Health Briefs: Relay for Life plans taking shape

North County Times – Escondido,CA,USA
ENCINITAS —- Free senior services are available through Project
CARE (Community Action To Reach The Elderly) at the senior center, 1140
Oakcrest Park …

FALLBROOK —- Plans are in progress for the Relay for Life, an overnight event designed to raise money for the American Cancer Society on June 2 and 3 on the track at Fallbrook High School at 2400 S. Stage Coach Lane. Groups of families, friends, co-workers and others will take turns walking or running laps to keep at least one person on the track at all times.

Participants honor survivors during the Survivors Lap and remember those lost to cancer during the Luminaria Ceremony. To register, log on to www.acsevents.org/relay/ca/fallbrook. Each person who raises at least $100 will receive a Relay For Life commemorative T-shirt. The event will include live entertainment, food, activities, games and prizes. All money collected goes to support the American Cancer Society patient programs and services and to fund cancer research.

Free Alzheimer’s seminar offered

ENCINITAS —- A free Alzheimer’s Educational Seminar, “Non-Pharmacological Approaches to Behaviors in the Memory Impaired,” will be presented from noon to 1 p.m. March 27 at Somerford Place Alzheimer’s Assisted Living, 1350 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas. Michelle Brown of the UC San Diego Senior Behavioral Health Program will discuss the role of specialized environments when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Other topics covered will be minimizing triggers for behavior disturbances; safety in the physical environment; supportive services; specialty training. Free on-site caregiving available as well as free lunch and refreshments. Reserve to (760) 479-1818.

Project provides senior services

ENCINITAS —- Free senior services are available through Project CARE (Community Action To Reach The Elderly) at the senior center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive, including: Vial of Life, Gatekeeper, Postal Alert, Home Safety Check, Your Are Not Alone and “Are You OK?” Call (760) 943-2255.

Bike blessing and blood drive

OCEANSIDE —- Bikers for Christ International will hold its fifth annual Bike Blessing and Blood Drive starting at noon March 25 at Kennedy’s Custom Cycles, 3028 San Luis Rey Road. This year’s event will raise funds for an extreme bathroom makeover for Kevin Guice, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. His family’s only bathroom is on the second floor of the home and Kevin, 18, can no longer be carried safely up the stairs. There is space to create an accessible downstairs bathroom but Kevin’s parents lack the skills and funds to build one. Bikers for Christ also is seeking a contractor and/or home improvement company to help with the project. Enjoy live entertainment, including blues/rock artist Darrell Mansfield as well as three bands; raffles, vendors, an auction, bike show, barbecue lunch and bike games. The American Red Cross bloodmobile will be on hand to draw much-needed blood donations. Admission is $15 for adults; $10, teens; $5 for children 12 and younger. Call (760) 295-4861 or visit http://www.bikersforchrist.org.

Diet planning for seniors

CARLSBAD —- Tri-City Hospital Medical Center dieticians will provide individual nutritional planning for seniors from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of the month at the Carlsbad Senior Center, 799 Pine Ave. Call (760) 602-4650.

Caregivers meet Wednesdays

CARLSBAD —- Brighton Gardens of Carlsbad hosts a caregiver support group with licensed therapist and author Sandy Braff at 6 p.m. each first and third Wednesday at the second floor “Country Kitchen,” 3140 El Camino Real. Call (760) 720-9898.

Parkinson’s support group meets Tuesday

CARLSBAD —- The North County Parkinson’s Support Group-Carlsbad will meet at 6:30 p.m. March 27 at Sunrise Assisted Living at La Costa, 7020 Manzanita St. Guest speaker is Frederick J. De la Vega, a board-certified neurologist who specializes in movement disorders. Call (760) 918-9887.

Food addicts meet Mondays

CARLSBAD —- Food Addicts Anonymous meets at 11 a.m. Mondays at St. Michael’s Church, 2775 Carlsbad Blvd. The group uses a 12-step recovery program to change the way participants act, think and feel about food.Call (760) 433-0886 or visit www.foodaddictsanonymous.org.

Alzheimer’s Support Group meets

VISTA —- The Vista Alzheimer’s Support Group meets from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. every Thursday at Arcadia Place, 1080 Arcadia Ave., under the auspices of the Alzheimer’s Association of San Diego. Call (760) 727-9089 or e-mail keyboard@sbcglobal.net.

Blood drives:

OCEANSIDE —- Wal-Mart will host an American Red Cross blood drive from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 31 in the parking lot at 705 College Blvd. Call (760) 631-0434.

– The San Diego Blood Bank will accept blood donations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 27 at the Oceanside Police Department, 3855 Mission Ave. The bloodmobile will be in the parking lot. Call (800) 4MY-SDBB or visit www.sandiegobloodbank.org.

NORTH COUNTY —- San Diego Blood Bank blood drives will be held at:

- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 25, Liberty Tax Service, 13355 Midland Drive, Poway.

- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26, First Advantage CREDCO, 12395 First American Way, Poway.