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COVID-19 Info From United Health Care (for PURCare and PURA Medicare Advantage plan members)Retiree Presence on Campus During COVID-19 SituationZoom Connection Information for PURA MeetingsNo PURA Lunchtime Meeting in July July 5 is the date that the 4th of July holiday is observed at Purdue. No meeting. |
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PURA Transitions to 2021-22 YearNorm’s Notes: A Glimpse at the Past, a Focus on the Future!Introducing Bill Bennett, New PURA PresidentPurposeful Living in Retirement: Update and Plans for 2022PURA Scholarship Committee: Grateful for Another Successful Purdue Day of Giving |
COVID-19 Info From United Health Care (for PURCare and PURA Medicare Advantage plan members)
April, 2021
This is a time of concern and uncertainty for us all. Hoping to allay some of the stress and concern, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has informed PURA that their top priority is the well-being of their health plan members and the safety of those who deliver healthcare.
UnitedHealthcare is aligned with guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and is taking actions to insure that those affected by COVID-19, including Purdue retirees covered by PURCare and the PURA Medicare Advantage plan, have the support and resources they need. For updated information, please visit https://www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/health-topics/covid-19
In summary, the following is of significant interest:
UHC has waived all member cost sharing-including copays, coinsurance and deductibles for approved diagnostic testing for COVID-19 for all commercial insured, Medicaid and Medicare members who may be affected by COVID-19.
UHC will cover a provider visit for COVID-19 in the same way it covers other provider visits based on health benefits plan. Where available, UHC, is encouraging a Virtual Visit with a provider.
You have probably heard this many times already, but the following is the most important information:
STAY INFORMED
Those at highest risk are older adults and those with serious health conditions. Protect yourself:
* Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
* Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
* Avoid close contact with others--especially with those who are sick.
* Clean and disinfect things that you touch often.
* Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your sleeve. Place used tissues into trash.
* If you feel sick, stay home.
We hope that this information will be helpful to you. We encourage you to visit the above web link frequently for updated information. Be careful and stay well!
PURA Transitions to 2021-22 Year
PURA’s officers and committees met virtually on June 2 to recap last year’s progress and begin planning for the coming year’s activities. At this annual “transition” meeting, new officers and committee members are welcomed, outgoing par-ticipants are honored, and committees meet.
2020-21 AccomplishmentsOutgoing PURA president, Norm Long, recapped PURA’s 2020-21 accomplishments during this unprecedented pan-demic year. This included instituting virtual monthly meetings, programs and tours, and coordinating drive-through flu shots to stay connected, working all year to continue PURA’s activities safely. The virtual format allowed PURA mem-bers to participate where ever they were and, after posting meeting recordings on our web site, even view them at a later time. Due to their popularity, virtual broadcasts and recordings will be continued indefinitely to enhance access for the membership.
A new committee was formed, Media Communications, to assist in the use of social media and provide technical sup-port for PURA’s website (which has been redesigned), virtual meetings, and electronic surveys and ballots. Also on the communications front, PURA worked with University Development Office (UDO) to implement a new format/delivery method for the monthly newsletter, PURA News, making it web-based and ADA-compliant. PURA is also working with UDO to improve retiree data collection making PURA information available to more of Purdue’s 5,000+ retirees.
In 2020-21, the Benefits Committee worked with University staff and healthcare consultants to extend PURcare and the Medicare Advantage Plans, and were able to maintain or reduce the monthly premium costs. About 2,600 PURA mem-bers participate in these plans.
Purdue retirees continue to be generous givers. Once again, they contributed over $4,000,000 in outright and deferred gifts to the University. Retirees gave a total of $36,000 to PURA scholarship funds during the Fall 2020 Purdue Day of Giving (including a single gift of $15,000), and added another $7,000 during the April 2021 Day of Giving event, allowing PURA to award $11,300 to 19 Purdue students during the 2020-21 academic year. As of end-April 2021, the book value of the two PURA student scholarship endowments was over $252,000. Purdue retirees also contribute signif-icantly to local United Way campaigns, this year pledging almost $174,000 to the United Way of Greater Lafayette alone.
The full summary of PURA’s 2020-21 activities may be read on PURA’s web site, at:
https://www.purdue.edu/retirees/annualreports. Under the Year-In-Review section, click on the year 2020-21 link to view the .pdf document.
Plans for 2021-22 Begin
The fall PURA Kickoff event will again be virtual in 2021, but several committees look forward to resuming in-person activities sometime this year, as informed by University safety protocols for conferences and meetings. In anticipation of in-person monthly lunchtime meetings, the Media Communications committee will work with the Lafayette VFW to create a more permanent set up for broadcast/recording meetings. Plans for the Kickoff meeting and monthly lunchtime meeting programs, campus and community tours, and the spring PLIR conference are underway.
The Benefits committee plans to provide an enhanced “Organizing My Affairs” end-of-life planning document. Media Communications will continue to enhance our web site, www.purdue.edu/retirees, and work to ensure it is ADA-compliant. PURA leadership will explore coordinating a second drive-through flu-shot program with our local partner, Custom Plus Pharmacy.
As always, news about upcoming PURA events and opportunities will be featured in the PURA News newsletter.
New President
Bill Bennett (center), incoming PURA President, receives the PURA key and gavel from Norm Long (right), Past-President. They’re ac-companied by Jerry Day (left), incoming President-Elect.
PURA 2021-22 Officers
Pictured, left to right:
Norm Long, Past-President
Sue Graham, Historian
Lucia Anderson, Treasurer; Chair, Finance Committee
Judy Ware, Secretary
Jerry Day, President-Elect; Chair, Program Committee
Bill Bennett, President
Bill Bell, Administrative Advisor and Purdue V.P. for Human Relations
PURA 2021-22 Committee Chairs
Pictured, left to right:
Karen Lembcke, Communications
Dan Collins, Program
Viki Taylor, co-chair, Kickoff Luncheon
Olivia Wood, Purposeful Living in Retirement
Melinda Bain, Student Scholarships
Scott Ksander, Media Communications
Not pictured:
Larry Pherson, Benefits
Jim Lehman, Campus and Community
Linda Hawkins, Hospitality
Karen Ferry, co-chair, Kickoff Luncheon
Jerry Day, Program; President-Elect
Retiree Presence on Campus During COVID-19 Situation
Bill Bell, Purdue Vice President for Human Relations, addressed the question of whether retirees should visit campus at the September 14 virtual PURA Kickoff meeting.
While there are no formal restrictions around retirees visiting campus, keep in mind that one of the overall objectives of Protect Purdue is to de-densify the number of people present on campus.
Given that many retirees are considered a “vulnerable” population due to age or pre-existing medical conditions, if you don’t have pressing business, it’s advisable to avoid campus.
For up-to-the-minute information about specific programs or services visit: https://protect.purdue.edu (particularly the Campus Visitors link).
Norm's Notes
PURA Business
On the HorizonA Glimpse at the Past, a Focus on the Future!
Wow! What a year this has been for all of us! First, we lost our meeting site at MCL. Then, PURA transitioned into a new site and format at the Lafayette VFW. That lasted one month and we were hit with the pandemic and a new stay-at-home way of life! PURA kept going with new concepts and the implementation of monthly Zoom calls.
The pandemic caused the cancellation of the very popular and useful Purposeful Living in Retire-ment conference (PLIR) in April 2020. The Executive Board and Hospitality committee took on coordinating a drive-through flu shot program. If that wasn’t enough, our annual Kickoff banquet was cancelled due to the pandemic and remodeling of our normal site at Four Points by Sheraton. Through it all, the PURA Executive Board kept functioning and worked with the nine committees for the benefit of the organization, as you read in the transition meeting recap.
Well, here we are at the close of an unprecedented year with a bright and promising start of a new fiscal year on July 1st. Who knows what 2021/2022 will bring? Regardless, your new officers and committee chairs led by President Bill Bennett, President-Elect Jerry Day, Secretary Judy Ware, Treasurer Lucia Anderson, and Historian Sue Graham will ensure that PURA will stay alive and well in the months ahead.
Lots of new ideas, efforts and plans will be implemented as the pandemic recedes. A major effort to enhance the PURA newsletter, powerful and noteworthy speakers for the September Zoom Kickoff program, stronger connections with both the Purdue Northwest and Purdue Fort Wayne campus retirees, and continued useful/educational monthly zoom calls are already in the works. A return to in-person meetings is on the horizon. New equipment is being purchased to enable continued Zoom broadcasting of the in-person monthly meetings. The 2022 PLIR program is tentatively planned to return to the Beck Center. The list of ideas to enhance and bolster the Purdue Retirees Association to remain the Big Ten “Gold Standard” is underway.
As I close my year as your president, I am humbled by the privilege, the honor, and the opportunities shared with me by so many, many, many wonderful, talented and dedicated retirees who make this fine organization what it is today. Thank you one and all.
With kindest regards and best wishes,
Dr. Norman D. Long
PURA President
(Editor’s Note: Did you know? Due to the pandemic, Norm is the only PURA president who’s never presided over an in–person meeting!)
Introducing Bill Bennett, New PURA President
Editor’s Note: On June 2, Bill Bennett donned the PURA key, accepted the gavel, and assumed the PURA Presidency for 2021-22. Below he introduces himself.
“After spending one year in Korea, I was discharged in 1963 and enrolled in the School of Business at Indiana State University where I earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business Administration. I worked my way through school as a Residence Hall Director.
After graduation in 1969, I was employed by Purdue University Housing and re-tired in May 2000, after 35 years of service.
During my tenure at Purdue, I became the manager of Fowler Courts in 1980, then spent some time in the University Residences Director’s Office before be-coming manager of Hilltop Apartments in 1992. Two honors bestowed upon me by my students are the two scholarships established in my name. The staff of Fowler Courts and Residence Hall Apartments created an endowment in my hon-or for residents named the William I. Bennett Achievement Award.
Two former Staff Residents wrote recommendations for the sponsorship of a Staff Resident Award. Jeff Quasny wrote, “He really cared about everyone’s per-sonal growth and development.” Shannon Clements commented, “He taught me a great deal about leadership simply by the way he worked; he followed through on his commitments, respected counselors’ ideas, and set high expectations for eve-ryone in his charge.”
I couldn’t stand the “good life” in retirement and went back to work part-time at the Boiler Copymaker in the Union. When the University outsourced to Xerox, I was offered a full-time position. Having retired, I did not want a full-time position but still wanted to work, so I became the part-time food supervisor for the Purdue daycare facility housed in Fowler House, a facility I once managed when it was a residence hall. My qualifications were operating West Lafayette Little League concessions for ten years. I retired a second time from Purdue with 45 years of service. I then took travel agent courses with Imperial Travel and traveled to Cubs and Sox games.
I take a great deal of pride in my University Residences experience and hope to provide the same quality leadership to PURA as your new president.”
Purposeful Living In Retirement: Update and Plans for 2022
By Olivia Wood
The 2021 Purposeful Living In Retirement (PLIR) virtual conference on April 21 was a big success, with over 192 regis-trants. The actual number viewing the presentation was higher than the number of those logged in since many members watched with at least one other person on one registration.
Dr. Philip Low, the Ralph E. Corley Presidential Scholar in Chemistry and Presidential Scholar for Drug Discovery, spoke on “Drugs in the Pipeline for Treating Human Diseases”. He received top scores for his presentation and many participants asked that we have him return to speak again, to update us on the drugs he has developed that are currently in clinical trials.
Over half of the survey responders marked they prefer the PLIR meeting in person and look forward to when we can re-sume the usual conference. If you missed his presentation the video is on the PURA web site at: https://www.purdue.edu/retirees/PLIRevents.html
PURA was thanked for the virtual opportunity to hear Dr. Low. Due to multiple speakers at our usual PLIR, with pro-gramming from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, a virtual format is not a good fit for the full conference. We will continue to offer some form of the PLIR if we cannot offer the full conference in 2022.
Will There Be The Usual PLIR Conference in 2022?
We hope so! In anticipation of the usual in-person conference, we have put a hold on the Beck Agriculture Center for April 20, 2022. As part of the Purdue community, we adhere to the university’s protocol for conferences. We cannot move forward on the detailed planning needed for PLIR until Purdue announces there will be spring 2022 conferences. It is possible this announcement will not happen until sometime in the fall. However, the PLIR Committee has already started discussions for the 2022 meeting. IF we do meet in person in 2022, we will make it extra special!
PURA Scholarship Committee: Thankful for Another Successful Purdue Day of Giving
As we begin another PURA year, the PURA Scholarship Committee wishes to thank PURA members for another suc-cessful Purdue Day of Giving. In addition, the committee wants to extend a round of applause and thanks to Dan Collins, a founding member of the committee, who is retiring after six years of service.
On April 28, 2021, PURA members living across the United States gifted over $7,000 to the two PURA scholarship en-dowments. These funds will provide additional investment income to become part of a financial aid package offered to eligible Indiana students.
The PURA Student Scholarship Endowment earned $6,450 and the PURA Purdue Opportunity Award (POA) in Honor of Martin C. and Patty Jischke earned $670. These gifts will be matched dollar for dollar. The April 30 Book Value of the Student Scholarship Endowment was $199,591 and the April 30 Book Value of the POA endowment was $52,694.44. The April Purdue Day of Giving gifts and matching money had not been transferred into the accounts; con-sequently, these accounts should increase by approximately $12,000 and $1,300, respectively, in the next couple of months.
Approximately thirty Indiana students have benefited from these endowments. Your generous contributions make it pos-sible to assist more students each year. If you are in a position to donate, another $6,000 of dollar-for-dollar matching money is available. You may make a donation by phone: 1-800-319-2199 or by check payable to The Purdue for Life Foundation, with the specific endowment* noted in the memo line. Send the check to: The Purdue for Life Foundation, 403 W. Wood Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2007.
Again, thank you for your contributions:
PURA Scholarship Committee
Melinda Bain, Fred Ford, Norm Long, Betty Nelson, John Norberg, John Trott, Joanne Troutner, Tom Turpin, Olivia Wood
*PURA Student Scholarship Endowment or PURA Purdue Opportunity Award in Honor of Martin C. and Patty Jischke
Zoom Connection Information for PURA Meetings
The Zoom connection information for PURA monthly meetings is shown below. The link, Meeting ID, and password will be the SAME for all normal monthly meetings.
Members who wish to join via phone call audio only will need the separate Passcode shown below. (The password/passcode for that method is different from the normal “computer connection” to Zoom.)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97285398989?pwd=MlB4U0FudEplMFRoWm1GTkZzNmYrZz09
Meeting ID: 972 8539 8989
Passcode: BoilerUp
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,97285398989#,,,,,,0#,,41051096# US (Chicago)
+19292056099,,97285398989#,,,,,,0#,,41051096# US (New York)
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 972 8539 8989
Passcode: 41051096
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/acvQQKVcnE
Articles:
Retiree Employment Opportunity
The Purdue athletics program has an employment opportunity for retirees who enjoy Purdue football, love to be outdoors, and would like to interact with other Purdue fans and alumni. Participants will assist with football, and later, basketball parking.
To learn more about this opportunity, please contact Steven Carn, the Event Operations Manager for Inter-collegiate Athletics, either via email at scarn@purdue.edu or via telephone at 765-494-4980. He will be happy to answer your questions.
If interested, please complete the application located at:
https://purduesports.com/sports/2021/2/5/student-employment.aspx
1.) Click link above
2.) Scroll to the bottom “Temporary Positions”
3.) Click Parking
4.) Click “External Application – Apply Here”
5.) Click Apply Now
6.) Start Online Hiring Process
4th of July
Trivia
- Which U.S. President first held a 4th of July celebration at the White House?
2. On the original American flags, in what shape were the 13 stars?
3. Who wrote the lyrics to The Star Spangled Banner?
4. Who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence?
5. On what day did the 2nd Continental Congress vote for American Independence?
6. Who declared the 13 colonies were no longer part of the British Empire?
7. Who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence?
Recommended 4th of July Viewing
1972’s 1776, based on the Tony-award-winning Broadway musical (available on Amazon). Excellent musical score and terrific cast. 1776 tells the story of the struggle of colonists with diverse economies and political affiliations at-tempting to reach a consensus on the status of the American colonies.
The story is told with humor and music, human-izing the characters. But that does not detract from the political and historical content, which is as real, gritty and complicated as one might expect with this landmark attempt to rebel against a colonial government and form an inde-pendent new country.
Trivia Answers:
1. Thomas Jefferson
2. Circle
3. Francis Scott Key
4. Thomas Jefferson
5. July 2, 1776
6. Richard Henry Lee
7. John Hancock
Protect Purdue Summary Report Available
Bill Bell, Vice President, Human Resources and PURA Administrative Advisor, shared the link to the Protect Purdue Summary Report, a terrific recap of everything that went into making this past academic year a success, despite being in the midst of the pandemic. If you missed the earlier PURA email that provided this information, you may read the report at:
https://protect.purdue.edu/app/uploads/2021/06/PP-Narrative-Summary-Booklet_vF.pdf
Confessions of a Book Addict
By Jo Thomas
The Doctors Blackwell, by Janice P. Nimura
Elizabeth Blackwell was an unlikely candidate for the first American woman doctor. She equated illness with weakness, so even as a child she would hide any ailment.
As an adult she was looking for a role where she would be as respected as a man was. Probably something in the arts. A conversation with a terminally ill friend sent her on a different path. The woman said the worst part of illness was being treated by a man. It was embarrassing and uncomfortable especially when the doctors brought in all their stu-dents. How much better it would be if there were lady physicians.
Elizabeth set about learning all she could about the human body. She worked in the homes of doctors with large medi-cal libraries. When she felt ready she applied to medical colleges. The response was all negative. Some laughed, some cringed, some worried that they would lose all their female patients.
The Dean of Geneva Medical College (later absorbed by Syracuse) was too cowardly to refuse to let the students vote on allowing her admission. All the men but one voted aye. The dissenter was pommeled until he changed his vote. Elizabeth was a student.
The system for medical students was 16 weeks in school followed by 8 months working with a doctor. Elizabeth found no one willing, so she went to the Blockley Almshouse. It was the end stage for most of the patients suffering from sepsis, cholera, syphilis, typhus or childbed fever. The resident physicians left the room when she appeared and hid their notes giving her no opportunity to learn. She did learn a great deal about social injustice and discrimination.
Returning for the second and final year to Geneva, she was included in dissecting lectures. Her classmates recognized her competence and now respected her. She finished highest in her class and received the first Domina Doctor in America.
Five years later her young sister Emily followed in becoming a doctor. She encountered similar roadblocks. A much better physician than Elizabeth, she found great favor at Rush Medical College in Chicago. Returning for the second year, the Trustees decided they didn’t want her there. She finished at Cleveland Medical College.
On May 12, 1857 in a room on Bleeker St. Doctor Elizabeth Blackwell addressed a small group on the dedication of the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children. The hospital had three purposes: to allow women to free consult with doctors of their own gender, to provide clinical experience for women medical students and to train nurs-es. Many other facilities followed using this plan. Author Janice P. Nimura tells in meticulous details of family, perse-verance, discrimination and success.
My Own Words, by Mary Hartnett, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Wendy W. Williams
This book is both autobiography and biography. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg explains cases. Mary Harnett and Windy W. Williams, both of Georgetown University Law Center, fill in the profile of a dedicated, fun loving woman who did so much for the rights of women and men.
The book is a Master Class on legal decisions. Justice Ginsburg explains how the Supreme Court decides which cases to review from the 6,000 to 7,000 requests yearly. So lotsaluck (sic) to the guy who says he is going to take his case to the Supreme Court.
PURA Tech Bytes
By Scott Ksander
Viewing a Shared Zoom Screen
As we are viewing more and more presentations, some users notice that they sometimes can’t see the presenter’s entire screen. This is due to the presenter and the viewer having different screen “aspect ratios”. Newer monitors have a more rectangular shape like a movie theater screen. This ratio is usually referred to as 16:9. Many monitors have a squarer shape. This ratio is usually referred to as 4:3.
A presenter with a 16:9 screen may not display all information on a 4:3 viewer screen. Zoom has a way to correct this. When you are viewing a shared screen, an indication appears at the top of the screen:
Click on the “View Options” and select the “Zoom Ratio” to “Fit to Window” rather than “Original Size”.
The entire presenter’s screen should now be visible.
Road Trip! Purdue Northwest’s “Odyssey” Sculpture Series, part I
By Karen Lembcke
This month led me to Westville, Indiana, one of the two homes of Purdue Northwest. This is a very beautiful, land-scaped campus that just entices one to visit and enjoy the many sculptures located around the wooded campus environ-ment. On the periphery, Purdue Northwest also has a disc golf course.
“Odyssey” is a sculpture exhibit located on the Purdue Northwest campuses. PNW has amassed a number of highly en-gaging sculptures, most of which are contemporary.
Per PNW’s web site, many people know the programs as a whole as Odyssey Sculpture and Events. The name derives from the name of a beautiful piece of sculpture which depicts Greek storyteller Homer’s great legend about Odysseus (Ulysses) as he maneuvers his raft across vast waters on his way home from the Trojan War to Ithaca, a journey that took some 20 years.
The word “Odyssey” means journey–the experience that all people, especially college students—have as they chart their future courses for their lives.
True Tales of an Entomologist
By Tom Turpin
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth installment of Tom Turpin’s colorful experiences, which appear in his self-published Memoirs.
The Grouch of Cockroach Racing
For a number of years a cockroach race was held twice daily at the Indiana State Fair. Roachhill Downs – the cockroach racing facility used at Bug Bowl at Purdue – was set up to house the race.
When it was time for a race, the song La Cucaracha was played on the speaker system in the building where the races would be held. A crowd would gather and sit on benches to watch the races. The first race was a tractor pull where three Madagascar hissing roaches would be hitched to toy trac-tors flying flags of Purdue, Indiana University and Notre Dame. The cockroaches would be released to pull their tractors down a straight away while supporters of those fine institutions of the State of Indiana would urge their roach to victory.
The winner was the first roach to pull the tractor across the finish line. This was followed by what we called “The All American Trot” where American roaches ran around an oval track that was two “furshorts” in length – a cockroach equivalent to a furlong in horse racing - until one roach completed two and a half circuits of the track. These roaches all had names such as “Seattle Sewer,” “Fluttering Antennae,” and “Under the Sink.”
One year an old lady witnessed the show and came up afterwards to complain about how ridiculous the show was. She expressed the notion that Purdue shouldn’t allow such a thing to happen. Of course, I tried to explain that it was just for fun and that we always tried to include educational material as part of the show. She appeared unimpressed and with a final comment of, “It’s the stupidest thing I have ever seen!” she stomped away.
Needless to say, I was somewhat surprised to see her in the audience the next year. Once again she came up to express her displeasure with the event. I can’t remember the exact number of years, but she came back three or four more times and watched the shows before coming up and complaining about what she had just witnessed. I’m not sure why she re-turned year after year other than to make sure that we knew that she was repulsed by the idea of racing roaches.
Notable Historic July Events
1790—inventing and awarding patent rights began in the United States, with America’s first issued patent going to Samuel Hopkins for his pot ash invention.
1873—Louis Pasteur received a patent for the manufacture of beer and treatment of yeast. Eventually this research led to the development of the “pasteurization process”.
1902—Willis Haviland Carrier completed his design for the modern air conditioning system and had it installed in Brooklyn, New York. Mr. Carrier was the first person to make interior cooling safe and affordable.
1933—The copyright for the board game of Monopoly© was registered to Charles Darrow, by the U.S. Copyright Of-fice, which is part of the Library of Congress. The popularity of this game made Darrow a millionaire.
1952—Silly Putty® was trademarked and marketed. An instant success with children, and a fascination to adults, the putty-like substance was sold in a plastic egg and could be molded into shapes, bounced off of floors and walls and could transfer printed material. It can still be found on toy shelves today. Since the product was trademarked, 45 million Silly Putty eggs have been sold.
1985—PageMaker released to the public. Invented by Paul Brainard, it was marketed as a user friendly desktop
publisher.
Benefits/Health
Heat or Cold?
By Chris Rearick, MSN, RN
Purdue Nursing Center for Family Health
Which is the better pain reliever, heat or cold? It may seem as though they are opposites, but they have some commonal-ities. Heat and cold are both inexpensive treatments for pain and swelling. Both may be managed at home. However, both heat and cold therapy must be used with caution by those affected with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, circu-lation problems or issues that lessen the skin’s sensitivity. Both heat and cold can cause skin and tissue damage if not applied properly.
Heat therapy increases blood flow to an affected area. The flow of this oxygen rich blood to an injury can promote heal-ing. Heat should not be hot. Heat should NOT be applied to acute injuries. Heat choices include a heating pad, a warm moist compress, warm bath or a break-open warming pack from a local retailer. Soaking in warm bath water can relieve back pain and aching muscles by giving them flexibility. A heating pad may be your choice for muscle pain, arthritic pain, or chronic back pain. A warm moist compress is perfect for that sore, swollen deltoid you might get the day after having an injection. Heat should never be applied to an open wound. Heat can be applied to muscles before a work-out or run to loosen muscles and prevent muscle strain. Take care to not apply heat longer than 20 minutes at a time. Do not place heat directly on skin; instead use a barrier such as a towel. Always keep in mind that heat applications can burn your skin so use care and caution.
Cold therapy slows the flow of blood to an affected area. Decreasing the flow of blood to an area in an acute or new in-jury such as an ankle sprain can rapidly decrease swelling to the injury. Cold therapies include the use of an ice pack, coolant spray or gel pack that can be purchased from a local retailer. If you do not have an ice pack at home, then you can improvise by using a frozen bag of veggies from your freezer or ice cubes placed in a zip lock bag. Just like heat, you may use cold therapy for 20 minutes but no longer. Cold can decrease joint swelling. Cold packs can relieve the discomfort of a bee sting. Just like heat, cold therapy such as ice can create tissue and nerve damage if applied too long or directly to skin.
There are times when one may use both heat and cold. Heat can loosen up muscles and ligaments in osteoarthritis fol-lowed by cold to numb the dull aching pain of the osteoarthritis. Alternating heat and cold therapy is often used in chronic pain management. Some folks prefer the heat’s soothing feeling, while others prefer the numbing of cold. Keep in mind, cold for acute injury and swelling, followed by heat to reduce the stiffness. Try both to see which works best for you. No matter which you prefer, remember the safety issues in both heat and cold.
Reference: https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/when-use-heat-ice
Need to Schedule Your Yearly Wellness Screening?
Email Chris at crearick@purdue.edu or call 496-0308. If no answer just leave a message and she will return your call. Screenings are offered year round to Purdue retirees.
Suggestions for Future Articles?
Please feel free to email Chris with any additional questions or suggestions for future health columns: Chris Rearick, crearick@purdue.edu, or you may call Chris at (765) 496-0308 and leave a message for her.
Campus Services News:
Contact Email for PURA
To streamline ongoing communications and service from Purdue Human Resources, a new email account has been set up. All PURA-related communications from HR will now come from pura@purdue.edu – which will show up as “PURA Admin” in your email inboxes.
If you have questions or comments going forward, please send them to this email address instead of jacksonh@purdue.edu.
How to Subscribe to Purdue Today
Retirees may signup online to receive Purdue Today emails. Visit this web site: https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/subscribe-to-purdue-today.html.
The form asks for first and last name, University affiliation and email address. Once the form is submitted, you will receive an email from Purdue Today (purduetoday@purdue.edu) asking you to confirm the subscription.
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