From the Health Ministry Team Parish Nurse,
August 2010
“When it is evening, you say, It will be fair weather; for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.” Matthew 16:2-3
Happy summer to everyone! We have certainly enjoyed one of the hottest summers on record, so far. For those of us who enjoy the beach, it has been perfect summertime weather. But the hot, and particularly humid weather poses its’ dangers also.
Dehydration is a serious threat. And an increasing threat to those most vulnerable, the young and the frail elderly, obese persons and people taking certain medications such as antihistamines and blood pressure medications, particularly those that act as diuretics. It deserves close monitoring to not develop into more serious heat related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat stroke.
Here are some tips in preventing dehydration and other heat related illnesses:
v Drink plenty of water before, during and after you are active and exercising.
v Take a container of water or sports drink with you when you exercise or are going to be outdoors.
v Drink at least every 15-20 minutes during exercising.
v Use a sports drink if you will be exercising for longer than 1 hour.
v Encourage children to drink extra fluids or suck on Popsicle’s.
v Drinks with caffeine (coffee, tea and colas) will make you dehydrate faster.
v Sports drink are preferred to replace electrolytes from perspiration (rather than “salt” tablets)
v Wear one layer of lightweight clothing when you are working or exercising outdoors. Change into dry clothes as soon as you can, when clothes become wet.
Stop what you are doing if you feel dizzy, lightheaded or very tired.
Tips to help if symptoms develop:
v Get out of direct sunlight and lie down in a cool spot, such as the shade or in air-conditioning.
v Prop up you feet and rest!
v Take off any extra or wet clothes.
v Drink a rehydration drink, water, juice or sports drink to replace fluids and minerals (electrolytes). Drink 2 Qt. of cool liquids over the next 2-4 hours.
Go to the Emergency Department or call your doctor if more serious signs develop such as dizziness that doesn’t go away, decreased urination or decreased alertness.
The Parish Nurse will be checking blood pressures Sunday August 1st after service and also during Children’s Fair on August 21st. Please let friends and neighbors know about the support groups meeting the 4th Thursday morning and 4th Wednesday evening of each month.
Have a safe and fun summer! Don’t forget the sunscreen!!
In His service, Mary Lou Cunningham RN, FCN
July 2010
“Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs it down,
But a good word makes it glad.”
Proverbs 12:25
“A Holistic Lifestyle”
June 16th, part of the weekly seminar series was living healthy in a challenging economy. Here is a synopsis of that presentation.
We are whole beings, comprised of Body, Mind and Spirit.
Spirit:
We are all spiritual beings. For Christians, this means an awareness of our relationship with Jesus and the Father. Spirituality that is unwell negatively affects both the mind (emotions) and the body (physical). Please remember that your Pastor and Deacon are available resources to discuss this need.
Mind:
Stress can have a very negative affect on our attitude and outlook. Fatigue, self doubt and physical symptoms all can provide cues for the need for self-reflection and increased awareness. There are resources available for counseling and support. Please contact the Parish Nurse for further information if this is a concern.
Body: “7 Keys for Healthy Living”:
Reduce Risk
Supportive Problem Solving
Take Prescription Medications
Monitoring
Activity
Healthy Diet
Healthy Coping
For more information, consider attending a monthly support group either the 4th Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm, or 4th Thursday morning at 10:00 am in Fellowship Hall.
Hope you can join us!
The next blood pressure screening will be Sunday July 11, 2010 following worship service.
In His Service, Mary Lou Cunningham, RN, FCN
June 2010
More on healthy living choices:
Nineteen people came for blood pressure screening in May. This is great! It is an opportunity to share health information and develop professional relationships. Having the ability to monitor blood pressure readings on a regular basis provides individuals with one tool to increase their awareness of healthy living.
There was some discussion of BMI, or Body Mass Index, as people were waiting to have their blood pressure checked. This is information that has been available in handouts so people can have an understanding of where their weight places them on a scale of normal, overweight or obese. Like blood pressure monitoring, blood glucose monitoring or cholesterol monitoring, it is only one of several tools that people can use to have greater awareness of their risk for chronic diseases. The formula for establishing the BMI is: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters, squared. Or it can be established by taking weight in pounds multiplied by 705, divided by height in inches, twice. 1
There is some literature now that supports waist circumference as a more accurate indicator of obesity and risk for chronic disease. The measurement is done at the “belly button” level, not at the waist, and is a basic indicator of a body fat problem. It is an accurate and reliable method for assessing risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. 2 The goal is to have measurements of less than 40” for men, and 35” for women. These numbers represent upper limits before falling into the obesity and risk range.
June 24th at 10:00 we will begin a monthly “Healthy Living” program/support group. We will meet in Fellowship Hall. This idea originated as a suggestion for a “diabetes” support group, but as we have studied and had input from people like Phyllis Ramsden, I feel that reaching out to anyone in the community who is interested in improving their healthy living choices will be a big advantage to us all. We can all learn from one another. For those who would prefer an evening group, we will meet on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm, beginning June 23rd. We will meet either in Fellowship Hall or one of the classrooms.
The next blood pressure screening will be on Sunday, June 13 following the service. Meredith Lund has volunteered to assist me with the screenings. I welcome the help in order to be more efficient and respectful of individual’s time restraints. I am available at any time to discuss concerns by calling the church office and leaving a voice mail message or calling me at home.
Please contact me for further information. And I look forward to working with each of you toward a more healthy New Ipswich Community.
Reference:
1 Department of nutrition therapy, Cleveland Clinic, 2005
2 Jean Mayer, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston
Monadnock Senior Celebration Expo" is being held in Peterborough at the South Meadow School on Wednesday, June 30, 8am-1pm. This is a free workshop with topics to include: Healthcare resources, education, health and wellness for seniors, vendor fair with local resources and services, workshops on education about Medicare, advance directives, healthy aging and financial planning. Contact information is listed as Jan Ciccone, Wellness Education, 620-1527.
There will be a signup sheet at the June blood pressure screening for participation in this event. If there is enough interest arrangements can be made for car-pooling.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom.
Proverbs 9:10
May 2010
Blood Pressure Screening
The
next screening will be on Sunday, May 2, 2010 after worship.
Mary Lou will be downstairs in Fellowship Hall.
“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus”.
Philippians 3:14
INFINITELY PRECIOUS
Infinitely precious, how can it be?
God made me all He wants me to be.
There is no mistake.
There is nothing left out.
I didn’t miss out. It is not too late.
Infinitely precious, how can it be?
My mind cries. It resists the Truth.
Yet Hope holds out its hands to pull me in.
Paint me a picture in bold big print,
INFINITELY PRECIOUS
on the wall of my mind
Hear its whisper. Heed it call.
Discover its truth and then I’ll see,
See what it is He longs me to be.
Infinitely precious I have always been.
It is not new to God, only new to me.
Where will it take me? How will I go?
A new walk; a new Way; a new Truth;
a new Life.
Infinitely precious, I am I am !!!
Thank You Jesus for Your magnificent plan.
Your thoughts of me outnumber the sand.
I’ll live it and breathe it and let it be.
Thank You Jesus,
Your Grateful Child, Phyllis L. Ramsden,
December 8, 1998(Used with permission
From the Health Ministry Team
April 2010
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit? For you have been bought with a price,
therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
The first monthly blood pressure screening was held March 7, following Sunday service. Sixteen people stopped
to have a blood pressure check. "Hypertension", or high blood pressure is sometimes referred to as the
"silent disease" because there are not symptoms that people always recognize or are aware of. Routine blood
pressure checks can be an important adjunct to a healthy lifestyle. It is important to remember that a one time
reading is not diagnostic of hypertension. And there are many factors that affect blood pressure readings. For
more information please see Mary Lou Cunningham RN,FCN, the Parish Nurse. And of course you should
always check with your doctor if you have concerns.
The focus of our Health Team in April is healthy living to prevent or control diabetes. Diabetes is one of the
the major chronic diseases affecting Americans today. We are fortunate to have Phyllis Ramsden coming
to do an informative and interactive workshop on Saturday, April 10 from 10-12 in the Fellowship Hall.
Phyllis is the Wellness Nurse at Trinity Evangelical Church in Peterborough and has personal experience in
dealing with diabetes. She is a very positive and enthusiastic speaker, wishing to share her knowledge in a
faith based approach to help others. We hope you can join us.
Another term that is currently being used is "Metabolic Syndrome". High blood pressure and high blood
sugar are two risk factors contributing to this syndrome. Attending the April 10th workshop can help in
learning more about healthy decisions to prevent some of these chronic conditions.
The April Blood Pressure screening will be April 11th following Sunday sevice.
"
:'11 ." .. '"",'_ >','
'~';"'~~>"" ,'".;,;
From the Health Ministry Team
March 2010
For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” Jeremiah 29:11
Members of the congregation attending the NICC Annual Meeting on Sunday January 24, 2010 approved the role of a Parish Nurse. This is a new volunteer position and ministry that hopefully will increase our church’s ability to offer holistic caring to support those in need of healing as well as provide support and education to the New Ipswich community. 2010 will be a defining year for this ministry and this position. The possibilities are endless! One of our greatest challenges will be in setting goals, staying focused and prioritizing our efforts. We will greatly depend upon your feedback and guidance from church leadership. There are booklets titled How a Parish Nurse Can Help available in the Fellowship Hall. Please help yourself to one. If you have questions about this new ministry, or feel that I could offer assistance to you or a family member, please feel free to call me at home (878-3847) or leave a message on the church voice mail system.
Four members of the congregation have come forward to participate in this exciting new ministry. They are Jane Cargill, Nancy Fellhoelter, Dan Fellhoelter and Andy Wood. If you have ideas or questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of them, or me at any time.
Our first Blood Pressure screening will be following service on Sunday March 7 in the basement foyer.
Our first community educational workshop will be Saturday April 10th 9:00 am 'till noon in Fellowship Hall. It will be a presentation by Phyllis Ramsden who has been the Parish Nurse at Trinity Evangelical Church in Peterborough for a number of years. The topic is “Preventing/Living with Diabetes”. Basic Tips to help you be successful in living a healthy lifestyle. Although Diabetes is the focus, anyone interested in finding out more about making healthy choices is welcome to attend. Please mark your calendars early, and hope to see you there!
In Christ’s service,
Mary Lou Cunningham, RN
NEW IPSWICH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Reaching, Building, Serving for Christ
Health Ministry Team, “Parish Nurse”
Mary Lou Cunningham, RN, FCN
Philosophy of Parish Nursing
Parish nursing is a recognized specialty practice that combines professional nursing and health ministry. Parish nursing emphasizes health and healing within a faith community. The philosophy of parish nursing embraces four major concepts: spiritual formation; professionalism, shalom as health and wholeness; and community, incorporating cultures and diversity.
Root Assumption:
Parish nursing is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition and is consistent with the basic assumptions that we care for self and others as an expression of God’s love.
Mission:
Parish Nursing is the intentional integration of the practice of faith with the practice of nursing so that people can achieve wholeness in, with and through the community of faith in which the parish nurse and health ministry team serves.
How the Health Ministry Team can help:
1. Assisting the minister and other ministry teams in meeting the needs of members of the congregation and members of the New Ipswich community related to individual health issues.
2. Assisting in planning and providing health related programs, support groups, etc.
3. Assisting in monthly blood pressure screenings that are held the first Sunday of each month following church service.
How a Parish Nurse can help:
1. Helping you to understand a diagnosis or medications
2. Helping to locate services in the New Ipswich area and make appropriate referrals, working with your doctor as necessary.
3. Visiting you or family members during times of acute illness, injury or hospitalization to offer support in prayer.
4. Be a caring listener.
To contact the Parish Nurse or a member of the Health Ministry team, please call the church office at 603-878-1327.