By Free discussions on prostate cancer
Doctors from the urology department of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Stanford Hospital and Clinics lead a free discussion for all ages on prostate cancer. The group meets 5:30-7 p.m., the fourth Tuesday of every month, in Room 117, Avenidas, 450 Bryant St., Palo Alto.
For more information, call 326-5362, ext. 22.
Massages for seniors at Avenidas
Kathy Miller, a certified massage therapist, will offer half-hour massages 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, at Avenidas, 450 Bryant St., Palo Alto. Disrobing is not required. Cost is $20.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 326-5362, ext. 22.
Alzheimer’s care giver group meets weekly
The Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group meets 3-4:30 p.m., the third Tuesday of every month, in Room 218, Avenidas, 450 Bryant St., Palo Alto.
For more information, call Toni Morley at the Alzheimer’s Association, 962-8111.
Caregivers learn to look after themselves
A six-week course for caregivers, “Taking Care of You: Powerful Tools for Caregiving,” will be taught by Mimi Goodrich and Kris Meade 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Mondays, Sept. 30 to Nov. 4. Classes will be held at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Hearst Center for Education, 795 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. Fee, including materials, is $50.
For more information, call 494-8018, ext. 16.
Seniors meet to discuss aging
Adults 65 and over are invited to participate in a 10-week discussion titled “Collective Wisdom,” focused on issues of aging. Groups will meet 10-11:30a.m. or 1:30-3p.m., Wednesdays, Sept. 18 to Nov. 20, in Room 218, Avenidas, 450 Bryant St., Palo Alto. Fee is $30 for the series. Preregistration is required.
For more information, call Shirley Lowler at 326-5362, ext. 18.
Medicare information available by phone
Seniors and others eligible for Medicare can call the Medicare Helpline at (800) 633-4227 for general Medicare information; Medicare booklets; Medicare Part A and Part B coverage; Medicare health plan choices, including costs, benefits, quality and other information; patients rights and appeal rights; local nursing homes; local Medicare events and activities.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Spanish-speaking operators are available.
Those eligible for Medicare may also call the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213 for a replacement Medicare card; change of address; Medicare Part A and Part B eligibility and enrollment; Medicare premium questions; Social Security benefits; location of a local Social Security office; or to report a death or sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B.
Hours to call are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Spanish-speaking operators are available.
Keep immunizations up-to-date
As children return to school and the medical profession prepares for the annual flu season, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases emphasizes the importance of keeping immunizations up-to-date.
The diseases that children can be inoculated against include chickenpox, a highly contagious virus spread by coughing or sneezing; diphtheria, a respiratory disease caused by bacteria, also spread by coughing and sneezing; tetanus, a disease of the nervous system caused by bacteria that enter the body through a break in the skin and can cause painful muscle spasms; and whooping cough (pertussis), spread by coughing and sneezing and can lead to pneumonia.
Up-to-date immunizations are state-mandated for children entering school. Children and infants receive the diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis vaccine as a three-dose series over seven to 12 months. At age 11, a diphtheria/tetanus booster is needed to continue providing protection against those two diseases.
For more information about immunizations required for children and adults, consult your physician or local public health department, or logon to www.nfid.org.
