This is the next post in the new VigR Chat series.  This series is created by the Friends Life Care Wellness and Care Coordination team.  Linda Hnatow, Care Coordinator and Registered Nurse, presents on pulse oximetry — an easy, no-needle test to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood.
“Oxygen is the Gas that Makes your Body Go”
The question has been asked if having a pulse oximeter in your house is necessary during the COVID crisis.  This webinar video explains the importance of oxygen in your blood, what a pulse oximeter does, how to use it, and whether you coul…

You have lots of family members you cherish. Even more friends you adore. You might have even a relatively active social life before the pandemic. So why do you feel so lonely?

You aren’t alone – even though if feels so desperately like that.

Social distancing. Sheltering in place. Locking down. Self-isolation. Getting groceries delivered. Waving at family from windows. Missing out on so much.

It’s taken a toll on loneliness.
The lonely concern is real
Everyone – from social workers and scholars to neighbors and children – is concerned about older adul…

What do painting, meditating, listening to an orchestra play, doing yoga or Tai Chi, bird watching, and walking in nature have in common? All of these activities lend themselves well to a mindfulness practice.
Practice of Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is a 2,500 year old practice that focuses on creating an attentive awareness of the present moment. After decades of modern clinical research, science has demonstrated reasons why mindfulness is so effective in promoting overall well-being.

Mindfulness meditation is often taught as a group activity in conj…

Did you know that there are health benefits to the practice of gratitude?

This is the second post in the new VigR Chat series.  This series is created by the Friends Life Care Wellness and Care Coordination team.  Katie Starrantino, Wellness and Care Coordinator, presents on how to implement gratitude in your life.  She explains the benefits you can gain from doing so.

Watch this video. And you will hear about research on the topic of gratitude. In addition, you can learn some simple and straightforward practices.  You will see how you can implement gratitude in y…

If you have lived here as long as I have on this earth, you will agree that stress is a part of life. So, why do we still complain about it? After all, wasn’t life harsher for our parents and grandparents? Did they not experience more adversity in life than we have?  Whatever form stress takes, it is here to stay. Is it because at some deep level, “we need to have challenge, something to test our mettle, prove our resilience, and make us stronger?” That question is posed by Dr. Joel Bennett in his book Raw Coping Power: From Stress to Thriving. Dr. Bennett believes w…