Parkinson Social Network

We learned a lot from each other at our cafes this week. In addition, at Cafe Fairfax we were visited by an expert on emergency preparedness. I’ve described some of what we discussed below but included links to websites for you to find more details and contact information.

Cafe Alexandria
Much of our conversation centered on the adventures of one of our friends who was hospitalized after a fall. As we’ve heard so many times before, there were difficulties in getting the message through to nursing staff that medications needed to be taken on time. For hospital visits, and help with educating staff, we suggest using the Parkinson’s Foundation’s Aware in Care kit. Click here for more information.

We also talked about benefit’s for Veterans with Parkinson’s. The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs website has information for Veterans to help them find out if they qualify for benefits.
Click here to access the part of the website devoted to their Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers (PADRECC).
You can also find information about the medical care they offer Veterans with Parkinson’s. The nearest center to us in Northern Virginia is in Richmond. Click here for the Richmond webpage.

Cafe Fairfax
This month we were visited by Courtney Arroyo, Access and Functional Needs Integration Liaison with Fairfax County’s Office of Emergency Management. Courtney is in charge of outreach to people with disabilities and other vulnerable communities so she knew what was relevant to us. As you can imagine, she had lots of helpful information. Here are a few of the main points with links for you to find more details on the Fairfax County website.

Office of Emergency Management – Click here for their website.
Emergency Kits
Courtney spoke about emergency kits and having more than one. You might want to have one at home for each member of your family as well as your pets, and also one in the car. Some things that could go in a kit were spare medications and an up-to-date list of your prescriptions, copies of important documents, and cash.
Click here for the Ready Fairfax page. You’ll learn How to Prepare for Emergencies – Make a Kit, Make a Plan, Stay Informed. You’ll also find profiles for various hazards you may have to deal with like winter storms and fire, and how to stay safe.
Save money on your emergency supplies
You may have heard about the sales tax holiday in Virginia every August for buying school supplies tax-free, but did you know that during this time you can also purchase supplies for your emergency preparedness supplies? Click here for a link to the 2018 sales tax holiday – it will give you an idea of items that qualify.
Fairfax Alerts
This is Fairfax County’s FREE public alerting system where you can receive emergency, traffic, and weather alerts via email, cell phone or text. This is also where you would subscribe to the Access and Functional Needs Registry. Click here for more information.
Project Lifesaver
This program is for children and adults that may wander and get lost. Please contact your local Sheriff’s Department.
Visit your local fire station for these
–  File of Life: This is a form where you can provide critical medical and emergency contact information if you are unable to provide the information yourself. Emergency personnel know to look on your fridge for it.
–  Yellow Dot: This program helps first responders to provide lifesaving medical attention after a vehicle crash or emergency.

For your holiday dinners, we have this extremely yummy recipe for you to try. Karen brought it to our Ashburn cafe in November. It has a long history in her family, passed down from generation to generation. We hope you enjoy it as much as Karen, her family and friends, do!

Cranberry Apple Casserole
3 cups peeled apples cut into small pieces
2 cups fresh cranberries washed and drained
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 packages instant oatmeal with cinnamon & spice

1.  Mix apples, cranberries and 2 tablespoons flour, toss to coat.
2.  Add 1 cup sugar and mix.
3.  Put into dish.
4.  Mix melted margarine/butter with pecans, brown sugar, and oatmeal.
5.  Put this mixture over the apple/cranberries.
6. cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

This is especially good with a turkey dinner but is also great as a warm topping for vanilla ice cream . . . very good! ~ Karen

I’m taking a break next week, so look for Out and About again next year. Wishing you all a happy holiday season, and I hope to see you out and about again in 2019!

Cheers,
Sonia
email: Sonia@ParkinsonSocialNetwork.org