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ATTENTION!!!
February 3rd will be the last day to RSVP for hands only CPR training. Please call, 313-591-3786.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
February 11th: New Direction Support Group
12PM-2PM
Guest Speaker: Dr. Daniel Rathbun & John Scott
Topic: AMD/Low Vision Awareness
February is AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month:
A.M.D. stands for Age-related Macular Degeneration. It is an illness that is the leading cause of low vision in Americans older than 50 years of age. The part of the eye affected by this disease is the macula, a pigmented, oval-shaped part of the retina. About 5 mm in diameter, it is responsible for the central vision required for driving, reading, and fine detail. Containing a high number of photoreceptor cells that detect light, it is also responsible for high-resolution vision. A.M.D. is a progressive disease that causes retinal cells to slowly die, though it causes no physical pain.
Medical experts have been able to identify some risk factors that might lead to the onset of A.M.D., including high blood pressure, high levels of blood cholesterol, obesity, and smoking. Other risk factors that a person has no control over are age, heredity, race, and gender. Symptoms of the disease include blurry vision, blind spots, straight lines appearing wavy, doorways seeming crooked, and objects appearing farther away or smaller. When any of these symptoms present themselves, the concerned individual is advised to immediately visit an ophthalmologist.
Though there is no cure for the disease, A.M.D. never causes blindness so it is possible for a patient to live normally with the disease by adapting to the quality of vision they have.
On the other hand, low vision is a visual impairment that cannot be corrected by surgery, glasses, contact lenses, or even pharmaceuticals. Its symptoms are blurry vision, tunnel vision, or blind spots. Low vision does not lead to complete blindness and in fact, can be improved with the use of visual aids. A.M.D. is one of the common causes of low vision, alongside diabetes and glaucoma. Though anyone can be affected by low vision, individuals 45 years and older face more risk.
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February 13th: Family/Friend Support Group
6:30PM
This group is for those who have a Family/Friend who is visually impaired. Let’s talk, meet and support one another. Please call 313-591-3786 or kashonia@gdabvi.org for Zoom information.
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February 14th: Valentine's Day!
Do you have a Valentine? If not… pick GDABVI. GDABVI relies on generous community support to fulfill its mission of providing no-cost services that foster independence, dignity and overall well-being for individuals of all ages who are blind or visually impaired. To make a donation, go to: Donate
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February 17th: Presidents' Day
The agency will be closed. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. Washington's Birthday was celebrated on this date from 1879 until 1970. To give federal employees a three-day weekend, in 1968 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved it to the third Monday in February, which can occur from February 15 to the 21st. The day soon became known as Presidents' Day.
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February 25th: Book Club
12PM-2PM (VIA ZOOM)
We will be discussing, The House Maid by: Freida McFadden. You can find this book on BARD (Book Number, DB114201).
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88063218287
One tap mobile
+13092053325,,88063218287#,,,,*756521#
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February 26th: Hands Only CPR Training
12PM-2PM
Guest Speaker: Richard Bernstein, Board Member
February is American Heart Month. During American Heart Month, the AHA and other organizations reinforce the importance of heart health, the need for more research and efforts to ensure that millions of people live longer and healthier. In most cases, heart disease is preventable when people adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, treating high blood pressure, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week and getting regular checkups.
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