Health News January 2010

To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com . We are your NewsMagazine!

Have You Gotten the H1N1 Flu Vaccine Yet?

Protect yourself - and your family - against H1N1 flu! The Meriden Health Department is offering the H1N1 flu vaccine to anyone over the age of 6 months who wishes to receive it.

Both the injectable and nasal spray forms of the vaccine are available. Health Department Clinic staff can help you determine which version on the vaccine (nasal or injectable) you are eligible for depending on your age and health status.

H1N1 vaccines are given at the Meriden Health Department, 165 Miller Street. There is no charge for the vaccine. Please contact the Clinic office at 203-630-4234 if you have any questions. People can also view information on the Meriden Health Department's website, www.meridenhealth.com.



Meriden Health Department – Keeping You Healthy in the New Decade!

H1N1 Flu Vaccine Available Now Available to General Population

The Meriden Health Department can now offer the H1N1 flu vaccine to anyone over the age of 6 months who wishes to receive it. Vaccine is no longer restricted to previously outlined priority groups.

All children 9 years of age and younger will need two doses of the vaccine scheduled 4 weeks apart. Both the injectable and nasal spray forms of the vaccine are available. Health Department Clinic staff can help you determine which version on the vaccine (nasal or injectable) you are eligible for depending on your age and health status.

H1N1 vaccines are given at the Meriden Health Department, 165 Miller Street. There is no charge for the vaccine. Please contact the Clinic office at 203-630-4234 if you have any questions. Residents can also call the H1N1 influenza hotline operated by the Connecticut Department of Public Health at 1-800-830-9426 or view information on the Meriden Health Department's website, www.meridenhealth.com.

Smoking Cessation Support Group

If your New Year’s Resolution is to become smoke free in 2010, the Meriden Health Department can help! A free support group for those who want to quit or need help staying quit is now forming at the Health Department. A certified counselor will give practical tips on quitting and discuss resources for obtaining nicotine replacement therapy. January sessions will be held on January 12, 19, and 26 (all Tuesdays) from 12-1pm at the Health Department, 165 Miller Street. To register or for information on future groups, call Debbie at 203-630-4104.

Gun Locks Available

The Meriden Health Department has a limited number of gun locks for distribution to residents who have a firearm in the home. Gun locks work by weaving through the chamber of a gun so that, until they're unlocked and removed, the gun can not be loaded or fired. Gunlocks enhance and ensure the security of firearms in the home and can help prevent tragedy. All gun owners should lock and properly store all firearms in accordance with the law.

The locks are free and are available on a first come, first serve basis. They can be picked up at the Health Department’s clinic office, located at 165 Miller Street. For more information please call 203-630-4234. Thank you to the Meriden Police Department for donating the locks and helping the Meriden Health Department improve the safety of our residents!

Save the Date – February is Women’s Heart Month

February is Women’s Heart Month! To raise awarenesss on women's heart health issues, a Go Red For Women event will be held on Thursday, February 18, from 5:30-8:00pm at the new MidState Medical Services building located at 61 Pomeroy Avenue in Meriden.

As part of MidState’s “Dinner with the Doc” series, this event will feature Dr. William Farrell, who will present information on women’s heart health and exercise. In addition, My City Kitchen will provide a variety of heart-healthy appetizers and finger foods and provide you with recipes to take home. Educational materials and CPR demonstrations will be provided by the Meriden Health Department.

The cost of the event will be $15.00 per person. Please call MidState at 203-694-8733 to pre-register (required). We encourage all attendees (men and women) to wear red for Heart Month!

To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com . We are your NewsMagazine!

January Health Programs sponsored by MidState Medical Center

All About Osteoarthritis
Monday, January 11 9 am – 10 am
Informative discussion regarding the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis. Calendar House
388 Pleasant St.Southington Jackie Hackbarth, RN,BS Registration required 860-621-3014

“Stepping It Up” - An Action Plan for a Healthier Lifestyle
Six sessions on Tuesday evenings
January 12, 26; February 9, 23; March 2, 23 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

This six session program will focus on steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The focus will be healthy eating, exercise, and stress management. When you take steps to prevent diabetes you will also lower your risk for heart attack and stroke.
Conference Room1

Kathy Wietrak, APRN,CDE Registration required Cost: $10 per person or $15 for two people


Top 10 Tips for Weight Loss
Wednesday, January 13
6:30 pm – 7:30pm
No need for fad diets – you can make simple changes that will have big results!
Wallingford Public Library, 200North Main Street
Lisa Pranger, RD Registration required 203-265-6754 A healthy snack will be provided.


The Latest Advances in Cancer Treatment and Testing
Wednesday, January 20
10:30 am –11:30 am
Explore the newest treatment options and diagnostic tests in this cancer care update.
Wallingford Senior Center, 238 Washington Street
Gerard Fumo, MD Registration required 203-265-7753


Breathe Easier: Discussion of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Learn how COPD is diagnosed and treated.
Thursday, January 21 6:30 pm - 7:30pm
Southington Public Library, 255 Main Street
Jan St .George, AS, RRT-NPS Registration required 860-628-0947


Nutrition Tips for the Older Adult
Thursday, January 21 12 pm – 1pm
Learn what foods, vitamins and minerals our body needs as we age.
The Village at Kensington Place, 511 Kensington Ave., Meriden
Carol Mcguigan, RD Registration required Lunch will be provided 203-235-0181

Lymph edema Symposium
Monday, January 25,2010 6 pm – 8 pm
An evening of education and activities, including a discussion on the basics of lymph edema, current treatment and new directions in diagnosis. Our Healthy Step instructor will lead the group in a brief introduction to this beneficial program.
MidState Medical Services, 61Pomeroy Ave., Meriden
Presented by the Cancer Center at MidState Medical Center Registration required 203-694-8353 Dinner will be provided

Dinner with a Doc – Spotlight on Women’s Health
Thursday, January 28,2010 5:30pm-8:00pm
Topics of discussion include:
A New Weigh of Life--Learn about weight loss.
Aziz Benbrahim,MD
Is a Mammogram Enough for You?—Advances in breast imaging, including Breast MRI Holly Dey, MD
The Meaning Behind Your Pap Results--What you should know about your Pap smear Joseph Peccerillo, MD
Mid State Medical Services, 61Pomeroy Ave., Meriden in the Conference Center $10.00 per person 203-694-8733
Dinner will be provided

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
AT MIDSTATE MEDICAL CENTER

Make a New Year’s Resolution that will make a difference in someone’s life as well as your own! If you have a few hours a week to spare, MidState Medical Center has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities for you.

With the expansion of the Emergency Department to be completed within a few months, the Volunteer Department is looking to increase volunteer staffing in the new reception area as well as in the clinical area of the ED.

Along with this expansion, there will be a new Main Entrance to MidState also scheduled to open in a few months. Volunteer Ambassadors are needed to provide optimal customer service by greeting all customers and escorting them to the various areas of the medical center as well as providing wheelchair assistance.

Start the New Year off right with a positive and rewarding experience. If you enjoy public contact and are looking for a volunteer position that will keep you busy, please call Diamond Belejack, Manager of Volunteer Services at 694-8572 or e-mail dbeleja@midstatemedical.org for more information.


To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com . We are your NewsMagazine!


Meriden Youth - Save the Date!
On Tuesday, February 23, 2010, the Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness Committee will be hosting a summit for Meriden teens and their parents. This evening event, to be held at Lincoln Middle School, will feature motivational speaker Ed Gerety. Mr. Gerety is a nationally recognized speaker who will present a high-energy, interactive program about the real issues teens face today, covering different topics such as:
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· The power of respect and responsibility
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· The impact and consequences of our choices and decisions
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· The issues of bullying, peer pressure, drugs, alcohol and tobacco
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· Appreciation for our abilities and the people in our life
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· The courage to believe in oneself and the power we have to reach out and make a difference

Meriden youth and their parents/guardians are encouraged to save the date. More information on this event will be in the February issue of People’s Press and posted on the Chamber website, www.meridenchamber.com.



Carol Carbutti, the Owner of Comfort Keepers of Wallingford, CT Would Like to Remind Family Members and Caregivers to Take the Time to Assess their Elderly Seniors Homecare Needs During the Holidays

We live in a very mobile society where families don’t always live in the same town or state as their senior in home parents. Unlike the “old days”, entire families throughout America don’t have the opportunity to come together as often as they would like. That is why the holiday season has become an important time to take stock of your elderly homecare parent’s health and everyday living capabilities. Family gatherings with elderly family members from out of town, or even the more frequent family phone calls from long distance relatives, are a perfect time to ‘check up’ on our aging seniors who live on their own. It is not uncommon for the senior’s adult children, especially the Baby Boomer generation, to have some concerns about how their elderly parents are doing. In fact, according to the Family Caregiver’s Alliance, families provide 80 percent of the long-term in home caregiving assistance in this country. During this holiday season, while you are enjoying your visits or on the phone with your aging loved ones, you should make good use of your time by reviewing their living status and basic healthcare issues.Using Your Five SensesFamily members will notice that many of your holiday traditions will tempt an aging parents five senses. These same senses can be put to use while evaluating the status of senior family members. Below is a checklist using each of your senior citizens five senses to determine if your elderly parents are in need of additional companionship or personal care assistance: Sight - Looking at a retired senior’s appearance can be a sign that they are being limited either physically or mentally from completing otherwise normal daily tasks. Watch for things like poor personal hygiene, clothes with stains and a disorganized or dirty house. Sound - Listening to what your senior talks about and how an elderly parent speaks can tell you a lot about their current mental status. You should not assume that “old age” is causing these issues. Do they call you by name? Are they speaking normally? Are they staying involved in outside activities? Smell – All caregivers and homemaking companions should use their nose as an indicator to determine if their in home aging mom or dad has been bathing properly. Family members should also make sure their elderly parents are able to keeping up with their house cleaning. Another sign of difficulty would be if you notice that your retired parents have spoiled food in their kitchen and refrigerator. Taste - Tasting their food and sorting through their medications can help you determine if they are eating healthy or taking expired medications. Look at expiration dates and for fresh and stocked pantry items. Touch - A simple hug can tell you if your senior dad is fragile or losing weight. You also need to check their skin to see if it is soft and if the color is normal. If you see any bruising or tearing you need to report this to your elderly parents’ primary doctor immediately.

Review Status by PhoneDuring telephone conversations you should gently probe for information about the aging seniors health and well-being. Below is a list of sample questions that are key indicators or warning signs to help determine if your retired senior parents are in need of additional homemaking or caregiving assistance:

· What did you have for breakfast? If your aging elderly mom cannot remember what she ate for breakfast that morning, forgot to eat breakfast or the meal appears to lack nutritious value, a memory problem such as dementia could be setting in.

· Always ask questions to stimulate your healthy aging parents mind like, did you go to the beauty salon to get your hair cut? Did you use the new shower gel I bought you? These are good ‘backdoor’ questions to finding out whether or not your elderly loved one is remembering to take care of his/her hygiene.

· Did you make it to Bingo this week? An early sign of senior depression is withdrawal from social activities.

· Can your retired elderly parent speaking normally? Pay attention to differences in speech patterns, they are warning signs for medical problems that should be looked into immediately.

Help is Available

If you sense that there is a problem based on the above indictors, you and your other family caregiving members should waste no time in taking the appropriate next steps. As difficult as the process might be, keep reminding yourself that by being proactive, as a result of your observations, you will not only provide in home safety for your elderly mom and dad, but will also keep them happy and healthy for years to come.

Discuss the situation with the individual - Don’t be afraid to ask or talk to your aging loved one. Often seniors will not tell you if they are having trouble unless you ask. It is important to reassure healthy seniors about your questions. They do not want to lose their independence and are afraid of being moved out of their home into a strange environment like a senior facility.

Make a doctor’s appointment for the individual - Be sure and make the appointment when you, another family member or an in home caregiver from a local agency, can relay the concerns directly to the doctor. If you are not able to be there in person, schedule a time to call the doctor.

Determine what services are available in their community - Talk with local social service agencies or senior community organizations such as a local Area on Aging office or a senior church group.

Make minor adjustments in their lifestyle - It may be necessary to bring in outside help like Comfort Keepers here in Wallingford, CT to provide caregiving and homemaking assistance with daily activities such as meal preparation, light housekeeping. They can also provide companionship while assisting your elderly parents with trips to the grocery store or a doctor’s appointment. Here are some questions to consider when selecting a homecare provider:

· Is the care provider a home care agency, employment agency, registry/broker, or an independent contractor?
· How long has the agency been providing home care?
· How does the agency screen and select caregivers prior to an assignment? Do they hire independent contractors or are they employees of the agency?
· Are references and criminal backgrounds checked on all employees?
· How are emergencies handled after normal business hours?

Use this time to plan ahead for unforeseen events - Take this time to establish advanced directives including establishing a power of attorney, will, living will, etc. There is no such thing as being too prepared when it comes to the homecare and safety of your elderly parents.

Remember, the holiday season is a time for family, togetherness and establishing lifelong memories. By taking the time to address these senior issues before they reach the crisis stage, your caregiving family will have the much-needed sense of security, comfort and hopefully the ability to create new memories with your healthy aging loved ones for many years to come!
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com . We are your NewsMagazine!