Health Notes
Lake Kennedy Senior Center health screenings
Free blood pressure and glucose clinic by Bright Star Healthcare will be conducing free monthly health screenings on the third Wednesday of the month from 9 to 10 a.m. at Kennedy Senior Center at 400 Santa Barbara Blvd., Appointments are not necessary. For more information call 574-0575.
Lee County employees earn credentials
Lee County Medstar employees earn credentials Lee County Emergency Medical Services added three newly-certified critical care paramedics to its MEDSTAR division this month through successfully passing an international exam.
The newly credentialed paramedics are:
– Dominick Watts of Cape Coral
– Steven Winters of Cape Coral
– Jason Ausman of Fort Myers
The Board for Critical Care Transport Paramedic Certification (BCCTPC) is an international, non-profit organization responsible for the administration and development of the Flight Paramedic Certified (FP-C) exam and the newly released Critical Care Paramedic Certified (CCP-C) exam. While both exams are similar in clinical content, the CCP-C exam was developed to certify critical care clinicians who generally practice outside of the air medical transport community in areas such as ground critical care transport or the in-hospital environment. The CCP-C is a challenging exam that requires dedication to study and commitment to critical care concepts and standards. With the newly certified paramedics, MEDSTAR now has seven board certified flight and or critical care paramedics.
Free diabetes screenings set
There will be free diabetes screenings on Thursday, Dec. 17 from 10 to 3 p.m. at Sweetbay Pharmacy at 5690 Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers and on Tuesday Dec. 29 and Dec. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on at Sweetbay Pharmacy at 8951 Bonita Beach Road, No. 595 in Bonita Springs.
For more information call (800) 712-3301. No appointment is necessary.
Safety program for Alzheimer’s caregivers
The Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center offers a Safety Program for Alzheimer’s caregivers in Lee County. The Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center’s Safety program was created to provide caregivers with tools to implement an emergency plan to prevent crises. Each Safety Program packet includes two components: 1) an emergency plan kit and 2) an identification bracelet for the memory-impaired person.
The emergency plan kit is intended to help eliminate the possibility of a crisis situation if the caregiver of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder requires emergency care. The emergency workers who come to rescue the caregiver may not know a memory-impaired adult resides in the home, and therefore, may leave the person with Alzheimer’s alone when they take the caregiver to the hospital.
The Alvin Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center’s office is located at 10051 McGregor Blvd. Ste. 101 in Fort Myers. For more information about the Safety Program, or to find out more about the services offered by the Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center, call 437-3007.
Nordic Walking
Nordic Walking is simply the art of walking using fitness poles, sometimes referred to as “ski walking.” With a pair of walking poles in your hands a basic stroll becomes a surprisingly easy full-body workout.
Lee County Parks & Recreation offers a variety of Nordic Walking classes in North Fort Myers Community Park.
For more information contact Libby Olive at Lalive@leegov.com or 652-6002.
Residents of LARC create holiday painting
Local professional artists Leo and Krista Johnson recently visited LARC Inc. to paint with individuals with varying degrees of developmental disabilities. Together they completed several pieces of artwork, including one to feature on a holiday card.
The extracurricular arts co-op program at LARC is a partnership with the Lee County Alliance for the Arts to give disabled adults a chance to discover their artist within.
LARC is a United Way Partner Agency, since 1954 promoting and providing services for people with developmental disabilities to live and work in our communities. Working alongside the Alliance for the Arts, the designated arts agency in Lee County, enabled LARC to introduce an artistic element to the educational programming of the organization.
For more information about this program and others contact LARC at 334-6285 x 229 or visit” www.larcleecounty.org.
Senior Wheels USA Program
The Senior Wheels USA Program makes available power wheelchairs to senior citizens and the permanently disabled at no cost to the recipient if they qualify.
The power wheelchairs are provided to those who can no longer walk safely, nor self propel a manual wheelchair and who meet the additional guidelines of the program.
If the patient’s need is for use in the home call for more information to see if they qualify. Call toll free at (800) 246-6010.
Free educational seminar on hip replacement
Following minimally-invasive hip replacement surgery, patients of orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Peter Curcione are reporting a faster recovery and improved mobility compared to patients who undergo traditional hip replacement surgery. Curcione is among the first orthopaedic surgeons in Southwest Florida to offer the anterior approach to hip replacement, an innovative, less invasive alternative to traditional surgery allowing patients to return to their normal, active lifestyles more quickly. The public is invited to an upcoming free seminar to learn more.
To provide more information on treatment options for severe hip pain, including information on the anterior approach to hip replacement, Curcione will host a free educational seminar on Dec. 16, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Athletic Orthopaedic Reconstruction Center, 3400 Lee Blvd., Suite 105 in Lehigh Acres. To attend the free seminar, call 368-8277, ext. 2302. Refreshments will be served. Space is limited.
Hip replacement is a major surgery. While traditional hip replacement involves operating from the side or back of the hip, the direct anterior approach requires a smaller incision, about three to four inches-long at the front or anterior of the hip. The anterior approach procedure to total hip replacement has been gaining popularity due to its potential benefits including reduced scarring and minimized risk of muscle damage.