It's the 4th and final week of National Safety Month 2018! This week's theme is Driving Safety. This theme is timely for the last week of June as we head into the holiday weekend before July 4th. Driving safety can be a big issue on holidays. People have off, they want to party, and unfortunately, they can impair their judgment, reflexes, and alertness. Here are a few things to keep in mind. 

Other things to keep in mind:
- Wear your seatbelt.
- If your car is having problems, pull off the road and call for help. Don't try to drive a car having trouble.
- Don't drive while stressed. 
- Don't drive distracted.
- Don't drive if angry. Road rage isn't helpful.
​- If you're going to drink, have a designated driver.

Be smart. Be safe. Enjoy your Independence Day!

Check. Boot? Check. Slipping and falling is not fun...let me tell you.

​Slips, falls and resulting injuries can happen at any age. One wrong step, one slick floor, one errant wire can change the course of your life for a season, if not permanently.

The elderly are especially prone to slips, trips and falls. 
- 1 in 4 seniors fall each year; less than 50% tell their doctor.
- 3 million seniors are treated annually in ERs for fall injuries.
- Some 300,000 annually are hospitalized for hip fractures. 95% of those are cause by falls.
- 1 in 5 falls cause serious injuries like broken bones or head trauma.

As we introduced in last week's Golden Nuggets edition, it is 2018's National Safety Month. Every year, the National Safety Council leads the campaign to raise awareness for better safety in our daily lives, our homes and our workplaces. Each week in June has a theme. This year they are Week 1: Emergency Preparedness, Week 2: Wellness, Week 3: Falls, Week 4: Driving. This week is week two, so today, we are focusing on wellness in seniors.

It is a known fact, that as we age, so do our bodies. The process itself is inevitable, but the journey toward it is frought with chances to influence it to our own tastes. These chances are grounded in our daily choices - will we eat ice cream or salad, will we walk today or sit on the couch, will we watch tv all day or read a good book? Our choices affect our health and wellness - mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. We should want to make choices that promote our positive health and wellness. These choices will lead to better health in our later years and save us money. 

foods high in nutrients. A healthy meal can include each of the following:

• Lean protein (lean meats, salmon, eggs, beans)
• Fruits and vegetables (bright colors like orange, red, green, and purple)
• Whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, quinoa)
• Low-fat dairy (or nondairy like soy or almond)

Use recommended serving sizes. You don't want to overstuff yourself as it hinders good digestion, and can add weight. Read more at Healthy Eating Tips for Seniors on the site for the National Council on Aging.

(or simply ignore) safety issues in their homes, workplaces and our daily lives. ​​What happens if you don’t wash your hands? What happens if your house catches fire and you don’t have a smoke detector? What happens if you are in an accident and don’t have an emergency contact and medical card? What happens if you aren’t wearing your seat belt and you get into a car accident? What happens if a blizzard hits, you lose power, and you don’t have a generator or emergency food stores?

Safety is paramount in any situation or environment we may find ourselves in. We need to be aware of our surroundings and develop plans to handle emergencies.

June is National Safety Month. Each year, the National Safety Council launches a campaign to raise awareness of safety issues in our lives, homes and workplaces. Each week has a theme. For 2018, the themes are as follows: Week 1 - Emergency Preparedness, Week 2 - Wellness, Week 3 - Falls, Week 4 - Driving. Join us in this edition of Golden Nuggets, and on our blog each week in the month of June, to explore safety on these themes, and in other areas of our lives. Wishing you a happy (and safe!) Summer!
                                                       ~ Golden Horizons Office Team
ps. Don’t forget your sunblock!

​June 2018: LaChelle B. - LaChelle B. joined the Golden Horizons team in October 2012. In her time with with us, she has demonstrated consistency and dedication to her clients. When we need a caregiver, she says yes, and that yes leads to excellent care for her clients. Thank you for all your hard work LaChelle. Congratulations!

Cultural Tidbit: Joseph Rudyard Kipling (pen name Rudyard Kipling) was a prolific British writer, known for his versatility in style - poetry, short story, fiction, WWI propaganda, novels. Some of his most famous works include the novel The Jungle Book (1894), short story The Man Who Would Be King (1888), and poem Mandalay (1892). In 1907, he received the Nobel Prize for literature. Kipling’s pieces were influenced by his early days in India, where he was born in Bombay on December 30, 1865, his world travels, and geopolitical happenings of his day. He died in on January 18, 1936, in London, was cremated, and his ashes buried at Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.​​

​We would like to wish all our clients and caregivers with birthdays in May a wonderful birthday. We hope that your next year will bring new adventures, great joy and your hearts’ desires. Happy Birthday to all!

June is National Safety Month, sponsored by the National Safety Council. The themes are as follows below. We will be doing a weekly post on each of themes. Join us as we learn more about how to stay safe both in our homes, outdoors and in our work places.

• Week 1: Emergency Preparedness
• Week 2: Wellness
• Week 3: Falls
• Week 4: Driving