The Senior Scene

Yerba Prima Inc. wants to know: Are you getting turmeric’s full health benefits?

Turmeric is the top-selling herb in natural food stores in the U.S. for good reason, and the most reliable way to ensure a daily dose of turmeric is through a dietary supplement, according to Yerba Prima, which makes one.

Turmeric, which gives Indian curry and American mustard their distinctive yellow colors, has been used in Chinese and Indian herbal medicines for thousands of years. It contains anti-inflammatory compounds, including curcumin, that help fight joint aches and pains.

Yerba Super Turmeric features Super Turmeric extract, which Yerba Prima describes as the world’s most ull-spectrum turmeric extract. Developed by two doctors, Super Turmeric combines a fat-soluble extract with a water-soluble extract for immediate relief, plus  24-hour activity in the bloodstream.

While adding turmeric to one’s diet will become more popular as its health-promoting attributes become more widely recognized, those selecting supplements with the  full spectrum of the superfood’s naturally occurring compounds may enjoy the most complete benefits, according to Yerba Prima.

Additional information is available at yerba@yerbaprima.com; www.yerbaprima.com; Yerba Prima Inc. at 740 Jefferson Ave., Ashland, OR  97520.

In  honor of its 10th year, Wesley Homes’ Lea Hill retirement community hosted a celebration May 21 that Wesley Homes president Kevin Anderson called a salute to “a major accomplishment for us.”

The opening of the Auburn-area campus “set the tone for Wesley Homes,” Anderson said. “It is our prototype for what we want to do, the type of communities we want to create, and how we want to serve seniors.”

In 2003, the Wesley Homes Board of Trustees voted to move forward with the Lea Hill project in response to Auburn residents who wanted “to be part of Wesley Homes, but they didn’t want to leave their Auburn community. That planted the seed.”

The campus is home to more than 230 residents. The nearly 19 acres includes walking trails.

In 2016, the campus added the Lea Hill Rehabilitation and Care Center. Comprised of 34 private suites and one semi-private suite, all with kitchenettes and bathrooms, the facility is the only not-for-profit center of its kind in greater south King County, according to Wesley Homes. The care center completes the continuum of care on the Auburn campus, officials noted.

In addition to Lea Hill, Wesley Homes operates a retirement community in Des Moines and is building another one in Puyallup. The United Methodist Church-affiliated organization also has a home health agency.

Since the invention of the first electronic product in 1920 to help people with hearing loss, hearing aids have evolved from a large box on a table to the first body-worn device, and now head-worn designs. In the modern era, the cost for a custom-fitted pair of hearing aids from an audiologist ranges from $2,200 to $7,000.

In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration coined the acronym PSAP (for personal sound amplification product) to draw a distinction between sound amplifiers and hearing aids. PSAPs aren’t subject to state or federal regulations and are available without medical referral or prescription.

PSAPs like Etymotic’s BEAN are available direct to consumers at a lower cost than custom-fitted hearing aids. According to Etymotic, BEAN has a slim profile, is worn completely in the ear, and enhances soft sounds so that speech can be heard more clearly, while also allowing louder sounds to pass through naturally as if nothing is in the ears.

BEAN is helpful for consumers who need a boost in sound for worship, television and other situations, depending on background noise and proximity to a sound source, says Etymotic. The company, which is located in Elk Grove Village, Ill., can be reached at 847-228-0006 and www.etymotic.com.