Nurses Notes

Hello all, and Happy Fall!

I hope this finds you all safe and well and settling into your Fall routines.

As I finish up my letter to you for October, we are awaiting the first Nor’easter of the season with expected rainfall in the several inches. I hope you will all have come thru’ without any damage and minimal worries.

Our vaccination clinics are in full swing. By the time you read this, there will likely be only one left: October 7th from 9am-2pm, here at 27 Francis Farm Rd. in the Arcade Building. Registration is available on the town website under the Public Health Nurse tab. Vaccines available include ‘flu, COVID, RSV, pneumonia and shingles. Though registration is strongly recommended, walk-ins will be welcome on the day.

Our Healthy Living Program’s presentation will focus on Dementia this month and will be followed by Dementia Assessment appointments provided by Butler Hospital practitioners on November 10th and 17th. For more information on the assessment and registration for an appointment please call 508-252-5947 ext. 3127

As we return to our work and school routines, we can again pay heed to healthy eating and exercise routines. There are multiple and varied resources available to promote healthy diets and exercise, but it helps to involve the whole household to build a sustainable healthy lifestyle. So, sit together to make the grocery list, focus on lean proteins, grains, fruits and vegetable (find a couple that most will eat) and allow a little room for a treat, so there is less chance of binging. Adopting healthy eating and exercise does so much to promote both physical and emotional health and doing it as a family can keep us accountable to each other. If your family is just you, keep in touch with friends, or come on over to the Senior Center and build some new and supportive relationships there. In many areas of our community, we have the option to go for a walk or to ride a bike safely. Please use extra caution this time of year to be brightly clothed and carry a light so the drivers can see you. And, of course, always wear a helmet when riding your bicycle. Young children should always be accompanied by an adult, and tween and teens should be reminded of bicycle safety and helmet use when out on their bikes. Driver, please be extra cautious, particularly as the sun angle changes this time of year and with dusk upon us for the drive home in the evening.

Because we are still seeing mosquitos testing positive for West Nile Virus in 4 local towns and have 8 human cases in the state, as of this writing, I am still urging caution and protection if you and your family are outside during dusk and dawn. I am still seeing increased cases of Lyme and other tick-borne disease in Rehoboth, so continue to dress appropriately and do a full body check after being out in nature, until we see a frost. (The ticks are around all year, but tend to decrease in number and activity after the first frost).

For more information on tick and mosquito activity and incidence of disease please visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-arbovirus-update  You can also access the link on the town website under the Public Health Nurse tab.
As I write to you, we are still in the last weeks of September. September is the month we dedicate to Suicide Awareness. However, I believe it is something we should be aware of throughout the year. I don’t want to end our chat on a sad note, but I do want us all to be aware of the signs to look for, and the support available. Having survived a suicide in my family as a child, I want to write an epistle here, with support, information and a warning not to ask “what do have to be sad about?!” Because you know not what it is like, until you have walked in the shoes of someone who does. But instead of that epistle, I offer the following web link:
https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html 

I’d also like to offer a resource for our young families who are pregnant or have had a baby in the past year who may need some emotional support. Postpartum Support International is a support network available 24/7 that can be reached at 800-944-4773. Their website is https://postpartum.net/ 

Women and Infants Hospital in RI is another resource. For more information you can call 401-274-1100 or access their website at
https://www.womenandinfants.org/services/pregnancy/postpartum-health 

Be kind, be safe, be healthy!

Sincerely,
Geri
ghamel@rehobothma.gov 
508-252-5947 ext. 3127

Dementia Awareness Week
If I ever get dementia, I’d like my family to hang this wish list up on the wall where I live. I want them to remember these things:

1. Every time you enter the room announce yourself. “Hi- it’s ____” NEVER ask-  “Do you know who I am”???  That causes anxiety.

2. If I get dementia, I want my friends and family to embrace my reality.
3. If I think my dead friend is still alive, or if I think we’re visiting my parents for dinner, let me believe those things. I’ll be much happier for it.
4. If I get dementia, don’t argue with me about what is true for me versus what is true for you.
5. If I get dementia, and I am not sure who you are, do not take it personally. My life timeline is confusing to me.
6. If I get dementia and can no longer use utensils, do not start feeding me. Instead, switch me to a finger-food diet, and see if I can still feed myself.
7. If I get dementia, and I am sad or anxious, hold my hand and listen. Do not tell me that my feelings are unfounded.
8. If I get dementia, I don’t want to be treated like a child. Talk to me like the adult that I am.
9. If I get dementia, I still want to enjoy the things that I’ve always enjoyed. Help me find a way to exercise, read, and visit with friends.
10. If I get dementia, ask me to tell you a story from my past.
11. If I get dementia, and I become agitated, take the time to figure out what is bothering me.
12. If I get dementia, treat me the way that you would want to be treated.
13. If I get dementia, make sure that there are plenty of snacks for me in the house. Even now if I don’t eat I get angry, and if I have dementia, I may have trouble explaining what I need.
14. If I get dementia, don’t talk about me as if I’m not in the room.
15. If I get dementia, don’t feel guilty if you cannot care for me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s not your fault, and you’ve done your best. Find someone who can help you, or choose a great new place for me to live.
16. If I get dementia, and I live in a dementia care community, please visit me often.
17. If I get dementia, don’t act frustrated if I mix up names, events, or places. Take a deep breath. It’s not my fault.
18. If I get dementia, make sure I always have my favorite music playing within earshot.
19. If I get dementia, and I like to pick up items and carry them around, help me return those items to their original place.
20. If I get dementia, don’t exclude me from parties and family gatherings.
21. If I get dementia, know that I still like receiving hugs and plenty of laughing.
22. If I get dementia, remember that I am still the person you know and love.

In honor of someone you know or knew who has dementia. In Honor of all those I know and love and lost who are fighting Dementia/Alzheimer’s.

Someone once said if you take care of someone with dementia, you lose them more and more every day. When they get the diagnosis, when they go through different stages, when they need treatment, and when they pass away. This is called "the longest goodbye".

There will be people who dementia has not touched. They may not know what it's like to have a loved one who has battled or is still battling dementia.