Blessings February 2006 The Community Parish Nurse Program

Sponsored by The Carle Foundation

February has arrived and it seems like Central Illinois still can not decide if it is winter or not! Bev and I are running around this week preparing for the Winter 2006 class that begins this weekend. We have approx 30 nurses including 2 more guys(!) Annual meetings bring me so much joy! When I see what all of you are accomplishing I remain in awe of how you can make so much of your volunteer commitment. Included in this issue are sunshine bags developed by Jenny Trimmell (Spring 2000) for homebound ministers to take with them to brighten up the day of those they visit. Many of our churches are considering the Walk to Jerusalem program. Included in this issue are some teaching tools utilized by Good Shepherd Lutheran in Champaign in their extremely successful walk. So many of our group are facing severe challenges; cancer, loss of a spouse, loss of a nephew, ill family members, parish nurses struggling with their own health in addition to the difficult decisions that accompany these illnesses/losses. PLEASE take some of your prayer time to hold all on our prayer list in your heart this month I spoke on Parish Nursing for the CU Women's Club this past week. Several of the members had parish nurses in their congregations and sang your praises! The January sharing session in Vermilion county went well with a nice turnout. It is

ALWAYS good to see everyone. Charleston,Terre Haute, Tuscola, Arcola, Paris and Marshall faith community nurses are all invited to a sharing session this month at What's Cooking in Charleston on Thur., Feb. 16 at 6:00PM. This is an opportunity to find out what everybody is doing and how it is going. Those of you who have been parish nurses for awhile, maybe you can give the new people some tips and suggestions. I had the distinct pleasure of speaking for the Kankakee area parish nurses this past month. Several of our parish nurses are from this area and it was WONDERFUL to see all of them. Work has begun for the Westberg conference in September and also the HMA conference in June. We are anxious to represent our program well. The May 10th Acton speaker for nurses week will be Dr Timothy Porter O'Grady. He is a pioneer of shared Governance as well as a leadership expert in our profession. Arrangements have been made to have our parish nurse display out for that conference to remind our colleagues of different ways to utilize their nursing gifts. As your congregation begins discussions/preparations for the summer vacation bible school whether adult or child see what you can do to incorporate a healthy focus into one of the lessons/sessions. Please note the labels in this newsletter. Melva Solon (Fall 1998)

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Coordinator’s Corner What’s Inside

Prayer List 2

Parish Nurse News 3

Vermilion County-Illiana Alz. Fund (IAF) 3

New Driver Blessing 4

Education Resources Seniors have CLASS! 5 Spirituality: The Missing Piece of Wholistic Care

5

Bloomington/Normal Section

Healing Touch Level I and Level II Training 6

Smoke Free Bloomington-Normal 6

Heart Health 7 OSF Upcoming Classes 7

What is cholesterol? 7 Cornbelt Health Educators Assoc Scholarship Opportunity

8

YWCA Home-Based Services: Personal Care with a Flair

9

Resources Family Service Senior Resource Center 10

Talking with People with Alzheimer’s Disease

10

Remember—R.O.CK.S. 10

National Health Observances 11

Sunshine Bags 12

Walk to Jerusalem-Fun Facts/info Resources 13

Champaign County-In-Home Cargiving 13

2 Blessings—February 2006

Please keep the following parish nurses and their families in your hearts and prayers:

PRAYER

LIST

Kathie & Jim Buttitta Dianne Clemens & mother

Diane Buswell Karen McKinzie Linda Morgan

Carol & Ed Mills Sue Estes, daughter-in-law Sara and family

Joyce Zschau Rachel Doney (Mary Galyen’s granddaughter) Family of Aaron Grant (nephew of Jo Samara)

Carolyn Schluter The parish nurses who are dealing with

Alzheimers in their own family The parish nurses who are without clergy

leadership in their congregations Sharon Stewart

Holli (granddaughter of Marge Nester) Jerry Markarian (father of Joyce Williamson)

Mel Billman, stepgrandson & family Mildred Burrows

Melva Solon The parish nurse and congregation who are

suffering from the unexpected loss of a pastor For the parish nurses affected by Katrina and Wilma

April 27 and 28 will be the 3rd annual Parish nurse conference put on by the Rock Island Ill parish nurses. If you are interested in going with our group let us know. Jennifer White from the Univ. of Nebraska will be their featured speaker on Wholistic Lifestyle. We go up on Thursday afternoon, spend the night (lodging is covered) and come back Fri afternoon. I hope this month goes well for everyone and please call if you need anything. Blessings Faith

shared these with me at her annual meeting. We have ordered a supply for our program. The rationale behind the sticker is should an infant be in an accident and the adult with them is unable to speak for them necessary contact info is available on the child seat. The other stickers are for child bicycle helmets. The name for this program is CHAD: Children Have An Identity. Think of this as a great spring bicycle safety fair, health fair, vacation bible school giveaway. The child safety seat stickers could be in the gift bag you take to all new moms if your church has that ministry.

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Blessings—February 2006 3

The mission of Illiana Alzheimer Fund (IAF) is to help people in our area who are dealing and living daily with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). We are an organization under the umbrella of the Provena USMC Foundation. IAF is pleased to present a one day seminar in our area featuring Dr. Peter Rabins, co-author of the book The 36-Hour Day on Wednesday, April 26. The targeted audience for this seminar is family and professional caregivers. I wanted to contact parish nurses with info about this seminar as I believe this day could be extremely helpful to families in our church family. Not only will the speakers present helpful tips and encouragement, but the opportunity to network with other people living with this devastating disease can have a tremendous benefit. As a caregiver for my husband, I know personally it can often be a stressful and lonely journey; and the

companionship and fellowship with my "best friend" has dramatically changed. Perhaps the parish nurses know families in the church family who could benefit by attending the seminar or they themselves might like to attend to gain insight better enabling them to help strengthen these families. Our brochure is available on website www.pusmcf.com; click on the Illiana Alzheimer Fund (conference sign up) and then download the DETAILED brochure. Nancy M. McMahon Administrative Secretary Department of Anesthesiology Provena United Samaritans Medical Center 812 North Logan Avenue Danville, IL 61832 Direct Phone: 217-477-2940 Fax: 217-477-2936

Vermilion County—Illiana Alzheimer Fund (IAF)

Congratulations to Kaye (McDonald) Andrews (Fall 2004) who was married on January 28, 2006

Below is link to a wonderful profile of parish nurse Kim Busboom (Fall 1997) from an article that appeared in “Illinois Times”, a

Springfield magazine. Check it out! http://www.illinoistimes.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A5018

4 Blessings—February 2006

[The pastor of liturgist calls the Health and Wholeness Ministry participants and each new driver forward.] #1 [speaking to congregation] There are many rites of passage in life. From baptisms to confirmations, birthdays to graduations, relationship commitments to funerals, we measure the progress of our lives by the significant rites of passage we go through. #2 [speaking to new drivers] One significant passage is becoming a driver. It is a quantum leap in both freedom and responsibility. No longer dependent upon the availability of friends and family to drive you around, you are suddenly more free to come and go as you wish. #3 [to new drivers] But with this freedom also comes new responsibility. You are responsible for the safety of occupants, pedestrians, and other drivers. And you are responsible for the preservation of God’s greatest gift to you: your own life. #4 [to new drivers] As a celebration of your achievement, as a reminder of your responsibility, and as a token of the care and love of your congregation, we present each of you with this key ring. [Give key ring] #1 [speaking to congregation] Please join me in the congregational response as printed in your bulletin. Congregational Response: Every time you drive may you remember that we support you, celebrate you, and pray for your safety. Know that you are a beloved child of this community of faith and a beloved child of God. [All may be seated] Submitted by Linda Morgan, Fall 2001.

NEW DRIVER BLESSING COMMUNITY UCC, CHAMPAIGN

Blessings—February 2006 5 EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

CLASS, Community Living Alternatives for SeniorS, is an innovative program that uses senior and other volunteers to help seniors, 60 years and older with disabilities, stay in their own homes or return to their homes from nursing homes. Currently, CLASS is limited to Champaign County, but will eventually cover Douglas and Piatt Counties. CLASS has a small budget to assist seniors on a one-time basis with essentials, such as security deposits, furnishings, telephone activation, etc. Upon request, its volunteers will work with identified seniors, their caregivers, and senior

care professionals to fill out housing and other application forms, adapt to new limitations such as a loss of drivers licenses, make and maintain connections to the system of care, and learn how to be self-advocates. Please call Lisa Busjahn at 359-6500 for more information. CLASS is a VISTA program operated through RSVP of Champaign, Douglas and Piatt Counties. RSVP is a program of Family Service of Champaign County.

Seniors Have CLASS!

The Chicago area NCF Spring continuing education program, Spirituality: The Missing Piece of Wholistic Care is rapidly approaching. Be sure not to miss this opportunity to hear Dr. Verna Benner Carson, author of four books, including Spiritual Dimensions of Nursing Practice (Saunders), recipient of two AJN book-of-the-year awards, Mental Health Nursing: The Nurse-Patient Journey (Saunders), and Spiritual Caregiving: Health Care As

a Ministry with Dr. Harold Koenig (Templeton). The program will be held on March 4, 2006 at the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine on the campus of Loyola University Medical Center, in Maywood, IL. For more information go to http://www.ncf-jcn.org/conferences/34il.html or contact Grace Tazelaar at GJTaz@aol.com.

Spirituality: The Missing Piece of Wholistic Care

6 Blessings—February 2006

BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL INFO

Healing Touch Level I and Level II Training A Healing Touch Level I training will be held at Edwards Hall, Mennonite School of Nursing at Illinois State University on Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5, 2006 for 15-20 contact hours. This training is the first in a program of study designed for nurses and also appropriate for anyone who wants an in-depth understanding and practice of healing work using energy-based concepts. You can use this work with family, friends, patients and pets. Level II training for those who have completed Level I will be held Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25, 2006. Sandra J. Lutz, RN, MS, Family Nurse Practitioner, is the instructor. Sandra

has been teaching Healing Touch for fifteen years and has a private practice. Healing Touch International, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that administers the Healing Touch Certification process. Continuing Education Contact Hours are accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation, for nurses and massage therapists. If you want to know more and for registration forms please contact Chris Kaufman RN, HNC, coordinator.

(309) 829-1422 chriskk@insightbb.com

Smoke Free Bloomington-Normal We need your support! The Smoke

Free Bloomington Normal Coalition is working to protect the health of

workers and patrons through a smoke free workplace ordinance in

Bloomington & Normal.

Check out: www.smokefreeillinois.org/BloomingtonNormal

Sign the online petition Print out petitions and encourage

others to sign Encourage organizations to sign

the resolution

Contact city council members and let them know you support a smoke free Bloomington Normal

Upcoming public forum on smoking in public places:

February 13th, 2006

Bloomington Public Hearing Bloomington City Council

Chambers 6:00 p.m.

Heart Health

Blessings—February 2006 7

Heart disease can be any disorder that affects the hearts ability to function normally. The most common cause is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries which is caused by too much cholesterol. This happens slowly over time. Less than 200 mg/dl of choles-terol is considered desirable, since this level carries the least risk of heart dis-ease. If you are at 240 mg/dl or more you are at high risk for heart disease. It is recommended that your choles-terol levels be tested once every year, unless you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, then it should be once every three months. To lower high cholesterol levels you should con-sume no more than 30% of the total daily calories from fat.

Tips to keep you heart healthy: ♥ Walk 30 minutes a day on most

days ♥ Abstain from smoking ♥ Keep you cholesterol levels down

by eating healthy ♥ Control your blood pressure by

monitoring your salt intake ♥ Avoid highly stressful situations Source: Medline Plus www.nlm.nih.gov

BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL INFO

OSF Upcoming Classes Cooking to Lower Cholesterol

Tuesday, February 14th 5:30-7:30 pm

Cooking to Lower Blood Pressure Tuesday, February 21st 5:30-7:30 pm

To Register—Call 1-888-627-5673 (Option 4)

OSF St. Joseph’s Center for Healthy Lifestyles, 2200 E Washington Street,

Bloomington, IL (309) 661-5151

What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in your blood and in all your body's cells. The American Heart Association (AHA) says you need a certain amount of cholesterol for good health. But too much cholesterol in your blood can lead to clogged arteries and is a major risk factor for heart disease.…..READ MORE at Health Steps Magazine at:

http://www.stayinginshape.com/3osfhosp/osf/stjosmc.htm

From the members of the Cornbelt Health Educators Association of Central Illinois (CHEA) Who is eligible?

Current CHEA members & students who will take or have taken the CHES exam in the last year.

What is it?

CHES Scholarship - $190 toward the CHES exam fee (on reimbursement basis) and receive a one-year membership to CHEA

When? Applications must be received by March 10th, 2006 How to Apply? 1. Write a short essay (approximately 300 words) on:

Why CHES is important to a Health Educator Future goals in Health Education Experience/qualifications related to Health Education (Major,

GPA, health education experience, volunteerism) 2. Letter of Reference from a Health Education Professional (i.e. Professor,

community Health Educator)

Please mail or drop off application to: Ruth Ann Lipic, CHEA President

ISU, Department of Health Science Radon Awareness Program

Felmley Hall Room 305 Campus Box 5220

Normal, IL 61790-5220 For more information about CHES, check out the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing website at: www.nchec.org

Cornbelt Health Educators Association Scholarship Opportunity

8 Blessings—February 2006

BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL INFO

Blessings—February 2006 9

BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL INFO

YWCA Home-Based Services: Personal Care with a Flair For over 20 years, YWCA Home-Based Services has served hundreds of senior citizens throughout McLean County. Our homemaker services help seniors stay independent and safe in their own homes. Home-Based Services is committed to providing quality, personal care to senior citizens. Our staff will help seniors: • Remain independent in their

private homes. • Sustain self-sufficiency through a

variety of support services. • Maintain their sense of pride and

dignity. Getting Started Home-Based Services staff members guide senior citizens and their caregivers through a simple process to get started. We make every effort to match the needs of the client with the appropriate level of care. Our staff will: 1. Conduct a thorough assessment

of the client’s needs. 2. Collaborate with the client and

caregiver(s) to establish the right balance of services.

3. Make a compatible match between the client and our Home-Based Services homemaker.

4. Keep in touch with the client and caregiver(s) to ensure that

services continue to meet the client’s need.

Levels of Care YWCA Home-Based Services can be provided on a short- or long-term basis, depending on the current needs of the client. We offer three basic levels of care for seniors who are unable to or have difficulty performing the following themselves: • Housekeeping—basic household

tasks and laundry. • Homemaker services—more

challenging jobs like meal planning and preparation.

• Personal care—trained staff, including CNAs provide services such as bathing.

“Sandwich” Generation For adult children of aging parents, YWCA Home-Based Services can be the much-needed support network. Our dedicated staff can help those who are juggling the demands of their parent with the needs of their own family and job. We will help you stay informed about your parent’s needs and quality of life. To learn more about YWCA Home-Based Services, please call us at 309-454-1451 or visit our website at www.ywcamclean.org.

10 Blessings—February 2006

RESOURCES

Family Service Senior Resource Center

Talking With People with Alzheimer’s Disease

New Caregiver Support Group Meeting

Tuesday, February 28 7:00 p.m.

A new group is meeting at the Champaign County Nursing Home Adult Day Center. Any adult providing care for a senior is welcome and invited to attend; the senior does not need to be attending the Adult Day Center.

Caregiver Tips Communication is, as they say, a two-way street. When it comes to communicating with a person with Alzheimer’s Disease, both parties may have a difficult time understanding the other. The person with Alzheimer’s can have trouble processing what you say, and you may not follow what they say because they mix words or repeat words or phrases. These tips may help: ♦ Show interest by maintaining

eye contact and staying close

to your loved one. ♦ Avoid distractions and noise

that can interrupt concentration.

♦ Talk in short sentences with simple words.

♦ Don’t interrupt or hurry an Alzheimer’s response, even though it may take minutes for them to answer.

Finally, realize that the frustration with communication words both ways and is the result of your loved one’s disease, not their attitude. Be patient!

Remember—R.O.C.K.S. The Champaign County Support Group for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren—R.O.C.K.S.—meets the 3rd Wednesday, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Stevick Senior Center,

48 Main Street, Champaign. Childcare is provided. Contact Lynda Gritton at 351-1748 for more information.

Blessings—February 2006 11

FEBRUARY Heart Month American Heart Association 7272 Greenville Avenue Dallas, TX 75231 (800) 242-8721 inquire@americanheart.org www.americanheart.org Materials available February 5-11 National Burn Awareness Week Shiners' International Headquarters PO Box 31356 Tampa, FL 33631 (813) 281-0300 www.shrinershq.org Materials available February 14 National Donor Day Division of Transplantation, OSP, HRSA US Dept of Health & Human Services Parklawn Building, Room 16C-17 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 (301)443-7577 ask@hrsa.gov www.organdonor.gov Materials available February 17 National Women’s Heart Day Sister to Sister: Everyone Has a Heart Foundation, Inc. 4701 Willard Avenue, Suite 223 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 (301) 718-8033 info@sistertosister.org www.womensheartday.org Materials available

February 25 (through March 4) National Eating Disorders Awareness Week National Eating Disorders Assoc. 603 Stewart Street, Suite 803 Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 382-3587 info@nationaleatingdisorders.org www.nationaleatingdisorders.org Materials available MARCH National Brain Injury Awareness Month Brain Injury Association of America 8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 611 McLean, VA 22102 (703) 761-0750 publicrelations@biausa.org www.biausa.org Materials available National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation 1500 Duke Street, Suite 500 Alexandria, VA 22314 (800) 227-2732 www.preventcancer.org/colorectal Materials available National Kidney Month National Kidney Foundation 30 East 33rd Street New York, NY 10016 (800) 622-9010 info@kidney.org www.kidney.org Materials available

National Health Observances

12 Blessings—February 2006

Sunshine Bags Items: • Yellow paper bag with handles

(purchased at Dollar Tree) .50 each • 1 can chicken noodle soup (price

varies depending on name brand or generic)

• 1 small devotion book (the Dollar Tree happened to have a small booklet of excerpts from the Chicken Soup book series for $1.00 each. Any small devotional book would work or you could put a note or a postcard with your favorite uplifting verse in the bag.)

• 1 rice hot pack. [Cost is probably less than $2.00 per hot pack which includes material and rice]. If you have scrap material on hand it’s even cheaper! I called the rice pack “snuggle-buddies.” The “snuggle-buddy” is a rectangular cloth tube [15 in X 6 in] Quilted material or fleece works well. Flannel will work if it is heavy enough. Sew tube on 3 sides leaving one end open to fill bag with rice. Partially fill the bag with long cooking rice (please note it is critical to use the long cooking rice and not instant rice). Fill bag half to 2/3 full. Do not overfill to allow some flexibility. After the tube is filled tuck the end in and sew shut. The “snuggle-buddy” can be heated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes and used as heating pad. Even though the rice is dry it contains some moisture so it provides a moist heat which is very soothing. I created some small circular “snuggle-buddies” bags that were a convenient size to keep in the freezer to be used as an instant ice pack. The circular rice buddies are 6 inches in diameter. See additional information about general care of the rice bag.

I created a label on the computer to place on the outside of the bag that simply said: SUNSHINE BAG created by the Helping Hands of Central Christian Church. I also created a small instruction tag for the snuggle-buddy that said, *For Hot pack: microwave 1-2 minutes; use as you would a hot water bottle. *For Cold Pack: store in freezer. *Avoid getting snuggle buddy wet. I prepared the tubes and then gathered a small work group to help me put the labels on the bag; fill the rice buddies and put the books and soup in the bags. A couple weeks prior to the work group I placed a request in our Newsletter requesting donations of cans of soup and long grain rice and made a couple of announcements during church service. We placed the Sunshine Bags in our church library so that anyone could easily access them. Periodically I either announce in church or put a short note in the newsletter reminding the congregation that anyone can grab a bag to take to someone who is under the weather and “spread a little sunshine.” There is no sign out sheet or documentation of who took them or who they were distributed to. When they’re gone we just make more! We created our first batch shortly before flu season but they could be created anytime for use all year long. GENERAL CARE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE RICE BAG: 1. With proper care the bag can be

used and re-used for several years. 2. The bag cannot be washed or

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submerged in water due to the rice inside. You could slit the end open, dump the rice and wash the bag and then re-fill. But because they are so cheap and easy to make and last so long I would suggest just making a new one when it is worn out.

3. Always do the “touch test” to assure proper temperature before applying to the body.

4. The rice bag will feel slightly moist on the outside after heated. This is due to the fact that natural rice contains significant moisture in the form of water. The amount of

(Continued from page 12) moisture in the rice will decrease over time with regular use.

There is a website with instructions on how to make fancier hot packs but I found the tubes worked just as well and were quicker to make. Here is the website if you want to check out the fancier ones: www.allfreecrafts.com Click on “sewing patterns”. Scroll to almost the bottom of page to the section entitled “Homemade Gifts”. Click on Faux Hot Water Bottle. Questions? Call me at 217-446-2329. Jenny Trimmell

Blessings—February 2006 13

We have some great resources in our office that may be fun/helpful for those of you doing/considering doing the Walk to Jerusalem program. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Champaign has prepared weekly info sheets/fun facts. They contain many interesting facts and questions on several locations the walk goes through, plus lots of great pictures. These were prepared by

the parish nurses at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church who spent quite a bit of time researching and preparing these sheets. Please contact our office if you are interested and I can email you the documents. If you don’t have email I would be happy to mail these to you. Contact Beverly.talbott@carle.com or (217) 326-2583.

Walk to Jerusalem-Fun facts/info

For our in home care program we can provide non medical services. Our staff are all trained. Our rates start out at $14.50 hour and go up to $18.50 hour. We also do provide weekend and evening hours which have an additional $1.00 per hour charge. A staff member will go to the home, or hospital/nursing home

to meet with the client and discuss needs and set up a service plan at that time. For more information, please contact Family Services at 352-0099 or visit their website at: http://www.famservcc.org/seniors.php

Champaign County—In-home caregiving