Each year, Caring.com, the web’s #1 source for senior care reviews, chooses 119 assisted living communities across 24 states as Caring Stars. This recognition of service excellence is based on consumer reviews directly from families, seniors and others concerned about assisted living care. Caring.com’s Caring Stars have captured the highest possible rating of five stars.

We’re particularly proud to announce that AlmaVia of San Francisco has been chosen as one of Caring.com’s 2012 Caring Stars. Andy Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Caring.com, offered “congratulations to each of the Caring Stars of 2012 communities for making such a difference in the lives of those they serve.”

We agree with Caring.com when they say that “research shows that word-of-mouth recommendations from others outweigh all other factors for caregivers choosing an assisted living community for a loved one. These first-hand testimonials are consistently cited as more important than anything else.”

As a community dedicated to providing the best care possible, AlmaVia of San Francisco is honored that seniors, families and friends have left such complimentary reviews.

Read more about the Caring Stars of 2012 here: http://www.caring.com/about/news-room/caring-stars-assisted-living.html

We invite you to visit us and see for yourself how deeply our multi-faith community of seniors and staff care for and support each other.  Call us at 415.508.5500, or visit our website.

Cold weather isn’t just chilly—it can be troublesome for those who have health issues that get worse with cold temperatures. Now that winter is properly here, take precautions to protect yourself from the elements, especially if you suffer from any of these conditions:

COPD: Symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can definitely worsen with cold weather. Breathing cold air can trigger an attack and make you lose your breath. If you’re going outside in cold weather, covering your nose and mouth with a scarf can help. Breathing through your nose can also help filter the air so it warms and humidifies before it hits your airways. Avoiding the outdoors during particularly cold days can help, as can taking your short-acting inhalers about 20 minutes before going outside. As with all COPD symptoms, keeping warm and active will help.

Raynaud’s: Cold weather is one of the main triggers for Raynaud’s disease (also known as Raynaud’s syndrome or phenomenon), an autoimmune disorder in which spasms in the blood vessels can interrupt blood flow to the fingers, toes, nose and ears. Exposure to the cold can cause these spasms, which can turn the affected areas white, blue, and then red. Always protect your extremities from the cold with layered clothing, a hat, and gloves. If your fingers get cold, place your hands under warm (not hot) water to warm them up quickly.

Migraines: Many seniors suffer from these severe headaches. According to research conducted by the New England Center for Headaches, half of migraines are triggered by cold, dry weather, or changes to the weather in general. While you can’t control the air temperature outside, you can keep your living space warm and avoid going outdoors on particularly dry, chilly days. Keeping a headache diary can help people of any age catalog what makes their headaches worse.

Safety First: It can get icy, even in California. Check that your footwear has good tread and fits well. Plus, avoid going outside early in the morning or late at night when frost might still be on the ground, or on particularly cold days when ice might form. Make sure you’re well-dressed for cold weather, indoors as well as outdoors. Inspect your heating unit to see if it’s functioning well, and keep blankets easily accessible.

If you take measures to keep warm this winter, the season can be downright cozy. Stay safe, and celebrate the wintry weather by sharing an afternoon of tea or cocoa with friends.

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, which makes this the perfect time to spread the word about this sight-stealing disease. The Glaucoma Research Foundation says glaucoma is called “the sneak thief of sight” because there are no symptoms, but once vision is lost, it’s permanent. As much as 40% of vision can be lost without a person noticing.

The optic nerve acts like an electric cable, carrying images from the eye to the brain. When glaucoma strikes, the optic nerve is damaged, which can slowly cause loss of peripheral vision and lead to “tunnel” vision. In its most advanced forms, glaucoma leads to total blindness.

The best way to protect your sight from glaucoma is to get a comprehensive eye examination. After age 65, doctors recommend a vision check every six to 12 months. The vision loss caused by glaucoma is permanent, but caught early, further damage can be prevented through treatment. Glaucoma medications slow the progression of vision loss by reducing elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) to prevent damage to the optic nerve. Surgical treatments are also available.

According to the World Health Organization, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, and is the leading cause of preventable blindness, so talk to your friends and family about glaucoma and make sure they realize that symptoms can be hard to notice. You can help raise awareness by reading up on glaucoma at the Glaucoma Research Foundation’s website: www.glaucoma.org.

Every third Monday in January, we observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the chief spokesman for peaceful activism in the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986.

King, an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader, became a figurehead for the advancement of civil rights, not only in the United States, but around the world. He is known for his use of nonviolent methods, and his 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech is iconic. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and discrimination through civil disobedience and other nonviolent means. At the time of his assassination and death in 1968, he had begun to focus on ending poverty and protesting the Vietnam War. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.

Several places outside the United States also observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a way of marking his global importance. The Japanese city of Hiroshima under Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, celebrates the holiday as an act of upholding King’s message of human rights. The Canadian city of Toronto also observes the holiday, in part because of the large American Canadian population. Memorial stamps have been issued in King’s honor worldwide. In the Bay Area, King is commemorated with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial fountain at the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. Additionally, many parks, libraries, schools, community centers, and major streets are named for him throughout the region.

This year, honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s memory by recounting the incredible work he did in the name of human rights and world peace. Read about him, share your memories of him, and recognize those around you who are continuing his legacy of human rights advocacy.

Here are a few places where you can get more information about King and his legacy:
- The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial: www.mlkmemorial.org
- The Nobel Prize’s profile: www.nobelprize.org
- The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University: Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute