To list or change an item in the Health Briefs, send an email to irstaff@helenair.com. The deadline is Friday at 5 p.m. for Wednesday’s edition.
Eye health clinic scheduled
Join Dr. Craig Wilkerson for an informative presentation on the importance of eye health on Wednesday, July 20 at 2 p.m. Wilkerson’s presentation will focus on age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.
There is no charge for the presentation, which will be held at Touchmark, 915 Saddle Drive. To ensure seating, RSVPs are encouraged by calling 449-4900.
Information on senior services available
On Wednesday, July 13, at the Helena Senior Center the Area IV Agency on Aging, 200 S. Cruse Ave., staff will be available from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. to provide information on community services available to seniors. Area IV staff are able to help individuals and their families/caregivers understand how to use community resources and services, offer benefits counseling on Medicare, and advocate for long-term care residents.
Red Cross seeks blood donations
During the summer months, the American Red Cross may see as many as 100,000 fewer blood donations than what patients need. Vacation plans and summer activities can make it difficult for even the most dedicated donors to give, but the need for blood doesn’t take a holiday or summer break.
The Red Cross is asking eligible donors to choose their day to give blood or platelets and help ensure that blood is available for patients all summer long.
Many people don’t realize that red blood cells have a limited shelf life of just 42 days after donation. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Donors with all blood types are needed.
To make an appointment to donate blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App from app stores, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
July 13: 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 512 Logan St.
July 13: 2-6 p.m., Helena Blood Donation Center, 3150 N. Montana Ave., Ste. B
July 15: 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Helena Blood Donation Center, 3150 N. Montana Ave., Ste. B
July 18: 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., First Student, 3020 Big Sky Loop
July 18: 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Helena Association of Realtors, 2707 Colonial Drive
July 19: 1-6 p.m., Helena Blood Donation Center, 3150 N. Montana Ave., Ste. B
July 14: 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Lincoln Community Center, 404 Main
July 13: 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Whitehall Community, 102 Brooke St.
Cancer support for women
A support group for women affected by cancer meets at St. Peter’s Hospital on the first and third Wednesdays at noon. The group is facilitated by Breast/Gyn Program Nurse Navigator Pam Sasser, RN. For more information, call Sasser at 495-6780 or 438-6844.
Dementia caregiver support group available
Dementia and Alzheimer’s caregiver support group meets at Touchmark on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Respite care is available for loved ones. Touchmark is located at 915 Saddle Drive. For more information, call 449-4900.
NAMI family support group
NAMI family support group for family members and friends of persons living with a serious mental illness meet on the first Tuesday of every month from 7-8:30 p.m at Rocky Mountain Development Council, 200 Cruse Ave., room 13. Call 449-2848 for more information; and on the third Wednesday of every month from 6:30-8 p.m. at the MHA Building, 2625 Winne Ave. Call 461-1168 for more information.
NAMI peer support group
The NAMI peer support group for persons living with mental illness meets from 7-8:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. The group meets at Our Place Drop-In Center, 631 N. Last Chance Gulch. Call 443-7871 for more information.
Loss of family, friend to suicide support group
The group meets on the second Tuesday of every month from 6-8 p.m. at Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church, 3580 N. Benton Ave. The gathering provides a place where individuals don’t have to feel alone and can talk about loss of loved ones to suicide. For more information, contact Julie Bethke at 431-2530, or email Julie at flugalbinder36@gmail.com.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly
The group meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Susanna Place, 502 Logan St., room 104. TOPS is the original nonprofit, noncommercial network of weight-loss support groups and wellness education organization.
Overeaters Anonymous
Overeaters Anonymous meetings are offered at Susanna’s Place, 512 Logan St. Saturday’s meeting is at 9 a.m. in room 104; Monday’s meeting is at 7 p.m. in room 204; Thursday’s meetings are at noon and 7 p.m. in room 204. For more information, call 461-7798.
Gamblers Anonymous meets
Gamblers Anonymous meets Mondays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. at the Wilson Hall, 511 N. Park. For more information, call 431-1663.
Spouse, family of veterans support group
The group meets at 10 a.m. on Thursdays at the Fort Harrison Group House. You are not alone. An opportunity for people to join others in the same situation and share experiences.
Free blood pressure checks
Free blood pressure checks are offered in the main lobby at St. Peter’s Hospital, 2475 Broadway, on Mondays from 1-4 p.m. For more information, call 444-2130.
Vaccines and labs at Osco Pharmacy
Albertsons/Osco Pharmacy at 3151 N. Montana Ave., is providing vaccinations and labs on a walk in basis. The pharmacy provides vaccinations for tetanus with whooping cough, pneumonia (Prevnar and Pneumovax), Hepatitis A & B, meningitis, and Zostavax for shingles. The pharmacy is able to electronically bill most patient insurances for vaccinations. Osco Pharmacy is also providing health screening lab tests to check Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, Cholesterol Panel, Hemoglobin A1C, Prostate Specific Antigen, High-Sensitivity CRP, and Vitamin D. The cost is $29.99 per lab test, except vitamin D which is $49.99. All patients receiving a vaccine or lab will also be given a 10 percent off coupon for groceries on up to a $200 purchase at Albertsons. Please call 449-2295 for questions.
Health department offering vaccinations
The health department holds walk-in immunization clinics for adults and children on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at 1930 Ninth Ave. No appointment is necessary. Immunizations are provided on a sliding-fee scale for those who qualify, and all insurances are billed. Call 457-8900 for more information.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Every day of the week, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are offered throughout the day in the Helena area. Some meetings offer daycare, others are specifically for men or women. All meetings and details about each meeting offered in the Helena area are listed at www.helenaevents.com as well as www.aa-montana.org.
Al-Anon Fourth Friday speaker meeting
Al-Anon (family and friends of problem drinkers) First Friday speaker meeting has changed its meeting date to the fourth Friday of the month. The group will continue to meet upstairs at the First Presbyterian Church on Rodney Street and 11th Avenue. The meeting features a special guest speaker at 8 p.m. All are welcome.
Nar-Anon family group
Nar-Anon family group meets every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at 512 Logan St., room 200.
Narcotics Anonymous
For those who are affected by someone else’s addiction, Alanon and Alateen are offered throughout the week at varying times. Schedules for these meetings in the Helena area are available at http://ift.tt/29oeYKK.
Programs available to help adults with arthritis
Department of Public Health and Human Services officials say that more than one in four adult Montanans report having arthritis. Fortunately, there are programs in Montana to help address this issue.
The Montana Arthritis Program collaborates with sites across the state to implement the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program, the Walk with Ease Program, the Enhance Fitness Program and the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program developed by Stanford University. Anyone is eligible to participate in these classes, which are held year round.
Arthritis is a complex family of musculoskeletal disorders consisting of more than 100 different diseases or conditions that can affect people of all ages, races and genders.
American Indian Commercial Tobacco Quit Line now available
The Department of Public and Health and Human Services, with National Jewish Health and input from local American Indian tobacco prevention programs and various tribal public health officials across six states, has developed a new approach to help reduce tobacco use among American Indians.
The American Indian Commercial Tobacco Quit Line Program, the first of its kind in the country, is modeled after the highly successful DPHHS Montana Tobacco Quit Line.
The American Indian Commercial Tobacco Quit Line is available seven days a week, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 1-855-372-0037. People can enroll online at http://ift.tt/29m5vYN.
The new program has a dedicated call line where clients will be put in touch with an American Indian cessation coach. They will be offered 10 coaching calls, eight weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy and given the option of reduced cost cessation medication.
Free exercise program for people with arthritis
An exercise class for people with arthritis and related diseases is offered free of charge at St. Peter’s Hospital. The Arthritis Exercise Program meets Mondays and Wednesday from noon–1 p.m. Classes are ongoing, participants may join at any time.
The Arthritis Exercise Program helps to reduce pain and stiffness while maintaining or improving mobility, muscle strength and functional ability. Each class includes a variety of exercises that can be performed while sitting, standing or lying on the floor; endurance building routines; relationship exercises; and health education topics. The classes are taught by a certified Arthritis Foundation Instructor and designed for all ability levels.
To register, or for more information, visit www.stpetes.org or call Education Coordinator Katie Abrahamson at 444-2130.
Open Access at Center for Mental Health
The Center for Mental Health introduces Open Access, same-day scheduling or walk-in appointments for people seeking immediate treatment and mental health care. Open access intake appointments will be available every Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Call 443-7151 or go to the center during open access hours and staff at the center will accommodate individual needs accordingly. There may be times when individuals will not be able to access an appointment due to filled slots or lack of time. Given the situation, the center will ensure safety of the individuals and remind them of the open access schedule. Bring in insurance cards and/or proof of finances to quickly determine sources for payment.
Same day scheduling/walk-in appointments will dramatically decrease a person’s waiting time for initial assessment, evaluation and treatment. Doctor’s referrals may be done at the same time as the assessment to expedite the process, if necessary. Same-day discharge from an inpatient facility will have to be scheduled on another day.
If an individual experiences difficulty and is unable to attend the open access day, the person can call and book an appointment for the date and time the individual prefers. It is the center’s hope that by educating service providers and community members about open access, people can access services in a more timely fashion, defraying costs to ERs and possibly the detention center.
Touchmark staff member certified in storytelling technique
Laura Pearson, life enrichment/wellness assistant at the Touchmark on Saddle Drive, is the first person in Montana to be certified as a TimeSlips™ facilitator.
TimeSlips™ is a therapeutic storytelling tool designed for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related dementia. For those in the middle to late stages who may no longer communicate through conventional methods, participants contribute by incorporating gestures, sounds and facial expressions into stories. For those in the earlier stages of the disease, the program can be adjusted to include more reminiscence and current events.
During a TimeSlips™ session, Pearson shows residents living with dementia a photo and encourages them to talk about what they see. In the process, they collectively craft a story.
In an age when medicine offers few treatments for dementia, TimeSlips™ provides hope by opening avenues for meaningful communication and connection.
For more information, call 449-4900.
DPHHS offers ‘Health in the 406’ messages
The Department of Public Health and Human Services is introducing a new series of health messages called Health in the 406 that will focus on various public health topics designed to raise awareness and help Montanans live healthier lives.
There are numerous important public health issues that impact all of us, and the goal is to shed some light on those key areas where Montana is doing well, but also where improvements can be made, said State Medical Officer Dr. Greg Holzman.
Exercise focusing on leg strength and balance can prevent falls. And, there are free or low-cost exercise programs in Montana for adults with arthritis.
There will be a wide range of topics such as chronic pain, mental health and tobacco use, birth defects, colorectal screening and more. Comments or suggestions can be emailed to healthinthe406@mt.gov.
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