Health

The “Get Your Walk On In Waukon” annual family fun walk and 5K was held Saturday, August 4, in conjunction with the Waukon Corn Days celebration. The event was co-sponsored this year by the “Walk-On Waukon” fundraising committee who has been raising funds for this past year to extend the walking paths in the city of Waukon.

The Healthiest State Initiative strongly encourages everyone to walk at least 30 minutes per day. That is the reason the hospital offered a 1.5 mile walk and the optional 5K again this year as well.  Many participants took advantage of both of the routes.

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Aloysius “Lloyd” Welsh by Kristin Cote, Eric and Stephanie Palmer and Brad and Erin Berns, and in memory of Tennis and Diane Foels by family and friends of Tennis and Diane Foels.

Memorials were also received in memory of Virginia Anderson by Doug Anderson and in memory of Elizabeth “Betty” Hogan by Joan and Romandus Gisleson.

Memorials and donations are greatly appreciated by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. The Foundation is a 501C3 organization.  All donations to the Foundation are tax deductible. Memorials and donations can be sent to the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation, 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, August 16 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or who has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call  Angie Mettille, RN at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, September 6, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church located in south Waukon. Blood drives are held once a month in Waukon, to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with their blood and blood products.

Blood centers across the United States see a decrease in blood donations during the busy summer months.  During the summer, people become more active, have busier schedules, spend more time outdoors and take vacations.  While donations decline, hospitals see an increase in the need for blood.  More driving can mean more automobile accidents.  A person who has suffered severe injuries from an automobile accident can need up to 50 units of blood.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, August 16. Men and women are welcome to attend, even if not an Auxiliary member. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center.

The Auxiliary’s Euchre Marathons begin at 11:30 a.m. with dinner, if chosen. Call Northland Agency on Aging at 877-838-8077 if choosing to eat dinner. Card playing will follow at 12:30 p.m. until approximately 2:30 p.m. Anyone wishing to stay and play cards following the Senior Citizens meal is more than welcome to do so. All proceeds go towards the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Prizes will be awarded.

Anyone interested in attending but preferring to play Bridge is also welcome to join in. It is asked that they come with their own table of four players, however.

Exercise lowers blood sugar. That’s the topic theme for this month’s local Fresh Conversations health and wellness program.

From dancing to housework to an evening stroll, activity helps keep people healthy. This is especially true for persons with diabetes. Exercise helps sugars (or carbohydrates) move more easily in and out of blood vessels and muscles. This keeps blood sugar levels from getting too high and makes one feel more vibrant and energetic.

Join a local Fresh Conversations program to learn more about the magic of being physically active. August’s Fresh Conversations program will be held at the Waukon Wellness Center (1220 3rd Avenue NW) Tuesday,  August 28 at 11:15 a.m. Local facilitator Patty Scholtes from NEI3A will lead the conversation. Take advantage of a tasty, congregate meal while there.

Mental illness can affect persons of any age, race, religion or income. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing. When someone is struggling with a mental health condition, it affects the whole family, not just the person with the diagnosis. Family members and caregivers can often feel overwhelmed or powerless as they try to learn more about the illness, treatment options, and how to help.

If these feelings sound familiar to anyone looking for some extra support, NAMI Northeast Iowa’s Family Support Group might be the place to find it. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults with mental illnesses and their families.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital is devoted to providing the hospital and its patients and visitors with many services. The Auxiliary’s annual membership drive is on now. A Gift Case (pictured above) is located in the Main Lobby of the hospital and is filled with a variety of tasteful gifts for patients, friends and family.

The Gift Case is sponsored by the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital, members of which also make many of the handmade items that are located in the case. Also pictured is Janet Palmer of Waukon, who is the Auxiliary Gift Case Coordinator. Patients, visitors and the general public are all welcome to shop at the hospital’s gift case. Auxiliary registration forms are available at the front desk of Veterans Memorial Hospital. For more information, call Nona Sawyer at 563-568-3105. Submitted photo.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, August 16. Men and women are welcome to attend, even if not an Auxiliary member. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center.

The Auxiliary’s Euchre Marathons begin at 11:30 a.m. with dinner, if chosen. Call Northland Agency on Aging at 877-838-8077 if choosing to eat dinner. Card playing will follow at 12:30 p.m. until approximately 2:30 p.m. Anyone wishing to stay and play cards following the Senior Citizens meal is more than welcome to do so. All proceeds go towards the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Prizes will be awarded.

Anyone interested in attending but preferring to play Bridge is also welcome to join in. It is asked that they come with their own table of four players, however.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Robert Stock by Kent and Donna Schultz, Marv and Marge Strike, Michael and Jane Walker, Dave and Laurie Martin, Erik and Janelle Helgerson, Steve and Jana Scholl, Kaye Anderson, Dr. Bill and Libby Withers, George Pickett, Dean and Lynn Sorenson, Steve and Becky Welper, Ardie Kuhse, John and Sheryl Prestemon, Orrin and Nan Grangaard, Roger and Jeanette Ruegnitz, Ron and Nancy Brandt, Rick and  Cathy Larson, Marlys Leiran, Marcella Selberg, Joel and Teresa Sommer, Jane Dietrich, Eric and Stephanie Palmer, Dennis and Joan Behr, and Irene Stock.

Memorials were also received in memory of Claude Schafer by Dave and Laurie Martin, Patsy Kerndt and the family of Claude Schafer, in memory of Charles Hall by Eric and Stephanie Palmer, and in memory of Tennis and Diane Foels by family and friends of Tennis and Diane Foels.