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The Golden Care Unit at LWMC

Getting gears in motion for mental health in the elderly MEDICAL ISSUES can be scary at any time or in any form, but mental health issues — especially in an elderly loved one — can be especially so. The doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers at The Golden Care Unit at Lake Wales Medical Center…
Pop quiz on recognizing mental illness — and reaching out for help

Test your knowledge of warning signs and symptoms, plus how to address them THERE’S NO DOUBT that there is a stigma placed on mental health issues in the U.S., so much so that many do not want to even discuss the topic. However, mental health concerns are much more common than people believe. It is…
Life after delivery: Q&A with Drs. Peter Alvarez and Diana Wilson on postpartum depression

WHEN A MOTHER brings home a new baby, regardless of whether or not it’s her first child, it is a very special time. Life after delivery is an important phase when mom and baby strengthen the foundation for a bond that lasts a lifetime. But like all phases of life, there are natural stress factors,…

Editor’s Dose: Tips for minimizing back-to-school stress

IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, then come early July you were already thinking about preparations for the new school year. Parents and children in the community this year are getting ready extra early because Polk County public schools moved up their calendar by one week — day one of school is August 15.
Making the choice to breastfeed

THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH in Polk County (DOH-Polk) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) recognize August as Breastfeeding Awareness Month. This is a wonderful time of year to promote breastfeeding as a vital health activity and discuss the health benefits breastfeeding provides. Although every woman has their own…
Editor’s Dose: Keeping kids’ bodies and minds active this summer

WHEN I FIRST had the twins, my mom would say, “Have a schedule for them, or they’ll have a schedule for you.” Basically, she was cautioning that I’d better keep those little minds and bodies active, or chaos would inevitably ensue. Being a mother of eight children, I think she was speaking from personal experience.…