Date: Fri 03-Apr-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

health-VNA-survey

Full Text:

VNA Conducts Townwide Survey

(with cut)

The Newtown Visiting Nurse Association is conducting a townwide informational

mailing and health care survey to determine whether there is a need in the

community for additional health services.

Included in the mailer is a survey on health care in Newtown for children,

newborns through high school. The survey is a bright yellow mailer which can

be mailed back, placed in the VNA mail slot at Edmond Town Hall, or left at

the VNA Thrift Shop at the back of the town hall.

The survey asks how many children in each age category are in the household;

whether they are currently covered by insurance for such well-child visits as

school and sports physicals, and immunizations; whether the resident would use

a well-child clinic that charged a nominal fee; whether the resident currently

is able to have well-child medical visits scheduled in a timely fashion, and

whether another type of health service is needed in Newtown.

The mailer also includes a "Fresh as a Daisy" brochure that outlines the many

Visiting Nurse Services which are already available to the community.

The Newtown High School Winter Color Guard under the direction of Jay Daly and

Avril Fraser has been providing most of the folding, stuffing, stamping and

sealing efforts involved in the mailing venture.

The VNA provides well-child clinics for preschoolers including periodic

physical examinations, immunizations, eye screening, and health counseling.

The agency provides health screening/blood pressure testing for the elderly,

general bedside nursing, injections and dressings, pre-natal and post-natal

care, and communicable disease control. It also provides adult health

supervision, psychiatric after-care, physical, occupational and speech

therapy, and 24-hour home health aide and homemaker services.

One of the most widely used services is the VNA Loan Closet, located in Edmond

Town Hall, where Newtown residents may borrow canes, crutches, wheelchairs,

commodes, and other medical items at any time and at no charge.

The VNA also operates the thrift shop, which stocks men's, women's, and

children's clothing, books, toys, and household items donated by local

residents and by several generous local merchants; contributions are tax

deductible. The shop is open Saturdays from 9 am to noon and Wednesdays from

noon to 3 pm. Revenues from the thrift shop help pay for nursing services for

Newtown residents. For 80 years, the motto of the thrift shop has been that

"No one is ever refused health services because of inability to pay."