Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital, together with the Alzheimer’s Association® will be offering a series of presentations concerning Alzheimer’s and dementia this summer for both the general public and for caregivers of anyone with these conditions.

The first of this three-part series will begin Wednesday, June 5, in the ICN Conference Room of Veterans Memorial Hospital. The first session will be held at 12 Noon for the general public. Anyone who wishes to attend is welcome to bring their own sack lunch in with them to enjoy during the session which is entitled “Understanding Alzheimer’s.”

In the United States alone, more than five million individuals are living with Alzheimer’s and 16 million are serving as their unpaid caregivers. The disease is a global crisis that impacts numerous families right here in the local community. However, no one has to face this disease alone or without information.

Back by popular demand, Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging (NEI3A) is bringing back its walks. The NEI3A Aging, Active and Alive Walks will be held during Older Americans Month to celebrate the strength and vitality of older Americans and to emphasize the importance of being active.

This year’s walks will be held Friday, May 31 at 20 locations throughout NEI3A’s 18-county region in northeast Iowa. The local walk is being held at 10:30 a.m. at the Waukon Wellness Center. The walks are free and people of all ages are encouraged to participate. If there is inclement weather there will still be an activity scheduled at that date and time.

To register visit https://tinyurl.com/AgingActiveAliveWalk or call Vicki Hyke at 319-874-6847 or Janet Buls at 319-231-1551. Those who would like to be a sponsor should contact Lisa Wetzel at 319-874-6879 or email lwetzel@nei3a.org.
 

Do you know how much blood is needed by certain patients? Here are some facts from the LifeServe Blood Center:

· Cancer patients can use up to eight units of blood a month.
· Bone marrow transplant patients can use up to two units a day.
· Cardiovascular surgery patient can use between two and 25 units.
· Liver transplant patients can use up to 100 units.
· Auto/trauma accident patients can use between five and 100 units.
· Premature infants can use up to one to four units.
· Burn victims case use up to 20 units of platelets.
· Heart surgery patients can use between three to eight units of red cells and one to 10 units of platelets.
· Organ transplant patients can use 10-30 units of blood.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, June 3 from 12:30-5 p.m. The blood drive will be held at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

Parents can do more to ensure that accidents don’t become a part of their children’s childhood memories. One way to start is by having your 6 to 14 year old children attend the Veterans Memorial Hospital Safety Day Camp. This camp will be held Thursday, June 13, at the Allamakee Fairgrounds from 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The day camp is designed to increase children’s awareness of a wide variety of safety and farm hazards, as well as providing them with hands-on, first aid training to help themselves or someone else survive an accident should one occur.
Individual topics covered at this year’s safety camp will include the following:

• ATV and Motorcycle Safety
• First Aid
• Electrical Safety
• Farm Equipment Safety
• Grain Bin Safety
•Lawnmowers/Chainsaws/Weed Eater/Pinch Point Safety
• Bicycle Safety/Rodeo
• Drone Safety
• Fire Arm Safety
• Water Safety
• Snake Safety

Each year, Veterans Memorial Hospital hosts the area Kindergarten classes for a field trip to the hospital. During these tours, the students become familiar with many hospital services. The tours include the Emergency Rooms, viewing films in the X-ray rooms, viewing the newborn babies in the Maternity Services Nursery, visiting the Rehabilitation Department and taking a tour of the ambulance, all to help them feel comfortable with these services. New this year, hospital staff members of the Customer Engagement Committee instructed all the Kindergarteners on how to do Hands Only CPR, pictured above, compressing the chest to the beat of the popular youth song “Baby Shark.” Submitted photo.
 

May 23, is National Stop the Bleed Day. Uncontrolled bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death in trauma accidents. Veterans Memorial Hospital staff has been trained in the National Stop the Bleed educational program and are available to bring this educational program to area groups and organizations. To help learn what to do to save a life, contact Diane Butikofer, RN, Emergency Services at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411 to set up a class.

Veterans Memorial Hospital staff recently offered this hands-on training at their annual wellness fair, pictured above. It will also be offered at local events this summer such as Monona Hay Days, the Allamakee County Fair, and Waukon Corn Days.  Knowing what simple things can be done before responders arrive could mean the difference between life and death for an injured person with uncontrolled bleeding. Submitted photo.
 

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, June 3, 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. The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be hosting this blood drive.

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 Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation annual Three Person Best-Shot Golf Tournament is set for June 17 at the Waukon Golf and Country Club.

Teams of three will begin the day with a shot gun start at 9:30 a.m. and play 18 holes of golf. Breakfast rolls, lunch and dinner and prizes for everyone will all be provided for the donation of $75.
New this year, a putting contest will be offered prior to the start of the tournament.

All those interested in joining the event are asked to pre-register their team by calling the Waukon Golf and Country Club at 563-568-9939. For more information about the golf tournament, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Les Delaney by Randy and Karen Loeb, Dave and Laurie Martin, Jim and Ele Klenske, Don and Mary Meyer, Brian and Denise Wullner, Dave and Sandy Lyons, Mary Fink, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Kay Carter, Mary Ann Hager, Kate Wooden and family and friends of Les Delaney.

Memorials were also received in memory of Phyllis Dahlke by Dave and Laure Martin and Patsy Kerndt.

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 22nd annual “Family Wellness Fair” was held Wednesday, May 8 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Over 220 individuals attended the wellness fair despite the very wet and cold evening. Those in attendance had the opportunity to enjoy the information and activities provided by over 45 agencies and businesses that serve Allamakee and northern Clayton counties.

Entertainment for the evening included special appearances by “Klyde Thinger” the Clown, plus the “Hidden in Plain Sight” drug exhibit from Clayton County which emulates a teenager’s bedroom with over 50 different drug indicators, indicating drug use or support of drug use.