Brotherly Love Ministry - Parish Nursing
The next Brotherly Love Committee meeting will be held this fall - stay tuned!
Parish Nurse Summer Hours I will be available by phone call or text anytime during the summer months of June, July, and August. If I can be of assistance to you, please contact me at 484-223-7324. I will resume the in-person office hours from 9:00 am to 10:15 am in the Fall. Enjoy the summer!
Taking Blood Pressure Readings We would like to to offer blood pressure screening for members of Grace and the community at the monthly Free Community meal. If you would like to take blood pressures for those attending the Free Community meal (the second Friday of each month from 5 pm to 6:30 pm), please contact Kim Vaupel.
WHERE TO FIND...
The AED (defibrillator) is mounted on the wall by the AED sign. There is an emergency supply kit and a diabetic emergency supply kit on the table next to the pew in the Chapel. If you enter the Chapel from the doorway in the hallway by the sanctuary, the table with the emergency care kits will be on your right. This is a more central location than the previous one in the event of an emergency. When you are next at church, please take a minute to locate the emergency equipment.
First Aid kits are in all restrooms and the Sunday School classroom. There is also a first aid kit in the rear of the sanctuary on a table below the bulletin board, and in the kitchen on the counter in Fellowship Hall (downstairs). Feminine hygiene products are available in all restrooms except for the Men’s restroom in the Sunday School wing.
The Brotherly Love Ministry/Parish Nurse bulletin board is by the front ramp entrance.
July Newsletter
Summer is here and everyone loves to spend time outdoors. However, spending time in grassy, brushy or wooded areas increases your risk for Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is an illness caused by the borrelia bacteria. Humans contract Lyme disease from the bite of an infected blacklegged tick carrying the bacteria. The blacklegged tick is more commonly known as a “deer tick.” A deer tick becomes infected if it has fed on infected animals like mice or rodents. Deer ticks that carry borrelia bacteria live throughout the United States, and are most commonly found in the upper Midwest and the Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states (like Pennsylvania). Deer ticks are also found in Europe and in south central and southeastern Canada.
Lyme disease is spread when an infected deer tick bites a human and feeds on their blood. A deer tick needs to be attached to human skin for 24 to 48 hours or more to transmit the bacteria. Symptoms of Lyme disease can appear 3 to 30 days after being bitten by an infected deer tick. The most common early symptom is a “bulls-eye rash” which occurs in 60 to 80% of cases. This rash can be 4 to 20 inches wide. Other symptoms include fever, fatigue, headaches, and muscle aches. If you experience any of these symptoms after a deer tick bite, please seek medical attention immediately. Lyme disease can be treated effectively with antibiotics, especially when diagnosed early. Your doctor may also order a blood test to detect antibodies to the Lyme bacteria.
Some individuals may experience long-term symptoms even after treatment with antibiotics. Long-term symptoms of Lyme disease include arthritis, neurological problems, fatigue, and irregular heartbeat. These symptoms can occur months or years after the initial deer tick bite and antibiotics treatment. The exact reason for these long-term symptoms is still being researched.
There are several ways to help protect yourself from contracting Lyme disease.
1. Wear protective clothing when you are in the areas where deer ticks live - grassy, brushy or wooded areas. Long sleeved shirts and long pants are the best clothing to wear to protect your skin.
2. Limit the amount of time you are outdoors.
3. Apply insect repellent to your skin and your clothing to help protect yourself from deer tick bites.
4. After you spend time outdoors, check your body thoroughly and remove any deer ticks promptly and safely from your body.
Wishing you all a fun and safe summer! May peace and good health be with all of you!
Kim Vaupel, RN
History: In September 2023, a new ministry was started at Grace Lutheran Church. The goal of this ministry is to promote the health, wellness and safety of the members of Grace and the community. Brotherly Love Ministry was named in honor of my brother Leonard Sterner, Jr. who passed away unexpectedly in September 2019. Since my brother was proud that his sister was a nurse, I have decided to use the memorial donations given to Grace in his name to start this parish nursing ministry. This memorial fund was used to pay for the classes I needed to take in order to obtain a certification in faith community/parish nursing, and also to attend a lay eucharistic communion class. After this, I will be available to assist Pastor Samantha with visiting the homebound and ill of the congregation. I will also be a resource to the congregation to answer any medical questions and offer support to the congregation as needed.
Next I will be updating the church first aid kits, and will create a kit for use in case of a medical emergency which will include a blood pressure cuff, a glucometer to check blood sugars, snacks to treat low blood sugar, and a pulse oximeter to check oxygen levels. I am also asking for anyone certified in CPR to contact me at the number below, as I will be creating a list of those members certified in CPR. I plan to coordinate a one-hour class taught by the Macungie Ambulance team to teach “hands on CPR for the community” to anyone interested in learning this skill.
On a monthly basis, I will be speaking to the congregation about how to prepare in the event of medical emergencies, fire emergencies and gun violence emergencies. My goal is to raise awareness and prepare the congregation for these different emergency situations, and be available to the members of Grace as your parish nurse. I look forward to sharing information with all of you in my monthly newsletter column in the Grace Notes monthly newsletter, and here on this website.
Peace be with all of you!
Kim Vaupel, RN
