Brotherly Love Ministry - Parish Nursing
The next Brotherly Love Committee meeting will be held this fall - stay tuned!
Parish Nurse Summer Hours I will be available by phone call or text anytime during the summer months of June, July, and August. If I can be of assistance to you, please contact me at 484-223-7324. I will resume the in-person office hours from 9:00 am to 10:15 am in the Fall. Enjoy the summer!
Taking Blood Pressure Readings We would like to to offer blood pressure screening for members of Grace and the community at the monthly Free Community meal. If you would like to take blood pressures for those attending the Free Community meal (the second Friday of each month from 5 pm to 6:30 pm), please contact Kim Vaupel.
WHERE TO FIND...
The AED (defibrillator) is mounted on the wall by the AED sign. There is an emergency supply kit and a diabetic emergency supply kit on the table next to the pew in the Chapel. If you enter the Chapel from the doorway in the hallway by the sanctuary, the table with the emergency care kits will be on your right. This is a more central location than the previous one in the event of an emergency. When you are next at church, please take a minute to locate the emergency equipment.
First Aid kits are in all restrooms and the Sunday School classroom. There is also a first aid kit in the rear of the sanctuary on a table below the bulletin board, and in the kitchen on the counter in Fellowship Hall (downstairs). Feminine hygiene products are available in all restrooms except for the Men’s restroom in the Sunday School wing.
The Brotherly Love Ministry/Parish Nurse bulletin board is by the front ramp entrance.
August Newsletter
August is National Eye Exam Month. This month is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of regular eye exams and encouraging people to prioritize their eye health. According to the Center for Disease Control, 11 million people over the age of 12 in the United States need vision correction.
You may not notice that your vision changed, but an eye exam can reveal if you need glasses, contact lenses or an update to your current prescription. Late summer and early fall are especially busy times for eye care providers, as many individuals use their vision benefits before the new plan takes effect, and parents take their children for exams before the new school year. These exams often result in new glasses, including sunglasses and those designed for special purposes like sports and individual safety and contact lenses.
Did you know that regularly scheduled eye exams can help eye doctors identify other health issues in their early stages? An eye doctor is able to spot the early onset of diabetes, high blood pressure , glaucoma, and high cholesterol. It is important to understand the connection between your eye health and your overall health, because your quality of life is too important to be ignored. Here’s a fact—only about 1% of the United States population is aware that you can detect serious disease and health conditions through eye exams. This is a learning opportunity for everyone!
To maintain healthy vision, adults ages 18 to 60 should have a thorough eye exam at least every 2 years. Children under the age of 18 and adults 61 years of age and older should have an eye exam every year. A healthy lifestyle can contribute to the quality of your vision. A healthy lifestyle includes a healthy diet, avoiding smoking, wearing proper eye protection, knowing your family medical history, and exercising regularly. It is important to keep your eye doctor aware of any issue you are having, especially if you are noticing a change in your vision.
Common age-related eye conditions include:
Cataracts - clouding of the eye lens leading to blurry vision and vision loss if not treated
Glaucoma - damage to the optic nerve often associated with high eye pressure—glaucoma is not curable
Age Related Macular Degeneration - deterioration of the central part of the retina affecting sharp central vision
Diabetic Retinopathy - damage to the vessels in the retina caused by diabetes—when caught early, diabetic retinopathy is treatable
As we age, getting a baseline eye exam can detect early signs of disease or damage to your eyes. Getting a simple check up and following an eye doctor’s instructions can greatly lower risks of more severe and future damage and you can continue to enjoy healthy vision.
Tips for Scheduling and Preparing for Your Eye Exam:
• Schedule an appointment in advance. An eye doctor’s schedule can be busy, so schedule well in advance.
• Bring to the appointment a copy of your medical and surgical history, a list of current medications and any previous eye conditions. An eye doctor will need this information about your overall health to assist in diagnosing any eye conditions.
• List your symptoms. Report any vision changes or eye symptoms you have experienced, no matter how minor they seem. An eye doctor will use this information to diagnose any eye conditions.
• Prepare for your visit – write down any questions you want to address during your exam. This will help you remember to ask questions, and an eye doctor will be able to answer your questions and put your mind at ease.
Early detection and prevention of eye conditions is the best way for you to continue to see the beautiful world God created for us!
May peace and good health be with all of you!
Kim Vaupel, RN
History: In September 2023, a new ministry was started at Grace Lutheran Church. The goal of this ministry is to promote the health, wellness and safety of the members of Grace and the community. Brotherly Love Ministry was named in honor of my brother Leonard Sterner, Jr. who passed away unexpectedly in September 2019. Since my brother was proud that his sister was a nurse, I have decided to use the memorial donations given to Grace in his name to start this parish nursing ministry. This memorial fund was used to pay for the classes I needed to take in order to obtain a certification in faith community/parish nursing, and also to attend a lay eucharistic communion class. After this, I will be available to assist Pastor Samantha with visiting the homebound and ill of the congregation. I will also be a resource to the congregation to answer any medical questions and offer support to the congregation as needed.
Next I will be updating the church first aid kits, and will create a kit for use in case of a medical emergency which will include a blood pressure cuff, a glucometer to check blood sugars, snacks to treat low blood sugar, and a pulse oximeter to check oxygen levels. I am also asking for anyone certified in CPR to contact me at the number below, as I will be creating a list of those members certified in CPR. I plan to coordinate a one-hour class taught by the Macungie Ambulance team to teach “hands on CPR for the community” to anyone interested in learning this skill.
On a monthly basis, I will be speaking to the congregation about how to prepare in the event of medical emergencies, fire emergencies and gun violence emergencies. My goal is to raise awareness and prepare the congregation for these different emergency situations, and be available to the members of Grace as your parish nurse. I look forward to sharing information with all of you in my monthly newsletter column in the Grace Notes monthly newsletter, and here on this website.
Peace be with all of you!
Kim Vaupel, RN
