Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will sponsor a Babysitting Seminar Saturday, October 13 from 8:30 a.m. - Noon.  The class will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.  

Intended participants are individuals 10 years of age and older who are responsible for their own care after school until their parents come home from work, and individuals who care for other children in or outside of their own home. Girls are not the sole babysitters in this society. Boys are also welcome and encouraged to attend.

Topics to be covered include fire and personal safety, accident prevention and emergency actions, nutritious snacks and basic care of children.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Ryan Schulte by Mary Axmear, Gary and Joan David, Richard Hermeier, Systems Equipment Corporation, Brian and Karen Burke, Bill and Linda Halvorson, Mary Ann Hager, Frances Fahey, John and Lorna Kerndt, Kent and Donna Schultz, Reg and Nicole Schulte, and Pat and Debbie McGeough.

Memorials were also received in memory of Burnell Sorum by Gayle Larkin, Bob and Judy Iseli, and Nyles and Ruby Herman. A memorial was also received in memory of Steve Smith by Maury and Lorraine Gallagher.

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 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital, together with Elliott Jewelers of Waukon, will be hosting the 14th annual Women’s Health Day wellness event and luncheon Tuesday, September 25 at the Waukon Banquet Center.  All ages are invited to attend any part of this educational event, beginning at 11 a.m. with a wellness fair offering a variety of free health tests and information, and a salad luncheon and program held from noon to 1 p.m.

The theme for this year’s event is “Second Chance Gifts” in promoting organ, tissue and blood donation.   Featured speakers for the Women’s Health Day program will include Mary Nachreiner, a volunteer of the University of Wisconsin Organ and Tissue Donation and a Donor’s Mother; Bev Larson-Needham, an Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital member and a Donor Recipient; Deb Eberling, an RN with Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care and a Donor’s Wife; and Kristin Stinn, a Donor Recipient.

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

Veterans Memorial Hospital, in cooperation with the American Heart Association, is offering a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation for lay people (those not working in healthcare), which includes child care providers, Tuesday, September 18 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

The CPR class, which will cover adult, child and infant CPR, will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital. The cost of the class, for certification or recertification, is the same. The card received with the course does certify attendants in CPR for two years.

CPR is administered when someone’s breathing, pulse, or both, stop. When both of them stop, the victim has suffered sudden death, which can be caused by poisoning, drowning, choking, suffocation, electrocution, smoke inhalation, or the most common cause, heart attack.

The local Caregiver Support Group meets monthly at Veterans Memorial Hospital. The meetings will take place the third Monday of each month at 1:30 p.m.  The next meeting will be held Monday, September 17 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of he hospital.

This informal meeting is open to anyone who provides care and support for a family member or friend. Feel free to attend and bring a friend.  This new Caregiver Support Group meets the third Monday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
 

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

The local Grief Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, September 11 at 5 p.m. in the Education Conference Room.

This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss, whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief.

Feel free to attend and bring a friend. This grief support group now meets the second Tuesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
 

by Shannen Mezera,
Massage Therapist,
Veterans Memorial Hospital

Cupping therapy is now offered in the Veterans Memorial Hospital Massage Therapy department. It has been said that five minutes of cupping is the equivalent of 30 minutes of deep tissue massage. Cupping Therapy uses air suction rather than tissue compression. By creating suction, cupping therapy lifts connective tissue, releases rigid tissue and loosens adhesions. When doing this, stagnation waste product and toxins are brought to skin level where it can be easily flushed out of the body via the lymphatic and circulatory system.

Many may remember the famous marks Michael Phelps had on his back during the Summer Olympic Games. This was from his cupping treatments.

Veterans Memorial Hospital recently received a donation of children’s books from Jackson Moore, son of Andy and Emily Moore of Waukon. For his birthday, in lieu of presents for himself, he requested that his friends bring a book to be donated to the hospital for children of any age to enjoy. Moore is pictured above with many of the books his friends gave him in honor of his 10th birthday. These books have been scattered around into every department of the hospital by the Housekeeping staff to ensure each waiting room has a few new books for the young patients to enjoy while visiting the hospital. Submitted photo.