You Age” DVD is part of a kit designed for those interested in conducting a class for seniors.

Topics include: Finding Meaning in Life; Being Fully Alive: Mind, Body and Spirit; Aging as a Spiritual Journey; and the Uplifting Power of Humor.