Health Notes
Cape Coral
Southwest Florida Society of Retired Registered Nurses
The Southwest Florida Society of Retired Registered Nurses’ monthly meeting will be held at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Perkins in Cape Coral. There will be no speaker this month. The program will be a Christmas party and gift exchange. For information, call Eileen Feldmann at 283-7667
Medicare Part D information session
Lee Memorial Health System’s SHARE Club will host information session regarding Medicare Part D from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday at the Cape Coral Hospital, 636 Del Prado Blvd. Servicing Heath Insurance Needs of Elders, or SHINE, counselors with the Florida Department of Elder affairs will be on hand to answer questions on the various prescription drug plans available. Call 772-6765 to reserve a spot. Space is limited.
Screening package
Residents living in and around the Cape Coral community can be screened to reduce their risk of having a stroke. The complete screening package now includes a new heart rhythm screening, which checks for irregular heartbeat, a major risk factor for stroke. Life Line Screening will be at the Cape Coral Moose Lodge 2199, 155 Santa Barbara Blvd., on Tuesday. Appointments begin at 9 a.m. For information regarding the screenings or to schedule an appointment, call 800-697-9721 or visit the Web site at: www.lifelinescreening.com. Pre-registration is required. Register for a wellness package with heart rhythm for $199. All five screenings take 60 to 90 minutes to complete.
Medicare enrollment
The Lake Kennedy Senior Center presents a Medicare enrollment “one to one” session from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday. For an appointment, call 574-0575. Walk-ins welcome. SHINE volunteers will be available to answer Medicare questions or help to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan. All services are free. The Lake Kennedy Senior Center is located at 400 Santa Barbara Blvd. For information, call 574-0575.
Destiny Diaper Bank
Destiny Diaper Bank has a list of 40 local babies in need of a crib, mattress and sheets. Cash donations or items can be mailed or delivered to Destiny Diaper Bank, 1510 S.E. 46th Lane, Cape Coral, FL 33904. Call the Rev. Rebecca Himes at 549-2130 for information.
Friendship Cafe
Daily hot lunches are provided at 11 Lee County “Friendship Cafes” to people over 60 and volunteers of all ages. The cafes also offer free exercise programs, arts and crafts, and more. The local Friendship Cafe is located at Lake Kennedy Senior Center, 400 Santa Barbara Blvd., and is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Reservations for meals are required 24 hours in advance. A $3 donation is suggested to help cover the cost of the meals, however no one is denied a meal if unable to donate. Membership to the Lake Kennedy Senior Center is not required. For information, call 574-0572.
Rhythm in Motion Dance Academy
Yoga classes are now being held at the Rhythm In Motion Dance Academy. Brucie, Doris and Judi of the Purusha Center offer several yoga classes per week. Rhythm In Motion Dance Academy is located at 3333 Del Prado Blvd. The center can be contacted at rhythminmotion05@aol.com. The academy’s new Web site is: www.capedance.com.
North Fort Myers
Team Kaleidoscope Annual Garage Sale
The Team Kaleidoscope Annual Garage Sale will be held Saturday at Quality Self Storage, 4150 Hancock Bridge Parkway, North Fort Myers. There will be tons of furniture, books, household items, clothes and more. All proceeds are donated to the American Cancer Society. For information, call Amanda at 699-3819.
Fort Myers
Flu, pneumonia shots
The Visiting Nurses Association of Southwest Florida will provide flu and pneumonia shots from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday at its office, 3653 Central Ave., Fort Myers. VNA will bill Medicare Part B for covered beneficiaries. Bring in the Medicare card. The charges are as follows: flu shot, $30; pneumonia shot, $40. VNA is a non-profit home health agency serving Southwest Florida for more than 42 years. For information, call 337-4848 or visit: www.visitingnjrseswfl.com.
National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month
December has been declared National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
With the holidays just around the corner, the Lee County Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida would like to warn parents of the dangers of Alcopops and Alcoholic energy drinks.
A new risk for teens is Alcopops. Sweetened alcoholic beverages that are often bubbly and fruit flavored, they are especially popular with girls. They do not taste, smell or look like alcohol, but can serve as a transition from soft drinks to alcohol. Youth report alcopops “go down easy.”
Alcoholic energy drinks are essential alcopops with added caffeine, and are packaged in cans with brightly colored, flashy designs.
The Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida can offer suggestions for parents on how to talk to their teens about underage drinking and its consequences and actions parents can take to help keep the holidays safer.
After-hours Sports Clinic
Pediatric Orthopedics of Southwest Florida is offering an after-hours Sports Clinic for young athletes injured in sports or weekend activities, such as Friday night football sprains, strains and breaks to falls in gymnastics, skateboarding accidents and more.
It is the only clinic of its kind in Southwest Florida and is staffed by a highly-trained team in sports medicine, which specializes in diagnosing and treating children and teens with sports-related injuries.
The clinic will be held from 5-7 p.m. Monday at Pediatric Orthopedics of Southwest Florida, on the campus of HealthPark Florida, 15821 Hollyfern Court, Fort Myers.
Appointments are required. Call 2432-5100 or visit: www.pedsortho.net.