Photo Colleen Ryan/Special To The Town Crier

Dementia-care expert David Troxel advises staff at The Terraces at Los Altos’ memory-support center, The Grove.

When The Terraces at Los Altos opens its new memory-support facility, The Grove, in July, staff will embrace residents with dementia with a philosophy that emphasizes socialization and sensory-stimulating activities.

Pioneered by author and dementia-care expert David Troxel, the “Best Friends Approach” underscores the importance of creating an empathetic, activity-rich environment. The Terraces’ parent company, the nonprofit American Baptist Homes of the West, hired Troxel as a long-term consultant to train and advise staff at The Grove.

Photo Courtesy Of Kim Gladfelter

Pilates employs stretching exercises that strengthen muscles, promote flexibility and improve coordination.

Pilates is a great way to address muscle imbalances that eventually cause pain. Those who practice it can improve their health and state of mind far beyond their exercise sessions once they grasp the basic principles. Over time, Pilates helps develop intense body awareness to control pain and injury.

Photo Courtesy Of Ted Ray

Quercetin, a plant compound, may offer natural relief for allergy sufferers.

An estimated 40 million Americans suffer with allergy symptoms. According to the Asthma & Allergy Foundation’s 2013 Spring Allergy Capitals report, San Jose ranks 88th among the 100 most challenging places to live in the U.S. for allergy sufferers, just behind San Francisco at 84th. The region’s ranking on the list indicates that the Los Altos area can expect high pollen counts.

Photo Colleen Ryan/ Special To The Town Crier

A panel of seasoned elder-care advocates, from left, Bonnie Bollwinkel, Dr. Ronda Macchello and Karen Duncan, supports new trends in dementia and Alzheimer’s care that emphasize a personal approach.

A panel of local elder-care advocates endorsed David Troxel’s “Best Friends Approach” to dementia at the May 4 “New Trends in Dementia and Alzheimer’s Care” forum.

It may be the least understood aspect of our human experience, but we all spend approximately one-third of our lives doing it. Without it, we are not only miserable, we can’t even live very long. We know we need it, but leading scientists who have devoted their lives to studying it don’t entirely understand its function.