ZEN

Notes

from here,

there and the Internet

Gov. Brian Kemp signed six bills recently at the Coweta County campus of West Georgia Technical College. The bills - House bills 163, 155, and 607, and Senate bills 246, 3, and 86 - will increase workforce opportunities in high-demand career fields and support higher education.

According to Fox TV, Chick-fil-A’s first ever official location has shut its doors after 50 years. In 1967, Truett Cathy opened the first Chickfil-A restaurant in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall on Greenbriar Parkway. Owners did not give a reason for the closure.

Michelle Grasso of GSC World Travel is among the newest graduates of the Virtuoso® Certified Travel Advisor (VCTA) program, an elite category within the travel industry. Designed to fast-track the development of those who are new to the travel advising profession or the Virtuoso network, the intensive VCTA program boasts a strong record of catapulting newcomers into million-dollar producers, as graduates sell an average of 74 percent more than their peers.

Hydration Advocation

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• About 92 ounces of fluid a day for women

• About 124 ounces of fluid a day for men

*Contact your doctor regarding the recommended amount of daily fluid intake specific to your health status.

Again, this also factors in fluid-intake from other foods and beverages—food is responsible for around 20% of fluid consumption, the rest coming from beverages. And, while you’re going to be craving more cold drinks during the warmer months, you’re also likely going to be eating more fruits as they start coming into season, which will also bump up the amount of water you’re consuming.

It’s also important to remember that there are a lot of factors that cause individual variation. As illustrated above, the recommended daily amount varies based on sex, age, weight, and any underlying health conditions, which will also cause that number to change. Ultimately, the best way to determine whether or not you need to drink more water in that moment is to pay attention to your body. A dry mouth, dizziness, and fatigue are all typical signs of dehydration, but you can also pay attention to urine color: pale yellow being ideal, dark yellow-to-orange signifying dehydration, and clear urine signifying overhydration.

That’s right—you can actually drink too much water. The dangers of overhydration are much less emphasized than dehydration, but water intoxication is very possible, and it’s important that we remember, in the midst of trying to keep ourselves healthy and hydrated, that we don’t overcompensate and plunge ourselves into the other extreme. On average, a healthy adult’s kidneys can process one liter of water per hour (33.81 ounces), so it’s important that you don’t drink more than 2 bottles of water an hour, also taking into account what else has been consumed during that timeframe. This is a common issue for athletes, marathon runners, and anyone engaging in intensive exercise, for which an alternative to excessive fluid consumption is pairing electrolytes with your water intake. Electrolytes speed up the rate at which your body is able to process and thereby start feeling the effects of hydration, decreasing the likelihood of overdoing it on your beverages.

It may require some extra steps on your part to keep up with summer and take care of your body at the same time—on either side of the hydration spectrum—but maintaining a healthy relationship with water will provide the kind of longstanding benefits you don’t want to miss out on.

For additional tips and tricks on staying hydrated, check out Piedmont’s newsroom, or have a conversation with a physician near you (visit piedmont.org to search for locations in your area).

This year’s Valedictorians and Salutatorians are: Newnan High School … • Valedictorian – Thomas Dean

• Salutatorian – Jaret Webb

East Coweta … • Valedictorian – Andrew Brown

• Salutatorian – Dean Khot

Northgate High School … • Valedictorian – Bronwyn Armitage

• Salutatorian – Hudson Huynh

At age thirty you have spent a month having birthdays.

Newnan High School senior Lacey Daniell has been named the recipient of the 2023 Community Service Team Scholarship from the Coweta Community Foundation. The award was presented on April 17 at the group’s end-of-the-year celebration at the Newnan-Coweta Chamber offices. Lacey served on the CST for all four of her years in high school and served as an officer last year. She plans to study journalism at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

All 13 members of West Georgia Technical College’s 2023 dental hygiene class earned a 100 percent pass rate on their regional clinical exams. Twelve students took the Central Regional Dental Testing Services exam (CRDTS) and one student took the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX).

Race For The Orphans raised $80,000 during this year’s road race. The money will go to help eight families adopt 10 children.

23 years later, we still don’t know who let the dogs out.

Lindsey’s Inc. Realtors is celebrating its 75th anniversary this month. Come by and join the celebration on June 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. Their office is located at 14 Jackson Street in downtown Newnan. For more information, call 770-253-6990 or visit lindseysrealtors.com.

Dr. Gamal Kemp, currently the principal of Lee Middle School, was approved by the Coweta County Board of Education as the new principal of Newnan High School. The board also approved Dr. Jacqueline Stephens as the new principal of Brooks Elementary School. The appointments take effect July 1.

\Our parents let us stay over at a strangers house just because we were friends with their kid.

Coweta-Fayette EMC’s Operation Round Up Foundation hosted its inaugural Swing Fore Operation Round Up Golf Tournament recently at Newnan Country Club. The tournament raised over $20,000 to help provide grants to non-profits and enhance educational opportunities to local students through CFEMC’s Operation Round Up Trust.

You never see commercials for new cereals. There are no new cereals. For some reason, cereal innovation ceased in the 90s.

Drug Free Coweta DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day had roughly 39 drive-by participants that brought in unused, expired, and unwanted medications across the county. Across DEA’s Coweta County Division, which comprises Newnan and Sharpsburg, over 127 pounds of expired, unused, or unneeded medication were turned in at two collection sites.

The unluckiest person in the world will be the person who dies last of old age before the cure for aging gets invented.

Since 2006, June has been recognized as Elder Abuse Awareness Month.

One of the most common forms of Elder Abuse is financial abuse. Unfortunately, it is most often committed by people who are the closest to the senior. Family, extended family or a close caretaker commit 62 percent of financial abuse. The people the senior trusts the most – the people no one would expect would harm the senior – are exactly the people doing the harm.

Most people who commit elder financial abuse don’t believe they are doing anything criminal. Many report being entitled to the finances. They feel they are due payment for the care or attention they are giving or that they should be compensated for shortcomings they believe were committed in the past. Or they rationalize that they “might as well” use the money because the senior “doesn’t need it.”

There is no right reason to use or withhold another person’s financial assets without their knowledge. And it is a crime.

There are risk factors that someone may be prime to become a victim of financial abuse.

1. A recent stressful event, such as the death of a spouse.

2. Moving or downsizing.

3. A Dementia diagnosis.

4. The need for a caregiver.

There are also warning signs. The lack of basic needs being met; unexplained financial problems, such as being overdrawn at the bank or bills that have gone unpaid; changes in their behavior; and being isolated.

As with many of today’s issues, the best way to combat elder financial abuse is through communication and involvement. While many people, especially the older generation, believe firmly that their finances are no one’s business, this

with BETH DOW, Geriatric Care Manager

secrecy can contribute to the vulnerability of the person. The more people who can see the financial workings of a senior, the less chances for financial abuse to occur.

There are many products available to help families keep better control of their loved one’s finances. One that I really like is myFloc™. It is listed as an AARP Innovation Labs Portfolio Company.

MyFloc™ is an expense management and payment solution that helps families maintain control and protect their senior’s money. It allows for control, clarity and communication in spending by the senior and for the senior. If your senior has numerous people paying bills or running errands for them, or if they are in the early stages of Dementia where spending can get out of hand, this is a great way to protect them.

If you suspect someone may be the victim of any type of abuse or neglect, remember it is not your responsibility to prove the abuse or neglect has occurred. Trust your gut. If you think something is going on, report it to your local police department or report it to adult protective services. All reports can be anonymous.

Beth Dow is a Dementia and Alzheimer’s Educator, CAEd and Geriatric Care Manager. She is also the owner of Home Helpers of GA & AL in Newnan. Readers can contact her by email at bdow@ homehelpershomecare.com.