Health

Blood drive set for February 5

Everyone can make a difference by making a life-saving blood donation at the next Waukon Community Blood Drive. The next blood drive will take place Monday, February 5 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

Donating blood is safe, simple and it saves lives.  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.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Eloise Bulman by Robert and Kristi Campbell, Dave and Laurie Martin, Jim and Patty Clarke, Chuck and Lois Votsmier and family and friends of Delbert and Eloise Bulman.

Memorials were also received in memory of Elaine Bahr by Tom and Karen Regan, John and Lorna Kerndt, Kay Carter, Patsy Kerndt, Jim and Jill Kiesau, Robert and Kristi Campbell and Dave and Laurie Martin.

In addition, memorials were received in memory of Gaylord Schoh by Dave and Rhonda Bahr, Dave and Laurie Martin, Dr. Bill and Libby Withers, Bob and Linda Thompson, Nyles and Ruby Herman, Brian and Denise Wullner, Rupert and Martha Caballero, Ron and Kim Winters, Meg Schaller, Evelyn Gray and Ruby and Tim Schoh.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon is encouraging individuals in the area communities to sign up to participate in Live Healthy Iowa for the next 10 weeks, beginning January 22. Live Healthy Iowa offers many wellness advantages for its members including a 10-week long program, a flexible team size, an online option with good technical support, plus professional support and encouragement including weekly wellness tips, exercise videos and a wide array of nutritious recipes.

Registration for Live Healthy Iowa is going on now. Teams can be anywhere from two to 10 members per team. The program is web-based with a personal tracking page that allows everyone to keep their own results right in front of them at all times. The Live Healthy Iowa website also offers unlimited access to recipes, workouts and other health information at any time.

The dry air experienced during the winter months is an integral factor in creating dry skin problems. Heating systems to warm homes and offices, most commonly forced-air heat, wrings even more moisture out of the already dry air. This dry air can take moisture right out of the skin and causes the top layer, which is made up of dead skin cells, to flake.

WHAT CAN A PERSON DO?
1. Use a cool mist vaporizer or humidifier to replace the moisture in the air. Fewer static electricity shocks will be given off of light switches and clothes, especially sweaters, won’t crackle or stick to the body.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, January 18. 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. 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.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, January 18 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 VMH at 563-568-3411.
 

Medicare recipients with limited income and assets may qualify for money-saving programs called Extra Help and Medicare Savings Program through Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging (NEIA3). Through these programs, additional help may be available to assist with the cost of premiums, coverage gaps, co-pays and annual deductibles. Individuals may also qualify for other forms of financial assistance such as food assistance, rental assistance or a form of Medicaid.

For more information or assistance with Medicare Extra Help, Rent Rebates, or Food Assistance attend one of the enrollment events coming up in the local area or call LifeLong Links at 866-468-7887 to schedule an appointment. The enrollment events are scheduled at the following locations, dates and times:

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Dave Schoeberlein by Fred and Geralyn Smith and George Pickett, in memory of Ann Renae Peake by Jerry and Linda Siegrist, in memory of Joe A’Hearn by JoAnn Welch, in memory of Wayne Darrington by Waukon State Bank, and in memory of Dianne Straate Blankenship by Jerry and Linda Siegrist and Larry and Nancy Straate.

Memorials were also received in memory of Brian Zimmerman by Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Ernie and Donnalee Osland, Theresa Lyons, Yvonne Brandt, Nancy Schoh and Robert and Kristi Campbell.

Veterans Memorial Hospital is encouraging individuals in the area communities to sign up to participate in the Live Healthy Iowa wellness challenge this winter. The length of the Live Healthy Iowa program is 10 weeks, allowing those involved a good duration to truly make these wellness changes a habit. Teams can be anywhere from two to 10 members per team, allowing for greater flexibility for each team.

The program is web-based with a personal tracking page that allows everyone to keep their own results right in front of them at all times. And the professional support offered by Live Healthy Iowa offers weekly motivational emails and unlimited access to recipes, workouts and other health information, all easily accessible on the Live Healthy Iowa website.

by Jill Fleming, MS, RD
Dietitian at VMH

Successful people develop routines so they can reduce friction in their lives and focus on what they do best. For example: Steve Jobs wore a daily uniform of a black turtleneck, blue jeans and white sneakers. His goal was to make as few daily decisions as necessary, as he had too many other important decisions to make. This simple routine clearly paid off, as he made the company Apple very successful.

Another habit of super successful people, according to Forbes, is that they utilize the early morning hours to exercise. Early rising is a common trait found in many CEOs, government officials and other influential people, such as Margaret Thatcher, Frank Lloyd Wright and Robert Iger (the CEO of Disney). If you are planning to make some positive changes to your life in 2018, the best way to start each day is with a “Morning Routine for Success.”