A back-to-school message from Dr. Steven Walts, Superintendent of Prince William County Public Schools:
We enthusiastically await the arrival of approximately 91,000 students on the first day of the 2018-19 school year. Our educators and support staff are prepared and passionate about ensuring each student learns, grows, and excels.
Our commitment to serving individual needs is evident in this school year’s opening of Independence Nontraditional School. This unique, state-of-the-art school facility that combines the former New Directions and New Dominion Alternative Education Centers, as well as PACE East, provides all students with greater access to courses and Division resources.
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Patients and visitors to Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, as well as all Sentara Healthcare hospitals and outpatient facilities, are now able to receive timely text messages during critical safety events. A new opt-in emergency notification service dubbed SentarAlert allows anyone in Sentara facilities to receive the same texts Sentara employees receive through our emergency notification system (ENS).
SentarAlert allows patients and visitors to text a keyword unique to each Sentara facility or region to 333111 and immediately begin receiving critical safety messages. SentarAlert will begin the service with two critical safety notifications: Active Shooter and Evacuation. At 120 characters, notifications are brief and cryptic, like tweets, and designed to be augmented by overhead pages in hospitals and sites with public address systems.
“Sentara takes safety very seriously. We want to ensure our patients and guests are informed of emergency situations as they arise,” explains Tim Bowers, MS, CHSO, Director of Security for Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. “Sentara is offering a new emergency notification system to anyone who signs up. This system is very similar to those used on college campuses and by governments across the nation to alert authorized people of emergency situations. To receive the Sentara Northern Virginia emergency notifications on your phone, please text the keyword SENTARANV to 333111.”
Opt-in subscriptions last for seven-day cycles when subscribers are notified by text that they are unsubscribed. But they can subscribe again right away for the next cycle. SentarAlert is designed as a safety enhancement for patients and visitors while they are in Sentara hospitals, nursing centers, therapy centers and other ambulatory sites of care. The texts are designed to help employees, patients and visitors make informed decisions during critical safety events.
From the Prince William police press release:
Strong-Armed Robbery – On August 18 at 9:30PM, officers began to investigate an alleged robbery that occurred somewhere in Prince William County earlier that evening. The victim, a 25-year-old man, reported to police that he was walking along an unknown road in Prince William County between 8:00PM and 9:00PM when he was pushed to the ground from behind then punched in the face by an unknown black male. The unknown suspect took money, clothing, and other various items from the victim before fleeing the area on foot. The victim later responded to the Paul T. White Station in Manassas to report the incident. No injuries were reported. The investigation continues.
Shooting Investigation – On August 19 at 1:08AM, officers responded to the Briarwood Apartments located in the 3500 block of Briarwood Dr in Dumfries (22172) to investigate a shooting. Several callers reported to police that an unknown man was screaming and shooting a gun from an apartment balcony. Officers arrived and heard a gunshot coming from inside one of the apartments. Officers breached the front door, located the accused inside, and detained him without incident. Further investigation revealed that the accused was under the influence of PCP. Following a search of the apartment, a handgun, PCP, and marijuana were recovered. Upon a canvass of the area, officers discovered that one of the bullets struck a nearby apartment, which was occupied. No injuries were reported, and no other property damage was located or reported. Following the investigation, the accused was arrested.
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Lidl US sent us this press release on their Dumfries grand opening:
On Wednesday, September 26, shoppers in the area will have the opportunity to experience Lidl when its newest location opens that day. Lidl’s Dumfries store, located at 16601 Dumfries Road, will open at 8:00 a.m., immediately following a ribbon cutting ceremony with Store Manager Kelly Simmons at 7:40 a.m. The new store will be Lidl’s eighth in the DC-area and will build on Lidl’s promise to deliver shoppers convenient access to high quality foods at the lowest possible prices.
“Lidl stores bring incredible quality, exciting promotions and real savings to our shoppers every day. On behalf of the entire Lidl Dumfries team, we are honored to bring Lidl’s unique offering to Dumfries next month and to become a part of daily life in the community,” said Store Manager Kelly Simmons.
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Call to Action is a column written by Volunteer Prince William Executive Director Mary Foley.
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Maybe the name Kris Kristofferson rings a bell, or maybe it doesn’t. Either way, here’s a little story about the songwriter and actor who is now 80.
For several years, it was thought he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or some other kind of dementia. His memory had been deteriorating. Then in June 2016, he revealed he was misdiagnosed. What he actually had was Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is contracted from the bite of an infected deer tick, a year-round threat. If left untreated, the disease can progress and cause a number of debilitating symptoms. Seniors can be highly vulnerable because they may have weakened immune systems or pre-existing conditions that can be exacerbated by Lyme.
Here’s why it was such an easy mistake for Kristofferson’s doctors to make. In seniors especially, Lyme disease can result in short-term memory loss. And according to the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center of Columbia University Medical Center, problems like these can occur months or years after a person contracts Lyme disease:
- Problems remembering names or words
- Slowed thinking
- “Brain fog”
- Difficulty following conversations
Other symptoms can include:
- “Bulls-eye” rash at the bite site
- Fever and chills
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Increased heart rate
- Meningitis
- Nervous system damage
- Arthritis
- Heart damage
Let’s take a look at the symptoms more closely.
“Bulls-eye” rash at the bite site
This might be one of the first symptoms you notice. The telltale rash is red and may have a bullseye rash around it. This is where bacteria makes its first entry.
Fever and chills, headache, fatigue, joint pain
If these symptoms sound familiar, it’s probably that they resemble the flu. Lack of energy, a mild fever, headaches, achy joints and muscles and swollen lymph nodes…all these can come along with Lyme disease. In seniors who already have daily aches and pains, it can be difficult to distinguish these symptoms from the norm.
Increased heart rate
Many people with Lyme disease develop a rapid heart rate that does not stabilize even when the sufferer is at rest. Since many seniors regularly take blood pressure and other heart medication, it is easy to see why this symptom could be confused with medication failure or side effects. According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 46 percent of seniors between 70 and 79 take at least five prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions, which can make it difficult to distinguish between disease symptoms and medication reactions.
Meningitis
Lyme meningitis can set in once the bacteria have spread throughout the body, causing fever, migraines, neck stiffness, eye issues, seizures, and confusion. In seniors, these can be confused with viral symptoms or even regular meningitis, both of which require treatments different from the kind Lyme disease requires.
Nervous system damage
Seizures, spasms, larger uncontrolled body movements and tremors – these can all be part of Lyme disease and easily mistaken for conditions like early Parkinson’s disease, diabetic seizures, or other specific nerve damage.
Arthritis
Symptoms of arthritis include stiffening of the joints, inflammation, and pain, which many seniors experience on a daily basis. But if they do not have arthritis already, untreated Lyme disease can put the disease in motion. If they do have arthritis, Lyme disease can make it worse. Â
Heart damage
When Lyme disease goes untreated for a period of time, the bacteria can weaken the heart, cause swelling, arrhythmia and even heart failure. In seniors with pre-existing heart-related conditions, this can prove deadly.
The key to recovery is knowing what symptoms to look for and treating Lyme disease right away before it takes a toll on the senior in your life. If you suspect the senior in your life has been bitten by a tick or has any of the above symptoms, seek medical treatment from a professional immediately. In a future article, we will discuss prevention and treatment of Lyme disease. Stay tuned.
This post is written by Potomac Local for Home Instead Senior Care of Manassas serving Prince William and Fauquier counties.
WOODBRIDGE -- Local leaders will gather to discuss progress on multiple transportation projects in the region.Â
The meeting will take place at the Woodbridge Campus of Northern Virginia Community College on just off Neabsco Mills Road in Woodbridge.
From a press release:Â
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DUMFRIES -- Newly minted Dumfries Mayor Derrick Wood is adding another title to his name — Interim Town Manager.
We’re learning today that former Town Manager Robbert Ritter cleaned out his desk after an emergency meeting of the Dumfries Town Council on Wednesday night.
“We decided we needed someone who is proactive, and someone who will work with the council,” said Wood.
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Mindful eating is the act of being conscious of the flavor, texture, and smell of our foods as well as our thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations as we eat. This requires one to eat slowly and genuinely relish each bite. It is not a diet, but mindful eating can help us achieve a healthy weight.
Eating mindlessly is an unconscious habit of eating without paying attention to what, how, why or how much we eat. Have you ever sat in front of the TV or computer and eaten a meal, but didn’t savor a single bite?
This is an example of mindless eating and it can be triggered by external factors such as stress, food advertisements, or when the time of day tells us to eat. Mindless eating often includes “comfort foods” chosen to soothe our emotions, rather than to nourish our bodies. Eating mindlessly or while distracted, we tend to ignore our bodies’ “full signals” and consume excess calories, which can lead to weight gain.
To begin eating mindfully, start by asking some of the following questions:
- Am I hungry?
- Why am I eating this?
- Does my body need this? Does this food promote health or not?
- Pay attention to how full you are before, during and after eating.
- Notice the colors, smells, textures, and flavors of your food.
- Investigate where your food came from: Was it grown on a local farm or processed in a factory? Who prepared it?Â
- Notice how the food makes you feel while eating it
- Be aware of cravings and what triggers them: Are you bored? Lonely? Tired? Angry? You may discover that you eat to mask uncomfortable feelings or emotions.
Keep a food journal of what you eat and your mood, hunger, and fullness levels before and after eating to increase your awareness of your eating habits. Once aware, you can make small changes one at a time, to help develop a mindful relationship with food.
Consider:
- Eating seated (rather than standing at the fridge or counter)
- Eating undistracted (rather than in front of an electronic device)
- Eating with your non-dominant handÂ
(Fun fact: one of my clients broke her wrist and lost eight pounds in the month that she used her non-dominant hand to eat.)
One benefit of mindful eating you may notice is an increased enjoyment of food as you slow down and savor meals. You may learn to enjoy healthy food and how it makes you feel.Â
You may slowly begin to realize that unhealthy food does not taste as good as you previously thought and it does not make you feel good. You may also learn to eat when you are truly hungry and stop when you are full, but not stuffed. All of the above benefits of mindful eating may naturally lead to some weight loss.
Finally, as you start to enjoy the experience of being present as you eat, you may become more present in life and enjoy life more.
