Page 6 - Chehalis Tribal Newsletter - March, 2018

6

HEALTH/WELLNESS Power

Conference helps support caregivers of plant

Information provided
on high blood pressure, medicine
Alzheimer’s, more topics INFORMATION
Make sure to get your blood
Contributed by Christina
Wa’ X mluD Hicks, Community pressure checked regularly.
Wellness Manager For more information and
resources for treatment of
The Family Caregiver high blood pressure, go to
Support program hosted its heart.org.
second Caregiver Informational Resources for Alzheimer’s dis-
Conference on Feb. 26 at the
Chehalis Tribal Community ease are available at the 24/7
Center’s Gathering Room. helpline at 800-272-3900
Attendees enjoyed a healthy and at alz.org.
lunch and received a wealth of
information about various health
topics. Elders had the opportunity Self-care
speak with medical professionals
from the Alzheimer’s Association, In the afternoon, the Chehalis
the American Heart Association Tribe’s Crime Victim Advocate
and the Special Diabetes Program Holli Gomes held a course on
for Indians. coping mechanisms and release
of stress/trauma with different
Health decisions forms of art. And Joan Vance from

Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center the Lewis Mason Thurston Area
provider Dr. Chau-Glendinning Agency on Aging office led a self-
introduced and explained the Five care with meditation session where
Wishes document, which is an participants learned breathing
advance directive or living will. techniques and stretching.
This document provides health care Blood pressure
choices if an individual is too sick
to make them. The patient’s main Cindy Gamble from the
providers will have background American Heart Association Part of the Caregiver Informational Conference on Feb. 26 was
knowledge as to how the individual provided a presentation on blood dedicated to teaching those in charge of others’ health and well-being
wishes to be cared for. pressure and stress management. how to release stress and find ways to promote self-care.
She explained that blood pressure
Memory challenges is written as two numbers, such as
The second speaker of the 110/90 mm Hg. The top number,
day, Alzheimer’s Association systolic, is the pressure when the
Education Coordinator Maggie heart beats. The bottom number,
Christofferson, offered a diastolic, is the pressure when the
presentation on Alzheimer’s and heart rests between beats.
dementia. The terms dementia Normal blood pressure is below
and Alzheimer’s are often used 120/80. If you’re an adult and your
interchangeably. While they are systolic pressure is 120 to 129,
related, distinct differences exist and your diastolic pressure is less
between the two. Dementia is than 80, you have elevated blood
used as an overall term for a range pressure. High blood pressure is a
of symptoms such as memory loss, pressure of 130 systolic or higher,
difficulty with communication or or 80 diastolic or higher (if it stays
speech, lack of focus and a hard high over an extended period of
time with reasoning or judgment. time versus for a brief time).
Alzheimer’s is a type of The danger of high blood
dementia along with other different pressure is that often, there are
types and causes including no signs or symptoms. Nearly half
frontotemporal dementia, vascular of the American population older
dementia, Parkinson’s disease than 20 suffers from it, and many
and Huntington’s disease. Yet, don’t even know it. Not treating
Alzheimer’s is most commonly high blood pressure is dangerous.
associated with the umbrella term It causes an increased risk of heart
dementia. attack and stroke.