Health News

All area codes are 850 unless specified.

Blood drive
The Northwest Florida Blood Center will hold a blood drive from 2 to 8 p.m. Nov. 27 at Destin Commons, where every donor will receive a movie ticket.

Cooking for seniors
The Cooking Under Pressure program, sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care, is based on new research which shows that cooking for seniors with nutritional risks adds to the stress of family caregivers.
Program resources include a free handbook and a specially designed Web site www.foodsforseniors.com with shopping tips, healthy food suggestions and recipes for a well-balanced senior menu.

Volunteers needed
Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast is seeking community minded volunteers to greet visitors at the main welcome desk during the evening. Volunteer opportunities are available seven days a week from 4 to 7 p.m. and 6:30 to 9 p.m. Contact Sharon Abele, volunteer services manager, at 278-3081 or e-mail sabele@shhpens.org.

Community education classes
Destin Health Care and Rehabilitation Center offers community education the second and third Thursday of the month. Subjects from diabetic management to joint replacement education are free to the public. For more information or to schedule a class, call 654-4588 and ask for receptionist.
 
Weight management classes
Curves of Destin will offer free weight management classes at noon the first Saturday of each month. Classes include 90 minute start-up class for first time participants; 30-minute phase 3 classes; and 30-minute special topics classes.
                           
Stroller Strides program
Destin Commons will offer a new Stroller Strides program from 9 to 10 a.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This is a total fitness program that moms can do with their stroller-aged babies and is taught by certified instructors who are also moms. The first trial class is free. Call (888) 828-7775 or e-mail heidiwong@strollerstrides.net for prices and information.

Sacred Heart Medical Park walk-in services
To better meet the needs of patients who need to see a doctor but cannot wait to make an appointment, Sacred Heart Medical Park in Destin is adding walk-in medical care services for patients with minor illnesses or injuries, including colds, sore throats, earaches, sprains, cuts, minor burns or other minor ailments.
Located on the Okaloosa/Walton county line on U.S. 98, Sacred Heart Medical Park walk-in medical services are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Volunteer opportunities at Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast is currently seeking volunteers interested in working in the hospital’s gift shops, including the main Gift Shop and The Baby Boutique in the new Family Birth Place. Call 278-3081.

American Red Cross training
American Red Cross training is available in Okaloosa and Walton Counties. For information on courses and prices or to register, call (800) 773-7620 or visit www.northwestflorida.redcross.org.

Breastfeeding class
A free class, “Breastfeeding Basics: What to Really Expect after you’ve been expecting,” taught by an accredited La Leche League leader and experienced breastfeeding mom will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursdays at Suncoast Healthcare Professionals, 128 NE Eglin Parkway in Fort Walton Beach. RSVP at 864-0800.

Bridgeway Center
Bridgeway Center offers classes in social skills, teen issues and adult coping skills as well as classes in parenting, driving, chemical dependency and anger management. Call 833-7400 or 689-7810 for cost and times.

Co-dependency Anonymous
A new Co-dependency Anonymous group meets at 4 p.m. Sundays at 52 Beal Parkway in Fort Walton Beach. Call 240-0384.

Brain disorders support group
A new support group for parents and caregivers of children and adults with from neurobiological brain disorders meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at the Mental Health Association Building, 571 Mooney Road in Fort Walton Beach. Residents of Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties are invited. Call 936-7924.

Better Breathers Support Group
The American Lung Association of Florida, Northwest Region, announces the Better Breathers Support Group of Okaloosa County will meet from 2-3 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at American Homepatient, 913 N. Beal Parkway, Suite H, in Fort Walton Beach. Call 478-5864.

Weight management support group
The Treasury: A Weight Management Support Group, will meet from 6-7 p.m. Wednesdays at Destin United Methodist Church in Room 602, Avery Hall. Nursery available. Contact Tina Kaple at kaple@cox.net or 865-0791 for information.

Peer-to-peer support group
The Mental Health Association holds a support group for persons with mental-health disorders and disabilities at 3 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 571 Mooney Road in Fort Walton Beach.

Narcotics Anonymous
The 24-hour hotline for Narcotics Anonymous is 496-1673 in Fort Walton Beach.