Health

With the goal of increasing the pool of volunteers available in the Greater Falls area, Brattleboro Area Hospice will offer its Spring Volunteer Training at the Westminster Institute on Route 5 in Westminster beginning on March 16 and ending on May 25. Sessions will be held from 3 – 6 PM on Wednesdays. Application deadline is March 4, 2016.

Throughout Windham County hospice volunteers aid neighbors and their families who are living with life-threatening illnesses. Help may range from errands to gardening to emotional and physical support. Our volunteers report the work is challenging and very rewarding. Training topics include hospice philosophy, nuts and bolts of volunteering, ethical issues, personal attitudes toward death and dying, and grief issues among others. Presenters include professionals from the community as well as Hospice staff and volunteers.

Brattleboro, VT. Brattleboro Area Hospice will offer a Seven Week Bereavement Support Group for adults begins on February 10th and will meet each Wednesday from 5:00-6:30 pm, ending March 23rd. The group is free of charge and open to anyone in the community grieving the death loss of a loved one, no matter when or where the loss occurred.

Bereavement Support Groups offer a safe, mutually supportive environment for sharing experiences through discussion, readings, simple activities, and suggestions for moving through grief. This group will meet at the hospice office at 191 Canal St. in Brattleboro. No prior connection with hospice is necessary in order to participate. The group size is limited to 8 people. Please call Connie Baxter, group facilitator at (802) 257-0775 x104 for a pre-group appointment if you’re interested in joining.

You are your best healer! Come learn how each and everyone of us is born with the innate gift to heal ourselves. In this half-day intensive, you will experience simple and profound ways to awaken your body’s innate healing ability while deepening your capacity to relax and enjoy your life more completely.

Qigong is an ancient form of meditative movement that is over 5,000 years old. In China, qigong is one of the secrets to living a long and healthy life. The simple movements and breathing practices help relax the physical body, calm the mind and raise the spirit. It is an excellent form of preventative healthcare, and also used in treating major illnesses and minor ailments.

The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program helps adults at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes reduce their risk for developing the disease by taking steps that will improve their overall health and well-being.

The (CDC)-led evidence-based program is delivered over a 12-month period in a supportive small group classroom setting. Sixteen weekly one-hour sessions are followed by eight monthly sessions. Facilitated by trained lifestyle coaches Terri Kneipp and Nancy Schaefer, the class is scheduled to begin January 21, 2016 and will be held at the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital from 3:00 – 4:00 PM.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s Community Health Team will present a free 4-part workshop series focused on the role of mindful eating for those seeking to lose weight.

Presented by Peg Canal MS, RD, CDE Nutritionist/ Registered Dietitian/Certified Diabetes Educator, Carrie Quimby MS, RD Nutritionist/ Registered Dietitian and Nancy Schaefer, BS Health Coach, the workshop series will help participants identify triggers that contribute to unhealthy eating and learn to develop mindful eating practices.

Beginner’s Hunyuan Taiji Quan is a 14 week series that introduces the principles of alignment, balance, correct movement, qi (vital energy) cultivation. Each week participants will learn a new movement of the Hunyuan 12 movement taiji quan form. Through dedicated practice, students will complete the form by the end of the series. Participants will also learn chan si gong (silk reeling) exercises to help open and relax the joints while simultaneously nourishing the vital qi and blood of the body. All are foundational practices to re-condition the mind/body connection, deepening one’s capacity to relax, release stress, improve balance, and build core strength.

On Tuesday, December 8th from 4:00 – 5:30 PM, Brattleboro Area Hospice will host a Death Café at Katy’s Restaurant, 118 Main St. in downtown Putney. This free event is part of an international movement begun in Europe (www.deathcafe.com ), and is dedicated to taking death out of the closet in order to discuss it publicly.

Previous events that have taken place throughout Windham County have been met with tremendous praise. People have reported them as comfortable, supporting a full range of emotions – from tears to raucous laughter, easier than anticipated, energy charged, inspirational and fun.

On Thursday, December 3rd, from 5:30-6:30 pm Brattleboro Area Hospice Bereavement Support staff will offer a gathering for those experiencing feelings of loss.

Please join us at the Brattleboro Area Hospice office, 191 Canal St. in Brattleboro for a special time to gather with others who are grieving to talk about challenges of and strategies for grieving during the holiday season. BAH Bereavement Counselors Connie Baxter and Cheryl Richards will provide the hospitality and gentle guidance for the conversation. Give yourself the gift of support for this potentially difficult season. There is no charge for this event. It is not necessary to register, but if you have questions please call Connie Baxter at (802) 257-0775 ext. 104 for more information.

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, two local businesses organized fundraising activities for the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and .

Robin White and her staff at held a Zumba dance party on October 30th, with the help of local Zumba instructors, Maribeth Fonda and Rachel Shaw. More than 30 women danced for over 2 hours to raise awareness and support for women battling breast disease. Three of the participating women, who raised over $500 each, received a free one-year membership to Curves. The event raised $3,719 and will be used to support BMH breast cancer patients by providing wigs, bras, breast prostheses, books and materials, groceries and gas cards to help women through treatment and recovery. “I wanted all the money to go to local women facing this disease head on,” said White.

VTC’s Nursing Program in Brattlelboro WELCOMES ALL TO THEIR OPEN HOUSE on TUES. Nov. 17

BRATTLEBORO—Vermont Technical College’s Nursing Campus, SE Region, is holding an OPEN HOUSE on Tuesday, November 17 from 4-6 PM at their campus on the second floor of the Brooks House. There will be blood pressure reading and hand-washing demonstrations. VTC Admissions counselors, nursing instructors, nurses and student nurses will be on hand to talk about nursing and the VTC program. Community College of Vermont academic advisors will also be available to talk about pre-requisite nursing courses and a program for high school students allowing them to take college-level classes for free.

VTC’s nursing program in Brattleboro, one of the nation’s first-ever practical schools of nursing, was started shortly after the Civil War and has been in continuous existence since 1907 when funds from Thomas Thompson’s estate made it possible. It has been part of Vermont Technical College since 1994.

On Monday Nov. 16th from 6-8 pm, Brattleboro Area Hospice and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will co-sponsor a free public workshop on Advance Care Planning as part of the Wellness in Windham educational series. It will be held in the Brew Barry conference room at BMH.

Many of us know we need to complete our advance directives, but we keep putting it off. If a serious illness or accident leaves you unable to communicate, an advance directive becomes your voice. It tells those you love and your healthcare providers what you would want them to do for you. An advance directive is a gift to your loved ones—preventing them from the heart-rending burden of having to second-guess your wishes.

In this workshop you will:

You are your best healer! Come learn how each and everyone of us is born with the innate gift to heal ourselves. In this half-day intensive, you will experience simple and profound ways to awaken your body’s innate healing ability while deepening your capacity to relax and enjoy your life more completely.

Qigong is an ancient form of meditative movement that is over 5,000 years old. In China, qigong is one of the secrets to living a long and healthy life. The simple movements and breathing practices help relax the physical body, calm the mind and raise the spirit. It is an excellent form of preventative healthcare, and also used in treating major illnesses and minor ailments.

Join us for the Dummerston Cares Luncheon and Program for Seniors on Monday, Nov.16th, 11 am -12:30 pm at the Dummerston Community Center, 150 West St. in the West Dummerston Village.

Free light lunch at 11 am, program at 11:30 am. Priscilla Svec, Dummerston resident and Physical Therapist, will speak on exercises for Seniors that can be done at home during the winter months, keeping us healthy. Janice Duke will talk about the current Bone Builders program held in the Dummerston Congregational Church, twice a week, Monday and Thursday morning from 9:30-10:30.

As a caregiver, are you finding it difficult to meet your own needs while caring for your loved one?

Senior Solutions (Council on Aging for Southeastern Vermont) has respite funding available through the Dementia Respite Grant. This grant, funded by the State of Vermont, supports paid respite opportunities for primary, unpaid caregivers in Windsor and Windham counties.  The elder’s income eligibility limit is $2,917.00 per month for an individual or $3,932.00 per month for a couple.

For more information please call the Senior Helpline at 1-800-642-5119 and ask to speak to our Grant Manager.

Holistic Expo ~ A Complementary Trail to Wellness

Come out to the HOLISTIC EXPO this Friday, November 13th!  This event, free and open to the public, is a chance to experience many complementary
options offered to improve your health and wellness. Experience mini
sessions, as well as 30-minute educational discussions. Reiki, Medicinal
Herbal Remedies, Bowenwork, Reflexology, Massage, Shiatsu, Astrology,
Expressive Arts Therapy, Clinical Hypnosis, Dowsing, Spiritual Soul
Readings & Counseling, Somatic Breath Therapy.

November 13, 2015, 11am – 4pm

The River Garden

157 Main Street

Brattleboro, VT 05301

On Tuesday, November 3, 2015 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will be offering a free workshop, open to the public titled: “Bone Health: Make It Or Break It” in the Brew Barry Conference Room. This workshop will highlight the perspectives of providers in two disciplines, Orthopaedics and Endocrinology, as they discuss evaluation and treatment of our bone health.

Margaret Ferry, MD and Maureen Mahoney, PA-C

Holistic Expo free and open to the public to experience the many complementary options offered to improve your health and wellness. Experience mini sessions, as well as 30-minute educational discussions. Reiki, Medicinal Herbal Remedies, Bowenwork, Reflexology, Massage, Astrology, Expressive Arts Therapy, Clinical Hypnosis, Dowsing, Spiritual Soul Readings & Counseling, Herbal Products with Counseling & Nutrition.

Friday November 13, 2015
11am – 4pm

The River Garden
157 Main Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301

As part of its commitment to community wellness, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will present a workshop examining different perspectives on treating lower back pain. of and Brett Hynninen, MD of Pioneer Spine and Sports Physicians, West Springfield, MA will be the co-presenters of “We’ve Got Your Back” on Monday, October 26, 2015 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Brew Barry Conference Center. The workshop is free and open to the public, refreshments will be provided.

Wayne Temmen, PA-C and Brett Hynninen, MD

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is offering a WRAP () workshop series scheduled on Oct 16th (3-8pm), 17th (9-6pm), 18th (9-5pm) in Brew Barry Conference Room 2. This free workshop, conducted in three sessions, provides participants with tools to deal with life’s complications and to plan for the inevitable bumps along the way.

WRAP was developed in 1997 by a group of people searching for ways to overcome their own mental health issues and move on to fulfilling their life dreams and goals. It is now used extensively by people in all kinds of circumstances, and by health care and mental health systems all over the world to address all kinds of physical, mental health and life issues.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce that midwife Emily Martyn, CNM has joined the staff of and is accepting new patients.

Martyn received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Kenyon College in Gambier, OH, her Certificate in Nursing and Masters of Science in Nursing from Yale University School of Nursing in New Haven, CT.

Martyn says that her background in movement and dance piqued her interest in nursing as a career. “I have always been interested in human bodies, in how they work and move. “As a dancer I have seen how humans have an innate sense of what is good and right in their own bodies. I was drawn to being a midwife because I get to help my patients find that in themselves, pregnant or not, and help them advocate for their own bodies.”