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Briefly
By Times staff Breast, cervical cancer screenings availableThe Pinellas County Health Department offers free screening exams for breast and cervical cancer for women age 50 to 64 who are uninsured or whose insurance doesn't fully cover such services. Pap smears, mammograms and clinical breast exams are included. The services are offered at the Health Departments at 12420 130th Ave. N in Largo, at 301 S Disston Ave. in Tarpon Springs, and at 310 N Myrtle Ave. in Clearwater. For appointments, call 824-6917. DivorceCare schedules support group meetingsCLEARWATER -- DivorceCare seminars and support group meetings are from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Clearwater First Church of the Nazarene, 1875 Nursery Road, Clearwater. Each session features a videotape, followed by a support group meeting. Topics to be covered include facing anger, depression, loneliness, financial survival, child care, new relationships and more. Child care and other activities for children are available. To register, call Dolly Hickey at 515-7983 or come early to a session. There is a one-time $10 charge. Arthritis Foundation offers exercise programsThe Arthritis Foundation offers two exercise programs for people with arthritis. An Aquatic Program is offered three days a week at Sports and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Services, 1660 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd., Clearwater. The program, taught by Arthritis Foundation-certified instructor Fran Larson of Palm Harbor, is a series of gentle exercises in the pool and is open to anyone with arthritis or fibromyalgia. It is not necessary to know how to swim. Larson conducts one session at 10 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Each session lasts 45 to 50 minutes. The second program, PACE (People with Arthritis Can Exercise), is offered at Lifestyle Fitness Solutions and Yoga Studio at 34010 U.S. 19 N. in Palm Harbor. Sessions meet at 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Registration is required. The program is a recreational series of gentle movements and activities designed to help increase mobility and range of motion. Instructors trained by the foundation conduct the sessions. For information, class fees and registration for either program, call Lifestyle Solutions at 772-6772. Learn about volunteering for hospice at orientationThe Hospice of the Florida Suncoast offers orientation classes for people interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities. The hospice also has a special program that enables high school students to make hospice volunteering a part of their educational experience. Hospice services include end-of-life medical care, emotional counseling and spiritual support. To learn more about hospice volunteering, call Kathy Roble, director of volunteer services, at 586-4432. Pilates sessions available at wellness centersCLEARWATER -- The Wellness Centers of Morton Plant Mease Health Care offer the Pilates method of body conditioning. Beginner and advanced classes are offered Monday through Friday at the Cheek-Powell Wellness Center, Clearwater, and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at the Palm Harbor Wellness Center. Joseph Pilates developed the program, a strengthening and stretching class based on a few repeated control and resistance movements, about 70 years ago. The classes use six basic principles -- concentration, control, centering, flowing movement, precision and breathing -- and have been studied by numerous ballet companies and theater groups. Beginner-level classes are good for the elderly because they are gentle, non-cardiovascular exercises that concentrate on mind-body awareness. The classes are free to Wellness Center members; $10 each class for nonmembers. In Clearwater, call 462-7656. In Palm Harbor, call 772-2222. Residents have right to cancel contractsThe Pinellas County Department of Consumer Protection wants Floridians to be aware of their rights in canceling contracts with service providers and solicitors. Under Florida state law, the purchaser has the right to cancel many signed contracts within three days of signing. Services to be rendered in the future, such as gym memberships or dance lessons, and home solicitations amounting to $25 or more are covered under the statute. New and used car sales are excluded. To cancel a contract, the buyer should send a certified letter to the seller within three business days of signing the contract. For more info on consumer issues, visit the department's Web site at www.pinellascounty.org or call 464-6200. Helping caregivers to reduce stressThe Center for Health Managements Caregiver Center offers information to help the elderly and reduce stress for caregivers. The Centers Caregiver's Satisfaction Guide helps caregivers speak the same language as health professionals and teaches families to monitor the physical, emotional and spiritual health of elders, even from miles away. The guide, accompanying program manual and other valuable information are available on-line at http://www.caregiver-center.com or call toll-free 1-800-669-9052. Guide spells out veterans' benefitsVeterans and their dependents can get the most recent information on health care benefits, education and training benefits and locations of all VA National Cemeteries in the 2002 edition of Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents. This informative guide also offers tips for obtaining available benefits. Tor order, send $9.95 to Federal Reprints, P.O. Box 11783, Washington, DC 20008. AARP relocates two offices in PinellasThe AARP Foundations Senior Community Service Employment Program has re-located two Pinellas County offices. The Clearwater office has moved to St. Petersburg and is now located in the Sunshine Center Complex at 330 Fifth St. N, across from Mirror Lake. The Palm Harbor office is now at 1550 A 16th St., Palm Harbor. For information on the Senior Community Service Employment Program, call (727) 552-1835.
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From the Times Seniority pages |
