What better time to think about how you take care of your mouth? Not only is good dental health important to having healthy teeth and gums, but it may also lower your risk of chronic disease. Four things you can do to maximize oral health:
1. Make nutritious food choices – avoid high sugar and high acid foods and drinks. 2. Visit your dental professional regularly – if accessing affordable care is a challenge for you, please contact Comox Valley Senior Support and we will do our best to assist you. 3. Brush and floss every day!
4. Avoid tobacco.
Community News
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.
Remember 1-4-2
Have you heard of Canada’s Low-Risk Gambling Guidelines (#LRGG)? Guideline 1: Gamble no more than 1% of household income, e.g.: $60,000 annual gross income = $50/month. Guideline 2: Gamble no more than 4 days per month = roughly once a week. Guideline 3: Avoid regularly gambling at more than 2 types of games, including lotteries, sports betting, table games, slot machines, scratch tickets, horse racing, bingo, video lottery terminals (VLTs), and online gambling. Mental health & addictions, gambling type and reasons for gambling can make these guidelines difficult to follow. Reach out to VI Gaming Support! We’re here for you.
Local Business Spotlight
MOTION – Making life accessible for our community through mobility & home accessibility solutions. MOTION offers a wide range of life-changing equipment to make life accessible such as power lift recliners (lift-out chairs), walkers, mobility scooters, wheelchairs, adjustable beds, bathroom safety items, stairlifts, ceiling lifts, and more for clients of all ages. Whether a client is being fitted for equipment for the first time, needs an equipment repair or rental, or is looking to upgrade their solution, Motion’s knowledgeable team of experts is ready to deliver real solutions with real impacts. Because MOTION isn’t a place, it’s a partnership.
Get Mobile!
Do more of what you want – when you want. If you ever find yourself waiting around for people to assist you with daily tasks and errands, a mobility scooter could allow you to take matters into your own hands. Confinement can be the most depressing situation that people with mobility issues can experience. Nobody wants to stay inside for a long time, especially when it isn’t necessary. Electric scooters have come a long way and are now more affordable than ever. They provide the freedom to get around, they conserve physical energy, and they also provide you access to places you may not have previously been able to go.
Pain From Your Mattress?
The Better Sleep Council recommends replacing your mattress every 7 to 10 years, but physical changes such as weight loss, injury, or surgery can alter your body’s position when you sleep and make a mattress change necessary before your mattress reaches its end of life. If your mattress no longer provides adequate support, it can lead to a poor sleeping posture. This misaligns the spine and strains muscles, causing or worsening lower back pain. It’s important to choose a mattress that not only supports your back and provides comfort, but also meets your personal preferences, so you can get the best, pain-free night’s sleep possible.
Meet Your Practitioner
Raymond Gilby is a Registered Hearing Instrument Practitioner / Cerumen Management (RHIP/C) and is the owner of Clear Ear. He is the Vice-President of the Hearing Instrument Practitioners Society of BC, as well as the BC representative for the Canadian Hearing Instrument Practitioners Society. For the past decade, Raymond has been working across Vancouver Island, performing services safely in clients’ homes. Recognizing that many clinics no longer offer cerumen (ear wax) removal, Raymond earned his full certification in cerumen management and offers his clients micro-suction (the gold standard for wax removal), irrigation, and sometimes a combination of the two.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
According to a recent survey, 90% of homeowners between the ages of 55 and 75 would like to stay in their long-time home as they get older. And, not surprisingly, 66% of seniors believe their home is where they will be most comfortable, with 53% believing they will stay healthier in their own home. But living out that scenario and remaining in the driver’s seat calls for a plan of action – and an understanding of potential safety risks in the home. Home care makes it possible to remain home despite physical challenges. From respite care to 24-hour in-home care, services can be tailored to meet your needs.
Oral Health Month
April is Oral Health Month! Here are five tips for maintaining good oral health: 1) Make healthy food choices and limit sugary and highly acidic foods to avoid tooth decay and acid erosion. 2) Don’t smoke or use tobacco products, which can stain teeth, cause gum damage, give you bad breath, cause tooth loss, and even lead to oral cancer. 3) Brush twice and floss once daily. 4) Make note of any oral issues you have, including sensitivity, bleeding, pain, or strange lumps. 5) Visit your dentist regularly. We now offer VELScope Oral Cancer Screening in our practice. The exam takes about 2 minutes and is completely safe and painless.
Shockwave Therapy for Chronic Conditions
Do you suffer from a nagging injury like tennis elbow, achilles tendonitis, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff injuries or plantar fasciitis? Shockwave therapy is one of the best research-backed treatments for chronic musculoskeletal conditions that have not healed properly. It involves the application of acoustic sound waves to kick-start healing, control pain, and restore mobility. Often patients will feel relief after their first treatment and can expect more significant and lasting changes within 3-5 applications. Shockwave Therapy coupled with Class IV Laser Therapy is evidence based and the gold standard in tendon healing.
Ask The Expert
Q: My husband insists he has good vision because of all the carrots he is fond of eating. Is there any truth to this? A: Nutrition is important for eye health, but there is much more to vision than that. If you’re worried about your husband’s vision, urge him to get tested. A standard test will measure his visual acuity, focusing, and general eye health, amongst other things. Carrot consumption does not guarantee good vision in anyone! If your husband does need vision correction, Mosaic Vision Care offers hundreds of innovative and eye-catching styles of frames to choose from.
