MAY 1, 2024
Massage at Health & Wellness
Hi, my name is Shawna Ray. I have been a licensed massage ther-
apist in the Yamhill and Polk county area for eight years. I will be
at the Health & Wellness Center on Mondays providing massage
therapy as an on-site contractor and I am contracted with Shasta.
Contact 971-241-4323 by text or voice message to schedule ap-
pointments. Co-pay still may apply. I’m looking forward to working
with those in the community to deliver a holistic approach to pain
management, relaxation and overall wellness.
Skookum help?
Do you have questions about your Skookum Health Assistance
Program or do you need to send in information to the team in
Grand Ronde? We have you covered! Send an email to skookum@
grandronde.org and one of our helpful team members
will be happy to assist you.
Better hearing & speech
May is Better Hearing and
Speech Month. It is a time to raise
awareness about communication
disorders and available treatment
options that can improve the qual-
ity of life for those who experience
problems speaking or hearing.
Did you know the average person
is born with about 16,000 hair cells
within their inner ear? These cells
allow your brain to detect sounds. By the time hearing loss is notice-
able, many of those hair cells have already been damaged or destroyed.
You can lose anywhere from 30-50% of those hair cells before changes
in your hearing can be measured with a hearing test. Those inner ear
cells do not grow back.
Hearing protection
While there is no treatment to restore normal hearing, you can pre-
vent hearing loss from loud sounds. If you’re already having hearing
loss or are experiencing pain, discomfort or ringing in the ears, take
steps to keep it from getting worse and have your hearing checked.
The steps you can take to protect your hearing include:
• Protection when shooting a firearm: Those using firearms for rec-
reational purpose would benefit from learning about their safe use
which includes the use of hearing protection.
• Determine if the noise level is too loud: If you need to shout to make
yourself heard, then you need hearing protection such as earplugs
or noise-cancelling earmuffs.
• Do not listen to headphones for a long time: Turn the volume down
and take periodic breaks from the noise.
Facts and statistics
• Noise is now being acknowledged as an important public health issue
and a top environmental risk faced by the world today.
• More than 50% of people ages 12 to 35 listen to music via personal
audio devices at volumes that pose a risk to their hearing.
• A rule of thumb for staying safe is to keep the volume below 60%.
• If you frequently use personal audio devices around loud sounds,
instead of turning the volume up consider using noise cancelling
earphones or headphones.
• Listening through personal audio devices should not exceed 80 deci-
bels for adults (noise level of a vacuum cleaner) or 75 decibels for
children or those with sensitive ears (noise level of a phone ringing)
for more than 40 hours per week.
• Listeners who regularly use portable audio devices can expose
themselves to the same level of sound in 16 minutes of music at 100
decibels that an industrial worker would receive in an eight-hour
day at 85 decibels.
Signs you may need a hearing test:
• You have a ringing sensation in the ears.
• People complain that you talk too loudly.
• You have to ask people to repeat what they say.
• You find it hard to hear conversations, especially if there is back-
ground noise.
• Others complain that you watch TV with volume turned too high.
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19
Older Americans Month
Every May, the Administration for Community Living leads the nation’s
observance of Older Americans Month. The theme this year is “Powered by
Connection,” which recognizes the huge impact that meaningful relationships
and social connections have on our health
and well-being.
Connections and health?
People are by nature social creatures.
Social connections are important and neces-
sary for our survival. Our relationships with
family, friends, coworkers and community
members can have a major impact on our
health and well-being. When people are
socially connected and have stable and sup-
portive relationships, they are more likely to
make healthy choices as well as have better
mental and physical health outcomes. They
are also better able to cope with hard times,
stress, anxiety and depression.
Health Benefits of social connectedness:
People with strong social bonds have a 50% increased likelihood of survival
than those who have fewer social connections. Social connection can help
prevent serious illness and outcomes like:
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Dementia
• Depression and anxiety
Social connection with others can help:
• Improve your ability to recover from stress, anxiety and depression
• Promote healthy eating, physical activity and weight
• Improve sleep, well-being and quality of life
• Reduce your risk of violent and suicidal behaviors
• Prevent death from chronic disease
Elders and social isolation:
Social isolation and loneliness are public health issues that affect more
than one-third of adults, with seniors most at risk for depression, substance
abuse and suicide triggered by feelings of isolation. Health risks associated
with loneliness and social isolation are comparable to the dangers of smoking
and obesity, increasing mortality risk by up to 30%.
Improve social connections:
• Spend more quality time with family and friends
• Join a group, club or class related to an interest or hobby
• Spend time with others in nature
• Express gratitude to others
• Volunteer with an organization
• Get involved in the community
• Expand and diversify your social network by making a new acquaintance
or friend
• Provide social support to others, such as listening to a friend
• Get to know your neighbors
• Visit with adult foster care/residential living facility residents