Call 358.5480 or email health@oak-park.us
Nurses help older adults stay healthy
Public health nurses provide blood
pressure screening, individualized health education and
counseling about medications and other issues important to
older adults from 9 - 11:30 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each
month at Heritage House, 201 Lake St., and on the fourth
Wednesday at the Oak Park Township Senior Lunch Program, 408 S.
Oak Park Avenue, 5th floor. No appointment is necessary. A
public health nurse also will visit the homebound to help them
find care resources and learn to manage safely on their own. In
addition, public health nurses are available by telephone to
assist any resident with locating resources for health care or
to provide health information. For more information on these
free services or general health questions, call 358.5492 or
email health@oak-park.us.
Volunteers sought
Professionals are now being recruited to
become members of the local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC),
volunteers who would help in the event of a public health
emergency. Practicing, inactive or retired nurses, physicians,
dentists, emergency medical technicians, pharmacists,
veterinarians, teachers, medical technicians or aides,
psychologists, social workers, clergy, biologists, information
technology/administrative staff, construction and many others
are encouraged to volunteer for this important community
preparedness initiative. Orientation is scheduled for the
spring. For more information or to apply, call 358.5488 or
email health@oak-park.us.
Dentists needed
Volunteer dentists are needed to treat low-income
residents at a reduced cost. The Oak Park Oral Health Referral
Program matches financially eligible residents with
practitioners who agree to accept a pre-determined fee for
services. Referred patients have been pre-screened and have a
treatment plan and X-rays. Practitioners select the patients
they wish to treat. The program has reduced lab costs through a
nonprofit dental lab. For more information call 358.5484 or
email health@oak-park.us.
Affordable health insurance available
Adults and children who meet financial
eligibility guidelines are now being enrolled in
low-cost/no-cost health care plans. KidCare covers doctor
visits, hospital and clinic care, X-rays, lab tests and
prescriptions for children and pregnant women, and helps pay
premiums of employer-sponsored or private insurance plans. Access to Care also
covers doctor visits, lab tests, X-rays and prescriptions, but
participants are responsible for a nominal co-pay for each
service. To learn more call 358.5484 or email health@oak-park.us.
Check out a book, check out your health
Know Your Numbers program offers screenings of blood pressure, total
cholesterol, high density lipoproteins (HDL), glucose, weight
and body mass index (or BMI, a measure of body fat based on
height and weight) for a $10 fee from 9:40 a.m. to noon the
second Saturday of the month at the Oak Park Public Library,
834 Lake St. Participants must be at least 18 years old and
younger than 64. Appointments are required. Call 358.5486 or
email health@oak-park.us for more information.
Free HIV testing available
Free anonymous testing is offered by
appointment from 5 - 7 p.m. Thursdays. Individuals at highest
risk for infection include men who have sex with other men,
persons sharing needles for drugs and the sex partners of
persons who are HIV positive. Call 358.5486 to make an
appointment.
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People are burned every year by electric
space heaters. But by following these simple safety tips, you
can avoid becoming a burn victim:
• Place
heaters at least three feet away from upholstered furniture,
drapes, bedding and other combustible materials.
• Do not
use the heater if the cord is frayed, splitting or the plug is
broken.
• Buy an
approved heater that has been tested by Underwriters
Laboratories (UL).
• Turn
the heater off when family members leave the room and never
leave a heater of any kind unattended.
• Never
use heaters to dry clothing or shoes.
• Never
leave children unattended while using a heater.
• Make
sure the heater is placed securely on the floor.
Portable kerosene heaters are illegal
heating devices inside a home because they pose carbon monoxide
hazards. For more information call 358.5605 or email fire@oak-park.us.
