Compiled be Debra Scherban. Please send items to dscherban@gazettenet.com.
Fall prevention
tips for seniors
Fall prevention, especially among seniors, is an important topic, particularly in the wintertime here in New England.
Not only can a fall result in serious injury, and even death, the fear of falling on icy surfaces may keep seniors from leaving their homes which can contribute to their isolation.
Here are five safety tips from Richard T. Moore, president of the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association.
1. Salt and sand icy sidewalks, stairs and driveways. Black ice can be especially dangerous as it is often impossible to see.
2. Know your limits. Be realistic about how much you can shovel, whether or not you should be walking down the icy driveway, or attempting to carry a heavy bag of sand or salt.
3. Plan ahead. Check the weather forecast, and if there’s even a chance of snow, stock up on necessities, eliminating the need to go out in a storm.
4. Be careful of snow tracked indoors as it creates dangerous puddles and slippery floors.
5. Beware of slippery leaves once snow has melted.
Clinical Psychologist Amanda Roberts of Amherst is seeking subjects who have been diagnosed with cancer within the past year for a study on whether a group version of EMDR therapy is effective in reducing trauma symptoms, anxiety and depression in cancer patients.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based psychological treatment for helping people come to terms with traumatic events in their lives. Until recently it only has been available in an individual format. The G-TEP (group traumatic episode protocol) is a new approach being used with larger numbers of people.
Those interested will meet individually with Roberts for an initial screening interview. The study groups will involve meeting two times over a weekend this spring for approximately two hours per meeting at the Atkinson Family Practice Building 17, Research Drive, Amherst.
EMDR is based on the premise that much of psychopathology is due to the faulty or incomplete processing of traumatic experiences. This impairs the individual’s ability to integrate these experiences in an adaptive manner. The EMDR approach, which targets past experience, current triggers and possible future challenges, has been found to relieve symptoms and build resilience.
Roberts has been practicing for 32 years and has been immersed in EMDR for 20 years.
Her specialty is working with medical issues and medical trauma.
A fuller explanation of EMDR can be found on her website www.amandarobertsphd.com.
Contact Roberts at 253-0440 or at britshrink@aol.com.
A three-day long-term care ombudsman certification training for volunteers will be held at WestMass Elder Care in Holyoke March 1 to 3.
Ombudsmen help ensure the quality of life for nursing and rest home residents. Volunteers are trained to help them with benefits, rights and entitlements guaranteed under federal, state and local laws.
The Ombudsman Program is federally mandated throughout the United States. In Massachusetts, there are 26 programs.
Highland Valley Elder Services, which administers the program in Hampshire County and Westfield, is in need of one new ombudsman for Westfield and two for Hampshire County.
New volunteers are required to interview with the program director and to complete a CORI background check.
For more information call J. Mary (JM) Sorrell at 588-5755.
Following are area blood donations opportunities.
Feb. 22, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., University of Massachusetts Student Union, 41 Campus Center Way, Amherst
Feb. 24, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St., Easthampton