Haven Church

WELLNESS NOTES

“ Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life. . . . ”

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NIV

May is the month to focus on living well.  Having experienced the Resurrection of our Lord, we know His plan for us is to live life to the fullest.  As we enter the summer season, with travel, visits and visitors, hot weather, and sometimes loss of some of our services for a few months,  let’s take stock of our plan:

• Continue the prayer and devotional life you experienced during Lent. Pick up the new Upper Room or Guidepost, or daily devotion guide. Make sure your Bible is in your bag.
• Traveling?   Be sure to carry along Insurance Cards, Most recent lab reports, # of your Physician and Pharmacy, List of medications with dosages and assure adequate supply for trip duration.
• Plan for keeping medications protected from heat and damage. (cooler for Insulin or liquids).
• Assure update of all medical appointments before leaving home.
• Update vaccinations if traveling out of country & assure your Tetanus is up to date (every 10 yrs.) if RVing , camping or fishing.
• Is your Life Plan up to date and do your family members know where your important papers are?
• Take along car phone charger and list of important phone numbers.
• Always make sure someone knows of your plans when leaving home.  Stop mail & papers and notify a neighbor to keep watch over your property.
• If you kennel your pet ( leave it in a motel or RV while you sight see) keep a note of where it is in your wallet and in your car.
• Update your auto, RV, and home First Aid Kit.
• Continue or increase your daily exercise program.  If traveling—assure 30 min. walk daily and range of motion and balance exercises.  If remaining at home, adjust your exercise program to adapt to the heat—-go walk the aisles of WalMart with your pedometer on; pop in a DVD walking tape or Big Ball exercise tape in the cool of your living room; Take advantage of cool evenings to take that walk.
• Plan to eat lighter—more fruits and veggies in season, decrease carb servings, and plan cool and lighter meals.
• Increase your daily fluid intake to match the warm weather.  Take water along on hikes and walks, and always have water in your car.
• Equip car with water, hat, good walking shoes, and emergency numbers in case of stop in hot spot while driving.
• Enjoy your summer months
• LIVING ABUNDANTLY, LOVING WITH ABANDON, and FOLLOWING GOD’S GUIDANCE!!

Alice Stephenson BSN,RN,PN

Parish Nurse Consultant

WELLNESS NOTES

“To every thing there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”  Eccles. 3:1

March is “Make A Will” Month!! What a great time to think of the ‘seasons’ of our life and make certain we have our ‘ducks in a row’ for our Life Planning.  No matter what our age, anyone over 18 should have a will and a life plan.  Great grief and stress can be avoided if individuals make their own decisions about their future, their possessions, and their desires.   I can hear you saying,” Oh, I made a will years ago so that’s all done”  or  “I don’t need a will, I’m too young”  or “I think my family knows what I want”!!!  All of the above statements have led to families being torn apart, wishes not carried out, and great confusion when things might be stressful enough.  Your documents should be updated every 5 years or whenever things change in your life.    SO—Now is the time to think of your LIFE  CARE PLANNING  and get the job done.

?  Find updated Life Care Planning forms at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office (call 1-800-352-8431   or online at www.azag.gov )  Ask for Life Care Planning Forms.

?  Discuss the forms with family, pastor, or lawyer if you have questions.  You do NOT have to have a lawyer to complete these forms.

?  Always make several copies of completed forms and make sure family, your agent , your Doctors, and Hospital have copies.  Always keep copies for yourself readily available.

?  Forms include: Durable Health Care Power of Attorney which chooses whom you would have make your health care decisions if you are unable to do so. This is known as your AGENT ( spouse, friend, family member with heathcare experience, or any trusted person); Durable Mental Health Power of Attorney chooses one you wish to make decisions about your mental health care if need be. Living Will (End of life care) lets you decide exactly what you do or do not wish to happen at the end of your life. Discuss this with your Parish Nurse or a Health Care Professional if you have questions. Letter to my agent allows you to notify your chosen agent of your wishes–making sure that person has a copy of your forms. Pre-Hospital Medical Directive (DNR) must be on orange paper!!  Especially important if on hospice care or wishing no extreme measures be done.

?  An additional form is FIVE WISHES which is available from your Parish Nurse or online. This form allows additional wishes added to your Living Will.  It is wonderful comfort information for your caregivers.

?  Also included in your planning should be your Will or Trust that make certain your money and tangible property is distributed the way YOU wish it to be.  This also helps avoid costly probate and legal fees.   It is wise to consult an Attorney  or Financial Planner for this plan.  A great resource is the book “A Will Is Not Enough in Arizona” by Pohl & Morris.

Prayerfully consider and get your plan made in March.

Alice Stephenson BSN,RN,PN

928-634-1959

Anjsteph@cableone.net

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God” –1 John 4:7

February is National Heart Month. As I write this, I an overwhelmed with the news about the Tragedy in Tucson!! The sadness, grief, and disbelief bring us right to the heart of the matter—”Beloved, let us love one another”!! Where was the LOVE when the young man’s anger was not noticed and treated; where was the LOVE when politics became a battle of anger; where is the LOVE when we cannot communicate in polite, discourse and LISTEN to one another? We could stop with our questions, yet I see answers abound—The LOVE was in the heart of the young man who held an injured friend; the LOVE was in the servant who provided CPR to a dying child; the LOVE was in the hand of each public servants who cared for the injured; the LOVE can be in our hearts as we pray for the grieving, injured, and for forgiveness from GOD for the angry confused young man and his family. “Love is of God” and we must let it prevail.

For February, I encourage each of you to update your skills in Emergency Procedures. If you are an Usher, Greeter, Sunday School Teacher, or Volunteer Visitor–it is impairitive that you update CPR to C-A-B!! From the American Heart Association comes the update: “2010 Guidelines for CPR and ECC (Emergency Cardiovascular Care) update the 2005 guidelines.

Stop into your local Fire Station to arrange for updated instruction.

• When administering CPR , immediate chest compressions should be done first.
• Untrained lay people are urged to administer Hands-Only CPR (Chest compressions only)
• AHA is re-arranging the ABC’s of CPR (Airway-Breathing-Compressions) to CAB (Compressions-Airway-Breathing).
• The 40 year plan of ABC’s delayed the essential circulation of oxygen-rich blood through the body.
• Changing the sequence to C-A-B for adults and children (excluding infants) allows all rescuers to begin chest compressions right away for anyone who is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
• Call 911 and push hard and fast on the center of the chest until professional help or an AED arrives.
• Chest compressions, started immediately, should be a little faster, at a rate of 100 x/minute.
• Rescuers should avoid ‘leaning’ on the chest between compressions to allow full ventilation.
• Rescuers should avoid stopping chest compressions and avoid excessive ventilation.

Another consideration for February is to be certain you have had your flu immunization.

CDC Recommends every person 6 months or older receive an annual flu vaccine. Recognize the symptoms of flu;Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue you throw immediately in the trash;

Wash hands often & use antibacterial gel frequently (before serving communion, after shaking hands, & before eating); and stay home if you have flu-like symptoms.

BE WELL, BE PREPARED, and LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Alice Stephenson BSN,RN,PN

WELLNESS NOTES

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them….” Romans 12:6 (RSV)

January is a time for new beginnings. How often have we started the new year with “This year I am going to do……!!” We look at where we were in the past and strive to make changes that will create a new or better focus as we begin again. Often these new goals are unrealistic and by March we realize we are either discouraged, frustrated, or back in an old rut. How about taking a look at our ‘forecast’ in the light of our individual gifts, the grace given us, and the timing in our lives—-and feel more satisfied with the outcome of our planning.

• What are my gifts? Am I clearly using the talents, abilities, time, and capacity that God has given me? Several in our family of faith are facing changes in their lives brought on by facts of age and health. No longer being able to drive the car; no longer having vision to accomplish tasks that once were easy; finding rehabilitation from an injury or illness has changed the energy and time allowance needed for meetings or committees; or areas of service are requiring reevaluating the ‘gifts’ that now can be used in a different way. If I enjoy visiting but cannot drive to visit another—-why not establish a schedule for phoning those who are lonely or needing encouragement. If I cannot physically perform active duties within my community or church—–why not ask others to come to me—-invite members of the youth group to stop by and record my stories of my personal history; volunteer to fold bulletins or stuff envelopes or sort quilt pieces that can be brought to me; take the time to write out how I performed previous duties and preserve methods of getting jobs done well for the ‘next generation of workers. If time restraints do not allow me to do activities I once did—-because of change of work schedule, change of learning schedules, retirement and travel interfering with volunteer schedules, or energy levels no longer allow use of a gift—– I can take this time to reevaluate what time and talents I can offer and change my course to the benefit of all.

• Grace given to us–! Am I altering the course of my activities and needs with prayerful guidance? God has given me the grace to endure—-whether it be change, pain, energy levels, loneliness, grief, or facts with which I am faced. Refocusing my outlook with the healing help of prayer may open many new windows of opportunity when a door closes . When I look for God’s purpose for my life, listen thoughtfully to His counsel, and heed the nudges I am given—whole new vistas may open to me.

• Let us use them….. Am I looking at what I CANNOT do and not seeing what I CAN do? I am reminded of my precious Mother, who at age 92 with severe macular degeneration and weakness from her fight with cancer, was feeling discouraged that she could not ‘do anything anymore’. She was a DOER and feeling unproductive was depressing to her. We started a list of WHAT I CAN DO. The most prominent thing on that list was SMILE!!! She could still smile though her day in all of her contacts with caregivers , friends, and family. At her passing the following year her tablemate in her Assisted Living setting came to me and said, “I will so miss Emma’s smile—-it brightened my every day!” The remaining gift she was able to use with God’s grace!!

Whether we are young, old, or in between we have been given wonderful gifts and talents that with the grace of God’s guidance we can adapt and grow and use them to the best of our ability.

May your New Beginnings in 2011 shine forth!!

Alice Stephenson BSN,RN,PN

Parish Nurse Consultant

WELLNESS NOTES

“She will give birth to a son. And he will be called Immanuel.”(Matt. 1:23)“The name Immanuel means God with us”

(Isaiah 7:14)

December is all about “God With Us”!! As we busily prepare for our celebration of Christmas–observing the Advent customs of our faith, and thinking about giving—-we must keep in mind each day that the “reason for the season” is that God came to be with us!! What would God have us do to truly CELEBRATE His being with us?

Let’s think about the possibilities of celebrating the Father–Son–and Holy Spirit being our focus each day:

• Celebrate with Light. Really enjoy those lights on the front of your home—stroll under the stars and be thankful for the light and how it illumines every part of our life. Sit quietly beside your lighted Christmas Candles —taking a deep breath and letting out the stress , worry, and guilt that often accompany the flurry of giving.
• Celebrate the Peace . Make the manger scene on your mantle the focus rather than the plates of cookies and busy parties. Let the peaceful scene of mother/baby/humble setting/ and caring visitors draw us into that miracle—doing all we can to create small (or large) miracles of our own within our home, church, & community.
• Celebrate the Hope. As we listen to the music and enjoy the comforts and blessings of our traditions, let us each be hopeful about our relationships, our health, the news we listen to, the challenges we face, and the strife in our world. By carrying a hopeful, positive attitude in our heart and mind, we are creating great energy toward change and peace in our world.
• Celebrate the JOY. Make every gift be one that brings you and the receiver joy. Fill your heart with joyful music and sights and sound. Bake every cookie and treat with the joy that the scents and flavors bring . Greet those you meet with joyful words (not negative or “I’m so rushed” conversation). Let the spirit of the Christ Child walk with you every step of this Holiday Season.

As an e-mail from a friend this evening states:

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly,

and leave the rest to God.

Have a Blessed Holiday Season

Alice Stephenson BSN,RN,

Parish Nurse Consultant