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A Message from the County Executive, 
Brian M. Hughes

Dear County Residents,
I hope you are doing well and enjoyed the summer months with friends and family.

As a new school year begins for our children and our days get busier this fall, let’s not forget the importance of maintaining a fit, healthy lifestyle.

Three common behaviors characterize a healthy and nutritious lifestyle: maintaining a healthy weight, eating fruits and vegetables each day and engaging in regular physical activity. Unfortunately, very few of us actually engage in that healthy lifestyle. Promoting good public health is an area in which our County government can play a vital role.

Recently, my Administration announced "Mercer at Play," a program aimed at promoting active recreation throughout the County by offering financial aid to municipalities to help build playgrounds,
walking trails and other facilities. Hopefully, Mercer at Play will help us all grow healthier together.

We cannot be complacent when so many people, especially children, sit idly indoors in front of a computer screen, watching television or listening to iPods, instead of enjoying the great outdoors.

In the last several years, I have improved my diet and physical conditioning with the advice of my doctor, and I feel rejuvenated.

I encourage all of you to improve your well-being because every step we take toward leading healthier lifestyles is a step in the right direction.

Sincerely,
Brian M. Hughes,
County Executive

It is the vision of the Mercer County Department of Human Services to be a leader in promoting service excellence, maintaining the highest standards and achieving the best results. Our staff is highly motivated, skilled and dedicated in meeting the diverse needs of Mercer County residents.

Human Services Director, April Aaronson

The lazy days of summer are behind us, and fast approaching are the colder days of winter. For many, this time marks celebrations, including activities for Halloween, Thanksgiving and religious holidays. Many do not think to implement changes in their lifestyles to ensure better health until the
new year rolls around.

Every day it is a priority of the Mercer County Department of Human Services to increase the quality of life for all county residents, and I ask you to make your health a priority before 2007 begins as well.

In a time when people are living longer, good health has never been more important. Research indicates that people who live a healthy lifestyle have fewer incidences of disease, are more active longer and spend less money on health care. A healthy lifestyle is within the reach of everyone – no matter your age, race or financial status – but each person is responsible for his or her lifestyle.

Great health does not occur because of good luck. It takes work and dedication toward making healthier decisions, such as eating better meals, exercising, limiting alcohol intake and avoiding cigarettes and drugs. Other ways to work toward your well-being is to have regular checkups with your doctor, and routine testing appropriate for your age group, and encourage your loved ones to do the same.

If there are things you cannot control that affect your health, help is always available. The Department of Human Services offers many services, some of which are described in this newsletter. We are proud to serve Mercer County and we wish you the best in your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.

Mercer County Division of Public Healt

The Division of Public Health provides environmental health services and is recognized as the lead agency for the county by the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection under the County Environmental Health Act. The Environmental Health Office, comprised of four staff members, provides education, outreach and enforcement of state laws pertaining to air, noise, solid waste and water. The Mercer County Environmental Health Office was designated as the lead agency for the state’s Right to Know (RTK) Program under which all the private and public facilities in Mercer County are required to submit a copy of the RTK survey. In September 2005, the division was recognized as the lead agency for the N.J. Local Information Network Communications System (LINCS) for Mercer County. The LINCS Office, comprised of six staff members, provides county-wide communicable disease surveillance. Staff also conduct collaborative public health planning and management of the communications network to ensure the distribution of critical bioterrorism and public health information, education and training opportunities for the public health work force. The staff was involved with the recent flood in Trenton and is working with state and local partners on a pandemic flu plan.

Mercer ay Play 

According to the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2004), about 17% of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 years are overweight. The study showed an increase from 11% to 19% among 6 to 11 year olds between 1989-1994 and 2003-2004. Among 12 to 19 year olds this percentage increased from 11% to 17% during the same period. Recognizing that a large percentage of overweight and obese individuals are largely inactive - increasing their risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes - Mercer County proposes to invest in active recreation to promote fitness, overall wellness and positive youth development. “Mercer at Play” makes funding available to the County’s municipalities over several years, beginning with $1.5 million in funding for calendar year 2006. Through Mercer at Play, municipalities can seek funding for the development or rehabilitation of outdoor and indoor recreational facilities. For more information, call Mercer County Director of Planning Donna Lewis at 609/989-6545.

Studies have shown that laughing lowers high blood pressure, reduces stress, increases muscle flexion and boosts immune function. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being. Club Ha-Ha, a member of the International Organization’s World Laughter Tour, Inc., meets monthly at the Mercer County Geriatric Center. Residents join in comedic therapy, led by certified laughter leaders, as they exercise.

Mercer County Geriatric Center

The Mercer County Geriatric Center is a 240-bed, sub-acute and skilled nursing facility located in Hamilton, N.J. The Center offers a comprehensive program of specialties and rehabilitative services structured to allow residents to reach their highest health potential.

A strong focus on quality patient care guides the skilled staff of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, as well as a team of medical specialists who are available to care for residents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Under the direction of a certified social worker, a licensed social work staff, is on hand, as well as a registered dietitian who plans well-balanced, nutritional and delicious meals. Residents enjoy a spacious enclosed courtyard and a diverse agenda of therapeutic and recreational activities, including basketball free throw, hobby shop, fitness classes, woodworking and computer classes.

A recently purchased minibus allows for excursions to Longwood Gardens, Atlantic City and local movie theaters.

Shaken baby syndrome is an inflicted traumatic brain injury that happens when a baby or child is violently shaken. Shaken baby syndrome is a serious form of child abuse. Below are some tips to consider when the baby in your care is crying:

• Ensure that the baby’s basic needs are met. These include feeding, burping or changing the baby’s diaper and ensuring that the baby’s clothes are not too tight or that the baby is not hot or cold.

• Check for the discomfort of diaper rash, teething or fever.

• Walk the baby in a stroller or take the baby for a ride in a car seat.

• Hold the baby against your chest and gently massage him or her.

• Offer the baby a pacifier, or a noisy toy or rattle.

• Gently rock, walk or dance with the baby.

• Play music or sing to the baby. “White noise,” such as running water, a running vacuum or radio static, can calm a crying baby.

• If necessary, place the baby in a crib and leave the room for a few minutes. Never pick up the baby until you feel calm.

• Call a trusted friend or relative and ask him or her to take over to allow yourself to calm down. Call your pediatrician to ask for advice.

• Take a deep breath and count to 10.

Brochures on topics such as drowning / water safety and bullying are available by calling the MC DHS at 609/989-6526.

Health & Wellness Information @ the Mercer County Library

Remember the days when you were desperate for health information, but your only option was to ask your tight-lipped physician? Now most people have the opposite problem: there is such a wealth of information available to the general public that most people do not know where to start or which sources to trust. Are you seeking more information about the prescription the doctor has written for you? Do you need a description of a medical test or surgical procedure? Who are the top-rated doctors in the surrounding area, and which are the best hospitals?

At the Mercer County Library System, the professional reference staff can provide you with information from reputable sources, written for either the layperson or the professional.

A small sampling of the extensive print collection includes: The Physician’s Desk Reference; The Consumer Drug Reference; The Merck Manual Home Edition; The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine; Folio Physician Directory of N.J., 2006; Top Doctors; The Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer; and The Encyclopedia of Alterative Medicine.

The Library System also has access to online databases that provide full-text articles from thousands of general periodicals and medical journals. The following are recommended sources  available to you either in the library or from your home PC, through the Library’s web site, webserber.mcl.org: EBSCOHost Health Sources, Consumer Edition,  Nursing and Academic Editions; PUBMed (Medline) from the National Library of Medicine; WebMD; and Family Doctor, from the American Academy of Physicians.

If you have any difficulties searching these sites, the Library staff can perform the search and e-mail you the results. Reference services are also available remotely via telephone (Main Desk 609/989-6923) or from our “Ask a Librarian” feature on the Library’s web site.

Mercer County Office on Aging
 Fostering health, independence and well-being for seniors

The Mercer County Office on Aging collaborates with a vast array of health care providers to promote the availability of comprehensive in home and community-based wellness and health promotion services to our seniors.

Although services are targeted to meet the needs of the frail, disabled, low-income and vulnerable seniors, any Mercer County resident, age 60 and older and their caregivers, are eligible for services. All services are free of charge.

These services include traditional health care and health-related workshops conducted by the Henry J. Austin Health Center and offered throughout the community. Topics include: cholesterol and hypertension; nutrition; heart disease and diabetes; dental health; pain management; HIV and AIDS; and osteoporosis management, among other related health topics.

Physical health screenings and education are conducted at community locations, such as senior centers, senior housing facilities and the county nutrition sites. Mental health services, which focus on the needs of seniors, age 60 and older and their caregivers, are available, as well as many other non-traditional health-related programs, such as caregiver support and contact reassurance (a daily check-in telephone service), a home delivered meal program, in-home health aide services, respite care, a summer cooling program, and services for at-risk, abused or neglected seniors.

For more information on any of these services or programs, please call N.J. EASE at 1-877-222-3737.

Mercer County Nutrition Project for the Elderly

The goal of the Mercer County Nutrition Project for the Elderly is to provide a comprehensive , multi-
purpose program to senior citizens, aged 60 years and older, who reside in Mercer County. Although the nucleus of our program centers around the noon-time meal, the program also provides a variety of services beyond nutrition. Social services, such as shopping, health and safety education, and nutrition screenings, are facilitated by the project’s social services coordinator. In addition, a certified nutritionist plans and monitors the menus to ensure that each meal satisfies seniors’ appetites, and fulfills one-third of the federally recommended adult daily nutritional guide. Lunch menus are posted at each nutrition site and on the Mercer County web site: www.mercercounty.org/human_services/nutrition/index.htm. Special holiday meals and monthly celebrations offer seniors a festive dining experience throughout the year. A $1 per-meal donation is suggested, but not required. Free transportation, through the County TRADE program and the City of Trenton, is available on a reservation basis. In 2005, 147,615 meals were served.

Residents of the Pond Run and Alvin Gershen Apartments shop for fresh fruit and vegetables brought to their facility. The County distributed more than 2,500 vouchers as part of the Senior Nutrition Farmers Market Project for Mercer County, enabling eligible seniors to purchase New Jersey- grown produce.

Spotlight on Healthy Babies:Pregnancy & Parenting

Preconception care, or planning for pregnancy, is extremely important. If you are thinking about becoming pregnant or have just learned that you are pregnant, you want to begin taking care of you and your baby right away. Eating nutritious foods, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight, taking multivitamins that contain at least 400 micrograms of folic acid, and quitting smoking and drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs are all vital factors in a healthy pregnancy.

If you suspect that you are pregnant, get a pregnancy test. If you are pregnant, make an appointment with a health care provider and begin early prenatal care. During your pregnancy, make sure you attend all of your prenatal care appointments - even if you are feeling fine. All women need prenatal care.

A woman who see a health care provider regularly during her pregnancy has a healthier baby, is less likely to deliver prematurely, and is less likely to have other serious problems related to pregnancy. If you need more information or support during your pregnancy, many of the municipal health departments in Mercer County have public health nursing (PHN) programs that provide nursing assessment, health education and referral for support services to ensure the health of pregnant women, new parents, infants and children. Call your local health department to learn more about available PHN home visiting and child health services.

In Trenton, a special program called the Children’s Futures (CF) Initiative provides home visitation and four Parent / Child Centers to reach a large number of families to improve the health of pregnant women, infants and children and eliminate racial disparities. Grants from the federal Health Resources & Services Administration Maternal & Child Health Bureau and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and in-kind agency funds from partner agencies, help to support this effort.

CF offers home visitation  and community-based servicesin cooperation with many community partners:

Nurse Family Partnership is for first-time pregnant women/families. Home visits are conducted by nurses from early in pregnancy to age 2 to provide health and parent education and case management.

Healthy Families Program reaches other qualifying pregnant women and parents/ families. Family support workers offer intensive home visiting, health and parent education and case management.

TIP (TANF Initiative forParents) is for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), GA
(General Assistance) or food stamp recipients from pregnancy to age 1. TIP participants receive work credit, joint case management with the Mercer County Board of Social Services and linkages with the One-Stop Career Center for job readiness activities.

Public Health Nursing(PHN) services are home visits that are of a shorter duration. PHN visits may begin at any point during pregnancy, postpartum, infancy or early childhood and also include case management for families of children with lead poisoning.

Parent /Child Centers, one in each ward of Trenton (North, South, East and West), offer a range of center-based activities, including prenatal education / support groups, breastfeeding education and support, infant / child growth and development classes, prenatal exercise and stress reduction, early literacy activities (Music Together and Fun with Books) and family-oriented social activities. Free pregnancy testing also is available at the Parent / Child Centers.

Additional CF services include prenatal screening; education and referral for alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, depression and domestic violence; fatherhood support and childcare referral.

For further information on these services or to contact Sunday Gustin, Project Director, Children’s Futures / Healthy Start Initiative, City of Trenton, Division of Health, call 609/989-3307 or contact Children’s Futures (CF) at 609/695-1977.

Human Services Advisory Council
(HSAC)

The Human Services Advisory Council (HSAC) of Mercer County, chaired in 2006 by Pierina Thayer, is a voluntary advisory body composed of county residents and representatives from municipalities, agencies, government and the business community. In addition to advising county administration on human service needs and priorities, the HSAC joins County Executive Hughes and Director Aaronson in targeting good health and quality of life for residents, as a top priority. By allocating limited emergency funding from the state, the council helps to fund programs that assist individuals and families in distress. Through these programs, Mercer County residents can get nutritious food from local pantries, referrals for emergency shelter, rent, mortgage or utilities assistance, and other information and referral services.

Safe Haven Infant Protection Act
“No shame. No blame. No names.”

The Mercer County Department of Human Services promotes public awareness of the Safe Haven Infant Protection Act and its “No shame. No blame. No names.” campaign. This act provides any parent or parent’s designee anonymity and immunity from prosecution for the abandonment of a child who is no more than 30 days old at a police station or hospital emergency room. For more information on this program, please call the Safe Haven hotline at 1-877-839-2339.

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