The Visiting Nurses Foundation Annual Charity Care Golf Event is held on the first Monday in June each year at Pinehaven Country Club in Guilderland, NY.  Our net proceeds – over $45,000 – go to the VNA’s free care of needy patients in their homes. 

> Find out more about Giving.

Thanks to two grants from the NYS Department of Health, we have been able to use close to 60 telehealth units in the homes of patients with congestive heart failure, diabetes, wounds and other ailments that we can monitor daily from our office. This increases our up-to-date information on patient conditions, and decreases visits and rehospitalizations, saving the health care system money.

The VNA’s new electronic patient record allows our staff to enter patient medical information directly into our records, right in the patient’s home.

 “You helped me when I was in need.  I have great respect for your VNA nurses and staff. Thank you so much!”

“We especially want to thank you for all you did with kindness, compassion and respect to help our mother stay at home as long as possible. She enjoyed each and every one of you, and you helped her battle loneliness and aging with grace.”

Each November, we honor up to 45 VNA employees who have served the Agency and our patients anywhere from five to 35 years.  Their coworkers and our volunteer board members join them in an afternoon reception, with musical entertainment, buffet refreshments, tenure and special awards and gifts. The average length of employment for the VNA staff is 10 years…great work, benefits and friends for a lifetime!

> Find out more about careers. 

• Take care of them, but take care of you, too.  You cannot provide care if you get sick.
• Use your resources—doctors, family, friends, community groups, home care agencies.  Admit when you need help; you are not alone.
• Pace yourself and set priorities and standards realistically.  Life has changed, and it may not be perfect every day.
• Keep your sense of humor and perspective; this is a phase of your lives, not forever.  Try to find positives and quality time in your relationship with your loved one.
• Have a life!  Maintain social and family contacts, treat yourself to breaks and rewards.  This will refresh your energy and perspective, and help you bring more of the outside world to your family member.

For more information about home care options and community resources, please contact us.

Blood pressure literally means the measurement of the force of blood on your blood vessel walls as the heart is contracting and relaxing.  The first or 'top' measurement is the systolic reading and indicates the pressure in your arteries when the blood is pumped into them each time the heart beats.  The second or 'bottom' number is called the diastolic and is the measurement of pressure in the arteries when the heart is resting between beats.

Here are some tips to lower your risk of stroke:

National Institute of Health's Categories for Blood Pressure Levels in Adults  
(Chart for Ages 18 Years and Older)

When systolic and diastolic blood pressures fall into different categories, the higher category should be used to classify blood pressure level. For example, 160/80 mmHg would be stage 2 Hypertension.

Source: The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure; NIH Publication No. 03-5230, National High Blood Pressure Program, May 2003.

Please call (518) 489-2655 for the Upcoming
VNA Blood Pressure Clinic Dates and Locations.

Every year over 11 million Americans fall, many of them elderly, and often with dire consequences, but much can be done to help prevent these falls.  Those at risk include the frail elderly, but many others need to be alert, such as people on multiple medications, those with diabetes, vision problems, and the sedentary.

The VNA of Albany's Home Safety and Falls Reduction Program reduced falls for at least 95% of our patients.  Here are some tips for you to help prevent falls in the home:

1. Get rid of slippery area rugs, or use rubber backing.
2. Remove clutter from walking areas in the home.
3. Keep all cords out of the way and coiled.
4. Maintain adequate lighting in the home, and use night lights in the bedroom and bathroom areas.
5. Use non-slip mats in the tub, and consider installing grab bars.
6. Wear proper footwear at home, with rubber soles and good support.
7. Have your vision checked, review your medications regularly with your doctor or nurse and stay as physically active as possible
8. Consult your physician about obtaining an in-home evaluation for physical therapy and/or this program at the VNA of Albany.

Your generosity to the Visiting Nurses Foundation (VNF) helps us care for needy patients, support new technology and clinical programs to ensure patient recovery, and expand our endowment funds for the VNA’s future success. 

See our summer Teabag Mailing for simple reference information on how to make a bequest in your will to the VNF, and please go to our Giving page to make a donation or sign up for our golf event.

Please contact us for information on other ways to give a major or planned gift to the Visiting Nurses Foundation that will benefit our needy patients in the years to come.