HEALTH BRIEFS

Florida Hospital offers Better Breathers support group

SEBRING - Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center announces the formation of a Better Breathers Club support group, sponsored by the American Lung Association.

The American Lung Association's Better Breathers Club is a Lung Health Support Club for adults with lung disease, and their families and friends. The club offers educational information on COPD, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, sleep apnea, and other lung diseases. There will be different speakers each meeting on topics ranging from living with lung diseases, equipment use, managing and coping with your disease, and more.

The next meeting is from noon until 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, in Conference Room 3, upstairs at Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center in Sebring, on Sun 'N Lake Boulevard. The topic will be the "Sleep Apnea" and will be presented by Cindy Baker from Lincare.

A healthy snack and beverage will be provided. For more information about the support group, call Mike Napper at 402-3450.

Screenings offered on National Memory Day

SEBRING - National Memory Day is coming up and in Highlands County Central Florida Neuropsychology is the approved provider of memory screenings.

Memory screenings are safe non-invasive procedures that can reassure healthy individuals and identify those who have a problem, but have not yet recognized it. Individuals are often unaware of, deny or minimize the severity of their symptoms due to worry about stigma. But, a positive screening result can encourage individuals to seek appropriate follow-up care.

Screenings are being scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 4325 Sun 'N Lake Blvd., Suite 103, Sebring.

If you have a positive screening result, then further testing will help identify if you are in the early states of dementia. In so, early identification allows early aggressive use of most available treatments to slow the progression of symptoms. Early identification also supports your rights and self-determination as you learn to chart the future course of your own care and make substantial decision on issues like end-of-life care, resuscitation, disposition of wealth. It permits you to reduce your risk for accidents, injuries and exploitation by putting safeguards and home assistance in place.

Call 385-HELP (4357) for more information.