From the Parish Nurse

by | Sep 18, 2020 | Feature

Blood Drive Sept. 29

Carter BloodCare will have a bus in Wilshire’s north parking lot on Tuesday, Sept. 29, form 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please consider stopping by to donate. Blood is always essential, but it is crucial to maintaining a healthy blood supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of blood drives have been cancelled since March, resulting in more than 52,000 lost blood donations.

The minimum age to donate is 16, and those under 18 will need parental consent. The permission forms are located on the Carter website and will also be available onsite.

All blood donors who donate through Carter during September will receive a voucher for one free medium lunch or dinner combo meal, redeemable at McDonald’s restaurants in DFW, Tyler and Waco.

Carter is also offering COVID-19 antibody testing on successful donations for a limited time. Donors can retrieve their results within one to two weeks through a secure portal on Carter’s website.

The safety of blood donors and Carter staff members is top priority. All blood drive setups will comply with Food and Drug Administration social distancing and sanitation protocols. Staff and donors are required to wear masks.

To reduce wait times and help with social distancing, appointments are encouraged and donors can fill out the medical history questionnaire online before coming (carterbloodcare.org/quickscreen). The form can also be accessed by downloading the Carter BloodCare app on any mobile device. Carter BloodCare limits the number of donors on each bus and creates greater space between donors’ beds at indoor blood drives.

Appointments can be made at https://ww3.greatpartners.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/117276 or via Wilshire’s registration page.

Visit carterbloodcare.org or call 817-343-1327 for more information.

 

Community Wellness Project 

Physical therapy students from Texas Woman’s University will host a six-week exercise and wellness education program via Zoom for Wilshire’s older adults. Community members are also welcome.

Classes will be held Mondays from Oct. 12 to Nov. 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Each class will begin with an exercise program followed by an educational topic and a Q&A time. Topics include exercise and meditation, stress management and mental health, nutrition, sleep hygiene, fall prevention and proper use of assistive devices.

Each participant will receive a folder with exercise bands and weekly handouts. Distribution will be announced later. Please register by Oct. 1 at wilshirebc.org/registration.

Our hope is that participants finish this program feeling more confident in managing various aspects of their health and in improving their quality of life.

*Contact Linda Garner, Wilshire’s parish nurse, at 214-452-3151 or lgarner@wilshirebc.org.