Health

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, February 20 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 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.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will not be offering a CPR course in February. The next class available will be offered Wednesday, March 18, and it will be offered for health care professionals.

The cost for all CPR classes, for certification or recertification, at Veterans Memorial Hospital is the same and all registrants should bring along their own pocket mask. The card received with the course does certify attendants in CPR for two years.

Pre-registration plus a minimum of four participants is required. For more information and to register for the next CPR Course, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

The next Caregiver Support Group meeting will be held Monday, February 17 at 1:30 p.m. in the Meditation Room in the front entrance of Veterans Memorial Hospital. 

When a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness, a lot of focus and attention is put on how to keep that person as independent and as healthy as possible. When a person loses some of their abilities to care for themselves the burden of care is often assumed by the spouse, a child (or children), or sometimes friends and neighbors. While everyone who becomes a caregiver handles the added responsibility with different skill sets, attitudes and understanding levels, there is no question that there is a very real strain associated with care giving.

Recent studies have estimated that the stress caused just by becoming the caregiver of an adult with a chronic illness or disability will take seven years off of a person’s life. With more and more Iowans aging, this is a real concern in the local community.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, February 20. 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 Willard Bieber by Carl and Betty Christianson, Dave and Laurie Martin, Leslie and Ada Marie Kerndt, Gladwin and Darlene Anderson, Carol Krumme, and Earl and Bev Haas.

Memorial donations were also made in memory of Jacque Radloff by Joan and  Romandus Gisleson and Alex and Teresa Schaefers, and in memory of Edna Huinker by Tom and Karen Regan and Sharon Pratt.

In addition, a donation was received in memory of Ethan Troy Livingston by his parents, Scott and Cheryl Livingston.

Memorials and donations are 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 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.
 

Earlier this month, Veterans Memorial Hospital’s new, updated website went live. The new website can be found at www.veteransmemorialhospital.com. Work on this project began last summer with all hospital staff and departments involved with updating departmental information and capturing staff and patient photos for the new site.

Advantages with this new website include a direct link to the patient portal for patients who wish to follow their personal health record.  The website also features a short biography and photo of all providers who serve the patients at Veterans Memorial Hospital.  In addition, each department of the hospital has its own page with many details about the services it provides the area communities, plus the fundraising and volunteer branches of the hospital are also highlighted.

All babies born at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the year 2020 will receive a special Baby Coupon Book coordinated by the hospital.  This book will be presented to each and every family that delivers their child at Veterans Memorial Hospital in 2020.

This book is made possible thanks to the generous coupon donations made by the over 50 participating businesses located throughout the hospital’s service area including businesses in Harpers Ferry, Lansing, Luana, Monona, New Albin, Postville, and Waukon. Each business receives their own specially designed coupon with logo in the book free of charge. The business only has an expense if the family redeems the coupon at their business. The coupons range from a discount on an item in the store to complimentary give-aways with a total estimated value of over $600 in the entire book.

February is National Heart Month.  Save a life this February by making a life-saving donation of blood at the next Waukon Community Blood Drive Monday, February 3 from Noon to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

Donating blood is safe, simple and it saves lives.  Every two seconds, someone needs blood and one pint can save up to three people.

Blood donors have a unique opportunity to contribute to their community by making a life-saving blood donation.  Everyone who registers to donate blood goes through four simple steps during the donation process:  registration, donor history and mini-physical, blood donation and snacks.

New blood donors who are not familiar with the blood donation process are encouraged to ask questions before, during and after their blood donation. Below are a few tips for ensuring a successful donation:

The next Caregiver Support Group meeting will be held Monday, February 17 at 1:30 p.m. in the Meditation Room in the front entrance of Veterans Memorial Hospital. 

When a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness, a lot of focus and attention is put on how to keep that person as independent and as healthy as possible. When a person loses some of their abilities to care for themselves the burden of care is often assumed by the spouse, a child (or children), or sometimes friends and neighbors. While everyone who becomes a caregiver handles the added responsibility with different skill sets, attitudes and understanding levels, there is no question that there is a very real strain associated with care giving.

Recent studies have estimated that the stress caused just by becoming the caregiver of an adult with a chronic illness or disability will take seven years off of a persons’ life. With more and more Iowans aging, this is a real concern in the local community.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, February 20. 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.