Have you been protecting yourself against sun exposure? When selecting a sunscreen, go for the “broad spectrum” protection. Sunscreens with this label protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Make sure your sunscreen has a sun protection factor of 30 or higher. The SPF number is the level of protection the sunscreen provides against harmful rays. Higher SPF numbers do mean more protection, but the higher you go, the smaller the difference becomes. Secondly, look at the ingredients. Physical blockers (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide) provide the best protection and cause less skin irritation than chemical sunscreens.
Community News
Seven Pillars of Self Care
1. Knowledge & Health literacy – to obtain health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. 2. Mental wellbeing & Self-awareness – knowing your body mass index (BMI), cholesterol level, blood pressure; engaging in health screening. 3. Physical activity – practicing intensity at a desirable frequency. 4. Healthy eating – having a nutritious, balanced diet with appropriate levels of calorie intake. 5 Risk avoidance – quitting tobacco, limiting alcohol use. 6 Good hygiene – washing hands regularly, brushing teeth, washing food. 7 Rational use of products and medicines – being aware of dangers, using responsibly when necessary.
Caregivers
Did you know that in 2018, 929,000 Albertans (26% of the population) provided care to at least one family member or friend with chronic illness, disabilities, or aging-related conditions? One third of Canada’s labour force also has a care responsibility. Summer is seen as a time for relaxation and taking vacation, but many caregivers don’t get that break. Family caregivers are the shadow workforce of our society, and many of them need support as caregiving can come at great cost to their social relationships, health, finances and employment.
The Golden Circle has programs that can support caregivers as well as older adults in our community. Our various programs and activities are a great way to get older adults AND caregivers involved in social activities. You don’t have to be a member to participate in our activities, and all ages are welcome.
Our frozen meal program is also a great way to help ensure folks are getting nutritious, homestyle meals. This program gives caregivers a break from cooking while giving peace of mind that the people they care for are getting well fed. All meals are produced here at the Golden Circle in our AHS Inspected Commercial Kitchen!
Hip Mobility for Pain Prevention
Hip mobility is essential for maintaining proper alignment and preventing pain in other areas of the body. Tight hips can often lead to lower back or knee pain, as the joints above and below compensate for the lack of mobility in the hips. To prevent this, it’s important to incorporate hip mobility stretches into your Physiotherapy program. With effective customized treatments for improving hip mobility, we can help reduce pain in other areas of the body and improve your overall function and movement. Remember, it’s all in the hips!
Plan for the Future
There are many conversations that families should have. One of those concerns your final wishes. Planning your funeral and cemetery arrangements in advance means you can discuss the options with family in a relaxed, stress-free environment. The other conversation is planning for your future health care. If you were sick and couldn’t speak for yourself, would your family know your wishes? You might be surprised by the space between what you want for future care and what your loved ones think you want. It’s important that they know your values, what is meaningful in your life, and how you would like decisions to be made.
Seniors Need Connection & Support
Researchers have found that loneliness is just as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Many Canadians may not be aware of the connection between loneliness and poor nutrition and the other serious health implications. With concerns around food security and affordability also being top of mind in Canada, we know our senior population is at a higher risk for both. As an organization dedicated to caring for older adults, Home Instead is urging Canadians to join the effort in ensuring our senior loved ones are getting the care and nutrition they need and helping to end loneliness among older adults.
Help Support Seniors in Our Community today!
All support is extremely valuable, be it donations, volunteer time or simply word-of-mouth. It is the people of Saskatoon that enable us to continue helping the city’s venerable population. Your generous donations help us progress our services while playing a vital role in keeping seniors independent. Every dollar of support stays right here in Saskatoon. We have many lower-income seniors that need our services, and the generosity of your support allows us to be able to assist them. Donations of $20 or over will get a tax receipt. We graciously accept cheques, cash, or e-transfer.
Help Feed a Senior for $12/Week
In partnership with LUSH Valley Food Action Society, CVSS provides 82 meals a week to seniors in the Comox Valley. While some seniors contribute to the cost of the weekly meals, they are heavily subsidized. A donation of $12 a week will provide between two and four meals for a senior in the Valley, helping ensure food security for vulnerable residents. Donations can be made at the CVSS office, or by cheque, via mail at C1-450 8th Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1N5. Tax receipts are provided for donations over $20. Alternatively, monthly donations can be set up on our Canada Helps website at: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/comox-valley-senior-support/
Comox Valley Seniors Resource Guide
The 2023 Comox Valley Seniors Resource Guide is now out! This free guide is being dropped at locations around the Valley, but if you want one, or more, set aside for you, please contact the office (250-871-5940) and we will either hold one for you or arrange for delivery! 20,000 copies of this spiral bound guide were created in partnership between Comox Valley Senior Support and Denman Hornby Health and are available free of charge.
Extreme Heat Caution
The possibility of extreme heat is now looking like more of a reality for the summer ahead in BC. When temperatures rise, please be sure to check in on your elderly neighbors, friends, and relatives, especially those
• who live alone
• with chronic health conditions (e.g., heart disease, chronic respiratory illness, diabetes, mental illness, substance use disorders)
• with limited mobility
• without air conditioning
• those who live in a home exposed to direct sunlight. If you or someone you know lives in a home where the temperatures will reach 30 degrees Celsius or higher, plan to go elsewhere during a heat emergency. If you are remaining in your home, please evaluate your home’s cool zones, choose one and plan to remain in that area of the home as much as possible. If possible to do safely, putting a barrier, such as cardboard on the outside of a window will help deflect the sun from hitting the window. Close your blinds and windows during the hottest parts of the day and, if the temperature drops significantly at night, open windows to allow some fresh, cool air circulation. Having a fan near a window overnight will help bring in cool air. In the event of extreme temperatures, cooling centers will be operated, and their locations will be well publicized. Please assist your senior friends, neighbors, and relatives to access cooling centers. Libraries, community centers, shopping malls, movie theaters, and shaded parks will all provide cooling assistance as well. Plan in advance where you may go in the event of extreme heat.
Identify an extreme heat buddy! If you live alone, or with someone who is vulnerable, have a buddy who will check in on you daily. Ideally, your buddy should be someone who can assist you in getting to and from a cooling location. Please call CV Senior Support at 250-871-5940 if assistance is needed.
Save the Date!
The Comox Valley Senior Support Society’s Second Annual Spelling Bee will be held on Tuesday, October 17 at Florence Filberg Centre in Courtenay. The first Spelling Bee was such a community success that we decided to get a larger space and invite more people! We look forward to seeing you there.
