BCOA NEWS Brevard Commission on Aging
BCOA meetings are open to the public and are held the second Thursday of each month at the government center in Viera. For information, contact Cindy Short at 321-6332076, FAX 321-633-2170, cindy.short@brevardfl.gov, brevardf l.gov/HumanServices/CommissionOnAging or at 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, B-106, Viera, FL 32940.
Early detection could prevent ailments, disability, even death Most resolutions focus on improving our health, quality of life and becoming more active. The resolution most of us leave out may well be one of the most valuable approaches to maintaining our health. … Early detection health screening. Many diseases that cause us the most pain, disability and even death can be prevented or reduced in severity through early health screening. The American Heart and American Stroke Associations recommend taking your blood pressure regularly to alert you to unhealthy blood pressure swings. Knowing your numbers and working with your
doctor to keep your blood pressure normal is an effective way you can avoid or lessen heart disease and stroke. Blood pressure monitors are easier to use and more accurate than in the past. In 2022, 37.3 million Americans had diabetes and 8.5 million of them were undiagnosed. These figures included 26.4 million seniors 65 years of age and older. You can ask your physician for an A1C blood test that will give your blood sugar average during the past three months. This is a simple and effective test to determine if you have diabetes or prediabetes. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America recommends memory
Center provides opportunities for people with disabilities BY WENDY SCHEURING Brevard Achievement Center (BAC) has been expanding its presence as it remains an important and well-known cornerstone of the community. Solidified more than 50 years ago, the nonprofit organization has been at the same location at 1845 Cogswell St. in Rockledge. Begun in 1968, the center is a place where the disabled in the community can go to seek employment and sharpen their job skills as well as life skills. “Our mission is to provide persons with disabilities innovative services and opportunities to achieve personal success,” said Keri Goff, the director of community relations of BAC, which is housed on a five-building campus. The nonprofit organization’s growth has outpaced its original campus size. “We outgrew the space we had, so we bought the lot next door and built a new 10,000-square-foot building,” Goff said. “We are expanding our footprint.” She said that BAC, a member of the Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce, will have a ribbon cutting for the new facility at a future date, which is yet to be determined.
BAC has an employment side and a personal development side. “We are hiring individuals,” said Goff, who has worked at BAC for the past four years. “Five hundred fifty out of 750 employees (hired by BAC) have a significant disability.” On the program side, we take a participant who is not a BAC employee and place them into the community through training.” BAC pays for their on-the-job training, which is approximately eight to 10 weeks, with hopes of them receiving employment afterward or, at the very least, work experience that can proudly appear on a resume. BAC offers additional programs, such as an adult day training program, where people can receive employment assistance, job coaching, pre-employment training, guidance in entering the workforce, as well as life enrichment skills, building self-esteem, and even art programs. “We focus on the individual person,” Goff said The Brevard Achievement Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 321-632-8610 or go to bacemploy.com. SL
screenings as a significant first thinking skills. step toward finding out if a person The Health First Memory Disorder may have a memory problem and Clinic provides memory screens free providing baseline information for to anyone in the community 18 years your provider. of age and older. If you would like A memory screening is a simple to schedule a free memory screening, and safe evaluation tool that checks call 321-434-7614 for more memory and other thinking skills. It information. can indicate whether an additional There are many other early checkup by a qualified healthcare detection health screenings like these professional is needed. It takes about that will help you understand your 30 minutes and is confidential. risk of health issues. Ask your doctor Early recognition of mild what tests are recommended for Bluewater Creativesomeone Groupyour - Issue 1 gender. cognitive impairment and memory age and loss provides an opportunity for Take charge of your health now healthcare professionals to treat this since we all know “An ounce of condition and possibly slow down prevention is worth a pound of cure!” the changes in memory and other SL
SUDOKU
Edited by Margie E. Burke
Difficulty: Medium
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9 7 6 4 8 4 1 3 7 9 7 8 1 6 Copyright 2023 by The Puzzle Syndicate
HOW TO SOLVE:
Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3 by 3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9.
Solution on page 26
The Murtha Law Group, PA
PROFESSIONAL GRAB BAR INSTALLATION
Kevin M. Murtha
One Call Stops the Fall®
Attorney and Counselor at Law
Solution to Sudoku:
Serving Brevard County · Estate Planning · Wills · Trusts · Probate · Family Law 7351 Office Park Place Melbourne 32940
KMurtha@MurthaLaw.us
321.600.4989 321-242-1235
Trusted Legal Advice
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