Health news

Caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's can participate in support group

A free support group for caregivers coping with caring for loved one s suffering from Alzheimer's disease is scheduled to meet from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Hollywood Recreation and Community Services Center, 1650 S. Hollywood Blvd. The group is for adults 18 or older. For more information, call 455-0566.

Second Wind Dreams grants wishes for five local seniors

Second Wind Dreams, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of seniors, was scheduled to grant dreams for five Las Vegas Valley seniors July 20 at the Rio, 3700 W. Flamingo Road.

Dreams to be granted ranged from a hot air balloon ride to performing on stage.

Before and following the event, attendees were invited to take a Virtual Dementia Tour to experience what it is like to have Alzheimer's disease or d ementia in a hands-on, sensory way.

The wish fulfillment was made possible with the support of the Caesars Foundation and Caesars Entertainment Corp .

Second Wind Dreams grants wishes in categories such as fun, life long, relationship, need and quality of life. It has granted more than 600 dreams during the past two years.

For more information, visit secondwind.org.

Support group set for breast cancer patients and survivors

Those reeling or recovering from breast cancer can meet and mingle with fellow patients and survivors during upcoming support group meetings at the Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center's Breast Center, 3006 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 250.

The adult support group is slated to gather from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 2 and 11.

A meeting for young survivors or sufferers is planned for 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 10 in the same room.

No RSVP is required. For more information, call 784-1947 or visit sunrisehospital.com.

Elementary school health centers open for summer

The health centers at Cunningham Elementary School, 4145 Jimmy Durante Blvd., and Martinez Elementary School, 350 E. Judson Ave., plan to offer immunizations and medical services for uninsured children under 18 through August.

Days and hours of operation vary, so call the Clark County School District School-Community Partnership Program office at 799-6560 for more information or visit ccsd.net/partnership/communities for a calendar.

Institute to give grants to prospective medical assistants

The Medical Skills for Life Institute is offering 10 $2,000 scholarships and 10 $500 tuition grants to the first 20 students who are enrolled and accepted to the institute through Sept. 1. These scholarships are for people looking to become medical assistants or phlebotomists.

For more information, call 645-7900 and ask for the admissions department from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday or visit medicalskillsforlife.com.

Nominations being taken for Caregiver of the Year

Homewatch CareGivers, a provider of full-service home care, will be accepting nominations for its National Family Caregiver of the Year award through Friday.

Semifinalists will win a yearlong scholarship to Homewatch CareGivers University, where they can take various courses on gaining an educational foundation, skill set and confidence to continue improving their caregiving. The semifinalists also will be given eight hours of respite care. One winner will be awarded the $10,000 grand prize and the title of National Family Caregiver of the Year.

For more information on the program, visit homewatchcaregivers.com.

Learn diabetes therapy

An outpatient diabetes overview class is scheduled from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at 3101 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 100. The building is across from Sunrise Hospital, next to Denny's.

The class is free and focuses on different types of medication therapy available to people with diabetes.

Registration is required. Call 233-5454 to reserve a spot.

Get emergency room wait times by phone via text message

The hospitals of Sunrise Health -- Sunrise Hospital, MountainView Hospital, Southern Hills Hospital and Sunrise Children's Hospital -- have implemented a new emergency room text wait time program to help Las Vegas residents determine the fastest ER wait times at local facilities.

In the event of a serious injury or medical condition, it's still recommended patients call 9-1-1.

The text messaging technology allows for patients with less severe injuries and emergencies to get average ER wait times before choosing a hospital.

Text "ER" to 23000 from your cellphone; reply with your ZIP code; and receive wait times at area emergency rooms along with a number to call to speak with a nurse.

ER wait times are also available on each hospital's website: Sunrise Hospital, sunrisehospital.com; MountainView Hospital, mountainview-hospital.com; Southern Hills Hospital southernhills hospital.com; Sunrise Children's Hospital, sunrisechildrenshospital.com.

Free StoryCorps toolkit helps collect memories

The national StoryCorps' Memory Loss Initiative encourages people with memory loss to share their stories with loved ones and future generations. To make that task easier, a free step-by-step toolkit is available to download at storycorps.org/mli.

The Commemorate toolkit offers an individual reminiscence program that family members can initiate or memory loss care facilities can add to activities.

The initiative has collected more than 1,800 interviews with 180 partner organizations.

For more information, visit storycorps.org or call 646-723-7027.

Summerlin Hospital offers infant massage classes

Infant massage can relax babies and may lead to increased weight gain and improved sleep. The FamilyPlace at Summerlin Hospital offers infant massage classes for parents and their newborns up to 6 months.

Classes are scheduled for Aug. 30, Sept. 27, Oct. 27, Nov. 29 and Dec. 27. The participation fee is $40 per couple.

Space is limited. Call 233-7103 to reserve a place, or register online at summerlinhospital.com.

New DNA test can help detect macular degeneration risk

Dr. Alissa Nagel, of Vision Source Summerlin/Lakes, offers a new DNA test that determines a person's risk for severe vision loss by analyzing DNA for the presence of genes that are known to cause advanced forms of age-related macular degeneration. The test is non-invasive and involves taking a cheek swab from the patient.

Although genetics plays a role in macula risk testing, Nagel said there are other factors involved. Those at high risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration include: people over 60, especially women; those of Caucasian descent; smokers; and those with a family history of the disease.

For more information, visit visionsourcevegas.com or call Nagel's office at 254-3558.