This Week's Facts:
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Hoosiers Urged to Make
Disaster Preparation Plans
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Stay in Shape, Take the
President's Challenge
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September is Month to Promote
Healthy Aging
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Program Aims to Preserve
American Battlefields
Grandparent's
Day Celebrated This Sunday
Sunday is Grandparents’ Day, first proclaimed in
1978 by President Jimmy Carter and first celebrated in 1979. In
the U.S., seven million children (nine percent) in the U.S. in
2009 lived with a grandparent, according to
America’s Families and Living
Arrangements: 2009. Grandparents
can play an important role in their family’s lives at any stage.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a useful
Grandparents’ Guide for Family
Nurturing and Safety which
encourages grandparents to play an active part in the safety and
care of their grandchildren. For more facts about grandparents
caring for grandchildren, see the Census Bureau Newsroom’s
Grandparents Day 2010.
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Friday Facts Editorial Team:
Katharine Springer
State Data
Center Coordinator
Elisabeth
O’Donnell
Federal Documents Librarian
&
Kim Brown-Harden
State
Documents Coordinator
 
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Hoosiers
Urged to Make Disaster Preparation Plans
 As
we approach the anniversary of 9/11, we are reminded how quickly
our lives and safety can change in an instant. Governor Daniels
has
proclaimed
September as National Preparedness Month in Indiana. The
Indiana Department of Homeland Security
offers tips and
resources to keep you and
your family safe. The IDHS advises Hoosiers to
Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed, Get
Involved! There are kits for earthquakes, office
safety, terrorism, and fire to make safety a priority for you,
your patrons, or your loved ones. Being prepared and
involving your friends, family, and neighbors is the best way to
stay safe and alert for all kinds of emergencies. Your
preparedness makes the difference!
Stay in Shape, Take the President's
Challenge
 When
summer hits, many people take to the outdoors and find that
they’re getting a lot more exercise than they once did. However,
just because summer is ending doesn’t mean that exercise should
stop too! Whether you’re just starting a fitness regimen or
having been following one for years, the
President’s Challenge is a
great way to keep track of your progress. In conjunction with
Let’s
Move! and
Fitness.gov, the
President’s Challenge is a way to log your activities, compete
with others and even earn a Presidential Active Lifestyle Award
(PALA). Think of it as an adult version of the
Presidential Fitness Test from gym class. However, this time
it’s fun. You get to choose the type of activity you do – from
walking or running to aerobics and playing softball. You earn
points based on the type of activity and the duration. After you
earn a certain number of points, you can win a PALA or even a
bronze, silver, or gold medal! You can sign up alone or as part
of a group – this is a great way for a community to get healthy
together.
September is Month
to Promote Healthy Aging
 This
September, we also celebrate Healthy Aging Month. Many new
library patrons have just begun retirement or have just entered
their senior years. A consumer update from the Federal Citizen
Information Center urges consumers to be healthy at any age by
paying attention to
food safety,
knowing your medications
and what they interact with, staying on top of the recommended
health screenings for
men and
women, and
staying active. The
National Institute on Aging has created Age Pages, available
online or in PDF, covering several different topics such as
Health Scams,
Healthy Eating After 50,
and
Nursing Homes: Making the Right Choice.
Indiana’s Division on Aging provides online information about
its statewide
Programs and Services,
including
Area Agencies on Aging/ADRC,
Community and Home Options to
Institutional Care for the Elderly and Disabled
(CHOICE), and
OPTIONS – The Indiana Elder
Affairs Network. You can also check out the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention website devoted to
Healthy Aging for Older Adults and the National
Women’s Health Information Center website on
Women and Healthy Aging.
Program Aims to
Preserve American Battlefields
 Seeking
to promote the preservation of battle sites that are on American
soil, the
American Battlefield Protection Program
(ABBP), part of the
National Park Service, is a
great source of information. If you have a patron looking for
concise, accurate summaries of Civil War battles, this is the
place to go. By following the
Civil War link, you can
search for battles by state or by campaign. The results will
give you a brief summary of the battle, as well as the principal
commanders, the forces engaged and even an estimate of
casualties on both sides. While it doesn’t go into detail, it is
a helpful place to get started in Civil War research. You can
also get to the
Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System
, which is a search engine designed to locate people who served
in the war. While the bulk of information on the ABBP site deals
with the Civil War, they are also dedicated to preserving battle
sites from the Revolution and the War of 1812. Currently,
battlefield information from these wars is not available to the
same extent that it is for the Civil War. However, the National
Park Service is currently undertaking a study that involves
researching and preserving these important sites as well.
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