Community News
Journaling Relieves Caregiver Anxiety

If you’re a caregiver for a senior loved one, have you considered journaling as a way to relieve caregiver anxiety? Experts recommend journaling as a way to sort out your feelings and count your blessings when life gets crazy. In fact, regular journaling may even improve your health. Writing down your worries may strengthen your immune cells, giving you a better chance of fighting off infections and staying healthy. Journaling may help you fulfill your most important roles with a positive outlook and plenty of energy. It helps to: 1. Reduce the intensity of stress and anger by writing these feelings down. 2. Solve problems through creativity and intuition. 3. Recognize productive (and unproductive) patterns in your life. 4. Track your progress and growth for increased confidence. 5. Sort out your feelings. Journaling gives you a “safe space” to share your thoughts and feelings without worrying about being judged or feeling guilty.

Alevtina (Alia) Tuhari, Reliable Home Care Agency, ReliableHomeCare.ca

Caregiver Pharmacy Support

It can be difficult to be a caregiver and manage multiple or complex medications for a loved one. It is important to ensure medications are taken appropriately to help maintain good health. A visiting pharmacist provides personal support with regular medication delivery and home consultations. The pharmacist reviews a client’s prescription drugs and over the counter medications to advise if there are any drug interactions, and makes adjustments as necessary. This level of support can reduce emergency room visits and hospital stays, and results in strong, trusting relationships between clients, caregivers, and pharmacists. The visiting pharmacist also provides seamless care for hospital discharge patients and works closely with other health professionals to deliver a high level of care to the client. Care is tailored to specific individual needs such as assisting with blood pressure readings, adding medications as needed to adherence packaging, and making changes in an efficient manner.

Teresa Giesbrecht
CareAtHomePharmacy.ca

Tune-Up Your Brain!

Your brain is the engine that drives you – so it’s important to keep it well-tuned. Fat – or lipid – consumption is essential for the healthy growth, development, and function of your brain. In fact, 60% of your brain’s dry weight is fat. Several types of plant and animal fats are used for brain-building material, though one lipid reigns supreme: omega-3 fatty acids derived from salmon, sardines, krill oil, and plant-based Ahiflower oil. There are many benefits of omega-3: it increases cognitive functioning and decreases symptoms of depression, anxiety and aggression. It is also shown to be a protective factor against cognitive decline and dementia in older adults; and it is an essential component of a healthy diet for pregnant women, leading to better health outcomes in newborns. Consider adding omega-3s to your diet as an evidence-based way to tune-up your brain for optimal mental health.

Sean Miller, CMHA Manitoba and Winnipeg

mbwpg.cmha.ca

Book Club: Why Can’t I get Better?

Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease by Dr. Richard Horowitz. Looks at pain, fatigue, memory and concentration problems, sleep disorders, and much more. Lyme disease and its related conditions are incredibly complicated. You can take the questionnaire yourself, and start doing your own detective work with this book as your guide.

LymeDisease.org

Relaxation: What’s That?

How often do we hear this? “The only time I relax is with a drink in my hand. My brain does not know how to slow down.” Diagnosed with anxiety, a recent client found counselling and group work to be highly stressful. “I’m always scared of what others will say or think!” She was always so tired that she barely had energy to complete daily tasks; yet, when she went to bed, she couldn’t sleep. Brainwave Optimization helped her feel relaxed for the first time in her life. By attending to her brain frequencies, she wasn’t stuck in fight-flight anymore. She was able to keep her food down and digest better. Her sleep came more easily without meds. She was calmer around others and felt less intimidated by them. She could hardly believe she could get to that point without having to try and figure out what was “wrong” with her.

Joanne Couture, RMFT, RSW, LaLobaTraumaRelease.com

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that cause progressive damage to the optic nerve, leading to a loss of peripheral vision. These diseases are dangerous, as most people do not have symptoms until a significant portion of their side vision has been affected. If not treated, they can lead to tunnel vision and possibly blindness. While there is no way to reverse the damage, early detection and treatment are the best way to protect your eyes. A comprehensive eye exam will include tests to detect and monitor glaucoma.

Dr. Ashley Britton, LREyeCare.ca

Aerobic Activity for Health

Do you get the recommended amount of physical activity every week? Adults should be getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity. Examples of moderate aerobic exercises include walking, swimming, and household chores such as mowing the lawn. Running, tennis, jumping rope, heavy gardening, and hiking uphill are examples of exercises classified as vigorous. Did you know that exercising regularly comes with many benefits? It can help you lose or maintain your current weight; decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer; increase muscle and bone strength; and improve mental health, as well as overall mood. If you do not currently have an exercise routine and need help starting one, give Prairie Trail Physiotherapy a call. We can help tailor a program to your current abilities and help you discover exercises you enjoy doing.

Kristi Hunter MPT, BSc, PrairieTrailPhysio.ca

Acupuncture for Migraines

Migraines and headaches can be treated with acupuncture, reducing the severity and frequency of occurrences. Acupuncture is a minimally invasive treatment with virtually no side effects. Hair-fine needles are inserted at specific points to increase blood flow in the affected meridians, which will reduce the severity and frequency of migraines. Migraine prevention is also important. If you are experiencing an imbalance in the nervous system, from high stress, hormone imbalances (e.g., if it occurs during a women’s menstrual cycle), or hypertension, an approach of balancing your organs and nervous system, along with migraine-specific points, is taken. Prevention would consist of stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest, relax digestive system) and reducing muscle tension and soreness. These points are primarily located in the forearms and lower legs. A complete assessment followed by a prescribed course of acupuncture may reduce the severity and frequency of migraines and headaches.

Naomi Johnson, HeklaAcupuncture.com

Healthy Digestion is Key!

Healthy digestion has a key role to play in our day-to-day lives. We often take good digestive health for granted until there is a problem, at which point it can often send daily life into chaos. Your digestion affects how well your immune system functions, whether it be chronic colds or an autoimmune condition. It plays a role in how much inflammation your body is dealing with on a daily basis, which is a factor in arthritis or allergies. The research also shows that the health of your digestive tract can affect mental health and wellness. If you have some chronic, longstanding health issues and have a history of digestive issues, you could benefit from exploring the possible link with a licensed naturopathic doctor. Consider booking an appointment to share your story and explore what is possible!

Dr. Cory Storm, TheNatureDoctors.ca

Find Calm in Chaos

A great teacher once told us that a meditation practice is like weaving a parachute. Eventually, you will need it, and you don’t want to have to learn to weave on your way down. We take comfort in thinking we have control over most aspects of our lives, and in many cases, we do. But when something out of our control happens, it can send us on a downward spiral. Meditation is like parachute weaving, and floating helps you meditate with ease. We get it. Meditation can be difficult. You might even think meditation is boring. But we like to think, if you can’t spend 90 minutes with yourself, who else is going to want to? This is the reason self-care is such an important pillar of wellness. Because the only thing we truly have control over is ourselves. If you can find the calm, you can control the chaos. Brad Dauk, Floatcalm.com

Brad Dauk, Floatcalm.com

Grab Bars for Safety                                                                                                 

Whether it’s in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, entranceways, or near the stairs, safety grab bars are a benefit to any home or office. They provide safety in areas like the bathroom and around stairs, where a majority of slips and falls occur. Safety grab bars can also be used for assistance when getting in and out of bed, or up and down from a chair or sofa. As we age, moving around can become more difficult. Grab bars are a great way to provide security within your home or office, while maintaining and promoting independence. Safety is a concern for every home and business owner, and safety grab bars are an efficient first step towards a safer home and work environment. If you are considering placing safety bars, always do your research, as there are many makes and models to fit a range of specific needs.

Renew Mobility, RenewMobility.ca