Decatur County Iowa Public Health Office

The Decatur County Public Health Nursing Agency provides a comprehensive home health care program to provide and coordinate home health care for residents of Decatur County. The services include skilled nursing visits, certified Home Care Aide services, and Homemaker services.

The home health care staff will deliver personalized services according to your physician's plan of care to best meet your home health care needs. Referrals for services are accepted from your physician, hospital, family, friends or clients themselves

Services may be reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance. The agency staff communicates with your insurance provider and will do the billing for you. Insurance may cover services for you based on your physician's orders, your ability to leave your home and your need for skilled, intermittent care in your home.

Our agency also offers the following services to help families give their children the best possible start in life: Childhood immunizations, Parents as Teachers early learning experiences, and tobacco prevention education.

Decatur County's mental health services are coordinated through our agency along with the following environmental health programs: On-site wastewater treatment and disposal system permitting and inspection, private well drilling permits and plugging assistance, radon awareness/indoor air quality, and public health nuisance complaints.

View our brochure's for more information on
Tetanus During Flooding, Public Health, and Home Health Programs

 

Decatur County Public Health 207 NE Idaho Leon, Iowa 50144 PH: 641-446-6518 / Fax 641-446-3616 Email: tacheson@decaturph.com Monday – Friday 8:00am to 4:30 pm

Public Health Quick Links Home Health Care / Immunizations / Tobacco Prevention

Home Health Care Services Skilled nursing services offered by our agency include: Skilled assessment and instruction (such as blood pressure, pulse rate, response to new medications, and health conditions) Wound care and dressings Catheter or ostomy care and instructions Blood draws and injections IV therapy Diabetic instruction   Agency staff may assist you to obtain other services, such as home medical equipment, therapies, and hospital, nursing home or hospice care, if those are appropriate to meet your health care needs. Certified Home Care Aide Services are available for the following needs: Our agency homemakers work toward a safe, comfortable environment by general household cleaning. Personal care assistance for bathing, hair care, and exercises Light housekeeping and laundry Meal planning and preparation Grocery shopping and errands   Immunizations Immunizations are a safe and effective way to prevent dangerous diseases. Every child should be protected against diseases that can cause brain damage, paralysis, deafness, blindness, cancer and even death. Immunization clinics are held the second Thursday of every month. Alternative times can be arranged if necessary. Immunizations are available to those with Title XIX/Medicaid, those who have no health insurance, or those with private health insurance that does not include an immunization benefit. All infants should complete their basic series of immunizations before the age of 2 years. However, if your child has received no immunizations or only part of them, it is not late to start or finish for complete protection. The following changes have been made regarding new vaccines and recommended vaccines: Now available and recommended for children from 11 through age 18 is the meningococcal conjugate (Menactra) vaccine. This will help protect against the most common forms of bacteria that cause meningococcal disease (strains A, C, Y and the W-135). It is highly recommended for students entering college who will be living in a dorm setting. Hepatitis A vaccine is now recommended at age 12-23 months with a booster dose needed 6-18 months later. Tdap is now the recommended booster for tetanus, diptheria and pertusis beginning at age 10 and going through age 64. Only one Tdap vaccine is needed, which is good for 10 years and will then be followed with the usual Td (tetanus and diptheria) booster. The varicella (chicken pox) vaccine is now recommended at age 12-15 months with a booster dose somewhere from age 4-6 years. A new vaccine for rotavirus is now available and given orally to infants at age 2, 4 and 6 months. This vaccine helps prevent a form of gastroenteritis which has a sudden onset of vomiting, fever, and watery diarrhea and is the leading cause of hospitalization in children under 5 years of age. Another new vaccine is available for females 9 through 26 years of age to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV), a leading cause of cervical cancer. The vaccine is a three-shot series with the second shot two months after the first and the third shot six months after the first.   Adults should be protected with immunizations such as a tetanus booster every 10 years. The Hepatitis A and B vaccines are a preventive series against viral diseases to the liver. Adults age 65 and older and others with chronic health conditions may benefit from an annual influenza vaccination. Your physician may also recommend a pneumonia immunization. Public health officials in Iowa recommend the schedule below. Some physicians may vary this schedule to meet your infant's needs. For more information on the recommended vaccines or new vaccines, please contact Decatur County Public Health or your health care provider.   Age: Immunization: 2 Months 1st DTaP, IPV, HIB, Hep B, Prevnar, Rotavirus 4 Months 2nd DTaP, IPV, HIB, Hep B, Prevnar, Rotavirus 6 Months 3rd DTaP, IPV, Prevnar, Rotavirus, Hep B 12 - 15 Months 1st MMR, Varicella, Hep A; 3rd HIB; 4th DTaP, Prevnar 4 -6 Years 2nd MMR and Varicella; 5th DTaP; 4th IPV 11 - 18 years Tdap Booster, Meningitis Every 10 years TD Booster   Tobacco Prevention Our agency works together with local schools to provide tobacco use prevention education to all age levels. High school students are encouraged to get involved with school and community prevention efforts. Those students are also assisted to prepare tobacco prevention presentations for elementary classes. We are also involved in the annual Great American Smoke-out sponsored by the American Cancer Society. To learn more about the effects of smoking and for information and assistance with quitting, please check out the following web sites: Quitline Iowa Just Eliminate Lies American Lung Association Office of the Surgeon General National Cancer Institute Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids

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