5K and 10K Training by Brian Clarke

The Beginning Runner’s Handbook by Ian MacNeill

Run Your Butt Off by Sarah Lorge Butler

Thinking about buying your prescription medicines online?

FDA kicks-off BeSafeRx to raise awareness of the dangers of buying prescription medicines from fake online pharmacies. For more information visit, www.FDA.gov/BeSafeRx

Gary Coody, FDA’s National Health Fraud Coordinator, warns consumers about the risks of purchasing from fake online pharmacies and provides tips for buying medicine safely online as part of the national campaign, “FDA BeSafeRx — Know Your Online Pharmacy.” Watch the 3 minute video.

Learn more about medicines with DailyMed and the Drug Information Portal

MedlinePlus presents an easy to use Drugs, Herbs and Supplements page. Learn about your prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines.  Includes side effects, dosage, special precautions, and more.Browse dietary supplements and herbal remedies to learn about their effectiveness, usual dosage, and drug interactions.

DailyMed provides high quality information about marketed drugs. This information includes FDA labels (package inserts). This Web site provides health information providers and the public  with a standard, comprehensive, up-to-date, look-up and download resource of medication content and labeling as found in medication package inserts. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides this as a public service and does not accept advertisements.

Drug Information Portal from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) gives users a gateway to selected drug information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and other key U.S. Government agencies. The search box in the middle of the page lets you search many government resources for drug information simultaneously. More than 31,000 drugs can be searched using this facility. The portal covers drugs from the time they are entered into clinical trials (Clinicaltrials.gov) through their entry in the U.S. market place (Drugs@FDA). Many drugs in other countries are covered, but not as thoroughly as U.S. drugs. Resources such as MedlinePlus provide easy to read summaries of the uses and efficacy of a drug.

Avoid medication errors and drug interactions

Medication errors are preventable. Your best defense is asking questions and being informed about the medications you take. Cut your risk of medication errors with these tips from the Mayo Clinic staff.

If you take several different medicines, see more than one doctor, or have certain health conditions, you and your doctors need to be aware of all the
medicines you take. Doing so will help you to avoid potential problems such as drug interactions. Learn more with the FDA’s Drug Interactions: What You Should Know.

In this article, the EPA urges adults to keep pesticides and disinfectants locked away from children to prevent accidental poisoning.

Safe Kids Kansas: Poison Prevention

Young children constantly explore the world around them, touching and tasting everything they see. Their natural curiosity and tendency to put things in their mouths increases their risk of death from exposure to medicines and household products. Also, children are smaller, have faster metabolic rates and are less able to tolerate toxic chemicals, placing them at a significantly greater risk of poisoning than adults. Children are also poisoned by lead and carbon monoxide.

What to do if you suspect a child has swallowed something

If you suspect a child has swallowed something, check his or her mouth. Remove any remaining poison from the child’s mouth, then call the poison control center toll-free hotline, physician or other emergency medical services. When calling, bring the container of the ingested substance to the phone with you. Call even if you are not sure that the child was poisoned. The poison center staff or emergency personnel will determine if you need to do anything for the child. Do not give the child anything to treat the poison until you have consulted a poison control center or a health care professional. Vomiting can often aggravate the poisoning and cause even greater long-term damage.

Mid America Poison Control Hotline: 1-800-222-1222

The library has free telephone stickers in the the Health Information Neighborhood with the Poison Help telephone number.

Check out more books on Healthy Home and Environment in the Health Information Neighborhood at call number  615.902 or browse these titles:

On January 30^th, 2013 the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library hosted it’s 2nd annual Senior Information Fair. Our goal was to inform older adults and their family members in our community about the variety of local services and businesses that cater to the needs of aging populations. The attendees explored booths that focused on numerous topics ranging from nutrition, finance, legal help, volunteering, housing, assistive devices, education opportunities, and in-home care to maintain one’s independence. If you missed the fair, you can still check out the list of exhibitors below and see what information they offered to the attendees. Contact information is provided as well so you can get in touch with the organizations and see what services they can provide for you.

AARP Kansas: Discussed the benefits of joining AARP and their services such as the AARP Driver Safety Program. Visit www.aarpdriversafety.org or call (785) 234-1365 for more information.

Aldersgate Village: Attendees learned about the amenities this retirement community had to offer. They also had some information on rehabilitation programs at their new recovery center. Visit www.AldersgateVillage.org or www.aldersgaterehab.org for more information. You can also call (785) 478-9440.

Alzheimer’s Association: This organization provided information about the free workshops they are offering in March on Alzheimer’s disease. They also offered some great information on helping with legal planning for people with dementia, tips for assisting persons with dementia transition from driver to passenger, and what to expect during the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease. For more information call (785) 271-1844 or 1-800-272-3900 or email cindy.miller@alz.org.

American Red Cross: Had some great information on disaster preparedness as well as volunteer opportunities for older adults. For more information visit www.thinkred.org. Call (785) 230-2333 if you have questions about volunteering with the American Red Cross.

Angels at Home Care: This business provided fliers highlighting the services they offer to customers such as transportation, assist with laundry & ironing, care for pets, kousekeeping, and assist with shopping & errands. Call (785) 271-4376 or visit www.angelsathomecareks.com for more information.

Audio-Reader: Offered information on volunteer opportunities as well as their free radio reading service for the blind and print-disabled living in Kansas. A variety of newspapers, magazines, and books are available to suscribers of this service. Applications can be found at www.reader.ku.edu. For volunteer opportunities call (785) 864-4604.

Blassingame Home Care LLC: This local business offers home and office cleaning, transportation, companion care, shopping, errands, bill paying, laundry and more. Visit www.blassingamehomecare.com or call (785) 286-CARE for more information.

Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas: Offered information on their Friendly Visitors program. Visit www.catholiccharitiesks.org/page.aspx?pid=601 or call (785) 233-0140 for more information.

Carol Ronnebaum, Realtor: Carol is a local realtor with Coldwell Banker that specializes in simplifying moving for seniors. She is an SRES designee which means that she has had extensive training in topics like tax laws, probate, estate planning, and equity conversion strategies. For more information, visit www.cronnebaum.cbkansas.com or call (785) 640-2685.

Comfort Keepers: Offered information on the various services they provide to help people stay independent and in their homes for as long as possible. For more information call (785) 267-8200 or visit www.comfortkeepers.com.

CoreFirst Bank & Trust: Roger Aeschliman Nancy Goodall offered information on a variety of financial topics geared towards seniors such as trust & estate planning. For more information visit www.cbtks.com or give them a call at (785) 267-8402. You can also email them at trust@cbtks.com.

Harden Hospice: Offered information on their end of life care services. Call (785) 273-4357 or visit www.hardenhealthcare.com for more information.

Harvesters: Offered information on healthier eating tips for older adults as well as their adult cooking classes. For more information call (785) 861-7734 or email Nutrition@harvesters.org.

A Helping Hand Home Care: Had information on their home care services as well as their LifeStation Emergency Response System. Visit www.ahelpinghandhc.com or call (785) 856-0192 for more information.

Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging: Provided information on a variety of key services like caregiver support services; information and outreach on aging services for Douglas, Jefferson and Shawnee counties; case management services (based on income) to help discuss options and find individual solutions; client assessment, referral and evaluation (CARE) for housing options; and senior health insurance counseling for Kansas (SHICK) which offers free
appointments related to Medicare and health insurance. Visit www.jhawkaaa.org or call (785) 235-1367 for more information.

Kansas Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing: This organization provides a variety of services and resources on assistive technology, hearing aids, supports groups, and much more. Call (785) 368-8034 or visit www.srs.ks.gov/agency/rs/Pages/KCDHH/KCDHH.aspx for more information.

Kansas Department for Aging & Disability Services: Offered information on Senior Medicare Patrol services, SHICK Volunteer Opportunities, and understanding your Medicare prescription drug coverage. Visit www.kdads.ks.gov or call 1-800-432-3535 for more information.

Kansas Relay Center: Provided information on captioned telephone services to persons having difficulty hearing on the phone. Call (785) 228-5666, email cady.macfee@hamiltonrelay.com or visit www.kansasrelay.com for more information.

Kansas Telecommunications Access Program (TAP): Offered information on what captioned telephone equipment is available through Kansas Relay as well as what other specialized telephones they offer to Kansas residents. Some telephones are free to those who qualify. Call (785) 234-0200 or visit www.kansastap.org for more information.

Meals on Wheels: Had information on the Meals on Wheels nutritional program. To see if you’re eligible to receive a meal, call (785) 295-3980 or email mow@meals-on-wheels-inc.org.

Midland Care: Was available to discuss their innovative healthcare solutions. Services they offer are Hospice, PACE, Adult Day Health, Palliative Care, Home Health, Home Support, Grief and Loss Services. Check out their website for more information.  www.midlandcareconnection.org

Shawnee County Health Agency: Provided lots of eligibility and service information on their Home Care Assistance program. Call (785) 291-2490 or visit www.snco.us/ha for more information on Home Care Assistance. They also provided information on stroke support groups (785-291-2488) and foot clinics (call 785-291-2490).

Shepherd’s Center of Topeka: Had information on their Adventures in Learning program. Each quarterly session consists of four Fridays. Participants to take two classes each Friday and can choose to particiapte in early exercise, a brunch, and wait to hear the concluding entertainment. For more information call (785) 267-0248 or visit www.shepherscentertopeka.org.

Stormont-Vail HealthCare: Offered lots of information on their SeniorCare program, Lifeline service, and HealthWise 55 program. Visit www.stormontvail.org for more information on these services or call the following:

• HealthWise 55 (785) 354-6787
• Lifeline (785) 354-6333
• SeniorCare (785) 354-5242

Topeka & Shawnee Co. Public Library: Had information about the resources located in the Health Neighborhood as well as the blood pressure machine and scale located there as well. They also featured information Red Carpet Services and offered eBook demonstrations for attendees. To find out more visit:

• Health Neighborhood
• Red Carpet Services
• Ebooks

United Way of Greater Topeka: Provided information on their Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). It’s the largest volunteer network for people age 55 and over. Visit www.unitedwaytopeka.org/volunteer/rsvp or call (785) 228-5124 for more information.

8:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Wednesday, February 13, 2013 in the Marvin Auditorium 101BC

You make a difference–there is an ongoing need in the greater Topeka community for blood donations.

Read more about donor eligibility and what to expect during the donation process at http://www.savealifenow.org.

Help save lives by donating. The Community Blood Center relies solely on volunteer blood donors to meet the community blood needs.

You may make an appointment ahead of time at http://www.esavealifenow.org The sponsor code is tscpl.

Stop by each exhibitor’s booth to find out what services and products they have to offer. Numerous topics will be covered including finance, Medicare, veteran’s benefits, volunteer opportunities, in-home medical care, hospice services, assistive devices, health & nutrition, continuing education, household cleaning & errands assistance, housing options, and transportation services. Remember to visit The Edge from 10:30 am–11:30 am for your chance to explore the benefits ebooks have to offer to older adults and then again from 11:45 am–12:45 pm to learn exactly what services the library’s Red Carpet department can provide for you.

Here’s a list of participating vendors: AARP Kansas; Kansas Telecommunications Access Program (TAP); Core First Bank & Trust; Blassingame Home Care, LCC; Seniors Helping Seniors; Carol Ronnebaum, Realtor; Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging; Catholic Charities of Kansas; Stormont-Vail; United Way of Greater Topeka; Midland Care Center; Topeka Visiting Nurses; Hamilton Relay; Alzheimer’s Association; Shepherd’s Center of Topeka; Veteran’s Home Care; Meals on Wheels; Comfort Keepers; Kansas Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing; Audio-Reader; Aldersgate Village; Harvesters-The Community Food Network; Angels at Home Care; Tallgrass Balance, Hearing & Physical Therapy; American Red Cross Kansas Capital Area Chapter; Harden Hospice Kansas; Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services

The next 6 week series begins Tuesday, February 12, 2013 from 5:30-8 pm in Hughes Room 205.

No charge for classes, and participants receive the “Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions” book.

As Health Information Librarian, I keep hearing about this workshop, and I was thrilled to be able to partner with local facilitators to have the workshop offered at the library

I chatted with one of the trained facilitators, Sandra Dickison to find out more about this interactive workshop series.

Why are you excited to be offering the KOHP  workshops?

Because it helps people with chronic conditions improve their lives. The workshop helps set goals, develop a plan and track progress toward improving your health – one step at a time.

Who can attend?

Any individual affected by chronic conditions includes Arthritis, diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, or any health issue that is ongoing. Family and caregivers are encouraged to attend also.

Why include caregivers?

Because caregivers want to help, and in these workshops they learn better ways of helping, and increase their understanding of the chronic condition.

Do people get medical advice?

No, people learn how to better communicate their needs to their physician and health care team. We refer people to their health care providers for medical advice, or help them find library books with health information.

Who sponsors these workshops?

The Kansas Department of Aging, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and Kansas Arthritis Program sponsor the workshops and leader trainings in our state. The Kansans Optimizing Health Program (KOHP) is known nationally as the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program developed at Stanford University and is being offered throughout the United States. Learn more about the Kansans Optimizing Health Program.

What materials are provided?

Workshop participants receive the “Living a Healthy Life with a Chronic Conditions” book that is a resource for additional information beyond the workshop topics.

What if I can’t attend the current session?

If you can’t make this session, another session will be scheduled in the future. To register for the current or future session, call Lissa Staley at 785-580-4540 or estaley@tscpl.org.

The Health Information Neighborhood at the library provides books, DVDs and online resources on a variety of chronic conditions and health topics. Contact Health Information Librarian Lissa Staley at estaley@tscpl.org or 785-580-4555 for assistance.

Get started with Makin’ Moves

• 1-2:30pm, Saturday, January 12, 2013 
• Marvin Auditorium 101AB
• Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library 
• Stop making excuses and increase your physical fitness activities. Receive exercise training and advice, and maximize what the library and community have to offer you. Wear comfortable clothing and tennis shoes. Presented by Chris Omni, certified personal trainer, Wellness Information Network, LLC.

Continue Makin’ Moves 

A community-based partnership continues MAKIN’ MOVES and will include an evidenced based, planned and progressive, six-week community walk at Fairlawn Plaza Mall starting Saturday, January 19th from 9 – 10am.

A four-week healthy eating and cooking class in conjunction with K-State Research and Extension – Shawnee County will be offered starting February 20th.

Contact Chris Omni to learn more about Makin Moves

785-478-2237 or Email or YouTube or Facebook or Text MAKIN MOVES to 25328

Check out diet and exercise books

Find more nutrition and exercise information in the Health Information Neighborhood at the library or request online at http://catalog.tscpl.org

• The skinny rules: the simple, nonnegotiable principles for getting to thin by Bob Harper (2012)
• Jillian Michaels: body revolution: Innovative system of 15 life-changing DVD workouts, sequenced from week to week and month to month (2012) 
• Body by you: the you are your own gym guide to total fitness for women by Mark Lauren (2013)
• AARP new American diet: lose weight, live longer by John Whyte (2013)
• American Heart Association Quick and easy cookbook: more than 200 healthy recipes you can make in minutes (2012)  

While preventable injury isn’t a happy holiday topic, it is an important one. The Health Information Neighborhood partnered with Safe Kids Kansas to promote safe toys for kids with an eye-catching display in the Atrium this month. Unfortunately, preventable injury remains the leading killer of Kansas children ages 1-14, taking more lives than any other cause including diseases, homicide and suicide.

Tips on Toy and Shopping Safety from Safe Kids Kansas

• Read and follow the instructions. Follow warning labels, minimum age restrictions and manufacturer’s instructions.
• Make sure to buy age-appropriate toys. Do not buy toys with small parts for children younger than age three. Also, don’t allow a child under age three to play with those kinds of toys belonging to an older child. Do not give toys that contain small magnets to children. Magnets are dangerous if swallowed.
•  Keep batteries out of reach. A coin-sized button battery can be easily swallowed by a child and burn through the tissue of their throat in just two hours causing severe injury or death. These batteries are found in many devices, including remote controls, musical greeting cards, watches, bathroom scales, and flameless candles. If a child swallows a battery, go to the emergency room immediately. Tell doctors and nurses that your child may have swallowed a battery. Do not let the child eat or drink until a chest x-ray can be done. Do not induce vomiting. Call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 202-625-3333 for more information.
• A gift isn’t complete without safety gear. Riding toys cause the greatest number of toy-related injuries. If you give a riding toy, such as a scooter, skateboard, in-line skates or bicycle, remember that the gift isn’t complete without a helmet and appropriate protective gear.
• Store toys safely. Teach children to put toys away after playing to help prevent trips and falls. Make sure toys for older children are kept out of reach of younger children. Safe storage also applies to toys for adults, like the small, powerful magnet sets used as stress relievers. When swallowed in multiples, these magnets can attract to another through soft, delicate tissue in the intestines, keeping them from passing through like a coin or marble. This attraction can cause injury such as tears or blockage of the intestines requiring surgery.
• Inspect toys. Make sure toys are not broken. Do not let young children play with toys that have straps, cords or strings longer than 7 inches, due to the risk of strangulation.
• Check toys for safety recalls. Go to www.cpsc.gov to make sure toys are free from any safety recalls. You can sign up for emails to be alerted whenever a children’s product is recalled. You can also use this website to report a safety defect.
• Actively supervise children. You should actively supervise children playing with any toy that has small parts, moving parts, electrical or battery power, cords, wheels or any other potentially risky component. Active supervision means keeping the child in sight, in reach and giving them your full attention.

Here are some general guidelines from kidshealth.org to keep in mind when toy-shopping:

• Toys made of fabric should be labeled as flame resistant or flame retardant.
• Stuffed toys should be washable.
• Painted toys should be covered with lead-free paint.
• Art materials should say nontoxic.
• Crayons and paints should say ASTM D-4236 on the package, which means that they’ve been evaluated by the American Society for Testing and Materials.

Safer gift suggestions from Safe Kids Kansas for children ages 3-5

The American Academy of Pediatrics adds:

• Toys that plug into an electrical outlet are a no-no for the under 10 set.
• Buttons, batteries, and magnets pose a serious health risk when swallowed, causing stomach and intestinal problems and possible death.
• Store toys in designated areas, such as on a shelf or in a toy chest, and keep older children’s toys away from younger children.  

Several recent articles highlight the considerations that should be given to electronic gadgets and kids, including teaching teens texting safety while walking/driving, considering the content of videogames and movies, and discussing increased eye strain, decreased physical activity and interrupted sleep from the gadgets.

• Gadget Givers Urged to Consider Ramifications: Electronic gifts should come with efforts to help kids be responsible users, experts say.
• Family Grapples With Kids’ Tech Time: Parental diligence and a few rules allow the good with less risk.

Talk about toys with your kids

Talking about toy safety with smaller children can revolve around discussions of picture books about favorite toys, including:

• My special one and only by Joe Berger
• Forgiving a friend by Virginia L. Kroll
• Small by Clara Vulliamy
• I must have Bobo by Eileen Rosenthal
• Be gentle with the dog, dear by Matthew Baek

Request these books at http://catalog.tscpl.org

Written as a memoir, Brain on Fire reads like medical suspense novel.  The book chronicles a month of Susannah’s life – a month she can’t remember. One moment she was a healthy, happy, twenty-four-year-old New Yorker with a bright future and a new boyfriend.  The next moment, she was suffering from psychosis, violence, and catatonia. She had regressed from an adult to a child in mere days.  Brain scans and blood tests revealed nothing.  Doctors were baffled and ready to commit her to a life in the psychiatric ward. Then, a new doctor joined her team.  Dubbed Dr. House, Dr. Souhel Najjar came in and asked Susannah to perform one simple drawing.  This test was pivotal in diagnosing Susannah with a newly discovered auto-immune disorder.  This disorder is now thought to be the cause of “demonic possessions” throughout history.

Susannah Cahalan uses accounts from her family and friends, medical records, and her own muddled memories to describe her “Month of Madness.”

“Swift and haunting.” (Scientific American )

“Compelling…a New York Post reporter recounts her medical nightmare.” (Mental Floss )

Selected as a November 2012 Must Read by Oprah

*images from here.