by blairsvillefumcevelyn | Dec 16, 2016 | Parish Nurses
Note from Parish Nursing:
LOCATION OF CHURCH FIRST AID KITS
- MAC Main Kitchen - shelf by sink, see sign
- MAC Desk - bottom left hand drawer in tool box
- MAC Youth Kitchen downstairs (small)
- Narthex - on wall near information desk
- Upstairs CEC 2 yr old bathroom
- Both Nurseries - below sinks, child proof cabinets, see signs
- Fellowship Hall Kitchen - on wall by desk
- Children’s big room downstairs (Children’s wing) - left hand kitchen drawer
- Portable kit on wheels in Parish Nurse Office
On Parish Nurse Desk: In plastic container - Bandaids, Aspirin (for heart attacks), Sugar (for diabetic shock), and a Gluose Meter.
Medical Equipment
We welcome donations of wheel chairs, walkers, shower chairs, commode rails. We are NO LONGER accepting crutches. These items can be borrowed. They are stored in the Annex (see a Parish Nurse or Evelyn). Please sign out and back in on clip board behind the Parish Nurse desk. Please return these items when you no longer need them. We also have a supply of bed pads and adult diapers to give away.
- Important! Wheel chairs and walkers will no longer be stored in the Sacristy Office. The Parish Nurse Office will have a wheel chair and walker for in church use only. There is also a wheel chair and walker in the closet behind the MAC desk, also for in church use.
by blairsvillefumcevelyn | Sep 23, 2016 | Parish Nurses
Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. Certain nerve cells in the brain gradually break down causing a decrease in dopamine levels. It develops gradually, usually beginning with a hand tremor that progresses, as well as stiffness or slowing movement. It often affects one side of the body more than the other. Parkinson’s cannot be cured, but medications and other treatment help.
Signs and Symptoms: Commonly: Tremors of hands (especially when at rest), slowed movement, rigid muscles, impaired posture & balance, loss of automatic movements, speech changes (soft or slurred), writing changes (very small), frozen face, sometimes dementia when advanced. Other Problems (which may be helped with treatment): Thinking difficulties, depression and emotional changes, swallowing problems, sleep disorders, bladder issues, constipation, blood pressure changes, smell dysfunction, fatigue, pain, sexual dysfunction.
Cause & Risk Factors: Cause is unknown, but identified with genetic mutations, presence of Lewy Bodies in the brain, and rarely environmental triggers. Risk factors include Age (usually past middle age), Heredity (may run in families), Sex (men more likely than women), Exposures to toxins (rarely).
Diagnosis: No specific test exists to diagnose Parkinson’s Disease. Tests may be done to rule out other conditions which may be causing the symptoms.
Treatment: Parkinson’s can’t be cured, but medications and life style changes can lessen the symptoms. Deep brain stimulation during surgery has been shown to be helpful, but is most often offered to people with advanced disease not responding to medication. It especially helps with tremors, but does not keep the disease from progressing.
More information: MayoClinic.org or webmd.com (has a good slide show): search for “Parkinson’s Disease”
