Free Event Features the Latest Devices and Advice
The latest styles in sleep masks are hitting the runway! ThedaCare At Home is hosting an A.W.A.K.E. Sleep Apnea Sleep Mask Style Show Support Group from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tues., April 19, at the Crystal Falls Banquet Center in New London.
The event features the most widely used Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) masks, time to visit with manufacturer’s reps, and a question and answer time. “The Sleep Mask Style Show started in 2010 in our Appleton office, where we had capacity for 30 guests and 60 attended,” said Lesley Carroll, ThedaCare At Home. “Needless to say, there was standing room only that night. Since then, the class has become so popular in the Fox Valley that the last time we offered the show, over 300 folks registered.”
Sue Mangold, respiratory supervisor at ThedaCare At Home, said the evening is fun and educational. “I think the community has come to enjoy the Style Show because of the whole package that we have been able to put together over the years,” she said. “Because we have been offering this particular piece of education since 2010, we have been able to modify and improve it based both on our observations and on feedback from those who have attended.”
A.W.A.K.E. sleep apnea support groups bring awareness and offer education to the community with regard to sleep apnea because it is a chronic condition that requires long-term management. “If untreated, it can increase the risk of the other chronic conditions such as, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes,” said Carroll.
The use of CPAP equipment and supplies is an effective method to treat sleep apnea. But patients will not experience the benefits of CPAP therapy it they are not using their CPAP because the mask is not comfortable or they are experiencing other issues with the mask. “The premise behind the Sleep Mask Style Show is to let the patient and their family members know that there are lots of options in terms of CPAP masks and our respiratory therapists illustrate this by actually wearing the masks while walking through the audience as the features, benefits and differences of each mask are narrated by the emcee of the evening, also a ThedaCare At Home respiratory therapist” said Carroll. “We want them to know and understand that if their current mask is not working for them, that we can help them find one that will. The evening will also offer time for the audience members to ask questions of the respiratory therapists.”
Mangold agreed. “What makes the Sleep Mask Style Shows, and all of our A.W.A.K.E. meetings, successful is the dedication of our respiratory therapists to ensuring folks have CPAP masks and equipment that are right for them,” she said.
The event is free but to register, visit www.thedacare.org or call 920.830.6877.
For more than 100 years, ThedaCare™ has been committed to finding a better way to deliver serious and complex healthcare to patients throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The organization serves over 200,000 patients annually and employs more than 6,800 healthcare professionals throughout the region. ThedaCare has seven hospitals located in Appleton, Neenah, Berlin, Waupaca, Shawano, New London and Wild Rose as well as 34 clinics in 14 counties. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving our specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a non-profit healthcare organization with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs as well as a foundation dedicated to community service. ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center in Appleton opened in February. For more information, visit www.thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.
