World AIDS Day
The global observance of World AIDS Day is Dec. 1. This year the theme was “Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact.”
The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County (DOH-Pasco) recognized World AIDS Day with free testing at its New Port Richey office.
In 2019, there were 119,689 people living with HIV in Florida, according to a DOH-Pasco news release. More than half of the 4,584 new diagnoses were for people between the ages of 20 and 39.
Florida is a national leader in HIV testing, and the FDOH has made great strides in prevention, early identification and treatment.
To reach the goal of zero new HIV transmissions and reduced HIV-related deaths, FDOH focuses on these four key strategies:
- Implementing routine screening for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, especially among high-risk populations
- Providing immediate access to treatment for the newly diagnosed, as well as retaining HIV-positive persons in the care system, with the ultimate goal of getting HIV-positive persons to an undetectable viral load
- Improving and promoting the use of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) medication and nPEP (non-occupational post exposure prophylaxis) as prevention strategies to reduce the risk of contracting HIV
- Increasing community outreach and awareness about HIV, high-risk behaviors and the importance of knowing one’s status
For information on services offered by DOH-Pasco, call 727-861-5260, ext. 0901, in New Port Richey, or 352-521-1450, ext. 6118, 6100 or 6119, in Dade City.
Donating to others’ needs
GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club members Dee Knerr and Debbie Cardona delivered a large supply of clothing, hygiene items, socks, slippers and other items to Amilcat Care Home in Lutz.
The women also secured and donated a walker that was needed by one of the residents.
For information on the club, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org.
Gulfside fundraisers
Due to the current pandemic, the third annual Charity Casino Night to benefit Gulfside Hospice has been rescheduled to Jan. 30, at the Heritage Springs Golf & Country Club in Trinity.
All proceeds will provide patient care and bereavement support in Pasco County through Gulfside.
For tickets and sponsorship information, visit CharityCasinoNight.org.
Also, due to the ongoing health and safety challenges, Gulfside postponed The Candace Glewen Charity Fashion Show, originally scheduled for Dec. 3.
The fundraiser was to bring people together in honor of Candace Glewen, a longtime board member of Gulfside Hospice until her recent passing, and to support the patients and families served by Gulfside.
Instead of a winter-themed fashion show, the event will now feature the latest 2021 spring looks on May 4, at Spartan Manor in New Port Richey.
For information about the event, visit GulfsideFashionShow.org, or contact Leesa Fryer, fundraising and event planning specialist, at 727-845-5707 or .
Elder abuse in Florida
The personal-finance website WalletHub reported its 2020 States with the Best Elder-Abuse Protections, according to a news release.
To determine which states fight the hardest against elder abuse, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 16 key metrics.
The data set ranges from “elder-abuse, gross-neglect and exploitation complaints” to “financial elder-abuse laws.”
Here are the Elder-Abuse Protections in Florida, rating 1 for Best and 25 for Average (*per resident aged 65 and older):
- Third: Elder-Abuse, Gross-Neglect and Exploitation Complaints*
- Fourth: Nursing Homes Quality
- 27th: Total Expenditures on Elder-Abuse Prevention*
- 30th: Number of Certified Volunteer Ombudsmen*
- 51st: Total Long-Term Care Ombudsman-Program Funding*
- 51st: Number of Eldercare Organizations & Services*
For a full report, visit WalletHub.com.
