Health

Congratulations to the numerous students who completed the recent Veterans Memorial Hospital Babysitting class. The class, which was held Saturday, April 7, was instructed by Corinne Cook, RN, and consisted of teaching the qualities of being a good babysitter, including basic child care, accident prevention and first aid. These newly-trained babysitters learned CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and the Heimlach Maneuver - which is to be used in the case of a choking infant or child, and also learned about fire safety.

The students who completed the Veterans Memorial Hospital Babysitting seminar included Avalea Burns, Willa Troendle, Peyton Smedsrud, Keeran Barr, Clara Deeny, Carlee Thorstenson, Shyanne McCabe, Cassidy Hawkins, Madeline Connell, Jacob Jones, Olivia Dougherty, Paisley Vine, Aaron Burke, Ashlin O’Neill, Ashlyn Henkes, Trent Jones, TJ Rounds and Isaac Weighner.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, April 19. 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. The cost is $3 per person with all proceeds going 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.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will again be awarding prizes to all those in Allamakee and northern Clayton counties that participated in the Live Healthy Iowa 10 week wellness challenge in 2018. Prizes will be awarded during the hospital’s annual Family Wellness Fair, which will be held Wednesday, May 9 from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the hospital.

In order for an individual to claim his or her participation prize at the Veterans Memorial Hospital Family Wellness Fair, Live Healthy Iowa participants are asked to present their access card at the receptionist desk during the fair. Personalized participant access cards can be found by going to the Live Healthy Iowa website at www.livehealthyiowa.org and under the participant’s profile picture on their dashboard, clicking on the 2018 box at the bottom left of the profile section. The card can then be printed and brought in to redeem for the prize.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, April 19, 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 group, call  Angie Mettille, RN at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering “Nutrition 101: Reading Food Labels” Thursday, April 26 from 6-8 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 Third Avenue NW.

Ever wondered what all that information on a nutrition label means? Understanding food labels can be a difficult task, but it doesn’t have to be. Reading and understanding food labels is very important for knowing the positives and negatives of the foods one consumes. Learn how to easily navigate a food label and how to pick out the best foods for overall health. This class will also incorporate grocery shopping tips and tricks to help one stay on track with their health goals.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering a “Re-energize with Reflexology!” class Thursday, April 19 from 6-8 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 Third Avenue NW.

Those participating in the “Re-energize with Reflexology!” class will receive an introduction to basic reflexology concepts and learn massage techniques for hands and feet that are intended to relieve pain, shorten duration of illness, reduce the negative effects of stress and promote relaxation and wellness.

To register online for “Re-energize with Reflexology!” (#59933) or for more information, visit www.nicc.edu/solutions or call NICC Business and Community Solutions at 800-728-2256, ext. 399 (Calmar campus) or the NICC Waukon Center at 563-568-3060.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of  Walter Mahr, Jr. by Jim Moritz, Bob and Marilyn Bulman, Joel and Teresa Sommer, Joann Welch Estate, Terry and Laurie Welch, Ross and Morgan Weymiller, Dale and Laura Reicks, Kristi and Bob Campbell, Eunice and Robert Kolsrud,  Scott and Nancy Berg, Waukon Feed Ranch, Rusty and Cynthia Berger, Don Bresnahan, Jerry and Machelle Bulman, Mike and Kelly Hammel, Woody and Peggy Woodbeck, Tim and Sarah Waters, Rick and Sue Schulte, John Kerndt, and family and friends of Walter Mahr.

Memorials were also received in memory Francis Martin by Jim and Jill Kiesau, in memory of Sharon Snitker by Dennis and Nancy Turner, in memory of Brad Krambeer by Bill and Sue Blagsvedt, and in memory of Makaela Ann Ness by Scott, Karen, Dylan, Dakota and Kenleigh Ness.
In addition, a donation to the Foundation was received for Breast Cancer Awareness by the Waukon Wellness Center Running Club.

by Tami Gebel, Occupational Therapist

Many times people in the general public are surprised to hear that occupational therapists work with children who are newborn up through school age. The role of occupational therapists working with children, either with or without special needs, is to assist with the development of skills.

Children will develop skills at their own rate; therapists do not make children develop skills. What therapists can do is provide education and instruction on activities and opportunities that will encourage the development of a skill that is delayed or absent. One of the biggest suggestions occupational therapists have for new parents is to provide “Tummy Time” to help develop the child’s skills and strength.

Perhaps it was fate that brought Raquel Ristau, PA-C, to Gundersen Waukon Clinic.

“I grew up in a small town, Cresco, and have a built-in gravitation to rural medicine,” says Ristau, Gundersen Waukon’s newest provider. “I had the opportunity to rotate through Gundersen in Waukon while I was still completing my education and just fell in love with the atmosphere, the people, and the experiences I had as a provider. The growth and opportunity I foresee myself achieving at Gundersen is far greater than any other place I had the opportunity to visit. I’m ready to enhance and enrich the lives of all the patients whom I have the opportunity to treat in the future.”

At Gundersen Waukon, Ristau will care for patients of all ages and health levels, from acute to chronic illnesses to preventative care, such as routine checkups, health risk assessments, immunizations, screenings, personal counseling and more.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon has announced they will again be awarding prizes to all those in Allamakee and northern Clayton counties that participated in the Live Healthy Iowa 10-week Wellness Challenge in 2018. That challenge has recently come to an end for this year. Prizes for all participants will be awarded during the hospital’s annual Family Wellness Fair, which will be held Wednesday, May 9 from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the hospital.

Veterans Memorial Hospital supports and encourages the Live Healthy Iowa state-wide wellness program for all individuals in this area for wellness motivation and support. This web-based program offers all participants a personal tracking page that allows everyone to keep their own results right in front of them at all times. It also gives professional support including weekly motivational emails and unlimited access to recipes, workouts and other health information, all easily accessible on the Live Healthy Iowa website.