Visit our new, convenient drive-thru at the Little Axe location for refill drop off or pick up!! 

Elders' fear of falling may not be just a fear during the winter months.

As elders prepare for the winter months, sometimes the cold weather can be enough to slow  anyone down. Generally, if someone has fallen or injured themselves, they develop a fear of doing it  again. While it is okay to fear injury and make yourself aware of your surroundings, what most people  don’t realize is they will limit their physical activity more than just increasing their awareness. This in  turn can cause you to actually lose your muscles because “If you don’t use them you lose them!” Your  risk of falling is increased as your balance and mobility decrease. Some ways to stay active when it’s  cold outside is to exercise in your favorite chair at home or exercise at your kitchen counter. 

Some Tips for at home exercise: 

1.) Tai Chi videos  

2.) Use Strength Bands  

3.) Chair exercise videos (All available through the Injury Prevention Program) 

4.) Practice NOT holding on to furniture and the wall while walking through your house 

Beginning on Dec. 31st, there will be new clinic hours for both clinics. The Shawnee  Clinic will be open 7:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. The Little Axe  Clinic will be open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Both clinics  will continue to be closed on the first and third Wednesday afternoons from 12:00 pm to  5:00 pm for staff meetings, conferences, and trainings. The pharmacies will only be  closed on the first Wednesday afternoons but will remain open on the third Wednesday  afternoon. These changes were necessary due to the lack of patients requesting the early  morning times in Little Axe and the later times at both clinics. We appreciate all of you  for understanding the changes we are making. We welcome five new employees to the clinic staff. In Little Axe we have a new  Behavioral Health Director and a new counselor. Dara Thorpe is our new director. She  has been with the tribe before and we welcome her back. We know she is going to be a  great asset to the department and has already made so many terrific changes and we have  seen great progress since she came on board last month. Our other new employee in that  department is Cindy Honeycutt.

Are you at risk for diabetes, have diabetes or know someone who does?  Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes and affects millions of Native Americans. Many people are unaware that they have diabetes or  pre-diabetes. Native Americans are twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than others. Some common signs and symptoms include:

•  Frequent infections

•  Blurred vision

•  Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal

•  Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet

•  Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections