Health Briefs for July 1, 2012

Detroit Free Press photo by ANDRE J. JACKSONYashwanth Katkuri, research assistant, left, and Moriah Thomason, assistant professor of Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, look over brain scans of a fetus as Maya Dassanayake Wayne State master's student looks on at Harper University Hospital in Detroit.

Alzheimer’s Services

Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area, 3772 North Blvd., will hold the following events this week:

• The traveling photo art exhibit, “The Faces of Alzheimer’s,” will be held from Sunday to July 31 at the West Feliciana Clerk of Court Office, 4785 Country Road 418, St. Francisville.

For more information, call [phone].

• The office in Ascension is now closed. Anyone in the Ascension area needing programs or services should call [phone].

Hope Chests

Hope Chests, a support group for breast cancer patients and their families will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation of Baton Rouge, 9001 Summa Ave., third-floor lobby. The speaker will be Kate Suchanek, a yoga instructor for Red Shoes. For more information, call [phone].

Woman’s Hospital

Woman’s Hospital, 9050 Airline Highway, will hold the following events this week:

• “Prenatal Yoga” will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Saturday at Destination Maternity, 5921 Bluebonnet Blvd. Cost is $12 per class.
• “Baby Steps,” a light exercise class for moms to do with their babies, will be from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and 5:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. Thursday at Destination Maternity. Cost is $12 per class.
• “Strong Mamas,” an exercise class to prepare for pregnancy body changes, will be from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at Destination Maternity. Cost is $12 per class.
• “Breastfeeding Tips for Moms on-the-go” will be from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Friday at Destination Maternity, 5921 Bluebonnet Blvd. Cost is $20 per class.
• “Breastfeeding Basics” will be from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the hospital, Conference rooms 1-3, first floor. Cost is $35.

For more information or registration, call [phone] or visit http://www.womans.org.

Cancer Services

Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge, 550 Lobdell Ave., will hold the following events this week:

• “YogaThrive: Yoga for Cancer Survivors” will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at The Red Shoes, 2303 Government St. Registration is required.
• “Fit and Fearless,” an exercise program for cancer survivors, will be at 5:15 p.m. Monday at BREC Independence Park, 7500 Independence Blvd. Registration is required.
• “Fit & Fearless: Total Body Workout” will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at BREC Independence Park. Another class will be at 5:15 p.m. Thursday. Registration is required.
• After Hours Cancer Support Group will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the office.
• “Zumba Gold” will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at BREC Independence Park. Registration is required.
• St. James Parish Support Group will meet at 12:15 p.m. Thursday at Sacred Heart Church Center, 616 Main St., Gramercy.
• Holistic Healing will meet at noon Friday at the office.

For more information, call [phone] or visit http://www.cancerservices.org.

Mary Bird Center

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, 4950 Essen Lane, has scheduled:

• A free breast cancer screening will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. Monday at Zachary United Methodist Church, 4205 Church St., Zachary.

Appointment required. Call [phone].

Family Service

Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge, 4727 Revere Ave., is offering:

• Counseling services for children, individuals and families who need help with a wide range of emotional, behavioral and relationship problems from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays, but center will be closed on Wednesday for the Fourth of July. For more information, call [phone].

Grief Recovery

The Grief Recovery Center, 4919 Jamestown, Suite 101, will offer the following events and opportunity this week:

• A support group will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the office.
• A bereavement support group for adults will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, 14040 Greenwell Springs.
• A bereavement support group for adults will meet from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Elizabeth Hospital, 1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales.

All support groups are free and confidential.

For more information, call [phone] or visit http://www.grcbr.org.

HopeKeepersBR

HopeKeepersBR, a support group for those affected by chronic illness or pain, physical or emotional, will meet at 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 12663 Perkins Road. For more information, call [phone].

BR General

Baton Rouge General will hold the following events this week:

• Smoking Cessation Program will meet from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Bluebonnet location, 8585 Picardy Ave., Pennington Cancer Center Conference Room. The General’s Stop Smoking program is led by certified smoking cessation facilitators, who help participants find their own way to stop smoking. It consists of small group sessions that take place over a seven-week period. Registration is required by calling (225) 763-4452.
• Tour for Two (or more!) will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at the Bluebonnet location. Call [phone] to register.
• Man to Man will be from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at the Bluebonnet location. Call [phone] to register.
• Healthy Steps: Ledbed Exercise Program, healing through dance and movement, will be from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Mid City location, 3600 Florida Blvd. and from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Bluebonnet location. Call [phone] to register.

HIV services

The following HIV services will be offered this week:

• Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge, 4727 Revere Ave., will offer free, confidential HIV testing and counseling from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday,Tuesday and Thursday at the office. No needles and no blood are necessary, and results are ready in 20 minutes. For more information, call [phone] or visit http://www.fsgbr.org.
• Metro Health will offer free, confidential HIV testing from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at Dr. Leo S. Butler Community Center, 950 E. Washington St.; from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and from 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 4000 Gus Young Ave.; and from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at EKL Mid-City, North Foster Drive at Gus Young Avenue.

Red Cross

The Louisiana Capital Area Chapter American Red Cross, 4655 Sherwood Common Blvd., will hold the following classes:

• “Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED” will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the office. Cost is $110.
• “Adult First Aid/CPR/AED” will be from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the office. Cost is $90.

For more information or to register, call [phone] or visit http://www.batonrouge.redcross.org.

DBSA

DBSA — Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance (Opens Arms Chapter) will meet from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at La Madeleine Café, 7615 Jefferson Highway.

The meeting is open to those diagnosed with depression and bi-polar disorder as well as family and friends. Call [phone].

Hospice of BR

Hospice of Baton Rouge, 9063 Siegen Lane, is offering:

• Free Grief Support Group sessions will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Sunrise Assisted Living, 9351 Siegen Lane and 6:30 p.m. at Ochsner Medical Center, 17000 Medical Center Drive. For more information, call (225) 767-4673.
• Hospice of Baton Rouge is seeking volunteers for patient/caregiver support, health fairs and office assistance. For more information, call (225) 767-4673.

Co-Dependency

Co-Dependency Anonymous will have a 12-step meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday (even though it is a holiday) at University United Methodist Church, 3350 Dalrymple Drive, Room 204 of the Trice Building. For more information, call [phone] or for literature, visit http://www.coda.org.

Autism

Project Independence’s Annual “Camp Independence” will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the Gulf Island Waterpark, 13100 16th St., Gulfport, Miss. for autistic children and their families. Pre-registration is required. For more information, call [phone].

LIFT

LIFT Bereavement Support Group will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday at Greenoaks Reception Center, 9595 Florida Blvd. Chaplain Bill Brewer will conduct the meeting. For more information, call (225) 925-5331.

Life Source Services

Life Source Services Hospice, 3049 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., is offering:

• A grief support group will meet from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the office.
• LSS is seeking volunteers for many of its projects. Call [phone].

Doctor’s Hospice

Doctor’s Hospice-Livingston, 9788 Florida Blvd., Suite B, Walker, is looking for veteran volunteers for its “We Honor Veterans Program” to share their journey with veteran patients. Volunteers are also needed for patient visits and office work. For information on volunteer training, call [phone].

Grief support

The Community Grief Support Group, in partnership with several other local agencies, will meet at noon Tuesday at Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge, 550 Lobdell Ave. The group is open to anyone coping with the loss of a loved one. Call [phone] for more information.

Foot Institute

The Diabetic Foot Institute, 5428 O’Donovan Drive, Suite D, is offering complimentary diabetic foot screenings on Fridays. Screening will include thermal imaging, blood flow study, gait analysis and neuropathy screening.

Call [phone] to schedule.

Battered women

The Battered Women’s Program invites anyone who has suffered or is suffering abuse at the hands of an intimate partner to attend its group meetings. Call [phone].

Alcoholics help

Alcoholics Anonymous, a fellowship of men and women who help each other recover from alcoholism, meets daily. Call [phone] or visit http://www.aa-batonrouge.org.

Al-Anon/Alateen

Al-Anon Family Groups, a 12-step program to help those affected by someone’s problem drinking, holds meetings daily in the Baton Rouge area. There are no fees. Meetings are confidential. Call [phone] or check the website, http://www.batonrougealanon.org.

Overeating help

Overeaters Anonymous, a 12-step program without dues, fees or diets, holds meetings seven days a week in the greater Baton Rouge area. For details, call [phone] or visit http://www.oabatonrouge.org.

Gambling help

Gamblers Anonymous, a support group for people with gambling problems, holds multiple meetings every week in Baton Rouge, Baker, St. Francisville, Gonzales and Hammond.

For dates, times and locations, call (877) 770-STOP or [phone].

Narcotics Anon.

Need help with a drug problem? Narcotics Anonymous holds daily meetings. Call the helpline at [phone].