5 Things Sept. 26: Free Coffee, Weight Watchers and More

Five Things You Need to Know Today is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Check back later for more, and let us know what you think of the feature in the comments section. 

1. Free coffee
McDonald’s will celebrate National Coffee Day by providing a free small Newman’s Own Organic coffee for all guests through Sept. 29 at participating restaurants across New England.

2. Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers meetings are held at Epoch held every Wednesday at 6 p.m. and new members are being sought. The meeting is an "at work" format and about four more people are needed in order to meet the minimum. The cost is $39.95 per month. Membership is at a discounted rate with full access to all the Weight Watcher etools. For more information call 508-285-3355.

3. Diabetes and breast cancer support group meetings
Sturdy Memorial Hospital will offer a diabetes support group 7 to 8:30 p.m. and a breast cancer support group 6 to 7:30 p.m. The diabetes support group will meet in the auditorium. The topic of discussion will be goals presented by Peg Flocco, RN, patient educator at Sturdy Memorial. For more information, call Nursing Administration at 508-236-7166. The breast cancer support group will meet in conference rooms A, B and C. For more information, call Ellen Gilbert at 508-236-7015. The groups are free and open to the public.  

4. Tips to Prevent Skin Tears, Traumatic Wounds
Simply stubbing a toe or bumping into the corner of a table can cause tearing of fragile skin, which is a common condition among elderly or compromised individuals because skin can become thin, weak, and dry with age or with underlying health conditions. Skin tears are considered traumatic wounds. These serious injuries result in partial or full separation of the outer layers of the skin and can occur in any bodily location, but most often in the extremities. And skin tears are a major problem among older adults: according to the American Geriatrics Society, an estimated 1.5 – 4.5 million skin tears occur in long-term care facilities each year (the large number of unreported cases accounts for this broad range).

“Preventive measures can be taken, however, to significantly reduce the risk of skin tears,” says Dr. Kenkre Mahesh, board certified surgeon and Medical Director of Wound Management Services (WMS) at Sturdy Memorial Hospital. To help prevent skin tears, Dr. Mahesh recommends that at-risk populations:

·         Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect extremities

·         Apply a moisturizer on dry skin twice daily

·         Maintain a balanced diet with sufficient fluid intake

·         Use adequate indoor and outdoor lighting to reduce the risk of colliding with furniture or other structures

·         Consider tacking down or removing area rugs to avoid tripping

“In the event of skin tears, patients should gently cleanse wounds and surrounding skin using saline or wound cleanser, without rubbing or chafing the affected area,” says Dr. Mahesh. “After the wound is patted or air-dried, apply a single layer of petroleum jelly gauze that covers a one-inch border around the injury.” Gauze wraps, stockinettes, or paper tape may be used to secure the bandage.

“Skin tears that persist without improvement for a month or more are considered chronic wounds, and patients with these wounds should seek professional care,” says Dr. Mahesh. WMS at Sturdy Memorial Hospital is a resource for those suffering from skin tears and other types of chronic, nonhealing wounds that, without proper, professional care, could result in infection and disability.

Trained specialists at WMS develop individualized treatment plans and use the latest technology to heal wounds that have not responded to conventional treatment. For more information call 508-236-7600 or visit www.sturdymemorial.org.  

5. High near 76, low around 56
Today there is a 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after 8 a.m. It will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. South wind will be 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.Tonight there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 3 a.m. Otherwise, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Southwest wind will be 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.