Happy New Year from VNLV!

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month

Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States. People are often unaware that glaucoma has no symptoms in its early stages.

If detected early, before noticeable vision loss occurs, glaucoma can usually be controlled and severe vision loss can often be prevented. Vision that is lost from glaucoma cannot be restored.

Anyone can get glaucoma, but those at higher risk include:

African Americans over age 40
Everyone over age 60, especially Hispanics/Latinos
People with a family history of the disease

Join the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) and encourage people at higher risk for glaucoma to make a resolution for healthy vision this new year.

For more information, click here.

Glaucoma Resources:

Keep Vision in Your Future: Toolkit

Glaucoma Fact Sheet

Glaucoma Education

Outreach, Tools and Tips

More Educational Materials

Videos and Webinars

You Can “Shatter the Myths”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is sponsoring “National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week: Shatter the Myths (NADFW)” January 22- 28, 2018. You can help the fight against prescription drug misuse. Get educated! Alcohol and prescription drug misuse is a growing problem for teens age 14 and older. Many teens misuse prescription drugs to get high, or because they think the drugs help with schoolwork. Commonly misused drugs include opioid pain relievers such as Vicodin or OxyContin, depressants such as Valium or Xanax, and stimulants such as Adderall, or Ritalin. Teens often take these drugs from relatives with valid prescriptions.

For more information, click here.

What is a Heart-Healthy Diet?

8 Steps to Prevent Heart Disease

Control Your Portion Size
Eat More Vegetables and Fruit
Select Whole Grains
Limit Unhealthy Fats
Choose Low-Fat Protein Sources
Reduce the Sodium in Your Food
Plan Ahead, Create Healthy Menus
Allow Yourself an Occasional Treat

For more information, click here.

Meet Kim Wolf, RN, BSN

Kim Wolf's career began in physical therapy as a Physical Therapist Assistant in the late 1990’s. A little exposure to the field of medicine in several large medical centers and she was hooked. Kim continued her education in the field of nursing by obtaining her BSN. After working in several different areas of health care, she found herself returning to the home care setting. She started with Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley (VNLV) in September as a weekend and per diem nurse. In addition to working for VNLV, she also works several days a week for Tri-town Family Practice in Essex, with Dr. Louise Maloney.

When she's not working, Kim devotes her time, love and energy to her husband Jae, her almost twelve year-old daughter (Clara), her 3 adorable dogs (Chance, Bella, and Bailey), her always hungry pot-bellied pig, (Pumba), her talkative Amazon parrot (Kendra) and her 4 chickens. Kim says that all of the above can bring a smile to her face…even on the most stressful of days.

Welcome, Kim, we're so happy to have you on the VNLV team!

Update from LVCA: Why Older People Fall

Falls are the leading cause of death, injury and hospital admissions among the elderly population. According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), one out of every four Americans aged 65 and older falls every year.

Not only are seniors more prone to falling, but they are also more susceptible to fall-related injuries such as a broken hip or head trauma. Understanding why older individuals are at an increased risk can help family caregivers take the proper precautions to keep their loved ones safely on their feet.

Several factors contribute to the fact that seniors fall so much more frequently than younger people. Click here for Seven Reasons Why Older People Fall.

Lower Valley Care Advocates provides in home support to help support a safe environment for seniors in all areas of living including personal care, housekeeping and companionship. For more information, call (860) 767-2695 or click here.

Let's Stay Connected!

Learn more about VNLV on our website or visit us on Facebook

Questions? Call Us! 860-767-0186