Youth may be described as the rising morning sun, a fiery and enthusiastic phase of our lives filled with all sorts of possibilities. As we age, the glow diminishes, and everything slows down. Everyone hopes to live the rest of their lives peacefully. Memories become more precious than material possessions and sometimes define who we are to others, or who people are to us. However, not everyone can enjoy their life’s memories. Some suffer from a debilitating illness that steals them. The culprit is Alzheimer’s disease, which is a type of dementia associated with problems in memory, thinking and behavior.
This illness accounts for 60 percent to 80 percent of dementia cases. Aging is a known risk factor, but Alzheimer’s is not just a disease of old age, and neither is it a normal part of aging. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. Afflicted individuals ages 60 and older have only eight years to live, on average, if not treated properly. Survival ultimately depends on the level of health and treatment given.
Octavia Wellness’s CEO, Carrie Tice, knows the struggle very well. Her mother, Gayle, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014. “Growing up, my mother was a smart, vibrant person, but while living in Montreal, Canada, for a stint with my family, we noticed her behavior starting to change. She was becoming forgetful, which was causing her a great deal of anxiety. When we moved back to the Bay Area, she had a peptic ulcer, which led to her staying in the hospital, and then eventually she was moved to a nursing home. Once in the nursing home, my mother’s biggest issue was sleep. The caregivers at the facility recommended she try “pot drops” to keep her from roaming around at night. Once I figured out what exactly “pot drops” were, the next challenge was to determine where to find them and how she should take them. It was a daunting experience, but once we found the right product, the results were life-changing! My mom was able to sleep through the night, experience less pain and reduce her anxiety.”
Cannabis affects patients differently. Like any medicine, it must be administered properly, or the desired results might not be achieved. Microdose levels were given to Gayle and brought almost instant relief, without the side effects from pharmaceutical medicines. It became Carrie’s life’s mission to get the good news out for everyone, especially to those with aging folks. Her experiences as an executive manager in the digital entertainment industry were all she needed to build a company that focuses on educating people about cannabis and offering nature-based, nature-nurtured remedies. Octavia Wellness knows the difficulties of those contending with Alzheimer’s. It is not only the patients who suffer, but family members as well.
“Just taking my aging mother to a dispensary was challenging, which is why Octavia has always made home delivery a priority. There were long lines of people at the dispensary, too many choices and not enough information about what product could really help my mom. I was lucky enough to have a friend involved with the Buck Institute on Aging, who provided me with solid information about what products could help my mom. Having gone through this process of discovery and the challenges we faced, we together determined we could make a difference and help fill the voids. Because of our experience, we have made education a pillar for Octavia Wellness. Our goal is to make sure that seniors and those new to cannatherapy have all the information they need to feel comfortable. This is why we’ve made our Getting Started with Cannabis free to download at OctaviaWellness.com.”
Octavia Wellness products are carefully curated to ensure they come from licensed manufacturers complete with third-party testing for pesticides, potency and compatibility with the health conditions of seniors. They carry low-dose, full-spectrum and high-CBD products. Everything is meant to be used as “cannatherapy” minus the high that a majority of wellness seekers tend to avoid. Personalized service for seniors and beginners is conducted by wellness consultants. This means a one-on-one orientation about the conditions that cannabis may treat, types of products to use, dosage and usage.
“Octavia’s Nighttime Oral Sleep Drops are one of our bestsellers, which our clients swear by for relieving symptoms of insomnia without the many unwanted side effects that other sleep aids may cause. They use CBN, also known as the “sleepy cannabinoid,” in a sublingual formula that one can take about an hour before bed to promote restful sleep. Another bestseller is Octavia’s Heal Balm, which is a topical that’s great for any kind of localized physical pain, ranging from a sore neck to arthritis pain in the hands or back pain.”
Before turning to any type of medication to remedy an illness, it is best to take care of our health. It may be a cliché, but health is indeed wealth. Octavia Wellness advocates three best practices to help protect the brain. First is to maintain good sleep practices. This means getting at least eight hours of sleep per night, which may also be aided by Octavia Wellness Sleep Favorites Satori Chocolate Microdose Blueberries and Octavia Herbal Oral Sleep Drops. Next is to reduce and avoid stress, which may also be improved with a Dosist CALM Vaporizer. Chronic pain can also be a problem for seniors. Octavia Wellness has an answer for that.
“For chronic pain, we recommend a combination of our daytime and nighttime formulas, to make sure that seniors sleep well and achieve homeostasis or balance in the body. And because they don’t get you high, topicals can be layered in for more relief from chronic pain. Octavia’s Soothe Pain Spray is for hard-to-reach areas like the upper back, and our Relieve Body Cream is non-greasy, so it’s perfect for pain in the hands or wrists, and can be applied as often as needed throughout the day.”
Octavia Wellness hosts educational events weekly. Carrie kicks them off with free trials for patrons. They are asked to apply samples of Octavia Herbal Topicals to the painful spots on their bodies, which is always followed by sighs of relief and excitement from everyone after feeling the amazing effects.
The company’s wellness consultants are a unique group of individuals with various skills and specialties, all dedicated to helping improve the health and well-being of others. “Our wellness consultants come from all walks of life, but they’re all passionate about helping seniors live better with cannabis. Many of them have experience in health services, like retired nurses, acupuncturists or pain management professionals. Every wellness consultant goes through our Octavia Cannabis Basics 21-day training program, which covers the different modalities of cannabis and are best for different conditions, like chronic pain, anxiety and inflammation. Consultants learn about the human endocannabinoid system, including the different plant cannabinoids and the particular needs of seniors using cannabis therapeutically.
Wellness consultants meet with clients over the phone or in person, whichever is more comfortable. The first step consultants assess is what the client is hoping to achieve with cannabis. Once this is determined, we take into account a client’s age, their familiarity with cannabis (specifically THC), and their disease state. Then, the consultants recommend products and dosages based on their client’s needs. All of our consultants are dedicated to providing the necessary information in safe, comfortable environments, which allow clients to progress at their own pace. We are very proud of our consultant program and the fact that Octavia Wellness was awarded Best Personal Service 2018 by the San Francisco Chronicle’s GreenState.”
Carrie Tice believes in the potential in every woman, which is why she supports women- empowerment programs like WEmpowered, a business community for female leaders who are working within the cannabis industry and helping to promote networking, partnership and advocacy. She also supports Whistlestop, an organization promoting independence, well-being and quality of life for seniors and people living with disabilities in Marin County, California. Octavia is proud to have 75 percent of their wellness consultants and brand ambassadors composed of baby boomers or seniors. The company supports adult aging communities by providing herbal samples, raffles, educational events, donation drives and other related programs for seniors.
Carries says, “What we are finding most remarkable is the mounting research indicating there are preventative actions we can take in our 40s and 50s that may help prevent future outcomes of Alzheimer’s. As a middle-aged person with a family history of Alzheimer’s, this is the information I need to know, given my family history. Octavia will continue to develop treatments geared towards prevention!”
To learn more, visit octaviawellness.com. E-mails may be sent to support@octaviawellness.com.
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