Blood pressure checks pump in new friendships at Colfax Senior Citizen Center

COLFAX – Blood pressure test – for many people, this is part of their monthly routine.

Whether it’s an automatic monitor with an LED screen or an old-fashion cuff and stethoscope combo, testing your blood pressure regularly can help you better monitor your health and prevent heart attacks, strokes, kidney diseases and even dementia.

But for the people at the Colfax Senior Citizen Center, testing their blood pressure has one extra benefit – friendship.

“It is just a fun group. They are really light-heartened. We love to joke around. I tease them. I am an Iowa State fan, so I tease some of them about that,” Kristina Winfield, public health coordinator at Jasper County Health Department said. “They are always playing cribbage, so I sometimes have to interrupt their card game ... They can get really competitive.”

At around 11 a.m. the first Friday of every month, Winfield stops by the the senior citizen center in downtown Colfax to check the blood pressure of anyone who makes their way into the facility.

She finds a seat in the board room, patrons line up and she does her business. Virginia Hunter, Colfax Senior Citizen Center member, then writes down the results on an index card. The two then repeat this process the following month, keeping track of the result of every test along the way.

This might sound simple and monotonous, but according to Winfield, this process can have life-saving effects.

“We mostly look for trends in their blood pressure. If we are seeing increases, their could be other health problems,” Winfield said. “If we see it creeping up, higher and higher, we advise them to see their doctor ... It is something you should watch all the time.”

For the people who receive the test, this simple process has allowed them to feel a little more at ease in concerns with their health.

“I depend on it myself because I don’t go to the doctor all the time unless there is something wrong with me. I have never had problems with blood pressure anyways, but I get it checked,” Hunter said. “(Winfield) visits with each one of us and asks us if we are having any problems. She does a good job.”

According to the Colfax Senior Citizen Center members, Winfield started performing blood pressure checks last spring. The group said they received checks prior to Winfield’s arrival, but haven’t had someone administer the monthly test in recent years.

As a Baxter CSD graduate and a longtime Jasper County resident, Winfield said she looks forward to the monthly blood checks as some of her patients have ties to her family or past.

“One of the ladies there was the kindergarten teacher of my uncles. It is just the connection and I like to have that. That sense of community is really important (to me),” the public health coordinator said. “I can relate to them. They are all like my grandparents.”

She said as a small town girl, she has noticed small communities always look out for each other. For her, Colfax and its senior citizen center are no different.

“It is a good community. I like it here,” Hunter said. “People come and go here. We lost two this winter. This place used to be full, but people have had to move to the nursing home or passed away ... We need more people to come.”

The public health coordinator said she is looking forward to next month’s blood check. She said she hopes to see a couple new faces.

“I like to play cribbage. I haven’t played a cribbage game with them yet,” Winfield said. “I would like (to play a game with them) one day.”

To get involved with the Colfax Senior Citizen Center, call 515-674-3474 or visit the facility at 1 E. Howard St. The center is open weekdays at 8 a.m.

Contact Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@jaspercountytribune.com