Health notes are for support groups, exercise classes, blood drives and similar events open to the public at no or minimal cost. Send notes to the Connection at south@connectionnewspapers.com or call 703-778-9416. Deadline is Friday. Dated announcements should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event.
Aquatic Fall Prevention Classes. Fall prevention classes take place in a heated indoor pool Tuesdays and/or Thursdays 1:30 p.m. at The Woodlands Retirement Community, 4320 Forest Hill Drive, Fairfax. Classes designed to work on balance and core muscles in order to prevent injuries and falls. Registration required. $10 per class. Register at 703-667-9800.
Free health screenings are available Mondays-Fridays, 8:30-10 a.m. for diabetes and high blood pressure, at Burke Internal Medicine & Research, 9243 Old Keene Mill Road, Burke. Appointments are preferred. 703-455-9711.
Haven of Northern Virginia, 4606 Ravensworth Road, Annandale, is offering a free Widow/Widower’s support group. Haven also offers one-on-one support. A volunteer will meet with a person grieving the death of a loved one, as needed, to provide individual support. Volunteers will be selected to match individual need. 703-941-7000, www.havenofnova.org or e-mail havenofnova@verizon.net
The Compassionate Friends Fairfax Chapter. Friendship and understanding to families grieving the death of a child. The support group meets monthly at Old St. Mary’s Hall, next to Fairfax Station Rd and Route 123. 703-622-3639. www.tcffairfax.org
Registration for weekday and weekend Lamaze childbirth classes in Springfield is available at www.lamaze-dc.com or by calling 703-589-5213.
Breastfeeding Mothers Support Group. Meets at Inova Fairfax Hospital Women's Center, 7 South Dayroom, 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church Thursdays from 10:00-11:00 am. Only mothers and babies. Scale available for infant weight checking. Full service breastfeeding store available. $5 parking fee. 703-776-4489.
Alzheimer's Family Day Center, located at 2812 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, hosts various classes. Reservations are required, and classes are open to people who are caring for a relative or friend with dementia. 703-204-4664 or www.alzheimersfdc.org/classes.htm.
Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Group. Meets the fourth Wednesday of the month from 6:30-8:00 pm, at Arden Courts, 12469 Lee Jackson Highway. Facilitated by trained group leaders, ongoing, free and open to the community. Call 703- 383-0060 prior to attending for the first time.
Fibromyalgia/Arthritis Support Group. Meets the third Friday of each month at 1 p.m. at Pohick Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke. Call Barbara at 703-913-0890 (didn’t ring) or Maxine at 703-451-4558. (family answering machine.)
The Alzheimer's Association National Capital Area Chapter (list of groups online) www.alz.org/nca.
Life with Cancer has a variety of support programs for cancer patients and their families at the Cancer Family Center, 2700 Prosperity Ave., Fairfax. 703-776-2841 or www.lifewithcancer.org.
TLC: Teens Living with Cancer. Monthly social activities for 13 to 18-year-olds who have cancer give them a chance to meet others with cancer, share a little and have fun. At the Life with Cancer Family Center, 2832 Juniper St., Fairfax. 703-776-2841 or www.lifewithcancer.org. (Waiting for email.)
Brain Tumor Group, first Tuesday of the month at the Life with Cancer Family Center, 2832 Juniper St., Fairfax. Adult patients and families are invited to share and learn ways to meet the challenges of living with primary malignant or benign brain tumors. 703-698-2841. . (Waiting for email.)
The Caregivers Meeting. Weekly drop-in group for family members and friends of those with cancer to discuss various concerns. Wednesdays, from 7-8:30 p.m., at Inova Fairfax Hospital in the Radiation Oncology Conference Room. Use the blue garage. 703-698-2841 or www.lifewithcancer.org. . (Waiting for email.)
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society sponsors the 'First Connection' program, which matches patients newly diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma or another blood-related cancer and their families with cancer survivors who have lived through a similar illness. Contact Patient Services Manager Margo Delong at 703-399-2959.
The Fairfax City Parkinson’s Disease Support group meets at the second Monday of each month (except for July and August), 7 p.m. This group welcomes those with Parkinson's, their caregivers, family and friends. Green Acres Community Center, 4401 Sideburn Road, Room 110, Fairfax. 703-277-9666 or e-mail therobbs@cox.net.
The Jewish Social Services Agency (will get back to me) offers a variety of programs and support groups meeting at 3018 Javier Road, Fairfax. Call 703-204-9100 for more information.
* An Anxiety Management Group for children ages 8-10. Children learn to manage anxiety through discussion, games, and role-play.
* Teen Talk: An Adolescent Adoption Series, for adoptees ages 13-18. Searching for birth parents; integrating dual identities; and coping with minimal background information.
* Understanding Your Adopted Teen. A psycho-educational four session series for parents raising adopted teens.
* Support Group for Parents of Young Adults with Asperger's Syndrome and Related Disorders.
* Social Club for Young Adults with Asperger's Syndrome. JSSA and the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia (JCCNV) social club for young adults diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome or related disorders.
* Get Connected: Adult Social Skills, for men and women ages 19-35 who may have Asperger's syndrome and are having difficulty transitioning into successful young adulthood.
* You and Your Aging Parents. Coping with illness, managing difficult emotions, identifying appropriate resources to support an aging parent and develop a care plan.
Inova Blood Donor Services is open weekdays, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., at its main location at 3289 Woodburn Road #010 in Annandale. To inquire about appointments at a convenient donor center or blood drive, call 1-866-256-6372 or visit www.inova.org/donateblood.
Other Inova blood donation sites are:
* Inova Mount Vernon Hospital
2501 Parker's Lane, Alexandria
703-664-7229
Hours: Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
* CentreMed, Centreville
6201 Centreville Rd (Route 28)
Centreville, VA 20121
703-322-1970
Hours: Tuesday, Thursday; noon-8 p.m.
Friday; 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday; 8 a.m.-2 p.m.