President Mike Markovitz brought the meeting to order at 12:15 PM at Purkey’s Pink Apple with Mary Tempest leading the Pledge of Allegiance and Dave Wilson giving the Invocation.

 

 

Tim Kerestes – PIVOT PT – Guest speaker
David Weingust – guest of Mary Tempest
Trixie Gay – guest of George Gay

 

 

Mary Tempest will have a female exchange student from Quito, Ecuador, starting in Aug.

 

Thank you notes received from the Northern Tier Symphony, both scholarship recipients and the Kevin Kitchnefsky Golf Tournament.

 

 

Our Officer Installation and Awards Banquet will be Thursday evening, June 20^th, starting at 5:30 PM at Shadowbrook.  There will be no noon meeting on that date, nor Flash Meeting that evening.

 

 

Per Incoming President Sandy Lane, there will be no Noon or Flash Meeting on Thursday, July 4th so everyone can enjoy the Holiday!

 

 

The next Flash Meeting will be Thursday – July 18th, 2019 at 5:30 pm at Bogey’s Restaurant. This will be the first Flash Meeting under Sandy’s Presidency. 

 

 

We will have a Team playing in the Kevin Kitchnefsky Golf Tournament on Sunday, June 23rd at Stone Hedge Country Club.  Peter Sehne will be heading up that team.

 

 

 

 

 

Next Meeting will be Monday evening July 1 at 6 pm at the Tunkhannock Library.

 

There will be some changes for this years Festival, no coolers nor alcoholic or any other beverages.

 

Carol published the announcement on Facebook & the Website re Founders Day first ticket sales.

 

 

Club has done well. We are No. 1 club per capita in our District with over $271 per member annual fund and over $300 per capita total.

 

 

This year Founder’s Day will be Sat. June 22. Please remember to report for your work shift if you have volunteered to man the Rotary Booth on that day or help with set up or breakdown.

 

 

The Fireworks will be Wed evening July 3^rd at Memorial Stadium. Rain date is July 5^th. Harry has confirmed with the Fireworks Company and the band.

 

 

See the June District newsletter for information on the various events and activities happening in District 7410. Please support our fellow Rotarians at other clubs in our District for their fun upcoming activities/events.

 

 

The District is sponsoring seats at an Aug 11 RailRiders Baseball game. Tickets are $12 each with half going to Polio.

Our next Meeting will be Thursday, June 27. It will be a Club Assembly, the last of Pres. Mike’s term.

 

Prior to adjournment, Ron Furman led the recitation of the 4-Way Test by the attendees.

 

 

Tim Kerestes, PT, DPT is the Clinical Director in the Tunkhannock Pivot Physical Therapy facility. Tim joined Pivot in May of 2015. Tim specializes in outpatient orthopedics. He has a passion for sports medicine and treating various pathologies of the spine.  Tim was the 2016 recipient of the ProCare Legacy Division’s Three E’s award for the merits of encouragement, enthusiasm, and clinical excellence.

 

Tim graduated from Misericordia University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree and Masters of physical therapy degree in 2009. Tim went on to achieve his Doctorate of Physical therapy degree in 2013. He also achieved the McAuley award for leadership and volunteerism while at Misericordia.

 

 

Tim reiterated what Pres. Mike has stated numerous times that the number 1 reason for ambulance callouts is falls, but they would really like to get people help before they fall. It is mainly older folks due to loss of strength and balance.  Diminished eyesight and hearing, even drugs, can cause people to be unstable and some have orthostatic hypotension, low or high blood pressure or other health issues like bad backs.  Also, there are seasonal risks like icy conditions, poor footwear for the terrain, and being over dressed for conditions. There are also extraneous factors such as tripping over a throw rug, an electrical cord or a family pet.

 

Trying to walk while carrying an object can lead to falls. If that is the cause of a fall, they will incorporate that into the therapy post fall.

 

Dehydration is also a problem especially for older folks and in hot conditions.  You pinch the skin on the back of the hand and see how fast it goes back. It should recover fast unless you are dehydrated.

 

Vertigo is another reason for some falls. Vertigo is when you feel like the room is spinning in a circle.  Benign positional vertigo (BPV) is the most common cause of vertigo. BPV develops when small crystals of calcium carbonate that are normally in another area of the ear break free and get stuck in the canals. This causes your brain to receive confusing messages about your body’s position.  There are maneuvers, such as the Epley Maneuver, to get them back in place. Although sometimes people can do these on their own, more often it takes a trained professional, like a Physical therapist, to get them back in alignment after 2-3 treatments.

 

Another common cause of falls is proprioception or the loss of the ability to know where you are in space. Proprioceptors are mechanosensory neurons within muscles, tendons, and joints and they can become impaired with aging.

 

Fall can also occur as a result of decrease balance. 3 systems are involved in balance: eyesight, inner ear and proprioception through your legs. If you lose or impair any one, you can lose your balance.

 

 

Throw rugs in any house can be very dangerous as can thresholds changes in floor surfaces.  Therefore, keep hallways, walking paths and bathrooms well illuminated.  Dogs, cats and their toys on the ground are a trip hazard, also consolidate electrical cords so they are not in the walk pathway.

 

If necessary, shelve your vanity and use assistive devices (canes and walkers) outside or inside.  Clean up the clutter in your yard and fix uneven sidewalks.

 

To avoid lightheadedness or orthostatic intolerance after sleeping all night, sit on the edge of the bed for a few minutes before you stand up. 

 

Stay hydrated and drink water during the day but cease around 4:30 PM if it is a problem, so you do not have to get up at night to use the bathroom and risk falling.

 

Drug interactions as a result of using different doctors who are prescribing different drugs for multiple medical conditions could lead to drug interactions that could cause falls. It is now being recommended that you talk with your pharmacist about all your drugs and any possible interactions that could be of concern.

 

Vertigo can happen but 2 to 3 visits with a physical therapist could solve your problem.

 

Exercise to keep lower extremities strong and build your core strength to help with your balance.

 

If you are having any issues, go with a buddy for a long walk or let someone know you are going in case you fall.  Call a family member to let them know you are okay when going to bed. Life alert system is invaluable especially if you fall.

 

Do summer work outside in the morning and not in the heat of the day.

 

Make sure you use proper footwear with good grips and maybe have a dedicated pair of inside shoes which grip.

 

Do not be in a hurry.  If you move fast or rush, you get in trouble if you have balance issues.

 

If you have fall concerns, they can practice with you the way to most easily get up off the floor if you fall. Confidence is key.

 

Pivot provides a free vestibular rehabilitation evaluation to test if you have any balance or dizziness issues.  Vestibular rehab was pioneered by NASA after Alan Shephard came back from space with a loss of equilibrium.

 

Tim completed a Vestibular Rehabilitation course in Maryland recently and is now Certified by the American Institute of Balance. This course addressed vestibular disorders, both in diagnosing and treating these disorders and helping patients return to their daily lives with greater safety and comfort.

 

In addition to free consultations, Pivot also provides direct access therapy, including follow-up exercises at home, for several conditions that do not require a doctor’s referral. 

 

Tim Kerestes