(270) 444-9625

Health and Safety Education

family health

General Health Education

The Purchase District Health Department maintains a health education program utilizing a team of health educators.  This staff provides education and awareness activities for children, young adults, and seniors in our community.

If you would like more information regarding our available services, please contact us at (270) 444-9625.

Your health is our department and our health education team is here to help.

Tobacco Cessation Program

The Purchase District Health Department’s Comprehensive Tobacco Prevention & Education Program aims to reduce youth tobacco use rates, promote quitting among adults and youth, and reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in all communities in the Purchase area.  Our program includes cessation services, a public service media campaign, a youth empowerment initiative, and a campaign to increase the awareness about the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Cooper Clayton Method to Stop Smoking Class is offered throughout the year in several counties.

Call 270-247-444-9625 or 1888-245-3902 to find out information on future classes.

  • Ballard County Health Department
    Thursday, January 14th, 6:00   call 665-5432
  • Graves Co. – Jackson Purchase Medical Center
    Monday, January 11th, 4:30  call 444-9625
  • McCracken Co. – Western Baptist Hospital
    Thursday, April 8th,  5:30  call  442-1310

We have a community coalition called P.A.T.C.H.  Purchase Area Tobacco Coalition for Health.  P.A.T.C.H. advocates tobacco-free schools, workplaces, and public places.  The coalition serves the following counties: Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, & McCracken.  Our members include family resource centers, KY-Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, Kentucky Cancer Program, Four Rivers Prevention Center, local county extensions centers and other community organizations.

Youth Programs

  • Help Overcome Tobacco (H.O.T.) Youth Conference
  • Kick Butts Day
  • Hoopin’ Takes a Healthy Heart & Lungs
  • School presentations

Check out these cool sites about tobacco education

Adult Programs

  • Cooper Clayton Method to Stop Smoking
  • Kentucky’s 1-800-QUIT-NOW

Check out these websites for smoking cessation information..

mother and baby

Breast Feeding Grant

Breastfeeding is encouraged as the preferred feeding for all infants, including premature newborns. Breast milk has many benefits for both mother, and baby.  Breastfed infants have decreased risk of diabetes, asthma, allergies, and ear infections, just to name a few.

Your local Health Departments support breastfeeding in a variety of ways. We have a designated breastfeeding promotion coordinator who collaborates with local health care providers and businesses to provide information and support for all demographics of mothers and families. Some examples of information that we provide to the community are attendance at local health fairs, media campaigns, and providing up to date resources for local health care providers.

The WIC program provides pregnant and postpartum women with breastfeeding support and information to make the best informed decisions for their health as well as their new babies.

Links for breastfeeding support:

Healthy Start in Child Care

Healthy Start in Child Care is part of Kentucky’s KIDS NOW Initiative which was implemented in July of 2000. The Healthy Start program provides consultation to out-of-home child care providers by a trained Child Care Health Consultant on health, safety and nutrition issues.

Healthy Start also partners with the local Child Care Resource and Referral and other agencies to ensure collaboration and coordination regarding health, safely and nutrition practices that impact the quality of child care. The following activities are provided by Healthy Start Consultants:

  • Outreach
  • Consultation
  • Follow-up
  • Resource/Referral
  • Collaboration
  • Education/Information

If you have any questions, please contact our Healthy Start Consultant at (270) 444-9625.

physical activity

Physical Activity

Purchase District Health Department currently conducts several physical activity programs for our community.  Listed below are some of those programs.

Chair Volleyball sessions are conducted at local senior citizen centers allowing everyone to enjoy playing volleyball again.

An eight session program called Matter of Balance is offered to help reduce the fear of falling and to help increase the activity levels of older adults.

The Arthritis Foundation Exercise program is an exercise program designed specifically for people with arthritis.  This program uses gentle activities to help increase joint flexibility, increase range of motion and maintain muscle strength.  This program is comprised of 8 sessions and meets twice per week.

Our Arthritis Aquatics program is a program designed to safely keep your joints moving and improve your sense of well-being.  Utilizing the water, this program is a safe, ideal environment for relieving arthritis pain and stiffness.  This program will be 8 to 16 sessions and will meet twice per week, depending on scheduling.

Nutrition

Our health educators go into the schools to present a variety of nutritional programs for students of all ages.

 

Programs

  • My Pyramid
    This nutritional program is provided to middle and high school age children.  Some of the topics discussed are:

    • Fats-Junk Food
    • Sugars-What’s In Your Drink?
    • Dietary Guidelines
  • Eat Smart, Play Hard Breakfast Program
    This program consists of cute videos designed for Pre-K through First Grade children that teach the importance of a good breakfast to help them get through the day.
  • Kidnetics
    This is a three day program which covers a variety of nutritional topics.  Day One covers the food pyramid, junk food, and fast food favorites.  Day Two consists of teaching the importance of breakfast and covers sugar and sodas.  Day Three is paired with an obstacle course to re-enforce the importance of breakfast, eating nutritional foods and being physically active.
  • WeCan!
    This program is a community outreach program that provides parents and caregivers with tools, fun activities, and more to help encourage their family for healthy eating, increased physical activity, and reduced screen time (such as TV, video games, or the computer).
Diabetes Kit

Diabetes

Diabetes is a serious public health concern.  With over 29 million diagnosed in the United States, 1/3 do not know they have Type 2 diabetes.  Symptoms could be feeling hungry, tired and thirsty, frequent urination, weight loss, sores that will not heal and tingling in hands and feet.  There may not be any symptoms.  It is important to know your numbers and get screened if you have a family history of diabetes, over 45, overweight, not physically active, have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, had high blood sugar during pregnancy or a baby weighing over 9 lbs.  Talk with your healthcare provider about a blood glucose test if you are having any of these symptoms or risks described above.

Find out if you are at risk by taking the ADA risk test

http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/diabetes-risk-test/

Diabetes can be controlled by making small changes in your diet, increasing your activity and taking medication prescribed by your healthcare provider. Keeping your blood sugar numbers in a healthy range can help prevent complications such as blindness, kidney failure, lower extremity amputation and heart disease and stroke.  Education is also a key part of managing diabetes.  Purchase District Diabetes Education provides group classes and special topic presentations.  Diabetes Learning Sessions or Diabetes Self-Management Education meets for 2 hours for 4 weekly sessions.  Topics include healthy eating, high and low blood sugars, preventing complications and staying active.  Call the Diabetes Education department at 270-444-9625, ext. 107 for more information and class schedule.    

(Include a text box with ABC’s of diabetes – A =A1C test <7%    B = Blood pressure <140/90   C = Cholesterol –treated based on your heart risk.  Click here to take the heart risk test from American Heart Association.  https://www.heart.org/gglRisk/main_en_US.html

Purchase Area Diabetes Connection – a local diabetes coalition working to increase diabetes awareness and education in western Kentucky.  The coalition meets monthly by phone conference or face to face meetings to plan our Annual Diabetes Expo in Paducah.  Any interested individuals can contact DeAnna Leonard at 270-444-9625 ext. 107.

Diabetes Support/Living Well Support Groups – monthly support groups meet in various counties providing additional education to individuals and families.  Click here for a listing of the current meetings.  (provide link to brochure support group information or toggle down with these listed:)

McCracken:  Healthy Living Support Group meets 1st Tuesday each month 11a-12 noon at McCracken County Extension Service, 2705 Olivet Church Road; Paducah.  For more information, contact 270-554-9522

Ballard:  Diabetes Support Group meets 4th Thursday every month 11a-12noon at Ballard County Extension Service.  For more information , contact 270-665-9118.

Carlisle:  Diabetes Support Group meets 3rd Thursday each month 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Carlisle County Extension Service in Bardwell.  For more information contact 270-628-5458.

Fulton:   County Extension Service has several programs to support managing diabetes and healthy living.  Contact them at 270-236-2351

Hickman County Extension Service has several programs to support management of diabetes and health living.  Contact them at 270-653- 2231

Kentucky Diabetes Resource Directory –complete statewide listing of all diabetes specialists, educators and support groups.  https://prd.chfs.ky.gov/KYDiabetesResources/

ADA – American Diabetes Association  http://www.diabetes.org

JDRF – Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation http://www.jdrf.org

NDEP – National Diabetes Education Program http://www.ndep/nih.gov

KDPCP – Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program http://chs.state.ky.us/publichealth/diabetes.htm

Kentucky Fact Sheet and Safe Needle Disposal  http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/info/dpqi/cd/diabetesfactsheets.htm

American Heart Association http://www.heart.org

Additional Links

Home    About     Clinical Services     Outreach and Education     Environmental     Breast Cancer Awareness 

Emergency Response    Employee Services     Job Opportunities     Events      Contact      Locations

Copyright © 2016 Purchase District Health Department

public health prevent promote protect