Now there is a place where retired miners and their families can go for healthcare resources. The UMWA Health and Retirement Funds has developed a health promotion program and opened an outreach office in Price to serve beneficiaries statewide.
Initially program activities will focus on Carbon and Emery Counties where the largest number of Funds beneficiaries reside in Utah.
Danielle Howa Pendergrass RN, BSN, the Funds’ Program Manager for Community Nursing, will work with community agencies and health care providers to coordinate volunteer programs to help frail and homebound beneficiaries, assist beneficiaries in accessing community resources, provide counseling and assistance with nursing home and assisted living facilities and arrange for support services such as Meals-on-Wheels and transportation to the doctor.
She will plan, coordinate, and conduct various health education activities and programs. An important health promotion effort will be the annual flu campaign starting in September. Other on going promotions will be for Diabetes prevention and management and injury prevention for seniors.
Throughout the year, the Funds will sponsor or participate in community events such as health fairs and health education meetings for beneficiaries.
These events will be fun, provide information about health care issues and give folks the opportunity to get together for a few hours. Light refreshments will be served after meetings. Beneficiaries will be notified by mail of upcoming events.
Danielle is in the process of starting a volunteer group to work with retired coal miners and their families. The program will be coordinated with existing community programs such as RSVP and P.A.T.H. to help meet the needs of beneficiaries.
If you are a Funds beneficiary and interested in becoming a volunteer but were unable to attend the first organizational meeting held in July, please contact Danielle at 650-3479 for more information.
Funds scheduled events will be published in the Senior Scene monthly.
Plan to attend a health fair or a meeting soon and find out more about the funds program and your health.
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