Health

The Rehabilitation Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital is providing Astym treatment technique for patients who have experienced a traumatic or overuse injury resulting in chronic pain, weakness, and limited motion. Astym is an evidence-based treatment technique  developed by physicians and therapists at Ball Memorial Hospital, Ball State University, Purdue University and Central Indiana Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.
Tami Gebel, Occupational Therapist at Veterans Memorial Hospital, is certified to perform Astym treatments on individuals who have experienced an injury in the past and had minimal success at getting rid of the pain, had a lingering achiness, weakness, or limited ability to complete daily activities and sports.

“Welcome to Medicare,” a two-hour seminar offered by the Veterans Memorial Hospital Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counselors, will be held Thursday, April 23 from 6-8 p.m. in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Register by April 21 by calling 563-563-568-3411.
“We’re excited to offer this free seminar to the community,” said Russ Hagen, SHIIP volunteer. “Medicare is such an important program and understanding what it offers helps assure that anyone eligible gets the health benefits they deserve.”
“Welcome to Medicare” will cover Medicare Part A and Part B benefits, the prescription drug benefit (Part D), Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare supplement insurance.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will again be awarding prizes to all those in Allamakee and northern Clayton counties who participated in the Live Healthy Iowa 10 week wellness challenge in 2015.  Prizes will be awarded during the hospital’s annual Family Wellness Fair which will be held Wednesday, May 13 from 3:30 to 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.

Over 50 million family caregivers in America provide a vast array of emotional, financial, nursing, social, homemaking and other services on a daily or on an intermittent basis.
“Powerful Tools for Caregivers” is an educational series designed to provide tools caregivers need to take care of themselves. Caregivers who take good care of themselves are better prepared to take good care of their loved ones. Participants will learn how to reduce stress, improve self-confidence, better communicate feelings, balance their lives, increase ability to make tough decisions and locate helpful resources.
Iowa State University Extension and Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging are sponsoring “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” in Waukon starting in April. This program has been tested and evaluated through a grant from the U.S. Administration on Aging.

The Occupational Therapy Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital has had a  bladder and bowel incontinence treatment program for over three years. Staff member Melissa Clarke, Occupational Therapist, has been providing this treatment and has seen very positive results.
Many people are impacted by bladder and bowel dysfunction. 25-30% of adults 25-55 years old have experienced bowel or bladder problems. 35-40% of individuals over 65 who live in the community have bladder and bowel problems. 10-15% of children 8-16 years old have nighttime wetting. The good news is 61% of people using the Beyond Kegels program were dry in 3 ½ weeks.

by Jill Fleming, MS, RD/LD
 
The key to permanent weight loss is to adopt healthy lifestyle choices that, with consistent repetition, become habits.  Most of us would love to lose our excess body fat quickly, but our real goal needs to permanent weight loss.  When you go on a restrictive diet, you will not be able to follow it for very long. Any weight you lose while feeling deprived will quickly return once you go off of the diet.
You should never go on a diet that you cannot follow for the rest of your life. Focus on making healthy choices most of the time, while still enjoying occasional guilt-free treats. Here are seven simple lifestyle choices you can add to your life today to help you reach your goal of permanent weight loss:

by Jill Fleming, MS/RD,
Dietitian at Veterans Memorial Hospital
 
Did you know that by adding a few specific foods to your diet, you can lose weight, improve your memory and prevent heart disease?  The good news is that these foods actually taste good too.  They are nuts, purple berries and red grapes.  
When choosing nuts, the best option is raw nuts. These are the nuts that you will find in the baking isle of your grocery store. When you look at the ingredient list, there will only be one item listed, such as: almonds. All nuts are good for you, but walnuts are one of the best choices for your health.
Since nuts are a good source of monounsaturated fats, they have been found to help decrease fat accumulation around the abdomen and lower LDL cholesterol, which will decrease your risk for heart disease. Many nuts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help your heart by preventing dangerous heart rhythms that may lead to a heart attack.

By Jill Fleming, MS/RD,
Dietitian at Veterans Memorial Hospital

by Jill Fleming, MS, RD/LD, Veterans Memorial Hospital

The United States is currently experiencing a large multi-state outbreak of measles linked to an amusement park in California. More than 100 people from 14 states. (AZ, CA, CO, IL, MI, MN, NE, NY, OR, PA, SD, TX, UT, WA) have been confirmed as having measles. As of now, there are no confirmed measles cases in Iowa.      
“This national measles outbreak has brought the protection provided by vaccinations back into the spotlight,” said Lisa Moose, RN, Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health Director.  “It’s always important to keep your vaccinations up-to-date, but during times like this, when we know a virus is circulating in many states, it’s especially critical to check with your health care provider to be sure you and your family’s vaccinations are current.”