Ticks, Scholarship Winners, Meet Cathy Lenz, Auction Update, Weekend Warriors and more!
Summer Safety: Ticks and Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks.  Laboratory testing is helpful if used correctly and performed with validated methods. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, applying pesticides, and reducing tick habitat. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tickborne diseases as well.

For more information, click here.
Annual Scholarship Winners!

Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley Announces 2017 Scholarship Award Recipients

In honor of the late Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Murtha of Essex, Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley awarded scholarships to 4 local high school seniors. Scholarships were awarded on the basis of academic achievement, volunteerism and motivation. Emphasis is placed on healthcare in the selection process.

Susan Maxwell, Executive Director, stated, “We’re happy to be able to support these deserving students with scholarship awards. We were impressed by their hard work, determination and enthusiasm for entering the healthcare field. I have no doubt that they will achieve their goals, whatever they may be.”

Healthcare is growing and talented individuals such as these students will bring healthcare into the future.  VNLV is proud to recognize the achievements  of these fine young individuals!     
 L-R: Camron Gosselin, Francesca Daniels, Alyssa Diaz (Alyssa’s sister, Sabrina, pictured here), Kali Bruton (not pictured)
Auction Preview: "We're Almost 100 Party!"

Check out some of the exciting items you can bid on during the silent auction!

  • Fall foliage airplane ride along the CT River Valley from Chester Airport
  • Round of Golf for 4 at Old Lyme Country Club, includes golf cart
  • Sunset Cruise for two on the CT RiverQuest

(We appreciate these donations that were generously provided by Chester Airport, Old Lyme Country Club and RiverQuest, respectively)

For more information, click here.

Have an item you'd like to donate? We'd appreciate your support! Call 860-767-0186 and ask for Sarah!

Starting July 1st, tickets can be purchased at: Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley, The Copper Beech Inn, Quality Care Pharmacy, or Bob's Centerbook Package Store.

Thank you to the following sponsors for their generous support!
  • Quality Care Pharmacy
  • Whelen Engineering  
  • Webster Bank
  • Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home

It's not too late to become a Sponsor! Contact us at 860-767-0186 for more information. Thank you!
  Meet Kathleen Lunz, RN
Kathleen Lunz has been a registered nurse for 21 years. Her main focus has been long-term care and geriatrics. She states that she is "excited" to have made the transition to home care. 

Kathleen is originally from Old Saybrook, but moved to Ivoryton when she got married. She has 3 children and 2 labradors. She enjoys gardening, hiking, taking walks and spending time with her family.

Welcome to the VNLV team, Kathy!  We're happy to have you with us!!
                                     
Weekend Warriors: Don’t Get Sidelined by Injury 

The sun is shining, temperatures are rising outdoor activities are calling us to exercise.  Sometimes our enthusiasm gets the best of us and we overuse muscles and joints that have not been used all winter. We can be smart and participate in all the fun the season has to offer. The National Institutes of Health website at MedlinePlus offers the following tips to avoid exercise injuries:


  • Warm up and cool down- exercising slowly for a few minutes warms up your muscles.
  • Stretch at least twice a week holding for 15-30 minutes without bouncing.
  • Make sure you use proper equipment.  Footwear, helmets, and protective equipment can decrease the risk of injury.
  • Consider lessons to learn to do a new activity correctly.
  • LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Forget “no pain, no gain” push your body slowly and gradually. You should never feel pain when exercising.
  • Call 911 if you have chest pain during or after exercise or if you think you have a broken bone.  See your doctor if rest and self-care does not improve muscle or joint pain.
  • Get moving, have fun and Be Safe!                                                                                

Call Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley for more information: 860-767-0186.
No Place Like Home for Joint Replacement
A recent article in Harvard Men’s Health Watch weighed in on the wonders of healing at home. A study published online March 14, 2017, by The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that when it comes to speed of recovery after a total knee replacement, a home-based rehabilitation program is as good as rehab that starts with a stay in the hospital.
Researchers randomly assigned people with osteoarthritis undergoing total knee replacement into two groups for 10 weeks of therapy. Those in one group received 10 days of hospital inpatient rehabilitation followed by a clinician-monitored program that they attended two to three times a week for eight weeks. Those in the other group skipped the hospital rehab and went straight into the clinician-monitored program but then progressed to at-home exercises.

After 10 weeks, both groups' mobility was measured by how far the patients could walk in six minutes, and the researchers found no difference between them. Self-reported pain levels, function, and quality of life were also equal.

It is not clear why the patients who started rehab at home benefited as much as those who did inpatient rehab first, even though the latter group had greater access to physiotherapy and support after surgery. The researchers speculated that the home program encourages patients to be more active and independent from the get-go, which may help recovery in the long run.
Lower Valley Care Advocates provides many services to keep clients at home. Personal care services as well as concierge services can cover all the bases when joint replacement clients are looking to stay home to recover.

Let us help you. Call Lower Valley Care Advocates at 860-767-2695.

Facebook