Does Your Dog Need Sun Protection?

Summer is many dog’s (and human’s) favorite season.  It’s a time for sunbathing on the patio (tongues out of course) and really working on that summer bod with some good outdoor activities.  However, what many dog owners may not know is the same way us humans need protection when enjoying the sun, our furry friends do too. Yes, you heard it right.  Not only should you be protecting yourself against sunburn this summer, but you should take protective measures for your furry friend as well! 

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), dogs are prone to sunburn and the health risks associated with it – just like humans.  And just like humans, there are certain dogs that are more at risk for sunburn depending on their features including hairless breeds, dogs with white or light coats/thin coats, and dogs with light pigmented noses or eyes such as Collies, Australian Shepherds, and Dalmatians. 

Even if your dog has a thick coat, you may notice excessive shedding or bald patches that can be a sign of sunburn. 

Fortunately, sunscreen options for dogs are out there and are specially designed to be safe for your pet!  When choosing a sunscreen for your dog, it is important to ensure that it does NOT contain zinc oxide or para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) as these ingredients are toxic to dogs when ingested (and as we know, dogs love to lick themselves).  

When you find a good sunscreen, you might be thinking, “How the heck do I apply this?”.  The answer is simple: apply the sunscreen where skin is most exposed to sunlight and least protected by hair.  These areas include: the ears, bridge of the nose, skin around lips, paw pads, groin, inner thighs and lower belly.  Make sure your dog does not lick him/herself for 15-20 minutes or until the sunscreen is fully absorbed! 

If your dog is already experiencing sunburn, showing signs such as reddened, warm, or flaking skin, move your dog inside or in the shade as soon as possible.  Using cool compresses and ointments can soothe these initial symptoms and ease pain for your dog.  If your dog’s burn is severe, call your veterinarian. 

Keep your dog safe and happy this summer by checking out some dog-friendly sunscreens on Amazon or your local pet supply store! 

RVNAhealth In Your Town…Danbury, CT Spotlight

This month we profile Danbury, CT. We have been fortunate to develop many close relationships through our patients, healthcare partners, vaccine clinics, well-child clinics, and numerous other collaborations. And Danbury is home for a significant portion of our RVNAhealth employee population!  Read on for fun facts about Danbury, what we’ve been up to there, and a few words with Danbury friends.

Fun Facts about Danbury:

  • Size: Approximately 85,000 people call Danbury home.
  • Fun Facts: Danbury’s nickname is the “Hat City”, stemming from its leading history in the hat industry in the U.S. at the turn of the century.  Danbury also has a mineral named after it — danburite — check it out! And, lastly, Danbury’s name originates from the village of Danbury in Essex, England.
  • RVNAhealth Fact: Danbury is home to nearly 100 RVNAhealth employees!
  • While in Danbury…Our own employee recommendations:

RVNAhealth Recent Events & Activities in Danbury:

  • COVID Clinics in Danbury (May-Sept 2021). RVNAhealth hosted 48 pop-up COVID-vaccination clinics in locations throughout Danbury from May-September 2021.  These clinics were hosted at convenient locations that people would be visiting throughout their day-to-day, including grocery stories, churches, the library, the Farmer’s Market and at trusted community organizations.  Through the clinics, we provided 840 COVID vaccinations and 217 free boxes of food to community members.
  • Flu Clinics in Danbury. RVNAhealth administered 393 flu vaccines across 12 Danbury clinics for the ’21-’22 flu season.
  • Well Child Clinics – Danbury Public School Partnership (ongoing). RVNAhealth is honored to be partnering with Danbury Public Schools to offer local well-child clinics. This partnership was recently recognized as a statewide model for its ability to remove barriers for families to receiving well-child services upon registering their child to school.
  • Community Food Rescue of Danbury Collaboration (ongoing). Since June of 2021, RVNAhealth has distributed over 600 bags of food to families in need at pop-up COVID vaccination clinics and well-child clinics. Over 400 of these bags were donated by our dedicated community partner, Community Food Rescue of Danbury.
  • Nurse Family Partnership in Danbury (ongoing).Our RVNAhealth NFP team provides eligible young first-time mothers with free nursing support from pregnancy through age 2. And, if you drive in Danbury on Padanaram Road, have you seen our new NFP billboard (if not, see picture below)?
  • RVNAhealth’s Autumn Dinner (September 2021) and Spring Breakfast (May 2022). Held at The Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury, these annual fundraising events were welcomed back in-person.  It was wonderful to gather and celebrate the wonderful accomplishments of RVNAhealth, thanks to our donors, sponsors, and supporters.
  • Danbury Westerners Baseball Club Sponsor (2021 & 2022). We’ve enjoyed supporting and cheering for this talented local team! And they have played host to RVNAhealth’s family fun nights for the past 2 summers!
Attendees and Sophia, our therapy dog, at RVNAhealth’s Spring Breakfast
Gigi Weiss, MSPT, Director of Rehabilitation Services, throws out the first pitch at our Danbury Westerners Family Night
RVNAhealth / Danbury Schools Well-Child Partnership with food donation support from Community Food Rescue
NFP billboard located on Padanaram Road in Danbury
COVID vaccine pop up clinic at Danbury Farmer’s Market in 2021

Words from Danbury Friends and Supporters of RVNAhealth:

“As Social Workers in a skilled nursing facility it is very important to form strong relationships with our community partners to ensure that our residents / patients receive the best care in skilled nursing facilities and once they return to the community. Glen Hill has formed a strong and trusting relationship with RVNAhealth and we appreciate everything they do! Thanks RVNAhealth” – Glen Hill Center Social Work Team

“I choose to volunteer for RVNAhealth because it’s an organization that I truly believe in.  The many programs they offer are an invaluable asset to Danbury and the other 34 towns they serve.  I first came to be a volunteer after receiving RVNAhealth services for my mother, then my father, and both of my in-laws.  The caring services RVNAhealth provided were a welcome extra set of helping hands, foundation for comfort for both the patients and myself and family during the difficult time.  The people who work in in-home care are more than care providers, they become extended members of the family.  I am happy to contribute my time to an organization that does so much good for the area.” – Cathy Moore, RVNAhealth Volunteer, Danbury resident

“I have been working at RVNAhealth for just under a year.  In that time, I have come to understand why my fellow employees continue to dedicate their time here, year after year.  There is a genuine level of support, camaraderie, and purpose that is hard to describe, but easy to see.  Having an organization like this, right here in our back yard, has brought a lot of satisfaction and joy to my life and to the lives of those I work with every day.” – Ryan Ventura, RVNAhealth Account Manager, Danbury resident

In the Words of our Patients and Loved Ones

Did you know RVNAhealth’s Rehabilitation & Wellness Center in Ridgefield offers monthly memberships to use the facility for ongoing personal strength and fitness conditioning, following rehabilitation services with us? Ideal for past patients looking for accountability from supportive staff or those who like the idea of exercising in a facility surrounded by rehabilitation and conditioning experts – the Ridgefield facility offers a great way to stay in shape!

Mrs. Morrisroe works on her balance exercises.

But don’t take our word for it. Meet Mrs. Mary Morrisroe — one of our most loyal wellness program members at RVNAhealth’s Rehabilitation & Wellness Center. Though she is not there for rehabilitation therapy – not anymore! Mrs. Morrisroe comes to our center regularly as a wellness program client so she can work on continued strength and fitness.

After experiencing a leg fracture, Mrs. Morrisroe received RVNAhealth home nursing services to help her recover, followed by outpatient therapy at our Ridgefield center. “After my recovery program at home with RVNAhealth visiting nurses, I continued with their outpatient rehabilitation. Then at the end of that, I went right into their wellness program, and I am still there! I have a schedule so I know when I can go in and I do the fitness program that they designed just for me. It has helped me to physically keep going and do everything. And I like knowing that there are professionals there that can make sure I’m doing exercises correctly if I need help. I would not go without the wellness program. It really has made such a difference and I recommend it to all my friends!”

Thank you, Mrs. Morrisroe, for your kind words and we are proud of your dedication to your health and wellness!  For information on RVNAhealth’s Rehabilitation & Wellness Center and programs, please contact us 203.438.7862 or visit rvnahealth.org/rehab.

 

Celebrating Life…RVNAhealth’s Annual Hospice Memorial Service

On Tuesday, June 21st, RVNAhealth’s ComfortWELL team hosted its second annual RVNAhealth Hospice Memorial Service in the Ridgefield office for the families and loved ones of our hospice patients who have passed away. The memorial service is an opportunity for all to honor their loved ones who have passed away and pay tribute to the lives they led. It was a beautiful evening, made particularly special by the bonds and love shared by families, friends, and staff. We are grateful to the families who came and to all the families who entrusted us with the care of their loved one in their final stage of life.

 

This time helps family heal, connect with the team who cared for their loved ones, and express one more time their experience. It not only helps families but also staff. Our hospice staff spend significant time with patients and their families. Special bonds are created, so we grieve for patients as well. As Hospice Nurse, Lauren Messina, MA, BSN, RN put it “seeing the names of my patients at the memorial service gave me a sense of closure.”

 

One of the family members in attendance expressed her immense gratitude for our continuum of care. Her husband had been under our home health services for rehabilitation therapy but, after recognizing a decline in his health, he was referred to our ComfortWell hospice services. She expressed how easy and smooth the transition had been. From home health to hospice, she was in awe of the high caliber of RVNAhealth staff who visited her husband.


A second RVNAhealth Hospice Memorial will be held this coming fall in New Milford for families and friends of our ComfortWELL patients in the northern territory.

 

For more information on RVNAhealth’s ComfortWELL hospice services, please visit our website, or call 203.438.5555.

Take Your Sunscreen Everywhere You Go!

July is UV Safety Month and protective measures are essential! It is important to note that not all UV (ultraviolet) exposure is bad. Going outside and having low to moderate sun exposure offers a natural source of Vitamin D. However, long or intense exposure to the sun or any artificial sources of UV radiation can cause health risks – especially for your skin.

You may already know that tanning beds are terrible for your skin. However, what you may not know is that other sources of artificial UV radiation are everywhere — from stadiums to office buildings, to gyms and schools. These artificial sources come from mercury vapor lighting and a few types of halogen, fluorescent, and incandescent lights.

Who is at risk for high levels of UV exposure? In reality, anyone can be affected by UV radiation. However, there are some factors that can amplify one’s risk. If you are 50 and older, have light colored skin, hair or eyes, frequently spend time in the sun, or are taking certain topical or oral medications such as antibiotics, birth control pills, and benzoyl peroxide products, you should take additional precautions for your skin. When taking any topical or oral medications such as the ones listed, don’t forget to discuss potential for increased sensitivity to UV exposure and protective measures with your doctor.

How can you protect yourself? The CDC recommends six protective measures to fight UV radiation which include: staying in the shade during midday hours, wearing clothes that cover your arms and legs when possible, shielding your head and neck, wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays, use sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher, and avoid indoor tanning at all costs! These measures offer year-round protection from both the sun and artificial sources of UV radiation.

For more information on UV protection, visit the CDC.gov website.

Well-Child Collaboration Receives Statewide Recognition

RVNAhealth was recently invited, along with Anne Mead, Director of Family, School and Community Partnerships at Danbury Public Schools, to present to a statewide panel of educators at the Connecticut Department of Education’s “Tuesday Talks” series.  Our collaboration was recognized as a statewide model for its ability to remove barriers for families to receiving well-child services upon registering their child to school.

What is the RVNAhealth/Danbury Public Schools Collaboration? Danbury Public Schools continue to see a growth in student registration.  The current healthcare system, especially for uninsured students, cannot support the related increased need for required school physicals and immunizations.  This imbalance can result in delayed school starts for kids of up to five weeks or more after registering.

To help address this growing issue, RVNAhealth is working with the Danbury Public Schools to host on-site well-child clinics at a Danbury school.  As children register for school, they are immediately scheduled for their physical and immunizations at RVNAhealth’s next well-child clinic.

At each of our 2-day clinics, bilingual clinicians provide children with full physicals, exams for vision and hearing, tuberculosis screenings, height and weight assessments, and more.  We also schedule kids for follow-up appointments at future clinics so they can complete their vaccination series.  An RVNAhealth social worker is also available to help enroll children in HUSKY, the state’s health care system.  At the end of appointments, we provide families with resource guides, and full bags of food, toiletries, and other personal care items to take home.

As we look to the future and evolve our well-child offerings, our plans include linking children to an established local physician’s office for future needs, providing more mental health support, and coordinating with other local agencies to connect families to community resources. These programs are made possible through grants and the generosity of our donors.  RVNAhealth is proud of our collaboration with the Danbury Public Schools, and we thank our staff, community partners, and donors for supporting this impactful program to benefit many children and families in the community.

Thank You to Community Food Rescue – A Helping Hand in RVNAhealth’s Well-Child Clinics

Across the United States, food insecurity for families with school-aged children is a common reality – and Fairfield County is no exception. Thanks, in large part, to Community Food Rescue of Danbury, families attending our RVNAhealth well-child clinics in Danbury are receiving large grocery bags (about 10-15 lbs.) of food to bring home.

Since June of 2021, RVNAhealth has distributed over 600 bags of food to families in need at pop-up COVID vaccination clinics and well-child clinics. Over 400 of these bags were donated by a dedicated community partner: Community Food Rescue of Danbury.  These bags include enough items for at least three complete meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.  When available, they also include fresh produce and dairy from local farms and grocery stores.  In fact, during one of RVNAhealth’s Danbury vaccination clinics last summer, a volunteer from Community Food Rescue picked up fresh produce from a local Connecticut farm and drove straight to our site for families to take whatever they needed from a packed 20-foot truck!

Community Food Rescue is run by manager, Linda Hutchings, who started the organization September of 2020. With the help of a generous donor and a group of committed individuals, Community Food Rescue is determined to help end food insecurity in the Greater Danbury area.  Linda has vast experience with food-insecure populations, having organized a soup kitchen in Bridgeport for over 15 years.  “Feeding people is something I have always enjoyed doing,” says Linda.

At RVNAhealth, we are immensely grateful to Linda and everyone at Community Food Rescue for sharing our passion of caring for those in need.  “Linda’s commitment to helping families is unwavering.  Whenever we call her with a need, she always finds a way.  Her joy and excitement about her mission are genuine and it is a true privilege to work with her,” says Stephanie Collins, Program Manager for Community Health and Wellness at RVNAhealth.

If you are interested in supporting RVNAhealth’s partnership with the Community Food Rescue, please contact Stephanie Collins at scollins@rvnahealth.org, or to donate to RVNAhealth’s community health and wellness initiatives, click here.

Community Food Rescue is located at 78 Triangle St. in Danbury and is open to the public on Thursdays with Spanish-speaking staff to assist those in need of translating.  For more information, contact: 203.733.8848 or email communityfoodrescue@gmail.com.

In the Words of our Patients and Loved Ones…

When over 95% of people using our Rehabilitation & Wellness Center say they would highly recommend outpatient therapy at our Ridgefield office locations, we nod and smile in acknowledgement of the tremendous efforts put forth by our rehabilitation team.

In recognition of our therapists and office staff, we proudly share a few words provided by recent patients about their experiences with us.

  • “Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable, which made me feel very comfortable in understanding the treatment for my injury.” – Alex L., Ridgefield
  • “Elaine is excellent and communicates clearly what needs to be done between visits.” – Anonymous
  • “Professional – from workup to discharge. Constant checking on progress with exercises, adding new ones. Encouraging, friendly. Jeff was great! Staff friendly. A great experience.” – Myrna S., South Salem
  • “Therapists were very easy to work with and willing to try new approaches.” – Anonymous
  • “Kristine and Jeff were great. Enjoyed working with them. Peggy at the front desk was very sweet. They were all great. I looked forward to coming. They worked their schedule around me. Friendly and very helpful.” – Victoria L., Ridgefield
  • “Sarah did a great job. Cannot Improve!” – Anonymous
  • “Ever want to peel back the onion on how you run? I HIGHLY recommend the Running Evaluation at RVNAhealth…Kate is AMAZING. – Anonymous
  • “RVNAhealth has been a top notch therapy program to me. Susan, Sarah and Kristine have been great in my recovery. Always enthusiastic and positive. Provided great exercises to do at home and follow up at appointments.” – Lisa L., New Fairfield

Thank you to all of our patients for sharing your feedback! RVNAhealth’s Rehabilitation & Wellness Center specialties include physical, occupational, speech, and vestibular therapies, orthopedic programs for joint replacement recovery, balance and falls prevention, LSVT BIG & LOUD, and sports injury rehabilitation.  Additionally, the Center also offers running assessments, custom orthotics, and other personalized fitness services. For more information, contact us at 203.438.7862 or click here to learn more about us.