Free blood pressure clinic checks to take place monthly throughout area ... Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Allamakee Public Health has scheduled monthly free blood pressure check clinics at all Allamakee County libraries, beginning in June. Nurses from Allamakee County Public Health, picture above, will be on-site each month to take and record these complimentary blood pressure readings. The monthly schedule for free blood pressure clinic checks is included in the accompanying article. Submitted photo.
Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care Allamakee Public Health has scheduled monthly free blood pressure check clinics all around Allamakee County, beginning in June. Nurses from Allamakee County Public Health will be on-site to take a blood pressure reading. Blood pressure results will be recorded on a log card given to all visitors to bring back each month so their next results can be logged. The following schedule has been established so far.
These free blood pressure clinics are being held at city libraries on the following recurring days:
- Lansing: 1st Monday of the month, 9:45-11:45 a.m.
- Postville: 3rd Monday of the month, 9-11 a.m.
- Harpers Ferry: 3rd Wednesday of the month, 9-11 a.m.
- New Albin: 4th Monday of the month, 2-4 p.m.
- Waterville: 2nd Tuesday of the month, 2-4 p.m.
- Waukon: 4th Monday of the month, 10 a.m.-Noon
VMH Children’s Safety Day Camp scheduled for June 7 ... Veterans Memorial Hospital’s bi-annual Safety Day Camp will be held in Waukon Wednesday, June 7, at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds. This event teaches all types of safety for children ages 6 to 14. Many large group demonstrations as well as 10 other small group sessions, such as the one pictured above, are taught throughout the day. Registration forms are available at the main entrance of Veterans Memorial Hospital, at Allamakee County Extension or online at www.veteransmemorialhospital.com. Submitted photo.
There are a few spots still available for any six- to 14-year-old children who would like to attend the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Safety Day Camp. This camp will be held Wednesday, June 7 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The day camp is designed to increase children’s awareness of a wide variety of safety hazards, as well as provide 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/Motorcycle Safety
• Farm Equipment Safety
• Electrical Safety
• Lawnmower/Weed Eater/Chainsaws and Pinch Point Safety
• Fire Safety
• Grain Bin Safety
• Internet Safety
• Fire Arm Safety
• First Aid, Allergies and Stop the Bleed Training
• Safe at Home and Babysitting Skills
• Drone Safety
• Snake Awareness.
Speech and hearing therapy offered at VMH ... May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. Pictured above is Steven Mazzafield, Speech-Language Pathologist at Veteran Memorial Hospital who explains the vast ways a Speech-Language Pathologist can help. Submitted photo.
by Steven Mazzafield, Speech-Language Pathologist at VMH
“I don’t need a Speech Therapist, I talk fine!” You would be surprised how often I hear this when I go in to see a new patient in the hospital. When most people think about a Speech Therapist, they typically imagine someone who works with young children in a school, teaching them to say specific sounds such as the “s” and “r” sounds. And you would be right to think this; 51% of Speech-Language Pathologists, or SLPs for short, work in a school compared to only 39% that work in a medical setting such as a hospital or nursing home.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative shared the following statements in an effort to stop the silence and start talking about mental illness by sharing what to say and what not to say to create a supportive environment.
What to say:
• Thanks for opening up to me.
• Do you want to talk about it?
• Is there anything I can do to help you?
• I’m here for you.
• Tell me more.
• Are you getting the care and support you need?
• Can I drive you to an appointment?
• How are you feeling today?
Do not say:
• It could be worse.
• Just deal with it.
• Everyone feels that way sometimes.
• You may have brought this on yourself.
• You’ve got to pull yourself together.
• Maybe try thinking happier thoughts.
The members of the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital are holding a garage sale at Freedom Bank in Waukon in conjunction with the Waukon City-Wide Garage Sales. The Auxiliary garage sale will be open Thursday, June 1, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and again Friday, June 2, from 8 a.m. to Noon.
The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital is devoted to providing the hospital and its patients and visitors with many services. The Auxiliary also holds annual fundraisers such as the Women’s Health Day Luncheon each fall, the Pillow-Perk in early November, the Gift Case at the hospital and their annual membership drive each July.
Veterans Memorial Hospital Speech-Language Pathologist Steven Mazzafield is offering a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke. Monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital. The next Stroke Support Group meeting will be held Thursday, June 1 at 2 p.m. in the ICN Conference Room.
The Stroke Support Group provides opportunities to share tips, tricks or trials among participants, offer support for caregivers, and provide an opportunity for socialization.
While strokes can happen at any age, risk of stroke is greatest as a person gets older with the majority of strokes occurring after the age of 70. Risk factors for stroke include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, binge drinking, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, June 5 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.
The Waukon High School Class of 1963 will be holding its 60-year class reunion Saturday, July 8 at 1909 Bluebell Road, Lansing. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a social hour and a class photo at 6 p.m. to be followed by a meal at 6:30 p.m.
Waukon High School graduates from 1959-1964 who would like to attend may contact Robert Metcalf at 563-379-3943 by June 15 to select a meal choice of hamburger, brat or hotdog. Cost is $20 per person.
Benjamin and Faith Scott of Maynard announce the birth of their son, Harlan John Scott, born May 21, 2023 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. He weighed 9 lbs. 5 ozs. and measured 21 inches in length at the time of his birth.
Grandparents are John and Meghan Palmer of Waukon and Mike and Kathleen Scott of Westgate. Great-grandparents are Becky Gesing of Waukon, Greg and Marlene Palmer of Waukon, and Wesley and Marlys Foster of Waverly.
During the last few years there has been an amazing shift in the world of mental health. People have begun to understand that the mental health issues that someone may struggle with do not define them, and that they need support and love from their family and peers.
The stigma that once hung over depression, anxiety and other mental disorders is lifting, making it easier for people to come to terms with their illnesses and seek the help they need to heal. An extremely beneficial way to combat mental illness is to attend peer support groups for mental health. Here is a list from clinical psychologist David Susman, PhD of six reasons a support group could best serve your needs.
