Henry County Health Board to meet Nov. 6
The health department announced the quarterly meeting of the Henry County Health Board. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the health department office at 110 N. Burr Blvd.
November is American Diabetes Month, Diabetes Education Week Nov. 3-9
The Henry and Stark County Health Departments and First Choice Healthcare are taking note of National Diabetes Awareness Month and Diabetes Education Week, which takes place Nov. 3-9. Nearly 26 million children and adults have diabetes and an additional 79 million are at-risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes.
The health department and First Choice Healthcare, along with the American Diabetes Association (ADA), want to raise awareness about the importance of knowing the risk factors and symptoms associated with diabetes; as well as, its serious and life-threatening complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and amputation.
The First Choice Healthcare Family Nurse Practitioners can help with the management of non-insulin dependent diabetes. And for diagnosed diabetics, the department announces they will offer the Hemoglobin A1C Blood Test (for diagnosed diabetics with a doctor’s rrder) at a special price of $30 for the month of November. Testing is available through their clinics in Kewanee 309-852-5272; Colona 309- 792-4011; and Toulon 309-852-3115.
Diabetes is dangerous because high blood sugar isn’t usually something you can feel. Many people have no outward type 2 diabetes symptoms at all and can go years without being diagnosed. That’s why it’s important to be aware of the type 2 diabetes symptoms and risk factors for diabetes. Get screened by a health care provider if you have the following type 2 diabetes symptoms:
- Being unusually thirsty
- Having to urinate often
- Feeling hungry all the time
- Losing weight (without trying)
- Having blurry vision
- Feeling very tired
- Frequent infections
- Cuts and sores that heal slowly
If you are over age 45, talk with your health care provider about being tested for diabetes, especially if you are overweight or have family members with the condition. Regardless of your age, if you are overweight and have one or more of the other risk factors listed, the ADA suggests that you be tested for diabetes.
‘Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks’
The health department and the Henry County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) are encouraging the public to remember to make sure that their emergency preparedness stockpiles are up-to-date when the clocks were changed on Nov. 3.
This is all a part of the APHA’s Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign.
“The effort is designed to remind Americans to make sure that their emergency preparedness stockpiles have adequate food, water and supplies and ensure that nothing is missing or has expired. The biannual campaign is also designed to encourage Americans who don’t have an emergency stockpile to create one,” said RaeAnn Tucker, health department director of Health Promotion.
The Health Department and the APHA is also reminding people that they should check their smoke alarm batteries when changing their clocks.
For a list of what should be in an emergency stockpile, information on rotating stored food and water, stockpiling recipes and other materials, visit https://aphagetready.org/Plan-Ahead/Clocks-and-Stocks#.
For more information on the Health Department’s Emergency Preparedness program visit our website at www.henrystarkhealth.com.
WIC EBT card now available to Illinois residents
The Henry and Stark County Health Department and First Choice Healthcare WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Food Supplemental program staff are reminding local residents that the WIC program promotes the health of our local children and mothers, by providing free groceries to participants; and creating healthier families by encouraging healthy eating and lifestyles.
Henry, Stark, Marshall and Putnam County residents have fully returned to only in-person face-to-face appointments and services delivery. The online application feature to the program, however, is still available.
The New Illinois WIC EBT Card is available to all WIC participants, the health department is announcing. The new card makes WIC Services even more easy for area families to use.
All current WIC participants and households are now issued just one Illinois WIC EBT Card with all the food benefits on this one card: no more handling multiple checks for different members of your family. The WIC process remains the same, benefits are reloaded on your card every three months after contacting and checking in with the department’s WIC staff.
The health department WIC staff have expanded WIC hours in order to be more convenient to working families and school children participating in the program. WIC benefits are available to eligible children up to the age of 5, pregnant women, infants, postpartum and breastfeeding women.
The health department WIC and case management staff promote healthy pregnancies, babies, children and families through their services. The WIC Supplemental Food Program offers supplemental foods and nutrition education to residents who meet certain nutrition and economic guidelines. In addition, clients may receive healthy food items such as milk, formula, eggs, and cereal; fruits, vegetables, juices, whole grain breads and tortillas.
For more information on the services call the department at 309-852-5272 (Kewanee) or 309-792-4011(Colona) or visit our website to apply at https://www.henrystarkhealth.com/FormCenter/WIC-10/WIC-Application-Form-65.
For more information you can also visit www.fns.usda.gov/wic. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.