Meriden Health Department News and Events
Meriden Garden Club April Presentation
The Meriden Garden Club will be hosting a presentation called “Creating a Seasonal Habitat for Wildlife” on Thursday, April 14, 2011. The presentation will start at 6:30pm at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center, 175 East Main Street, Meriden. Wildlife biologist Peter Picone will teach us how to create seasonal habitat for a variety of wildlife using native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses, and what invasive non-native plants are bad for habitat. Everyone is invited to attend! Please RSVP by calling the Cultural Center at 203-639-2856. The Meriden Garden Club always welcomes any resident interested in gardening and beautification projects to join!
Save the Date! Community Wednesday Block Party and National Day of Play
This event is back for a second year! Over 1,000 residents enjoyed a day of sunshine, play, and community last year – will you be part of the crowd in 2011?
When: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 (rain date is Thursday, July 21), 10:00am-4:00pm
Where: Meriden HUB
What: A day of fun for everyone! Activities, games, food, health fair, info booths, petting zoo, hay rides, dunk tank, live broadcast by HOT 93.7. Sponsored by the Meriden Housing Authority, Meriden/Wallingford NAACP, and the City of Meriden.
Want to get involved in the health fair portion of this event? Contact Angela Simpson at 203-630-4237 or asimpson@ci.meriden.ct.us
Want to be a food vendor? Contact Teri Ramos at 203-235-0157 or teri.ramos@meriden-ha.com.
Riding a Bike? Wear Your Helmet!
Bike riding is a great way to get exercise and fresh air and share time as a family. The Meriden Health Department wants everyone to be safe - we are selling Bell brand bicycle helmets for $7.50 each. Both adult and child sizes are available, and there are many different styles and colors to choose from. The helmets are available for purchase Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Please call the Clinic office at 203-630-4234 if you have any questions. Be safe - always wear a helmet when riding a bike, no matter where you are or how short the ride!
Got Public Health?
April 4 through the 10th is National Public Health Week. The benefits of public health can be seen in our day to day lives - it is because of public health we know that unclean water can carry bacteria that can cause disease; that second-hand smoke can be deadly, and that wearing a seat belt whenever we drive or ride in a car can save a life. Unlike doctors and nurses who focus on the health of individual people, public health focuses on the health of the community as a whole. Your Meriden Health Department is the local agency responsible for Meriden’s public health. We’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit more about what services we offer our community.
Our Health Clinic provides health screenings such as blood pressure, total cholesterol, and hearing and vision; gives immunizations, and tracks communicable diseases in our community.
The Health Education office provides health information and education to the public; collects and manages data, coordinates health programs and much more.
The Environmental Health Division licenses and regulates all establishments that prepare and serve food, respond to nuisance complaints that may be in violation of State and City codes, inspect public swimming pools and day care centers and much more.
School Health Nursing provides complete school health services to all students enrolled in Meriden’s public and non-public schools.
Our HIV/AIDS Program provides confidential education, counseling and testing. Outreach, educational materials and group programs are also available.
The Women, Infant, and Children Program (WIC) provide education and healthy foods to eligible participants.
In addition to the Health Division, our Department also provides Human Service Programs such as:
School Readiness, which provides access to quality child care services for children ages 3 and 4 in Meriden.
Youth Services provides resources to youth, parents, and professionals including counseling, juvenile assistance, youth employment, crisis intervention programs, and community services opportunities.
Social Work Services: provides social services to Meriden residents, including geriatric assessment and planning, financial assessment, screening for entitlement eligibility and much more.
The Max E. Muravnick Senior Citizen’s Center is a hub for activities and services for older people to enhance their social, physical, emotional, and intellectual needs.
Your Meriden Health Department is committed to the protection and promotion of the physical and environmental well-being of the citizens of Meriden through direct service, wellness promotion and active support of community efforts. Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Residents can also call 203-630-4226, visit our website, www.meridenhealth.com, or become a fan on Facebook (search for us under City of Meriden Health Department).
Let’s Talk”…..About Your Health
By Chris More
RN, Public Health Educator, Wallingford Health Department
Let’s Talk about Memory Loss . . . We’ve all done it, misplaced our car keys, our eyeglasses, or someone’s name that you haven’t seen in awhile. Worst of all is receiving that call from your dentist’s office that you have forgotten your appointment and they want to charge you for it.
Sometimes older adults refer to them as “senior moments.” So what is normal forgetfulness and when does it signal something more worrisome? Let’s start with Dementia – this is a decline in mental ability that affects memory and other cognitive functions. One very sad form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease; this condition destroys brain cells that can’t be rejuvenated. The disease strikes fear in the hearts of Baby Boomers, seniors, and people with a history of dementia in there families. No one wants to hear “mom or dad I told you about that last week!” That’s when we all start to put up the post-it notes all over the house.
Not all seniors develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, but every person who has ever had a “senior moment” thinks about it. Forgetting where your car is parked in a mall parking lot (I have pressed my panic horn button more than once) is a normal part of the aging process. Dementia on the other hand is a term used for any memory loss that affects day to day functions like the ability to drive, work or shop.
One example of normal forgetfulness is some trouble remembering a phone number. If it is dementia it would include the inability to recognize the numbers and dial it.
Believe it or not people at greatest risk are those who don’t stay active. Your age, family history and possibly head injuries also put you at a higher risk. Dementia may be hard to diagnose because of an overlap with other diseases like depression. Vascular Dementia is the second most common form of Alzheimer’s. Vascular Dementia is caused by blood clots in the brain, cutting off the blood supply and killing healthy brain cells. Paranoia and irrational behavior can be a symptom.
Caregivers of these loved ones face many challenges from physical issues to many emotional difficulties. The care-giver can also feel very stressed and sad. They may not be well themselves, they face extra financial burdens and just watching the decline of their loved one depresses them. A huge challenge for the care-giver is then to take their stress and sadness and use it to give care with kindness and compassion seeking out every support system they can find, including extended family involvement. Most importantly keeping your body well cared for.
People concerned about memory loss should first start with their primary care provider. Memory loss has many causes. Some can be treated and even reversed, making a medical assessment very important.
There are many senior assessment centers make sure the one you and your doctor choose can meet the needs of your loved one, you and your family.
Check your insurance coverage, before any appointments are made to avoid financial discomfort and embarrassment. Don’t wait, if you have memory loss or someone you love does, make that call, the sooner there is medical intervention the better chance there is to at least halt the progression in any disease.
That’s you health topic March. REMEMBER Stay Healthy, happy and active. As always please call the Wallingford Health Department at 203-294-2065 for more information. Let’s Talk …again next month.
Meriden Health Department News and Events
Meriden Health Department offers “Check Your Numbers” Wellness Screening
When was the last time you “checked your numbers”? The Meriden Health Department now offers a comprehensive wellness screening for Meriden adults that includes:
A seasonal flu shot (it’s still flu season!)
Blood glucose (sugar) testing
Total cholesterol
Blood pressure
Height and weight
Hearing screening
We’ll give you a tracking card with all of your health information. Cost is $10.00 per person (cash only, please). Call 203-630-4234 to make an appointment with one of our public health nurses. Medicare Part B accepted for the seasonal flu shot.
Meriden WIC Celebrates National Nutrition Month
The Meriden WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program celebrated National Nutrition Month during March. Nutrition staff will be educating program participants on how to make healthy, affordable meals for their family through cooking demonstrations. The theme of the demonstrations will be “Eat Your Way to 5 a Day” – fruit and vegetables that is! No matter how young or how old you are, we all can benefit from eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day. To learn more about the WIC program please call 203-630-4245.
Heart Safe Community
The Wallingford Health Dept. is in the process of reapplying for the Connecticut DPH Heart Safe Community Designation. This effort is based on the progress this community has made establishing and promoting the potential for saving lives of sudden cardiac arrest. The increased opportunities for CPR training, and public access to automated external defibrillators (Aids) have tripled the lives saved since our original designation as a Heart Safe Community in 2008.
The Wallingford Health Dept. is anxious to recertify in 2011, but we need your help. If your company has offered CPR/AED training, and or have installed an AED, please contact the Wallingford Health Dept. at (203) 294-2065 or by e-mail at wlfdhealth@sbcglobal.net. If you are already a partner PLEASE let us know that we have your continued support, and if you have increased your CPR/AED training. If you are new to the partnership, we need you on board!! We will forward you a brief questionnaire so that you and you’re company are fully recognized as being a partner in this truly life saving effort. Please join us as we strive to make Wallingford a safer place to live.
Healthy Dining Guide
Leah Mezick, Public Health Intern
Wallingford Health Department
My name is Leah Mezick and I am a senior undergraduate student at Southern Connecticut State University. As a public health major, an important aspect of my educational experience is to put my classroom skills into practice by completing an internship with an agency in the field. While there are many opportunities to serve as an intern, it was important for me to be involved with a program that provided a real hands-on experience in the areas of nutrition and health promotion. I was fortunate enough to have one of my professors, the Health Director for Town of Wallingford, offer me a unique opportunity to work through the Health Department and create a community wide “Healthy Dining Guide”.
This is a new endeavor for the Town of Wallingford and is part of the YMCA's “Pioneering Healthier Communities” initiative; this project specifically focuses on addressing the obesity issue by providing a listing of local healthy dining options to the community in an effort to encourage healthier choices and inspire local policy change for better nutrition when dining out.
I will be working this semester with the Wallingford Health Educator and a contract nutritionist to establish a standard for healthy menu items. Local restaurants will then be contacted in order to review their menu's; those establishments that meet our standard of excellence will be awarded a certificate to put on display and be encouraged to identify the healthy choices on their menu. A compilation of certified restaurants, along with information on the criteria that they meet, will be made available for public use.
It is important to be aware of healthy meal options, especially when dining out, and I look forward to working towards creating a resource that will make this effort a little bit easier as well as successful. While the Healthy Dining Guide program is purely voluntary for restaurants, the projects success is contingent upon each establishment’s willingness to be involved and provide healthy choices to the public. Please encourage your favorite local restaurants to participate! If you have any questions or recommendations on what you would like to see included in this guide, please feel free contact me at leah.mezick@gmail.com or Wallingford Health Dept 203-294-2065.
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