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PAGE 10, WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1979, WHITBY FREE PRESS Prevention of diseases is the job of Public Health Nurses Prevéntion of disease by health teaching is the basic role of the Public Health Nurses of the Durham Region Health Unit. "Our role is consultant and counselling co-ordination, assessment and referral to other agencies," says Senior Nurse Shirley Appleton. The Durham Region Health Unit is made up of seven teams which work out of an office at the Oshawa General Hospital. One team is responsible for Whitby, consisting of five Public Health Nurses and one Registered Nurse. This team plays many roles in the community to make people of all ages more aware of health concerns, and prevent the spread of disease. The team offers a consul- tation service to the staff and pupils of Whitby's schools. Eac4 nurse visits a number of schools, and pupils are referred to the nurses by the staff of the school if there are any concerns about their health. "We maintain a liaison between the home, the school and* community agencies," says Public Health Nurse Mary Kulich. "We can visit the home if there is a pro- blem at school." According to Mrs. Kulich, problems include physical disabilities such as poor vision or hearing, and in one case there was an over-all development problem in a child. In that particular case, the Public Health Nurse contacted the parents and the parents went DENTURE THERAPY. CLINIC 111 DUNDAS STREET WEST WHITBY 668-1464 Honestly there's a better way. consider yourself one of us.. Open a V&G Chequing or Savings Account. We believe our services are the best: Savings Account - 9½% interest, Chequing Account - 4% interest plus free cheques and much more. Come in and ask us about them. It's a crime you don't know. VICTORIA AND GREY. TRUST Sinc S18/14 Contactur office: 308 Dundas Street West Whitby 668-9324 (T oonto Line) 683-7189 assessment of the total family needs from pre-natal to the elderly, says Mrs. Appleton. Pre-natal classes are offered at the Dr. J.O. Ruddy Hospital in Whitby for a slight charge. Anyone inte- rested may register by calling the Health Unit office at 723-8521. The bulk of home visiting by Public Health Nurses is a through their family doctor to an agency for assessment of the child's difficulties. An audiometer technician is supplied by the Health Unit to conduct hearing screening in Whitby and Ajax schools, and north to Uxbridge. The Health Unit's school service starts at nursery schools and day care centres, "which are a good place to catch problem's early," says Mrs. Kulich. The nurses visit schools on an average of once a week. Communicable disease control is an important part of the Health Unit's school program. Mrs. Kulich says Whitby has had fairly minimal problems in this area in the past few months. Some of the diseases the Public Health Nurses watch for are pediculosis (head lice), scabies (a skin rash caused by an insect), impetago, and pink eye. Usually the parents or the school staff bring such pro- blems to the nurses' atten- tion. They go into the school and see the people they need to. Inspections are carried out for children suspected of having these diseases, and siblings are checked too, but "we don't inspect the whole school unless the incident is so high it warrents it," said Mrs. Kulich. Children with pediculosis are sent home until all the nits (eggs) are removed from their hair. Scabies cases can return after 48 hours, following treatment. The Public Health Nurses provide instructions to schools and parents on how to.cope with these diseases, but do not actually treat them. "The big time to check for problems is after the summer holidays," says Mrs..Kulich. In certain cases, the Public Health Nurses pro- vide immunization against such diseases as diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, measles, German measles and Mumps. In Grade 7 there is screening for tuberculosis. "We request that all kin- dergarten school enterers have a medical check and immunization brought up to date" says Mrs. Appleton. "We offer shots for school enterers and to grades selec- ted by age. A booster is required every five to six years. OHIP covers medi- cals and we (the Health Unit) pay. for shots if they are done in school." Another aspect of the Public Health Nurses' work is the home visiting program. , The Health Unit aims for of referral from doctors, agencies, self-referral or from by any concerned ' says Mrs. Appleton. program . has the Health Nurses attempt to see all new mothers in Whitby as soon as they can after their children are born. The nurses are able to provide teaching and guidance regarding the care of newborn babies. Pre-school services help parents with problems such as parenting skills. Counsel- ling is offered as necessary, a book on parenting skills is followed, and the nurses will visit parents based on the need as they assess it. There is also an early childhood screening clinic held once a month in Whitby for children aged 3 to 3 1/2 to assess their development. Appointments may be made by calling the Health Unit office for vision and hearing testing. The nurses will also screen children on an individual basis up to school 'entry if there is a need, says Mrs. Aoleton. Adult visiting covers many health problems such as counselling and referral -on mental health, alcoholism and drug abuse, crisis assessment, visiting the handicapped of all ages, and follow-up of patients released from hospital when requested by the liaison nurse or family doctor. The Health Unit also pro- vides services to senior citizens. A doctor or home care departments can.ask for an assessment of family needs on whether to maintain an elderly person in his, own home. Support services such as Community Care, Victoriar Order of Nurses, Red Cross homemakers, Meals on Wheels and senior citizens clubs are "explained or recommended in particular cases. "We do not have the power to insist that anyone go into nursing homes," Mrs. Apple- ton emphasises. P.,blic Health Nurses will senior citizens to help i1 .pret medication, diets, ni ition (and blood pres- sui, when requested by a fawuily doctor). "We are here to help people, not to check up on them", Mrs. Appleton points out. AIl visits by Public Health Nurses are paid for through taxes. One quarter of the Health Unit's budget comes from municipal taxes, and three quarters from the province. One of the few charges is for the pre-natal classes. The service of a Public Health Nurse is available to everyone in the community, says Mrs. Appleton. "It's not charity, a monitering or police type service. It's a helping service through assessment and counselling." Some of the Health Unit's supp)ort services include liai- result family schools reports citizen, One Public A police spokesman said the change locker in any public place is not the place to leave any article of cloth- ing for any length of time as these lockers are cleaned out by attendants and others from time to time. Home is the best place to leave a watch or any extra piece of clothing not a locker, a police spokesman advises. son nurses. Each community hospital has a public health nurse full or part-time to act as a. liaison between the hospital and the family doctor through referrals. There is also a nutritionist on the Health Unit's staff as a resource person for com- munity groups. Other services include a family planning clinic which meets on Wednesdays at the Oshawa General Hospital, and a special treatment clinic for sexually trans- mitted diseases which meets Tuesdays and Fridays. Anyone wishing to attend these clinics may call the Health Unit at 723-8521. A new program is the Infant Stimulation Program for children up to two years old who have special needs. The Public Health Nurses are often the first people to be called in if there is a suspected case of child abuse. They are authorized to do assessments and can refer situations to the Children's Aid Society. The nurses offer preventa- tive teaching to help parents cope with their children, but the Children's Aid Society has the legal authority over surveilance, says Mrs. Appleton. "It is your legal and moral responsibility'to report child abuse," says Mrs. Appleton. "You should report it to us or to the Children's Aid Society." Mrs. Appleton says she would like to make the resi- dents of Whitby more aware of the services of the Public Health Nurses in Durham Region. There are many new people moving into the com- munity, and there is a high senior citizen population that might require their services, she says. "There are good support systems in Whitby," say VIrs. Appleton and Mrs. Culich. Card tables are missing Durham Regional Police are looking for two missing card tables. Police said a group of bowlers had rented a hall at the Centennial Building. Jack Hoogkmer of 908 Bay- view Avenue, the custodian, was tidying up after the event, when he found that two of the folding card tables were missing and reported the theft to the Police. It is getting to be the time of the year for missing articles, police said. Mrs. Aline Currier, 305 Dunlop Street, has sons eight year Grant and il year-old Scott who attend activities at Iroquois Park. The boys had placed some articles of clothing in the change lockers when they took part in the sporting activities. This occured several times but finally when they went to get their missing articles they found that a watch and some articles of their cloth- ing were missing from the locker, police said. Can You Afford Not To Have One? 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