Griffin Hospital in Derby to offer smoking cessation program

DERBY - Looking to kick the smoking habit?

Griffin Hospital is helping members of the community prepare to quit smoking with a free smoking cessation program starting Jan. 6.

“That’s It – Learn to Quit” teaches a variety of methods to help individuals quit smoking. 
The program consists of Wednesday night meetings from 5:30-7 p.m. scheduled for Jan. 6, 13, 20, and 27 at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital, 350 Seymour Ave.

“The goal of the program is to help you learn how to quit,” said Carrie O’Malley, RN, a co-coordinator of the program. “There are different methods of quitting and managing nicotine withdrawal. If one method didn’t work for you in the past we’ll help you understand all your options.”

Through group discussion and interactive activities, participants learn how to develop a quit plan that addresses their personal behaviors and habit. 
Strategies to manage nicotine withdrawal, behaviors, triggers, and urges are all discussed as well as weight control and stress management.

Participants must be prepared to attend all four sessions. To register for “That’s It - Learn to Quit,” call 203-732-1476.


This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Wesley Village in Shelton to hold dementia support group

SHELTON - Do you know or care for someone recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia? Are you in need of support? You’re not alone! 

Caregivers are invited to Wesley Village Dec. 17 and every third Thursday of the month, from 2-3 p.m. for an Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Group. 
The group will offer problem-solving techniques and helpful support for families and caregivers, and will be facilitated by Wesley Village staff trained by the Alzheimer’s Association. 
Your loved one is welcome to participate in activities in a secured environment while you attend the support group. 

For more information or to RSVP, call 203-225-5024 or visit www.wesleyvillage-ct.org. 
The group will be held at Wesley Heights and Lifestyle Transitions Memory Care at Wesley Village. 
Wesley Village is located at 580 Long Hill Ave.

Wesley Village is a campus of senior care communities including Crosby Commons Assisted Living Community, Wesley Heights Assisted and Independent Living Apartments and Cottages, Lifestyle Transitions Memory Care at Wesley Heights, and Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center. 
The campus is owned and operated by UMH, a local, mission-based, not-for-profit organization serving all members of the community and is located at 580 Long Hill Ave. 
To learn more about the continuum of care offered at Wesley Village or the mission of UMH, visit www.wesleyvillage-ct.org or contact Lisa Bisson, 203-225-5024.


This is a press release from United Methodist Homes. 

TEAM seeks support for Valley Toys 4 Kids drive

DERBY - The 2015 Valley Toys 4 Kids Campaign is underway and TEAM, Inc. is hoping to provide more than 1,300 needy Valley children with something special under their Christmas tree this year. 
This campaign collects new, unwrapped toys for the under-served children in our communities

The annual program provides thousands of Christmas toys for children from low-income families across the Valley – children who otherwise might “go without” during the holidays. 
“When families are struggling, they have to make decisions during this time of year between paying for heat and rent or buying the children Christmas toys. The Toys 4 Kids  program ensures that every child can have a good Christmas,” says Diane Stroman, TEAM’s  Executive Vice President. "Last year due to the generosity of our community, our agency provided 1,372 children with toys to place under their Christmas trees. 

Donations of new unwrapped toys to the Toys 4 Kids Program can be dropped off at TEAM, Inc. headquarters, 30 Elizabeth St., weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., the Toys 4 Kids Toy Store, 153 Main St., Ansonia, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and various drop-off sites throughout the Valley. 
The list of drop-off sites can be found at www.teaminc.org.  

Financial donations are accepted and should be sent to TEAM, Inc., Valley Toys 4 Kids Campaign, 30 Elizabeth St., Derby, 06418.

The expense of the holiday season often impacts the budgets of the families we serve significantly,” says David Morgan, CEO of TEAM.
“For those families with children, parents are often overwhelmed trying to fit the expense of gifts into an already stretched budget. Our Toys 4 Kids toy drive assists parents or guardians in providing presents to their children during tough economic times. Contributions to TEAM’s Toys 4 Kids Toy Drive - either through donations of toys or monetary donations helps our families to provide a festive holiday for their children.

Applications for the program are currently being accepted weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Dec. 15 at TEAM, Inc.’s headquarters, 30 Elizabeth St.  

Parents/Guardians who apply for the program must meet low income eligibility requirements and provide identification and proof of residence for themselves and a birth certificate or social security card for their children.

For additional information on donations or the application process, contact Trish Wigglesworth at twigglesworth@teaminc.org or 203-736-5420 ext. 221.

This is a press release from TEAM Inc., a private, 501c (3) non-profit corporation whose mission is to connect individuals and families with solutions that lead to well-being, self-sufficiency and full participation in the community. It aims to achieve its mission by conducting activities that address the needs of economically disadvantaged individuals and families including resource mobilization, education, advocacy and service delivery. TEAM programs serve the communities of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Milford, Orange, Oxford, Shelton, Seymour and Woodbridge.

Santa, elf visit open house at Seymour Pink gift shop

These friendly guys welcomed shoppers Sunday to the second annual Holiday Open House at Seymour Pink gift shop. Scrappy the Elf was Santa's helper for the event.

If you have never visited the shop at 3 Franklin St., Seymour you can see that it's filled with all things pink. 

T-shirts, sweatshirts, scarves, gloves, jewelry, mugs, and more are for sale with proceeds benefiting Seymour Pink, a community's fight against breast cancer. 

Seymour Pink volunteers wait on a customer.

My daughter, Allegra, and I posed for a photo with Scrappy and Santa.

Seymour Pink volunteers beautifully decorated an evergreen tree in front of the nearby Seymour Police Department headquarters,11 Franklin St.

Physician at Griffin Hospital in Derby recognized by MS Society

Volunteer hall of fame event held in Fort Worth, Texas

Joseph Guarnaccia, M.D., clinical director, Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center at Griffin Hospital, Derby, was recently inducted into the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Volunteer Hall of Fame. He is joined by National Multiple Sclerosis Society Connecticut Chapter President Lisa Gerrol and board of directors Chairperson Jack Betkoski./ Contributed photo

DERBY - Joseph Guarnaccia, M.D., clinical director, Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center at Griffin Hospital, was recently inducted into the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Volunteer Hall of Fame at its 2015 Society Leadership Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

Guarnaccia, recognized for more than 20 years of volunteer service with the Connecticut Chapter, has focused on impacting public policy and improving access to care for Connecticut residents.

Recently he worked with the chapter to pass Senate Bill 418 which broadens coverage by insurance companies for off-label prescription drugs in Connecticut. 
Effective January 2016, peer-reviewed medical literature will be added as an acceptable reference source for coverage determinations related to off-label prescriptions.

Multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease of the central nervous system, affects more than 6,500 Connecticut residents. 

The cause is unknown and there is currently no cure. Symptoms can include numbness in the limbs, difficulties with vision and speech, stiffness, loss of mobility and, in some more severe cases, total paralysis. 

The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.

For more information on MS or how to get involved with the Connecticut Chapter, visit www.ctfightsMS.org. 

For more information about The Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center at Griffin Hospital, visit griffinhealth.org.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.