April 2010 Health News and Events

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 Health Department – Keeping You Healthy in April!

1. Bicycle Helmets Available

Bike riding is a great way to get exercise and fresh air and share time as a family. The Meriden Health Department wants everyone to be safe - we are selling Bell brand bicycle helmets for $7.50 each. Both adult and child sizes are available, and there are many different styles and colors to choose from. The helmets are available for purchase Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Please call the Clinic office at 203-630-4234 if you have any questions. Be safe - always wear a helmet when riding a bike, no matter where you are or how short the ride!

2. 10,000 Steps to Better Health Presentation

As part of the spring Monday Night Refresher Series, the Meriden Health Department will be hosting a presentation to “refresh” our minds about why walking is so good for our health. The presentation will be held on April 19 from 6:00-7:00pm at the Meriden Public Library, located at 105 Miller Street. Free pedometers and walking logs will be given to all who attend. Healthy snacks will be served. This event is free and open to the public. To register, please call Lea Crown, Community Health Educator, at 203-630-4238.

3. “Know Your Numbers” Health Screenings

Do you “know your numbers”? The Meriden Health Department is now offering a comprehensive health screening for Meriden adults. The screening is only $10.00 per person (cash only, please) and includes:
· Blood glucose (sugar) testing
· Total cholesterol
· Blood pressure
· Height, weight, body mass index (BMI)
· Vision and hearing

We’ll give you a tracking card with all your results and educational materials as well. To make your appointment with one of our nurses, please call the Clinic office at 203-630-4234 today!


Got Public Health?
The benefits of public health can be seen in our day to day lives - it is because of public health we know that unclean water can carry bacteria that can cause disease; that second-hand smoke can be deadly, and that wearing a seat belt whenever we drive or ride in a car can save a life. Unlike doctors and nurses who focus on the health of individual people, public health focuses on the health of the community as a whole. Your Meriden Health Department is the local agency responsible for Meriden’s public health. We’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit more about what services we offer our community.

· Our Health Clinic provides health screenings such as blood pressure, total cholesterol, and hearing and vision; gives immunizations, and tracks communicable diseases in our community.
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· The Health Education office provides health information and education to the public; collects and manages data, coordinates health programs and much more.
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· The Environmental Health Division licenses and regulates all establishments that prepare and serve food, respond to nuisance complaints that may be in violation of State and City codes, inspect public swimming pools and day care centers and much more.

· School Health Nursing provides complete school health services to all students enrolled in Meriden’s public and non-public schools.
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· Our HIV/AIDS Program provides confidential education, counseling and testing. Outreach, educational materials and group programs are also available.
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· The Women, Infant, and Children Program (WIC) provide education and healthy foods to eligible participants.

In addition to the Health Division, our Department also provides Human Service Programs such as:

· School Readiness, which provides access to quality child care services for children ages 3 and 4 in Meriden.
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· Youth Services provides resources to youth, parents, and professionals including counseling, juvenile assistance, youth employment, crisis intervention programs, and community services opportunities.
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· Social Work Services: provides social services to Meriden residents, including geriatric assessment and planning, financial assessment, screening for entitlement eligibility and much more.
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· The Max E. Muravnick Senior Citizen’s Center is a hub for activities and services for older people to enhance their social, physical, emotional, and intellectual needs.
Your Meriden Health Department is committed to the protection and promotion of the physical and environmental well-being of the citizens of Meriden through direct service, wellness promotion and active support of community efforts. Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Please visit us under the Expo tent at the Meriden Daffodil Festival on Saturday, April 24 to learn more about what we provide to the community. Residents can also call 203-630-4226 or visit our website, www.meridenhealth.com.

Written by Theresa Holda, Public Health Intern, Meriden Health Department.



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!
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MidState Cancer Center Adds New Technology to Improve Radiation Therapy

The MidState Medical Center Cancer Center is pleased to announce the addition of a new, advanced radiation therapy system that will allow clinicians the ability to better treat and target tumors more aggressively than ever before.

The Elekta Infinity radiation therapy system incorporates a sophisticated feature, known as Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), which reduces the time it takes to administer radiotherapy treatment sessions to patients to nearly five minutes or less. Shorter treatment times mean patients are more comfortable, making it easier for them to remain still during treatment and increasing the likelihood of delivering radiation more accurately and safely.

Additionally, the new equipment features a suite of imaging tools that enable high quality, 3D imaging at the time of treatment, significantly minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. The Elekta Infinity is the most advanced technology of its kind. The Cancer Center anticipates treating patients on the new system beginning in March.


Family Caregivers and Companions Should Try to Plan Weekly Outings for Homebound Elderly Senior Parents in Order To Raise Their Spirits.

Carol Carbutti, the owner of Comfort Keepers, a provider of private caregivers for in-home non-medical care, in Wallingford, CT would like to remind family caregivers and senior citizens about the benefits of going outdoors. Fresh air is so important for our aging seniors who are confined to their rooms due to lack of mobility, or any other disability. The only environment many seniors see for days on end is their room and the hallway with the nurses’ station. This can be frustrating and cause healthy aging seniors to go stir crazy. Taking your elderly parents out once in a while will be good for their overall mental health and help prevent depression. With proper planning, such trips or outings can be fun and a welcome change from their mundane lives. In a case where the senior is recovering from an illness, there is no better therapy than a breath of fresh air!

An outdoor trip for the elderly entails a lot of detailed planning before the actual outing. These cannot be undertaken spontaneously, as there are many factors to be considered. You need to first go over the activity for its suitability to the elders' condition of physical health. For instance, a retired senior who is confined to a wheelchair cannot go swimming. Instead, a family caregiver or a private companion can arrange to take them out for a ride to a nearby park. Everyone will enjoy spending some time outdoors with nature.

Planning a day trip of shopping or catching a show at your local town green are two good outdoor activities for the at home senior in your care. These activities will give the elders a sense of freedom and contentment. It will ease the boredom and monotony of the routine life they lead. However, you as the caregiver should first make sure that the place you plan to take your senior parent can accommodate them. You need to find out if the mall has wheelchair access. Does this shopping center have convenient handicap parking? Are the restrooms easily accessible? Caregivers and companions need to research where they are going and call to ask any necessary questions to keep the senior client safe.

Before you and your elderly parent leave the house, take time to prepare for any situation. Carry all the medications that may be required. Caregivers should always pack a few snacks and water when you know you will be gone for the day. Family companions should check the weather the night before the trip to ensure aging parents are dressed in appropriate clothing for the outing. There are many such checklists you must verify before you venture out of the house with the elder in your care.

An outing for the elderly in your care may not exactly be a cakewalk for you! Caregivers and homecare professionals have to be constantly on the lookout to avoid potential mishaps or accidents. However, it is worth the effort for the pleasure it gives the retired senior citizen. There is no greater feeling than seeing the person you care for smile, when they have little left in life to smile about.

Coffee and Conversation

Join us for Coffee and Conversation on Monday, April 26 from 1:00-2:00pm in the first floor conference room at the Meriden Senior Center. This month’s program will feature Marianne Murray Urbanski, DMD, MscD, whose topic of discussion will be “Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life”.. She will discuss how the power of our thoughts can help us achieve total health and wellness.
This event is free and open to the public. Coffee and Conversation programs are jointly sponsored by the Center for Successful Aging and MidState’s LaPlanche Clinic, and are held once a month at the Senior Center. Call 203-630-4222 to RSVP or for more information.


“Spring into Fitness”

Written for the Wallingford Health Dept by our intern, Michelle Depeiza, Southern CT State University, Public health Program.

As we enter into spring, the anticipation should not only be focus on the healthy blossoms and chirping birds but also on a healthy tomorrow, let’s “Spring into Fitness”. “Spring into Fitness” means healthier lifestyles, foods and fitness to generate healthier families as we glide our way into 2010 and beyond. Fitness comes in different forms and activities and does not necessarily require a trip to the gym multiple times a week. Fitness can take place while performing a number of activities such as gardening, watering the plants, walking the dogs, daily chores around the house or anything that involves regular physical activities in additional to regular visits to the neighborhood gym.

Obesity, now in the frontline of health concerns has even the first lady Michelle Obama taking a step back to reassess factors contributing to obesity. According to Michelle Obama “We know that solving our obesity challenge won’t be easy and it won’t be quick, but make no mistake about it - this problem can be solved”. The first lady Michelle Obama has a mission to ensure all of today’s children remains tomorrow’s future by providing the key elements of healthy meals and most importantly exercise. Mrs. Obama continued to state the “Childhood obesity rates in the United States have tripled over the past three decades, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese”.

Springing into fitness can provide you with an opportunity to live a healthier life and the drive to go that extra mile that was once consider problematic. Exercise not only allows you to lose the pounds and “love handles” but exercise makes you feel better, look better thus boosting your self-esteems. Individual health is also increased dramatically; increasing good cholesterol (HDL), healthier hearts, circulatory and other major systems in the body tends to function much better. Common diseases and illness can also be controlled or reduces such as obesity, heart disease, type II diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis. Enjoy a healthy life and the longevity by simply exercising and keeping active.

Why not, just “Spring into fitness’ it’s that simple and take ownership of your tomorrow.


A Healthier America: One Community at a Time

The title of the article is actually this year’s theme for National Public Health Week. What is Public Health? The mission statement of Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines the role of Public Health as: “To promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability.” In other words, Public Health is physical, social and mental well being and not merely the absence of disease.

“A Healthier America: One Community at a Time.” Imagine other countries looking to the U.S. as a model of health. A place where everyone has access to health care and services, where we’re celebrated for embracing healthy lifestyles, and our communities and neighborhoods make it easy for us to make healthy choices. We can make a difference.

If every one of us commits to promoting good health in our communities, we can create a ripple effect from coast to coast. Through just one neighborhood that makes its public parks accessible, one municipality that launches a bike-helmet safety program, one group of people who join together to bring fresh foods to school, or one health center that offers a vaccination program, we can create a collage of public health successes across the country.

Block by block, let’s find these small changes and make them today in our communities. The only way to become a healthier nation is to create healthier communities. This year’s National theme also shadows the national “Pioneering Healthier Communities” initiatives by the Robert Wood Johnson and YMCA. What can you do? As a parent you can begin by modeling a healthy lifestyle; walk versus drive to the corner store and make healthy food choices. Support local and national policy changes that impact your health. For more information go to Public Health website at http://www.nphw.org

Submitted Eloise Hazelwood, Wallingford Health Dept. excerpt from the National Public Health Week website.


The Wallingford Health & Fitness Fair

The event will be April 27th at Sheehan High School in Wallingford from 6-8:30 pm.

The fair is run every other year (on the even years). The fair started back in 1996. It was started by the elementary Physical Education/Health Teachers. We wanted a way to bring the community and school system together on a project regarding health and fitness topics. The fair has always been held at Sheehan and has drawn anywhere from 500 to 1500 attendees. Eventually the fair started attracting the attention of the middle and high school PE/Health teachers so they joined up for the last few fairs.

We have always had about 50 interactive booths that are run by all types of organizations. Some booths are run by students, some by student organizations like the girl scouts, some by parents (PTOs), and most by fitness/health organizations. There are list of organizations that are joining us this year on the flier I attached. The booths have all kinds of topics. Examples include: fire safety, water safety, karate, hand washing, blood pressure screening, scoliosis screening, body composition, nutritional snacks, skin cancer, healthy hearts, outdoor activities, sport teams, the importance of hydration, lots of exercise techniques and a plethora of others.

The fair is free to all and has something for every age. It is completely run by volunteers so there is no expenses to the school budget. There is no charge to have a booth at the fair—you just have to have a health/fitness theme with some interaction for the public.

There are also presentations put on by each of the 12 schools in town. Some examples of this year’s presentations include: spinning (bikes), circus skills, Trikkes (scooters), Maze Master, Floating Cube, Country Line Dancing, and many more. The presentations are all things that students do in their physical education classes. This is an opportunity for students to show off their skills to their parents. It is also an opportunity to show the public that PE classes are quite different from when they were younger.


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!