Avera St. Luke's News
Find information here about Avera St. Luke's monthly classes and meetings in Aberdeen, SD, and in area towns we serve, as well as the latest wellness programs, screenings, educational seminars, news and other programs designed to help you “to be well." Go to Classes & Events for more details.
Find out about becoming a hospice volunteer at Groton info session
Avera St. Luke’s North Plains Hospice is holding an informational session in Groton for people interested in becoming a hospice direct care volunteer. These volunteers provide companionship, respite and support to patients and their families.
The meeting will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 20, in the Groton Community Center. North Plains Hospice provides Christian-based caring and support for terminally ill people and their families by providing care in the warmth and comfort of their chosen environment surrounded by family and friends.
If you’re interested in being a volunteer or would like to learn more about North Plains Hospice and how you can help, call 622-5200 to register for this information session.
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Learn about becoming a hospice volunteer at Ipswich info session
Avera St. Luke’s North Plains Hospice is holding an informational session in Ipswich for people interested in becoming a hospice direct care volunteer. These volunteers provide companionship, respite and support to patients and their families.
The meeting will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17, in the Ipswich Senior Center. North Plains Hospice provides Christian-based caring and support for terminally ill people and their families by providing care in the warmth and comfort of their chosen environment surrounded by family and friends.
If you’re interested in being a volunteer or would like to learn more about North Plains Hospice and how you can help, call 622-5200 to register for this information session.
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Sign up for Avera St. Luke’s EMT course
Avera St. Luke’s is offering an Emergency Medical Technician course in Aberdeen from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from Aug. 17 through Dec. 9 at Avera St. Luke’s Education Center, 709 Sixth Ave S.E.
This course provides the first phase of training in pre-hospital medicine and includes all skills necessary for an individual to provide emergency medical care at a Basic Life Support (BLS) level with an ambulance service or other specialized service. A prerequisite of the course is Health Care Provider CPR.
Avera St. Luke’s EMT program follows Department of Transportation guidelines consisting of 110 hours of class time including lectures, practical skills and hospital Emergency Department observation. Graduates will be awarded a certificate of completion and are eligible to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians Basic Written and Practical Examination.
The cost of the EMT course is $550, which includes books, but not the testing fees. Preregistration is necessary, since class size is limited. Call Avera St. Luke’s Education Department at (605) 622-5588 to register. For more details, contact Vickie Schrenk at (605) 622-5162.
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‘Compassionate Parents’ support group
Compassionate Parents, a support group for parents who have experienced the death of a child, meets the fourth Wednesday of the month. For July, a family picnic will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, in Aberdeen at Avera St. Luke’s Education Center, 709 Sixth Ave. S.E.
Family and friends are welcome, and those attending are asked to bring a poem or thoughts to share about a loved one. Please bring a favorite dish to share and your own beverages. Paper products and utensils will be furnished. At 7:30 p.m., there will be a balloon release.
The support group offers friendship and understanding, promotes positive resolution of grief experiences, and fosters physical and emotional health after the death of a child. Parents, grandparents, family members and friends are invited to attend and learn ways to cope with feelings associated with their loss.
For more information, call Marge Holland, RN, or Judy V. Toennies, RN, at (605) 622-5552 or contact Avera St. Luke’s Education Department at (605) 622-5588.
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Health Care Provider CPR classes
Avera St. Luke's offers Health Care Provider CPR classes for people who work in the health care field. The classes, which feature the American Heart Association standards, are offered the third Wednesday of each month in Aberdeen at Avera St. Luke's Education Center, 709 Sixth Ave. S.E.
First-time participants may choose between two sessions, offered from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. or from 5 to 10 p.m. The class covers the practice of CPR in the healthcare setting for one- and two-man adult, child and infant CPR, obstructed airways instruction, use of the bag mask and the automatic external defibrillator. A fee of $60 covers all materials.
Health care professionals seeking renewal of their CPR skills may choose from several two-hour sessions during the day: 8 to10 a.m., 10 a.m. to noon, 1 to 3 p.m., 3 to 5 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m. The fee for the two-hour renewal class is $30.
The deadline for registration is the second Wedneday of the month, one week prior to the class, since materials are mailed to participants in advance. To register, call Avera St. Luke’s Education Department at (605) 622-5588.
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Free blood pressure screenings
Avera St. Luke’s and Avera Mother Joseph Manor hold free blood pressure screenings in Aberdeen each month. Anyone needing transportation to any of these screening locations should call RIDE-LINE at (605) 626-3333 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at least one day prior to the screening.
The times and locations are:
First Tuesday: The Homestead, 9 to 10 a.m.
First Thursday: Fifth Avenue Apartments, 1 to 2 p.m.; Sherman Apartments, 2 to 3 p.m.
Second Wednesday: Bicentennial Apartments, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Third Tuesday: Aberdeen Area Senior Center, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Fourth Wednesday: Avera Mother Joseph Manor, 1 to 2 p.m.
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Heartsaver/AED CPR classes
Avera St. Luke's offers HeartSaver/AED CPR classes for the general public, featuring the American Heart Association standards, on the first Wednesday of each month. These classes are available for new, first-time participants as well as people seeking to renew their CPR skills. HeartSaver/AED CPR are held in Aberdeen at Avera St. Luke's Education Center, 709 Sixth Ave. S.E.
First-time participants may choose either the morning session from 8 a.m. to noon or the evening session from 6 to 10 p.m. The four-hour class covers adult, child and infant CPR, obstructed airways, and the use of the automated external defibrillator (AED). A fee of $60 covers all materials.
Those who wish to renew their CPR skills can choose from several two-hour sessions throughout the day: 8 to 10 a.m., 10 a.m. to noon, 1 to 3 p.m., 3 to 5 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m. Renewal class fees are $30 for all materials.
The deadline for registration is one week prior to the class, since materials are mailed to participants in advance. To register, call Avera St. Luke’s Education Department at (605) 622-5588.
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Walk for Wellness
The May meeting of the “Walk for Wellness” program featured the Spring Fling celebration. People who walked more than 100, 250, 500, 750 and 1,500 miles this year as participants in the program were awarded prizes at this special recognition event.
Recipients of awards and the miles walked are:
- 100-249 miles: Fran Lingor, Mary Amacher
- 250-499 miles: Allan Monson, Beverly Voss, Robert Voss, Beverly Klepetka, Victor Klepetka, Jeanette Brick. David Blaedorn, Dorothy Fettig
- 500-749 miles: Tom Piatz, Fran Rutschke, Wally Rutschke, Evonne Hopfinger, Ron Eisenbiesz, Kitty Eisenbiesz, Larry Frost
- 750-999 miles: Henry Hopfinger
- 1,500-plus miles: Ken Buechler
The “Walk for Wellness” program invites participants to use the controlled environment of Lakewood Mall for a regular, year-round walking program. A one-mile course has been measured out at the mall. Avera St. Luke’s and Lakewood Mall are co-sponsors of this program. Free monthly educational programs by health care professionals from Avera St. Luke’s are offered the third Thursday evening of the month, except during the summer months. For more information, call (605) 622-5533.
People interested in participating in “Walk for Wellness” may pick up a brochure at the Lakewood Mall office or the hospital. Those who participate will receive “starter packets” from the Cardiac Rehab Program at Avera St. Luke’s that contain information on the health benefits of walking, diet, stress, cardiac risk factors and stretching exercises. Packets are also available at Bur Mar’s Shoes at the mall. Before beginning a walking program, it is wise to consult your physician, especially when special medical problems exist.
Lakewood Mall is open to walkers from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Walkers are asked to log their miles, since special recognition will be given to participants when they reach their first 100 miles and each 100 miles after that.
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Free Hip and Knee Pain Seminar
Experiencing hip and knee pain? Discover the different causes of arthritis, knee and hip pain, soreness and morning stiffness at a free hip and knee pain seminar from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 9, in Aberdeen at Avera St. Luke’s Education Center, 709 Sixth Ave. S.E.
Seminars will also be offered at 10 a.m. Oct. 14 and Dec. 9.
Learn about the latest treatments, medications, nutrition and exercise that may offer dramatic relief of your pain. For more information, call Sharon at (605) 622-8639.
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Diabetes Support Group
The Diabetes Support Group meets on the first Thursday of the month, with time off during the summer months.
The group’s goals are to develop educational methods designed to give those who have diabetes a better understanding of their condition, to disseminate accurate information about diabetes to the general public, to educate the public on the importance of early recognition of diabetes and medical supervision of its treatment, and to provide an opportunity for individuals with diabetes to interact with others and share learning experiences. For more information, call (605) 622-5161.
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Aberdeen Area Parkinson Support Group
Aberdeen Area Parkinson Support Group meets from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month in Aberdeen at Presentation College , 1500 N. Main St., led by Shauna Klipfel, director of Avera St. Luke’s Speech/Language Development. Please note the change of meeting place; it will be held in the Sister Edmund Walsh Room in the main Presentation College building. Use door 25 on the north side of the building. Refreshments will be served.
This support group is an informal, self-managed organization of people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers, whose purpose is to share information and offer mutual support in a spirit of self-acceptance. It is also a place where family members and friends can feel welcome and supported.
For more information, contact Klipfel at (605) 622-5772.
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