Living Well and Stepping On Leaders Needed!

Living Well and Stepping On Prevention Programs are currently looking for individuals who are interested in becoming trained leaders. 

Leaders for these two programs would attend training and learn the curriculum of the program that they are interested in.  Once trained, leaders will hold classes.  Living Well classes are once a week for six weeks and 2 1/2 hours long.  Stepping On classes are once a week for seven weeks and are 2 hours long.  We do ask that you commit to the six or seven week requirement of the class. 

Stepping On is an evidence-based program which is designed to help prevent falls.  Living Well is also an evidence-based program and is designed to help individuals live life successfully with a chronic illness. 

If you are interested in being a trained leader for either of these programs or for more information, please call the Aging & Disability Resource Center at (608) 742-9233 or 1-888-742-9233. 

Get the Scoop on Retirement

 “Get the Scoop on Retirement” is a seminar for residents that will be retiring and/or are already retired and have questions about Social Security, Medicare Parts A, B, C and D, Senior Care, Healthcare Coverage choices, etc. 

This seminar will help assist in clearing up some of the questions and concerns surrounding retirement issues and given by an advocate for the elderly.  No product is sold or offered for sale. 

Please RSVP to Kelly Krueger, Elderly Benefit

Specialist at 608-742-9210 or 1-888-742-9233

August 22

Wisconsin Dells Public Library

620 Elm Street

Wisconsin Dells, WI  53965

4:30 – 6:30 ?

Dental Health Resources for Columbia County

Dental Health Resources
Any adult or child that is uninsured, underinsured or is a participant of the Medical Assistance or BadgerCare Dental Program may contact these dental health resources. If you need to apply for Medical Assistance/ BadgerCare benefits, please call Columbia County Health and Human Services at 608-742-9227.

St. Vincent de Paul Dental Clinic Address: 1906 North Street, Prairie du Sac, WI 53578
Website: http://www.stvdpdental.com
Phone: 608-644-0504 ext. 10 or 12
Hours of Operation: Monday through Thursday
Accepts Medical Assistance, Badgercare, uninsured and underinsured. Federal Poverty Guidelines are used to determine eligibility.

Family Health Medical and Dental Center: La Clinica de los Campesinos Address: 400 South Townline Road, Wautoma, WI 54982
Website: http://www.famhealth.com
Phone: 920-787-5514
Hours of Operation: Monday & Thursday 8AM-7PM, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8AM-5PM
Accepts Medical Assistance, Badgercare, Insured, Low-Income (Uninsured)

Mauston Dental Clinic Address: 880 Herriot Drive, Mauston, WI 53948
Website: http://www.famhealth.com
Phone: 608-847-6700
Hours of Operation: Monday & Thursday 8AM-7PM, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8AM-5PM
Accepts Medical Assistance, Badgercare, Insured, Low-Income (Uninsured)

Meriter Hospital: Max Pohle Dental Clinic Dental Residency Program Address: 202 South Park Street, Madison, WI 53715 Website: http://www.meriter.com/clinics/dental-clinic
Phone: 608-417-6500
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM After Hours Emergency Care Available
Accepts Uninsured, Underinsured, Medical Assistance children and adults
--For children aged 4 years through 12 years, call to make appointment. Those 13 years and older will be put into a lottery drawing at the end of each month to make an appointment.

Marquette Dental School Clinic Address: 1801 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53233
Website: http://mu.edu/dentistry
Phone: 414-288-6790
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM (4PM Summer)
All patients accepted including Medical Assistance and Title XIX, Low-income, Uninsured, 13 years and older for general clinic. Pediatric clinic available.
--Adults needing an appointment, call between 9:30-3:30 to be put on a list for an appointment.

Note this is not a complete list. It was updated in May of 2013 and is a reflection of the information the Wisconsin Dental Association was able to gather from dentists.

Tips for Preventing Heat-Related Illness

The best defense is prevention. Here are some prevention tips:

• Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink while the weather is hot.
• Don’t drink liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar–these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.
• Stay indoors and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library–even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. Call your local health department to see if there are any heat-relief shelters in your area.
• Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath, or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off.
• Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
• NEVER leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle.
• Although any one at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others. Check regularly on:
  • Infants and young children
  • People aged 65 or older
  • People who have a mental illness
  • Those who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure
• Visit adults at risk at least twice a day and closely watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Infants and young children, of course, need much more frequent watching.

If you must be out in the heat:

• Limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.
• Cut down on exercise. If you must exercise, drink two to four glasses of cool, nonalcoholic fluids each hour.  A sports beverage can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. Warning: If you are on a low-salt diet, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage. Remember the warning in the first “tip” (above), too.
• Try to rest often in shady areas.
• Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat (also keeps you cooler) and sunglasses and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher (the most effective products say “broad spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” on their labels).

This information provided by NCEH's Health Studies Branch.

Five Steps to Safer Health Care

Patient Fact Sheet

Patient safety is one of the Nation's most pressing health care challenges. This fact sheet tells what you can do to get safer health care. It was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association.

1. Ask questions if you have doubts or concerns.Ask questions and make sure you understand the answers. Choose a doctor you feel comfortable talking to. Take a relative or friend with you to help you ask questions and understand the answers.
2. Keep and bring a list of ALL the medicines you take.Give your doctor and pharmacist a list of all the medicines that you take, including non-prescription medicines. Tell them about any drug allergies you have. Ask about side effects and what to avoid while taking the medicine. Read the label when you get your medicine, including all warnings. Make sure your medicine is what the doctor ordered and know how to use it. Ask the pharmacist about your medicine if it looks different than you expected.
3. Get the results of any test or procedure.Ask when and how you will get the results of tests or procedures. Don't assume the results are fine if you do not get them when expected, be it in person, by phone, or by mail. Call your doctor and ask for your results. Ask what the results mean for your care.
4. Talk to your doctor about which hospital is best for your health needs.Ask your doctor about which hospital has the best care and results for your condition if you have more than one hospital to choose from. Be sure you understand the instructions you get about followup care when you leave the hospital.
5. Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery.Make sure you, your doctor, and your surgeon all agree on exactly what will be done during the operation. Ask your doctor, "Who will manage my care when I am in the hospital?" Ask your surgeon:
   • Exactly what will you be doing?
   • About how long will it take?
   • What will happen after the surgery?
   • How can I expect to feel during recovery?

Tell the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and nurses about any allergies, bad reaction to anesthesia, and any medications you are taking.

More Information

Select for more information about . A Federal report on medical errors can be accessed online, and print copies (Publication No. OM 00-0004) are available from the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse: phone, 1-800-358-9295 (outside the United States, please call 703-437-2078) or E-mail: AHRQPubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.

Source: www.ahrq.gov

Put Life Back Into Your Life-Living Well Workshop

Consider a Living Well Workshop:

Are you an adult with an ongoing health condition?

You'll get the support you need, find practical ways to deal with pain and fatigue, discover better nutrition and exercise choices, understand new treatment choices, and learn better ways to talk with your doctor and family about your health. 

If you have conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic pain, or anxiety, the Living Well Workshop can help you take charge of your life. 

• Join a 2 1/2-hour Living Well workshop, held each week for six weeks. 
• Learn from trained volunteer leaders with health conditions themselves. 
• Set your own goals and make a step-by-step plan to improve your health-and your life. 
• Feel better, be in control, do the things you want to do. 

Comments from Living Well Workshop Participants:

• "In just a few weeks, I got back to feeling better-and back to being the kind of person I like to be."
• "Now I have more energy than I've had in years.  I'm calmer and more confident about my health."
• "The workshops put me back in charge of my life, and I feel great.  I only wish I had done this sooner."

Sign up now as space is limited!  Please call 608-742-9219 or 1-888-742-9233 for more information or to sign-up for our next session. 

Month-Month List of Fruits and Vegetables That Are In Season

As we near the end of March and National Nutrition Month®, here is a list of foods by month that are "in season."  Following this list will give you a good idea of what the freshest fruits and vegetables are and also save you some money. 

January	Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Grapefruit Leeks Lemons Oranges Papaya Tangelos Tangerines
February	Broccoli Cauliflower Grapefruit Lemons Oranges Papayas Tangelos
March	Broccoli Lettuce Mangoes Pineapple
April	Artichoke Asparagus Broccoli Lettuce Mangoes Pineapple Rhubarb Spring peas Zucchini
May	Apricot Artichoke Asparagus Broccoli Cherries Lettuce Okra Pineapple Rhubarb Spring peas Zucchini
June	Apricots Blueberries Cantaloupe Cherries Corn Lettuce Peaches Strawberries Watermelon
July	Apricots Blueberries Cantaloupe Corn Cucumbers Green beans Kiwi Lettuce Peaches Plums Raspberries Strawberries Summer squash Tomatoes Watermelon
August	Apricots Blueberries Cantaloupe Corn Cucumbers Eggplant Green beans Kiwi Lettuce Peaches Plums Raspberries Strawberries Summer squash Tomatoes Watermelon
September	Apples Eggplants Grapes Lettuce Persimmon Pomegranate Pumpkins Spinach Tomatoes
October	Apples Broccoli Cranberries Grapes Lettuce Pomegranate Pumpkins Spinach Sweet potatoes Winter squash
November	Apples Broccoli Cranberries Mushrooms Oranges Pears Persimmon Pomegranate Pumpkins Spinach Sweet potatoes Tangerines Winter squash
December	Broccoli Cauliflower Cranberries Grape fruit Mushrooms Oranges Papayas Pears Pomegranate Sweet potatoes Tangelos Tangerines

Source: ~www.thisfoodthing.com

Stay Mentally Active

Mental decline as you age appears to be largely due to altered connections among brain cells. But research has found that keeping the brain active seems to increase its vitality and may build its reserves of brain cells and connections. You could even generate new brain cells.

Low levels of education have been found to be related to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s later in life. This may be due to a lower level of life-long mental stimulation. Put another way, higher levels of education appear to be somewhat protective against Alzheimer’s, possibly because brain cells and their connections are stronger. Well-educated individuals can still get Alzheimer’s, but symptoms may appear later because of this protective effect.

You don’t have to turn your life upside down, or make extreme changes to achieve many of these benefits. Start with something small, like a daily walk. After a while, add another small change.

Keep your brain active every day:

• Stay curious and involved — commit to lifelong learning
• Read, write, work crossword or other puzzles
• Attend lectures and plays
• Enroll in courses at your local adult education center, community college or other community group
• Play games
• Garden
• Try memory exercises

~Source: Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org)

Loss of Intimacy

One of the joys of life rises out of relationships we develop with others.  Most of us seek a partner with whom we can share, set and achieve goals, and create a family together.

Life creates challenges to these relationships through job, family membership, community involvement and illness.  One of the most serious of which is the loss of intimacy due to a chronic illness or aging.

Our sexuality develops over time and is shaped by our vision and the culture around us.  Maturity impacts sexuality, intimacy and sexual behavior or expression.  Intimacy is the bond we have with someone we love on a much deeper lever.  Mutual respect and love are an integral part of intimacy.  Intimacy is dynamic!  It exists between people based on the depth of a relationship. 

Sexual expression includes/but is not limited to socialization, communication on a deeper level, friendship, boundaries in relationships, body awareness, human connectedness, genital interactions, assertiveness, self image, self-care, decision- making and a personal code of ethics.  This is defined often by our age of development.

Diagnosis such as diabetes, arthritis, pain, cancer, cognitive impairment, bladder changes, heart disease-- along with medication side effects and hormone changes can impact intimacy.  Negative stereotypes about sex and aging, sensory losses, and discrepancies between the expectations of partners in a relationship (i.e. spouses or partners) threaten intimacy and sexual expression.

 Loss of intimacy can include lack of privacy, decrease in stamina, depression, fear, stress or anxiety, apathy, communication changes, and a shift in the way we express intimacy.    If a spouse is caring for a partner, the whole relationship can change from a peer relationship to a caregiver/care receiver relationship where they are not necessarily equal any longer.  Adding the dimension of memory loss shifts the peer relationship when the care receiver may not recognize a spouse or may have disease related behaviors that affect a loss of intimacy. 

Changes in roles, physical or cognitive function, anger, recognition of a partner, fatigue, loss of peer relationship, depression, and most significantly, loss of dreams dramatically change intimacy.  Caregivers report that few medical professionals/ social workers address these issues and rarely talk about them at an appointment.  Discussing feelings and sexuality openly (like we discuss changes in blood pressure, eating habits, and mobility) reassures caregivers that professionals recognize this aspect of caregiving.  Loss of intimacy causes as much grief as the caregiving tasks may.  A caregiver’s role requires they think and do for their loved one leaving little time and energy for nurturing the intimate part of their relationship.  Professionals would serve their clients well to learn to address this aspect in a sensitive and open manner.

Here are some tips for caregivers:

·        Talk with a trusted friend, physician or counselor about the changes in your relationship how you feel about that

·        Find new ways to spend time together (cuddling, walking, holding hands)

·        Use touch as an intimate form of communication (massage, dancing, hugging, lotion rubs, etc).  Touch can express compassion

·        Learn new ways to physically express intimacy in your relationship (touch, cuddling, physical closeness)

·        Cognitively and physical changes may require that you offer your loved one something to cuddle (a body pillow or stuffed animal)

·        Remember daily what you once had with your partner

·        Find creative outlets that promote your self-esteem, purpose and value in the world

·        Create healthy and safe way to build understanding and express your sexuality

·        Maintain your social activities and relationships

Here are some tips for professionals working in the health care field:

·        Recognize intimacy/changes in partner relationships as an integral part of individual identity regardless of diagnosis

·        Seek the personal information and plan ways for the patient to self-express intimacy alone or with a partner in a health facility

·        Educate staff

·        Provide safe and private places for partners to be intimate  (use the PLISSIT model)

Our sexuality and how we express it on an intimate level are intertwined.  As we age we may need assistance from our caregivers in the expression of who we are.  Using these approaches will help all of us remain a fully functioning human being.

Contributed by Nancy Abrahamson, Caregiver Support Coordinator, ADRC of St Croix County.

Smoking: Do You Really Know the Risks?

 

You probably know about  the relationship between smoking and lung cancer, but did you know smoking is also linked to heart disease, stroke and other chronic lung diseases?  Smoking can also increase your risk for cancer of the bladder, throat and mouth, kidneys, cervix and pancreas.  Thinking about quitting? Look at the facts!

Why you should quit?

• Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the United States. 
• Smoking causes more than one in five deaths in America. 
• 90 percent of lung cancer in men is directly related to smoking and 80 percent of lung cancer in women is caused by cigarettes.  
• About 23 percent of adult men and about 18 percent of adult women smoke.
• The highest percentage of people who smoke are between the ages of 25 and 44.
• According to the American Heart Association, most adult smokers started smoking when they were preteens or teenagers. Unfortunately, many young people don’t fully understand the dangers of smoking.
• About 60 percent of American children ages 4-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.
• On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers. 
• Since 1965, more than 45 percent of adults who have ever smoked have quit.
• You can be one of the millions of people who successfully quit every year.

What makes cigarettes so toxic and dangerous?

There are 4,000 chemical components found in cigarettes and at least 250 of them are harmful to human health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here are a few examples:

• 1,3-Butadine is a chemical used to manufacture rubber.  According to the CDC, “it may increase risk of cancer in the stomach, blood and lymphatic system.”
• Acrolein is a gas linked to lung cancer. It inhibits DNA repair and can destroy the lining in the lungs that protects you from lung disease.
• Arsenic is used to preserve wood.  In humans, it can cause heart disease and cancer.
• Benzene is used to manufacture other chemicals. It can cause cancer, particularly leukemia, in humans.
• Cadmium is a metal used to make batteries.  Cadmium can interfere with the repair of damaged DNA, as well as damage the kidneys and the lining of the arteries.
• Chromium VI is used to make alloy metals, paint and dyes.  It has been proven to be linked to lung cancer.
• Formaldehyde is a chemical used to kill bacteria and preserve human and animal remains.  It’s a known cause of cancer, one of the main substances linked to chronic lung disease and a very toxic ingredient in secondhand smoke.
• Polonium-210 is a radioactive element inhaled directly into the airway.  Some studies show that people who smoke a pack-and-a-half of cigarettes a day are receiving the same radiation they’d get from 300-plus X-rays per year!
• Tar is solid, inhaled chemicals linked with an increased risk for cancer.  It also leaves a sticky, brown residue on your lungs, teeth and fingernails.

Carbon monoxide & nicotine: A dangerous duo
Carbon monoxide is a harmful gas you inhale when you smoke.  Once in your lungs, it’s transferred to your bloodstream.  Carbon monoxide decreases the amount of oxygen that is carried in the red blood cells.  It also increases the amount of cholesterol that is deposited into the inner lining of the arteries which, over time, can cause the arteries to harden.  This leads to heart disease, artery disease and possibly heart attack.

Nicotine is a dangerous and highly addictive chemical. It can cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, flow of blood to the heart and a narrowing of the arteries (vessels that carry blood). Nicotine may also contribute to the hardening of the arterial walls, which in turn, may lead to a heart attack. This chemical can stay in your body for six to eight hours depending on how often you smoke.  Also, as with most addictive substances, there are some side effects of withdrawal.

Second-Hand Smoke
Smokers aren’t the only ones affected by tobacco smoke. Secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard for nonsmokers, especially children. Cigarette smoke contains more than Nonsmokers who have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol have an even greater risk of developing heart diseases when they’re exposed to secondhand smoke.

Environmental tobacco smoke causes about 46,000 heart disease deaths and 3,400 lung cancer deaths. Studies show that the risk of developing heart disease is about 25-30 percent higher among people exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at home or work. Secondhand smoke promotes illness, too. Children of smokers have many more respiratory infections than do children of nonsmokers. Nonsmoking women exposed to tobacco smoke are also more likely to have low-birthweight babies. Excerpted and adapted from "When Risk Factors Unite," appearing in the Stroke Connection Magazine January/February 2005 (Science update May 2008)

These are just a few of the dangerous chemicals found in cigarettes; there are many more.  But you do not have to spend the rest of your life giving in to your addiction! Thousands of people kick the habit every year, and you can be one of them.  It may not be easy, but you can do it!

~Source: American Heart Association