Health department offers classes to improve brain health

The Taylor County Health Department wants to help county residents learn about improving their brain health.

Registered nurses from the Taylor County Health Department, in cooperation with GrapeVine, will be offering the free hour-long educational sessions at the following times and locations:

★ Monday, March 16 at 6 p.m. at the Rib Lake Middle School Library.

★ Wednesday, March 25 at 6 p.m. at the Frances L. Simek Memorial Library in Medford.

★ Wednesday, March 30 at 6 p.m. in the community room at Gilman High School.

Organizers said it was important for them to hold the seminars in different parts of the county in order to be able to make it easy for people from all over the county to attend.

The session will focus on what participants can do to lower their dementia risk and keep their brains healthy. Topics covered are common diseases that cause dementia; other conditions that mimic dementia; signs and symptoms; risk factors; and strategies to maintain a health brain including physical health, nutrition, mental stimulation and social engagement.

Each participant will receive handouts and information on the topics and a small gift at the end of the session.

The health department is partnering with the nonprofit group GrapeVine to help provide the educational classes. The organization, which is a program of the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation, has provided county health department staff with training resources and materials to help educate the general public. They offer a wide variety of trainings which nurses from the health department plan to share in class setting throughout the year.

The health department will be providing free hour-long classes in Medford, Gilman and Rib Lake with the goal of creating a healthier and more informed community. No advanced registration is required and adults of all ages are invited to participate.

Organizers said they are not seeking to repeat or replace the classes currently offered in the community through Aspirus and other healthcare partners, but to focus on providing education on different topics. The hope is to have the classes offered at least on a quarterly basis.

The next planned course will be on heart health with the focus on prevention and goal-setting, diet, exercise and dealing with stress.

In addition to the classes, the Taylor County Health Department is also expanding its services to residents to include toenail care and ear flushing. With staffing changes, the county is once again able to offer these services to residents. Contact the health department at 715-748-1410 for more information and to schedule a visit.