Started in 2003 by Maureen Redmer, R.N., the Blood Pressure Ministry conducts blood pressure monitoring for parishioners and visitors once a month (usually on KC breakfast Sunday in the Parish Office). On any given day they see between 6 and 20 people to do education and assessment of possible health issues.
There have been several situations over the years where someone came in for a blood pressure check and had serious health issues going on that needed immediate attention. Therese O’Grady sensed a serious cardiac issue in a parishioner, and with her encouragement the “patient” actively sought further testing & diagnosis for her symptoms …. as a result she had a cardiac procedure that probably saved her life. Maureen took a person to the hospital one Sunday because of her symptoms, correctly suspecting that she was having TIA’s (mini strokes). Just last month a parishioner had dangerously high blood pressure, saw his doctor MD the next day for assessment, and required medication changes that probably avoided a stroke.
Maureen says, “I have been blessed to serve many of our parishioners and visitors. Continuing the Blood Pressure ministry has allowed our volunteers to have an on-going presence in our faith community. We often have the opportunity to answer health-related questions and direct clients to other sources to have additional questions or health related issues addressed. Because Parish Nursing is based on the balance of mind, body and Spirit we continue in this vein and sometimes even (on a limited basis) answer questions of a faith-related nature and refer parishioners to Fr. Jim for further information.”
Our current caring volunteers are Maureen Redmer (coordinator), Susan Cooler, Susan Kandler, Jeanne McCarron, Sylvia Navin, Therese O’Grady and Carol Starkey. If you are an RN or LPN, wouldn’t it be a wonderful way to end this Year of Mercy by joining the Blood Pressure ministry and continue living out the Corporal Works of Mercy? To volunteer, contact Maureen Redmer at memauly@hotmail.com or (262) 249-0424.