October 2007 Vol. 26. No. 10

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Day of Caring
Grand Jurors still needed
October is Mobility Month
InfoCenter moves to new Wellness Center
Two programs help pin down health issues
AniMeals
Walkathon

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Around the Center
Two programs help pin down health issues
by Danna Bates

As our ages increase our health issues seem to increase as well. We have several programs to help you meet those ever-changing health issues.

Two of these wonderful services are under used.

Senior Health clinics

The senior health clinics, named Preventative Health Care for Adults, are a free service provided in part by a grant from the state and by Humboldt County Public Health Branch. These health clinics are in McKinleyville, Arcata, Eureka, Fortuna, Garberville, Willow Creek, Blue Lake, Orick and Crescent City. The clinics are staffed by public health nurses and offer a wide variety of services — vision and hearing screening, blood pressure measurement, blood testing for diabetes and anemia, a view of health history, update on immunizations, screening for skin and oral cancer, and formulation and discussion of your personal health promotion plan. This is for all adults age 50 and older, regardless of income.

This service is under used because so many people feel that because they have a doctor, they do not need it. But when was the last time your doctor was able to spend an hour with you going over your day-to-day issues? Many things can get overlooked because we fail to tell our doctors important items.

This clinic really helped save my husband. Even though under the care of a wonderful doctor, my husband failed to tell him how tired he had been. He felt it was not important. I made him go the health clinic, and it turns out he is severely anemic.

How do you take advantage of these free health clinics? If you are age 50 and older, simply call and make an appointment. To schedule an appointment in Humboldt County call 268-2107; in Garberville call 923-2779; and in Willow Creek call 530-629-2410.

Kris Kelly Health Information Center

At our senior center we have offered Brown Bag Medication Days, advanced health care directives and Health Information Day, all provided by the Kris Kelly Health Information Center. The center is a collaborative project with St. Joseph Health System and the Humboldt County Library. The center assists people in finding the information they need to make informed health care decisions.

If these services are not offered at your local senior center you can go directly to the KKHIC. It is staffed by a nurse coordinator and trained volunteers. Resources include books, newsletters and computer databases. Their web site, www.kkhic.org, contains links to other reliable sites.

Answers to your health questions can be provided by calling KKHIC at 442-9094, e-mailing info@kkhic.org, faxing 442-4013 — or you can visit the center on the first floor of the Eureka main library and do your own research. They can send you information by any of the above methods. All questions and information requests are confidential. There is no charge for these services.

Danna Bates is director of the McKinleyville Senior Center. Her e-mail is dbates@humboldt1.com.