Grundy County Health Department
1716 Lincoln / Trenton, MO 64683
PH: 660.359.4196 FAX: 660.359.5470
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Grundy County Health Department 1716 Lincoln / Trenton, MO 64683 PH: 660.359.4196 FAX: 660.359.5470
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Public Health PostJanuary - March 2005
Contents Healthy New Year's Resolutions Tips For Serving Safe Holiday Dinners Common Sense Tips For Staying Healthy Maternal Child & Family Health
Healthy New Year's Resolutions The word resolution means to have determination, make up one's mind, devote oneself, decide, stand firm or stick it out. Many people want to start the New Year with a set of resolutions. About 40 percent of New Year's resolutions are to eat more healthfully, to stop tobacco use, and to get more exercise. Resolutions are similar to goals. When goals are too big, unreasonable, or don't have a time frame, they are often forgotten. Goals are more successful if they are planned and not "spur of the moment" wishes. It may be helpful to write resolutions down or to share them with someone else. Make gradual changes. If you try to change habits gradually you will have a greater chance of succeeding. Be specific. Resolving to exercise more is not as specific as deciding you will walk for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Take one day at a time. If a setback occurs, it's OK. Don't use a setback as an excuse to abandon your resolutions. Just learn from a mistake and go on. Suggestions for healthful adult resolutions:
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests healthy resolutions for preschoolers might include:
Suggestions for school-age children from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
For more information on taking small, manageable steps to improve your health, visit www.smallsteps.gov.
From WIC News
Suicide is a reaction to intense feelings of loneliness, worthlessness, hopelessness, or depression. Threats or attempts of suicide are calls for help. Knowing the warning signs and being prepared to answer these calls for help could save a life. Warning signs of suicide:
QPR is a strategy that is intended to teach those who are in a position to recognize the warning signs, clues, and suicidal communications of people in trouble to ACT vigorously to prevent a possible tragedy. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer. QPR is not intended to be a form of counseling or treatment. QPR is intended to offer hope through positive action, ask a question, save a life. Question the person about suicide. Do they have thoughts? Feelings? Plans? Don't be afraid to ask, "Are you thinking about killing yourself?" Persuade the person to get help. Listen carefully. Then say "Let me help you." Or "Come with me to find help." The goal of persuasion is simple. All we want to accomplish is for the person to say "yes," and that they will get some help. Offer hope in any form and in any way. Refer. Here are some guidelines: The best referrals are when you personally take the person you are worried about to a mental health provider or other appropriate professional. The next best referral is when the person agrees to see a professional, and you know they actually keep the appointment. Most suicidal people who agree to get help will act in good faith and get the help they need. When you apply QPR you plant the seeds of hope. Applying QPR brings personal crisis out of the dark and into the light. QPR is a positive, hopeful technique. And hope, more than anything else, can reduce the risk of premature death by suicide. For more information about QPR contact Molly Long at the Grundy County Health Department, 359-4196.
The first step in preventing suicide is to identify and understand the risk factors. A risk factor is anything that increases the likelihood that persons will harm themselves. However, risk factors are not necessarily causes. Research has identified the following risk factors for suicide (DHHS 1999):
from the Centers For Disease Control
Tips For Serving Safe Holiday Dinners A popular way to celebrate holidays or any party occasion is to invite friends and family to a buffet. However, this type of food service where foods are left out for long periods leave the door open for bacteria that cause foodborne illness. Here are some tips to help you have a SAFE holiday party.
Winter storms can cause dangerous power outages in your home or strand you in your vehicle. Winterize your home and car before winter weather strikes. At home:
For more information on winter weather survival, visit www.cdc.gov.
Common Sense Tips For Staying Healthy During the flu vaccine shortage of 2004, healthy people that usually take a flu shot are foregoing their vaccination so that high risk people can receive a shot. But even without vaccine, there are several ways to protect yourself from flu or other illness.
Other good habits like getting plenty of rest, engaging in physical activity, drinking plenty of water, and eating nutritious food will help you stay healthy all year round.
Maternal Child & Family Health The Grundy County Health Department is committed to making life better for families in Grundy County. Through our Maternal, Child, and Family Health Program, we identify target areas to address in an effort to improve the health and safety of parents and children. Two of our primary focus areas are increasing the numbers of children under two who have received the recommended immunizations, and working to assure that pregnant women receive adequate prenatal care. These measures are determined by comparing county data to that for the entire state of Missouri. In addition to addressing these target areas, the health department offers a number of services for families. Through pregnancy testing, prenatal case management, breastfeeding classes and a car seat program, we are striving to help families have a successful beginning. We also offer developmental screenings, lead screening, well-child clinics, immunizations, and WIC, which stands for Women, Infants, and Children--a nutrition education program that includes food packages at no cost. Our school health and health education programs provide programs and informational opportunities for children and families to actively participate in improving their quality of life by making healthy choices. If you have questions about these or other programs for families, please call or visit the Grundy County Health Department. Let us show you how public health makes life better.
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Grundy County Health Department is an Equal Opportunity
Provider.
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