In the space of 5 days, we hosted two Amazing Care events, one in Oakland and one in San Diego.  Here are some key highlights from both events:

Kirsten Howe, an attorney specializing in estate planning, and Gary Gardner, a financial planner/advisor met with our group in Oakland and discussed various aspects of estate planning and why delaying creating such a plan is unwise for a variety of good reasons.  Gary specializes in helping people through financial transitions like retirement, loss of a spouse, etc, so he spoke at length about making investments later in life.   Both answered questions that led to illuminating conversations afterwards, and a call to action.  Some of our members told me that as a result of the talk, they discussed matters that had been difficult to broach with family members.  Still others said they will now review documents like trusts and wills with an eye towards reducing risks that family members may not fully understand their wishes.

In San Diego, Dr. Emilie Reas, a neuroscientist at UC San Diego, gave a fascinating talk on the effects of alcohol on brain health.  She reviewed with the San Diego group, current research about alcohol intake as it affects people with no known health issues as well as people with current health problems or known risks.  I learned that this is a complex issue and that the effects of alcohol on brain and heart health depends on individual risks factors.  For example, if there is a strong family history of cancer, then drinking alcohol is not a good idea.  On the other hand, people with no known risks or are in good health could benefit from drinking moderately (defined as 7 to 14 glasses of wine/week), as research appears to show that such a level of alcohol intake raises the good kind of cholesterol, reduces the risk of blood clots and has a mild estrogen effect, which among other things, could increase bone density.  And Dr. Reas emphasized that excessive drinking, regardless of health risks, is a bad idea and could exacerbate current health problems.

As usual, I was affirmed in my belief that information relevant to aging well does two things:  1) helps us face the challenges of growing older with more confidence and 2) in company with our friends (our own amazing care network), aging could be a fun group sport!

We host “Tea & Talk” and “Lunch & Learn” events in many U.S. cities including: Oahu, Houston, San Diego, Orange County/Irvine, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco/Oakland, Sacramento, and Chicago. Please view our upcoming events HERE.

If you are an expert on a topic relevant to health and aging and would like to speak at one of our events or if you would like to us to host an event in your city, please contact amazingcarenetwork@gmail.com.

Cheers to a Smarter Tomorrow,

Cora Tellez

CEO, Amazing Care Network