August is Autoinflammatory Awareness Month, a reminder that living well starts with listening to your body. Persistent or recurring symptoms such as unexplained fevers, joint pain, fatigue, rashes, or ongoing inflammation should never be ignored. While these symptoms can have many causes, they may also be signs of a rare autoinflammatory disease. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can improve long term health and quality of life. If you are experiencing ongoing symptoms or have concerns, speak with your local healthcare practitioner. The Canadian Autoinflammatory Network provides trusted education, resources, and support for individuals, families, and healthcare professionals. Learn more at
Community News
Summer is Better Together
Spending the summer in a retirement community is a wonderful opportunity to build new friendships and strengthen existing ones. Residents often have fascinating life stories and experiences to share, creating meaningful connections. Participating in group activities like bingo, gardening, arts and crafts, or exercise classes encourages conversation and camaraderie. Holiday celebrations, cultural events, and shared meals also bring people together. These friendships provide emotional support, reduce feelings of loneliness, and encourage a more active lifestyle. By connecting through shared interests and daily activities, residents help create a welcoming, supportive community where everyone feels valued, included, and less alone.
Begin of a New Era
Transform everyday moments into meaningful wellness rituals with AüRAUM gemstone infused aromatherapy sprays. Crafted with pure essential oils and gemstone essences, each blend is designed to promote relaxation, emotional balance, grounding, or renewed energy. Mist your body, home, yoga space, or meditation area to create a calming atmosphere and support mindful living. These versatile sprays help refresh your surroundings while encouraging moments of peace throughout the day. For an even more complete wellness experience, pair your favourite AüRAUM spray with a VitaJuwel gemstone water bottle or vial, bringing the beauty of gemstone inspired hydration and aromatherapy together in one daily ritual.
How Brella Helps
For nearly 50 years, Brella Community Services Society has supported older adults, caregivers, and families throughout Surrey, White Rock, and surrounding communities. Its mission is to help people age with dignity, remain connected, and continue living meaningful lives.
Many older adults face challenges such as social isolation, caregiver stress, health concerns, and difficulty accessing services. Brella responds with practical programs that help people remain independent while staying connected to their community.
Programs including Better at Home, Social Prescribing, Digital Inclusion, transportation assistance, volunteer services, community meals, wellness activities, and educational workshops help seniors continue living safely in their own homes while maintaining important social connections.
Brella is also a recognized leader in dementia support. Through caregiver support groups, respite services, education, one-on-one guidance, family conferences, and initiatives such as the I’m Still Me project, individuals living with dementia and their families receive compassionate support and practical resources.
Creating opportunities for social connection is central to Brella’s work. Recreational activities, arts programs, support groups, volunteer opportunities, and community events reduce loneliness while encouraging friendships, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Brella also advocates for age-friendly communities by working alongside governments, health authorities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to improve accessibility and ensure older adults remain visible, valued, and included.
Its affiliation with Crescent Housing Society reflects a holistic approach that recognizes affordable housing and community support go hand in hand. Behind every program are dedicated staff, volunteers, donors, and community partners working together with one simple belief: growing older should never mean becoming invisible. Brella helps people not only age, but live well.
Heel Pain and Plantar Fasciitis
Do you get sharp, stabbing heel pain during your first steps in the morning or after periods of rest? The plantar fascia is a thick and fibrous band of tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot. It is a shock-absorbing bowstring that supports the arch of your foot. When this tissue is overused or strained, it develops micro-tears, leading to inflammation and heel pain. The pain decreases as you walk but usually returns after long periods of standing or getting up from a chair. Come see your local podiatrist at Island Foot Clinics for evaluation and treatment today!
Headache Relief Starts Here
Stress, poor posture, and neck tension often work together to trigger headaches and migraines. Hours spent at a computer, looking down at a phone, or carrying stress in your shoulders can tighten muscles, reduce neck mobility, and place added strain on joints and nerves. Over time, this tension may contribute to recurring headache pain. Simple prevention strategies include maintaining good posture, adjusting your workstation, stretching regularly, staying hydrated, exercising, and practicing relaxation techniques. If headaches are frequent or persistent, Dr. Priscilla may help identify musculoskeletal factors contributing to your symptoms and support improved function, comfort, and overall quality of life.
Connection Supports Healthy Aging
Social interaction plays a vital role in maintaining both emotional and physical health for seniors. Loneliness and social isolation have been linked to serious health concerns, including depression, cognitive decline, type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep problems, and other unhealthy habits. Research suggests that social isolation may increase the risk of premature death, with effects comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. If you or a loved one is becoming isolated, Okanagan Chateau Retirement Living provides meaningful social connections, engaging activities, shared meals, and a strong sense of community, helping seniors feel valued, connected, and supported.
Heel Pain and Plantar Fasciitis
Do you get sharp, stabbing heel pain during your first steps in the morning or after periods of rest? The plantar fascia is a thick and fibrous band of tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot. It is a shock-absorbing bowstring that supports the arch of your foot. When this tissue is overused or strained, it develops micro-tears, leading to inflammation and heel pain. The pain decreases as you walk but usually returns after long periods of standing or getting up from a chair. Come see your local podiatrist at Island Foot Clinics for evaluation and treatment today!
Searching for Answers?
Compassionate Inquiry is a powerful tool that can bring a person’s awareness compassionately to events that occurred in childhood that were painful and difficult to bear. Chronic holding of these events can lead to chronic illness. Compassionate Inquiry sessions have been successfully used for physical and emotional healing in a wide range of areas: chronic illness and pain, autoimmune disorders, emotional and mental disturbances, addictions, PTSD, relationship problems, and reoccurring problematic patterns. Use Compassionate Inquiry to discover the root causes and resulting dis-ease in the body. Transform chronic stress into deep understanding and resolution of underlying chronic stressors with Compassionate Inquiry.
Begin a New Era
Transform everyday moments into meaningful wellness rituals with AüRAUM gemstone infused aromatherapy sprays. Crafted with pure essential oils and gemstone essences, each blend is designed to promote relaxation, emotional balance, grounding, or renewed energy. Mist your body, home, yoga space, or meditation area to create a calming atmosphere and support mindful living. These versatile sprays help refresh your surroundings while encouraging moments of peace throughout the day. For an even more complete wellness experience, pair your favourite AüRAUM spray with a VitaJuwel gemstone water bottle or vial, bringing the beauty of gemstone inspired hydration and aromatherapy together in one daily ritual.
Where You’re Treated Like Family
At ABC Home Support, we provide personalized in-home care tailored to each client’s individual needs. Our mission is to deliver high-quality, compassionate support that helps your loved one continue to live safely and comfortably at home. We’re a full-service provider of experienced home support workers, registered care aides, LPNs, and RNs. Every member of our home support team is carefully matched to the level of care required, ensuring consistency and the right fit. We believe in taking a personal approach to care. That means building real relationships and going the extra mile to make sure both clients and caregivers feel supported.
