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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1990-12-19, Page 6o THE esu ots ExPO6ITOR. DECEMBER iv. ono Merry Christmas May the corns holiday season bring joy t0 the world aril happiness to your door We couldn't have soloed for ricer customers! Dave and Michelle Deighton and atdtt Programs )perating at maximum B Y MONA II WIN h Inas been a busy year for the county's public: health auraes. Al me county heat* board mein held last Wednesday (Dec. 5), nen* diueoo-tor Dane Petrie told board members that aneadaecc his increased ui many of the public health programs. "We're a ow ma><ilnum now, said Petrie in a later interview. "U we get msore (people), well have to expand." Among the regularly -run projprams that arc well -attended are the expectantparent education classes, the Nobody's Perfect program, the adult health clinics and the family planning clinics. Petrie said one of the raisons the expectant parent classes are full is because attempts to get parents into the clerics as early in the pregnancy as possible have waled. "Our main goal is to have a healthy pregnant y ," she said. Things such as diet, exercise, and drugs and alcohol are covered. Labor and delivery are also dealt with, but it does not do the woman or child much good if she does not get into a program until late in her third trimester. "By then it's too late," said Petrie. Expectant parent classes arc held in Exeter, Cion chichi, Clinton and Wingham. The full program is held four times a year in each community, and classes arc held once a week. Each class has a maximum of about 14 people. "If we get more than that, we split it and offer classes two evenings a week in that community," Petrie said. Public health nurses also frequently offer special 'early trimester classes to catch those women whose pregnancies are confirmed in between the regular series. It would be too late for them if they had to wait for the start of the next series, said Petrie. NOBODY'S PERFECT The Nobody's Perfect program, unlike the expectant parent classes, is a highly 'targeted' program, Petrie said. It's aimed primarily at parents who are very young, very isolated or have little or no financial support. "It looks at the needs of both the mother and children," said Petrie, adding that many of the mothers who come to the program continue to keep in touch with each other independently. "That's the whole purpose of the program, to make them feel less isolated," she said. At present there WEEKLY GARBAGE PICK-UP 1 99 1 RATE $?O/YEAR INCLUDES G.S.T. BILL EISLER 52Z-1432 TOWN OF SEAFORTH Seaforth Council has signed an agreement with the Bluewater Recycling Association to provide curbside BLUEBOX PICKUP this spring. More information will be available early in the new year. COMPOSTERS AVAILABLE Residents of Seaforth may order composters through the Seaforth Municipal office at 72 Main Street, South, or phone 527-0160. TWO TYPES OF COMPOSTERS ARE AVAILABLE CONE COMPOSTER This type of composter, which is par- tially placed below grade, will com- post all organic kitchen waste; i.e., food scraps, including meat, fish, poultry and dairy products BOX COMPOSTER This type of composter is the type 0 that composts vegetable matter on- ly, and produces a mulch that can be used in your gardens. PLA E YOUR ORDER NOW WHEN ORDERS TOTAL 30 COMPOSTERS, THE TOWN WILL PICK UP THE COMPOSTERS, AND CALL YOU WHEN THEY HAVE ARRIVED. Call 527-0160 To Place Your Order II ay s Pu1ecx big ctfuad a the Pti�l�s� % drop-in ccwc in Ood lch, aid it has also bvw offered in W u►gltes,. "One perm we orle of it was at the Blu ewaser Youth Cu►ut , cur the =iasediads that,' surd lain. It is so tughly targeted u is aot regularly achoduied, sire said. Up to 10 individuals (mod arca chitties) car be accommodated to each session. Roheshrnonu and activities lar the children art provided. ADULT HEALTH CLINICS The main clients at the adult health clinics are the aider saviors, akhough the clinics are aimed at all seniors, Petrie said. "The average�jage (of the clients) is 78," ted. clinics regularty cover such areas as foot care, diets and nutrition, and counselling, but the clinics also have thanes, said Petrie. In the January/February clinics, the theme will be preventing accidents that happen by falling. The clinics arc held each month in Goderich and Exeter, and every two months in seven other communities, including Clinton and Seaforth. In Goderich they arc held in the afternoon every second Wednesday. In Clinton the next clinic is Dec. 20 and the next clinic in Seaforth is set for Jan. 30. On a few occasions about 70 people have come w the Goderich clinic, and that's too many, said Petrie. "Usually we deal with 50-60 people, but that's still too much," she said. "A comfortable group is 35-40." They are looking at holding the monthly clinics twice a month, or perhaps just making them all -day clinics rather than half-day. They are also considering having clients make appointments, even if the appointments are very general (such as making an appointment for the morning clinic or the afternoon clinic, rather than setting a specific time). The bi-monthly clinics are Seaforth, Bayfield and Clinton are also busy, Petrie said, and they are considering holding those clinics every month rather than every two months. FAMILY PLANNING The increase in attendance at family planning clinics is mainly due to the fact that they're promoted in the county high schools. And it's having an effect, said Petrie. "We've just gotten some statistics from the Ministry of Health," she said. "Last year Huron County had Warm Wishes Here's an old-fashioned greeting from all of us to all our friends From Don, Ken Marie and Barb Main St. SEAFORTH INSURANCE BROKER LTD. Your Insurance Broker Understands Seaforth 527-1610 oa�jr ane dstivay w a 1b -year -cid, ✓ oue to say ',omega gds, and very few aninarrted pregnancies (ovua„)•" V Die chirucs do more thea just hand out fives, Petrie said; sexuality ey iby diatmemeg ick flung* as sexually eammoitisd dimmest, avoiding plemied pregnancies sad sea=the decision rte become active. A standing clinic is held once a month in Clinic, and drup-m clinics are held in W ingham, Cbnrao. Goderich and Exeter. High-school students are the main clients at the drop-in clinics, while both students and adults conic to the standing clinic, said Petrie. New clients must make an appointment with the ma= for a complete physical if they are pin; to ask for contraceptives, Pane added- Alia that they may visit the drop-in clinics, although they are asked w return to the standing clinic one a year for annual check-ups. "We might add another clinic when this one gets too full," said Petrie. Besides the regular programs, new programs art being drawn up wherever the need arises, Petrie said. With public health awns, "thee key is community diagarosis," she Md. "You loot at the overall health of the community." For example, they're looking at setting up a port -partum support in taogjilnctioo with arca and doctors. The program would deal with questions asd concerns about the health of both Wants and mothers. Mother pnvgram that they would lime to soot is one that addresses the problems and concerns of people who are caring for elderly relate vas, Petrie said. A new program that started this year set up support gwps among young anothcrs in the Auburn area. Isolation and depression arc a probiern . among young � , said Petrie, the winter months, when the days are Shona and the weather is often grey and unfriendly. In the future, both existing programs and new oracs will need attention, Petrie said. "We'll require more people both to increase existing programs and address (new) concerns that need attention," she said. Petrie credits the staff with making the programs successful. "The nurses are very creative and flexible," she said. "We couldn't do all this if they weren't." 1 1 'J it , •1 • Second stage housing under way in Huron Second stage housing for abused women and children is about to become a reality in Huron County. "All three units are under construction, although they're in different stages (of construction)," said Julie Lee. The project was started by Phoenix of Huron Second Stage Housing, a community-based incorporated organization. Lee is president of the organization's board of directors. The second story is going up on the 10 -unit Goderich location, while the Exeter building already has the roof on. The Clinton structure has only recently had the foundation poured, said Lee. The Clinton and Exeter buildings have six units each. All three sites are expected to open in March 1991. Phoenix of Huron will offer women a place to go when they leave Survival Through Friendship House (STFH), the county emergency shelter for battered women and children. Lee is also executive director of STFH. The maximum length of time a family can stay at STFH is six weeks. The main philosophy behind Phoenix of Huron is that six weeks is not long enough for family members to re -organize their lives and re-enter the community. Families will be able to stay in Phoenix units for up to a year after leaving STFH. Families that have never gone to STFH will also be eligible for housing in a Phoenix unit, which will offer a private subsidized apartment. All residents of the Phoenix units will be able to continue participating in counselling programs. Lee emphasized that the Phoenix units are not replacing the emergency shelter. "What needs to be understood is that we now have a two-step residential process for women who are assaulted by their partners," said Lee in a press release. "The crisis shelter (offers) immediate safety and support and the longer-term housing supports the women (who are) re -building their lives for the long haul." ekt and a prosperous New Year to all our friends and customers! We couldn't have done it without you. PROVIDING YOU WITH. - ..Gravel *Sand •Top oil • Stone •eackhoe Service •Bulldozing *Ducking *Septic Systems •Foundation Excavations 6IMON VANOAIEL VANDRIEL Contracting YOLANDA VANOIMEL Board of Health proposes purchase of laser levels The purchase of two hi -tech surveying tools was approved at the meeting of the Huron County Board of Health last Wednesday (Dec. 5). A proposal for the purchase of two laser levels was accepted at the meeting. Laser levels are for land surveying, said Dr. Maarten Bokhout, the county's medical health officer. "It's what they used transits for in the good old days," Bokhout said. The levels selected, at about $3,200 each, were the more expensive of the two makes under consideration, added Bokhout. "It's a case of 'you get what you pay for,'" he said. "These were the benar units." LANDFILL SITE At the Dec. 5 Huron County Board of Health meeting, Bokhout said he was asked to comment on the emergency proposal to extend the operatingg licence of the Mid - Huron Landfall Site. In his report, he said that he supported the emergency extension of the site licence because "no alternative exists for the four communities otherwise affected." In a later telephone interview, Bokhout said he has toured the site, as well as looking over written statistics and attending public meetings. "I don't think it's the best waste disposal site in the world," he said. "If I was starting from scratch, I wouldn't propose it. But what else can you do under the circumstances? "As a citizen of this county. 1 don't see that the solution is to export our garbage to another community outside the county. We must look after our own garbage." The Mid -Huron Landfill Site has safeguards built into it, said Bokhout, and "it is a suitable temporary solution." The Waste Management Master Plan (WMMP), which is currently under development, will identify a better and more permanent solution, he said. However, the WMMP is not expected to be finished until the end of 1991. "You won't solve the problem by closing the present site or restricting access," said Bokhout, adding that such a solution would just result in trash being dumped by the roadside. WORKSHOP PLANNED A one -day workshop has been planned for about 10 county health employees for early in the new year. No location has yet been chosen for the meeting, said Bokhout, but "we have been directed to use county facilities" for the meeting. Those attending will discuss areas of concern, such as fiscal restraint and the implementation schedule of the Mandatory Core Programs. The guidelines for the 20 mandatory health programs was released in April 1989. The programs are intended to encourage people to develop behaviors that will result in good health, such as not using tobacco, not abusing drugs or alcohol and eating a nutritious, balanced diet. A maximum of $500 has been set aside for the meeting, and the majority of that will likely go towards hiring a facilitator to lead the meeting, said Bokhout. Other costs, including lunch, will be paid from the participants' own pockets. The workshop was discussed at the health board meeting held last Wednesday (Dec. 5). Call Heather or Susan with your news tips 527-024U