Livingston County Health Center Blog

Monday, August 22, 2016

Health Center nurses will be visiting local schools this Fall to provide important vaccination conveniently while your child is at school.

Being exposed to risky or dangerous behavior is often a part of adolescence. It’s important to teach children how to make the right decision about behaviors such as smoking, drinking, cyber bullying, texting while driving and so on.

As a parent, it is also natural for you to do everything you can to protect your family. That’s why we want you to know about the importance of meningococcal vaccination to help you protect your teen.

Meningococcal meningitis is rare, but when it strikes, it can change a life in less than 24 hours. Sadly our teenagers are at increased risk for the disease and its devastating consequences.

One of the reasons this age group is at risk is their lifestyle at this age. Kids often gather in groups, hang out or live in close quarters with others, kiss, smoke, share drinks and utensils…all these behaviors can pass meningitis between two or more people.

Of the 800 to 1200 people who get meningococcal disease in the US each year, 10% to 15% will die.

Millions of teens are potentially under-protected. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a meningitis booster shot at ages 16 to 18 years. Teenagers and young adults are at greater risk of getting meningococcal disease (meningitis) as their immunity from the initial vaccination wanes. Even if your teen already received a meningitis shot at age 11 and 12 years, he or she still needs a second vaccination as early as 16 years of age. This booster dose can help protect your teen from the potential risks associated with meningococcal disease.

Why is meningococcal disease so serious? Also known as meningitis, meningococcal disease is a rare, but very dangerous bacterial infection. Even in healthy people, the disease can develop quickly and cause life-threatening complications within hours. Up to 1 in 5 survivors can suffer from lifelong complications, including loss of a limb, hearing loss, and brain damage.

How can meningococcal disease be prevented? According to the CDC, the best way to prevent meningococcal disease is through vaccination.

Who should get vaccinated?

• Adolescents 11-18 years of age should receive a routine vaccination. The best time to get vaccinated is at the 11- to 12-year checkup

• Teens 16 years of age should receive a booster, if previously vaccinated at 11 or 12 years of age

• College freshmen living in dormitories, if not previously vaccinated

• Anyone at an increased risk for meningococcal disease

How is meningococcal disease spread? The bacteria that cause meningococcal disease are spread from person to person through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions(for example, by coughing, sneezing, kissing, or sharing drinking glasses with an infected person).

What are the signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease? At first, meningococcal disease may feel like the flu. However, the following symptoms should be addressed immediately to avoid potentially fatal complications:

• Severe headache • Sensitivity of eyes to light • High fever • Confusion • Stiff neck • Rash • Nausea and vomiting • Seizures • Cold hands and feet

Health Center nurses will be visiting local schools this Fall to provide this important vaccination conveniently while your child is at school. Of course, they must have permission to receive the vaccination—forms can be found online at www.livcohealthcenter.com and will be distributed through the school nurse this fall.

Parents of 7^th graders and 11^th graders can get a head start by having their kids vaccinated now, rather than waiting until the next school year. If you would like to do this, call the Health Center at 646-5506 to schedule an appointment. We have three monthly immunization clinics at varying times to accommodate families.

Now that you are armed with this important information, you may be better able to help protect your family against this vaccine-preventable disease. As always, talk to your health care professional about any questions or concerns you may have. For more information, you can also visit the CDC web site at http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html.

Source: Centers for Disease Control, Voices of Meningitis

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

The Livingston County Health Center is hosting two events this week to promote World Breastfeeding Month

The Livingston County Health Center is hosting two events this week to promote World Breastfeeding Month and encourage mothers to become aware about the benefits of breastfeeding for both mom & baby.

Each year, World Breastfeeding Week is a global breastfeeding promotion campaign recognized throughout the world. It is celebrated during the first week of August with many organizations choosing to celebrate breastfeeding throughout the entire month.

In Livingston County, the Health Center’s Breastfeeding Support Group will be participating in a worldwide “Latch-On” created with the goal of normalizing nursing in public. Any moms who would like to participate in the event should come to the Chillcothe Farmers Market at the Courthouse on Saturday, August 6th by or before 9:30 a.m.

On Tuesday, August 9th, the Health Center will be the location for a Baby Fair from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be informational booths, prizes and giveaways, snacks and car seat checks by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. All breastfeeding moms or expectant moms who are interested in breastfeeding are welcome.

The Breastfeeding Support Program is led by Anita Perry, RN an International Certified Lactation Consultant and WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Amanda Kline. The Health Center hosts a Breastfeeding Support Group on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in their classroom. The Health Center also lends out hospital-grade pumps.

For more information about the Breastfeeding Support Program at the health center, call 646-5506 and ask to speak to Anita or Amanda.

Friday, July 29, 2016

World Breastfeeding Week 2016

World Breastfeeding Week is a global breastfeeding promotion campaign recognized throughout the world. It is celebrated each year during the first week of August with many organizations choosing to celebrate breastfeeding throughout the entire month.

It’s been said that “Making the decision to have a child is momentous,” and it is a journey that lasts a lifetime. As in any journey, it is the first step that counts. Breastfeeding lays the foundation for good health for all children in both the short and long term, and also benefits mothers. It is well known that human milk provides the ideal balance of nutrients for an infant's growth and development; reduces the risk of infectious and chronic disease; protects mothers' and infants' health; and may reduce the risk of childhood obesity.

Breastfeeding is also good for our planet. Breast milk is a “natural, renewable food” that is environmentally safe and produced and delivered to the “consumer” without pollution, packaging or waste. No electricity is needed to produce breast milk and it (technically) requires no fuel for transport.

More importantly, the medical journal the Lancet, recently confirmed that breastfeeding could save 823,000 child lives and add $302 billion to the global economy annually. Unfortunately, global breastfeeding rates have remained stagnant for the past 2 decades. Less than 40% of infants under six months of age are exclusively breastfed. In the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control, although most mothers hope to breastfeed, and 79% of babies start out being breastfed, only 19% are exclusively breastfed 6 months later.

The issue is that many women and their families face barriers to breastfeeding. They may receive inaccurate information from health providers, lack breastfeeding support, have no access to breastfeeding counseling or help, face aggressive marketing of formula or other breast milk substitutes, or may be forced or feel forced to return to work soon after giving birth. These barriers alone make it exceedingly difficult for women to breastfeed exclusively for even 6 months. The success rate among mothers who want to breastfeed can be greatly improved through active support from their families, friends, communities, clinicians, health care leaders, employers, and policymakers.

The Livingston County Health Center joins professional health organizations and breastfeeding advocates worldwide in celebrating World Breastfeeding Week the first week of August of each year to collaboratively raise awareness of the numerous benefits of breastfeeding. Join us on August 6^th at 9:30 a.m. for the Global Big Latch On at the Farmer’s Market. This Latch-On breastfeeding promotion takes place at a registered locations around the world, where women gather together to breastfeed and offer peer support to each other to “Normalize Nursing in Public.” Their friends, family and community join this celebration to promote and support breastfeeding. Then on August 9^th from 5-7 p.m. the Livingston County Health Center is sponsoring a “Baby Fair” for breastfeeding moms and “to-be” moms planning to breastfeed. There will be car seat checks provided by the Hi-Way patrol, giveaways, door prizes, snacks and booths.

We know that one of the most highly effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant is to breastfeed. The Livingston County Health Center actively supports breastfeeding moms and families by offering free expert advice to help you get the knowledge, help and encouragement you may need. Breastfeeding: Any Time, Anywhere, Any Mom. Strengthening individual, family and community support for breastfeeding. Call 646-5506 for more information or visit our website at www.livcohealthcenter.com

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Show Me Health - Protect the Ones You Love: Drowning

We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help them live to their full potential.

Knowing how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like drowning, is a step toward this goal.

Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger.

Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States.

The main factors that affect drowning risk are lack of swimming ability, lack of barriers to prevent unsupervised water access, lack of close supervision while swimming, location, failure to wear life jackets, alcohol use, and seizure disorders.

When most of us are enjoying time at the pool or beach, injuries aren’t the first thing on our minds. Yet, drownings are the leading cause of injury death for young children ages 1 to 4, and three children die every day as a result of drowning.

Drowning can happen quickly and quietly anywhere there is water (such as bathtubs, swimming pools, buckets), and even in the presence of lifeguards.

Thankfully, parents can play a key role in protecting the children they love from drowning.

Prevention Tips

Learn life-saving skills. Everyone should know the basics of swimming (floating, moving through the water) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Supervise When in or Around Water. Designate a responsible adult to watch young children while swimming or playing in or around water. Supervisors of preschool children should provide “touch supervision”, be close enough to reach the child at all times.

Fence it off. Install a four–sided isolation fence, with self–closing and self–latching gates, around backyard swimming pools. This can help keep children away from the area when they aren’t supposed to be swimming. Pool fences should completely separate the house and play area from the pool.

Make life jackets a "must." Make sure kids wear life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean, even if they know how to swim. Life jackets can be used in and around pools for weaker swimmers too. It cannot be stressed enough that children should wear a life jacket EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY ARE IN THE WATER. Think of how devastating it would be for your child to drown when you could have made sure they were protected by a life jacket. Even if your child is older, things happen in the water, especially when participating in water sports, which might leave the child incapacitated and unable to save themselves.

Be on the look out. When kids are in or near water (including bathtubs), closely supervise them at all times. Because drowning occurs quickly and quietly, adults watching kids in or near water should avoid distracting activities like playing cards, reading books, talking or texting on the phone, and using alcohol or drugs. Adults should be paying attention, even when lifeguards are on duty.

Be vigilant about safety around the water. It only takes a moment to lose a loved one, but a lifetime to wonder if you could have prevented a drowning death.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

The Livingston County Emergency Planning Commission would like to inform the public that the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory

The Livingston County Emergency Planning Commission would like to inform the public that the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory in effect from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 16^th for Livingston County. Heat index values will range from 105° to 110°.

Limiting time outdoors, staying hydrated and checking on those who are vulnerable when summer's heat is most intense are the best way to avoid the potential risks. For more information on Heat Related Illnesses, visit www.cdc.gov/extremeheat/.

If you need relief from the heat, there are locations in Chillicothe who serve as cooling stations to allow those without AC to find respite during extended hot weather. For a list of local cooling stations, visit livcohealthcenter.com or LivingstonCounty HealthCenter on Facebook.

Chillicothe Cooling Stations

Livingston County Health Center

800 Adam Drive

Hours: M-F, 8 am -12 pm and 1-4 pm

660 646-5506

Livingston County Library

450 Locust Street

Hours: M-R, 9 am - 7 pm; F, 9 am – 5 pm;

S, 9 am – 4 pm; Closed Sunday

660 646-0547

Calvary Baptist Church

206 Locust Street

Hours: M-F, 8 am – 12 pm and 1-3 pm

660 646-0976

Chillicothe City Hall

Walking Track

715 Washington Street

Hours: M-F, 8 am – 5 pm

660 646-2267

Grand River Multi Purpose Center

607 W Business 36

Hours: M-F, 8 am - 4:30 pm

660 646-1555

YMCA

1725 Locust Street

Hours: M-F, 5 am – 10 pm; F, 5 am – 9 pm;

S, 7 am – 5 pm; Closed Sunday

660 646-6677

RSVP/Threads

440 Locust StreetHours: M-F, 9 am – 4 pm

Saturday, 10 am – 1 pm

660 646-0010 660 646-3008

North Central Missouri Center for Youth and Families

211 Locust St.

660-646-1352
Children must be accompanied by an adult unless enrolled in the program.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Show Me Health - Couch Surfing

How much do you know about teen homelessness in Livingston County? Do you think we don’t have a problem because young people aren’t camped out on street corners or in front of our local Salvation Army?

Just because a young person has a roof over their head does not mean that they have stability, safety or a secure place to live. Obviously, if you can’t go home, it’s not a sleepover. This means, for many young people, sleeping on a friends couch is just the beginning of an uncertain future which can lead to further hardships in life.

Thousands of young people with a roof over their head tonight are, in reality, slipping through the cracks and further down the slippery slope towards homelessness.

Although they might have a blanket over their body and a pillow under their head, their resting place isn’t necessarily safe, secure or stable.

These young people are couch surfers and, according to the Salvation Army, they are in the throes of the youth homelessness cycle.

So what, exactly, is couch surfing? Couch surfing is typified as a person staying temporarily in a series of other people’s homes and making use of improvised sleeping arrangements. Young people often end up couch-surfing when they no longer feel safe at home.

Homeless services providers are unable to help everyone – it is estimated that half the people who request immediate accommodation are turned away.

Couch surfing is a common alternative. At first, this might seem fun and even exciting – moving from friend to friend with few household responsibilities and new faces every few days. Eventually, the novelty wears off, the generosity of friends is tested; the couches run out and the stark reality of homelessness hits.

Livingston County is one of twenty-two communities across the United States that has been chosen to work on Voices of Youth Count, a first-of-its-kind national effort aimed at ending youth homelessness.

Voices of Youth Count is an innovative, original research effort designed to link evidence and action by capturing the experiences of runaway and homeless youth, more clearly defining the scope of the issue, and driving compelling knowledge into the hands of the broad national community dedicated to ending youth homelessness.

Voices of Youth Count will collect original data by interviewing and surveying youth and those around them, conducting quantitative analyses aimed at establishing a reliable national estimate, rigorously examining the effectiveness of investments we are making as a country, and connecting findings to the existing knowledge base built by a diverse and caring field.

In this county, volunteers aged 18-25 will be surveying their ‘homeless’ peers at the places they hang out, and at a special event at the Community Resource Center, located on Webster Street next to the Sheriff’s office, from 1 to 9 p.m. There will be a place to hang out, food, drinks and a $5 gift certificate for kids who take time to get surveyed.

The project is also recruiting volunteers 18-25 to survey, for a wage of $10 per hour; as well as licensed drivers over 18 who would be willing to chauffer the kids going out surveying. If you can help in either capacity, call the Community Resource Center at 646-1667 or 247-1495 and ask to speak to Sherrie.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Temperatures in the 90's this weekend predicted

The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures this weekend in the 90’s statewide. This combined with the increase in humidity will create heat indices in the mid to upper 90’s Friday through Sunday and possibly into early next week. This is below the NWS criteria for issuing heat advisories and warnings, but it is well above normal for June.

Individuals working or exercising outdoors should take precautions – drink plenty of liquids (avoid caffeine and alcohol); take frequent rest breaks in air conditioning or at least a cool shady area; wear sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, lightweight & light colored loose fitting clothing; check on older family/friends that don’t have or won’t use air conditioning; don’t leave children or pets in cars – even if the windows are down; provide shade and plenty of water for pets.