Sunglasses are more than a fashion statement; their most important role is protecting your eyes and the surrounding skin from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays. Damage to the eyes includes cataracts, macular degeneration, pterygiums, and cancer. Extended exposure to UV can cause photokeratitis, also known as snowblindness, a temporary but extremely painful sunburn of the eye. Sunglasses also block glare, which increases comfort in bright light. When buying sunglasses, look for ones that block out at least 99% of both UVA and UVB radiation, so you can keep your eyes healthy and your vision clear. A wide-brimmed hat offers great protection, too.
Community News
Do’s and Don’ts of Dating
In today’s distracted world, where people are panicked when they don’t have instant access to their electronics, face-to-face meetings can be a foreign concept. When getting to know someone, it is important that they feel you are giving them your undivided attention. Cell phones need to be on silent and put away while on a date. Exes are not discussed. Communication needs to be real. Texting and emailing are not appropriate ways to get to know someone. Take the time to call them and have a real conversation. Do an activity on your date where you have ample time to get to learn more about the person. Mini golf, bowling, the zoo, or walking through craft shows are some suggestions that allow you to get to know one another without pressure.
Preparing for Personal Care
It’s important to keep your financial affairs in order, as well as your wishes for your personal care, in the event that you are unable to make decisions regarding your finances and care in the future. Putting together a Power of Attorney for Personal Care document ensures that someone you trust will make decisions about your health care, safety, medical treatment, housing, diet, clothing, and hygiene when you are unable to do so. Usually, people select a spouse, relative, or close friend and give them power over their personal care. This document must be signed by you in front of witnesses to be legal.
Bioresonance Therapy for Better Health
The famous opera singer, Ella Fitzgerald, could break a wine glass by singing a note in high C. A principle called resonance plays a central role in the breaking of the wine glass. However, in the health field, this principle is called bioresonance, because it is concerned with living organisms. Sending certain frequencies into a body can affect the health of that person. There are frequencies that destroy toxins and pathogens just like the frequencies that destroyed the wine glass. Other frequencies can be beneficial to cells, tissues, and organs. This is how bioresonance improves one’s health.
The Eyes and Ears Connection
As we age, we’re more susceptible to hearing loss and vision changes. According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), you’re at greater risk of social isolation and reduced community participation if you have vision loss. The same goes for hearing loss. Having both a vision and a hearing problem can affect your ability to lip-read, which is detrimental to communicating with co-workers, family, and friends. A decreased ability to socialize is linked to a greater risk of dementia. However, Statistics Canada reports that 90 percent of people with hearing loss can improve communication with a properly fitting hearing aid, counselling, or environmental changes.
Preventing Dehydration in Seniors
Seniors are at risk of dehydration for a variety of reasons. As we age, our sensation of thirst starts to fade. Immobility can also be an issue, as we might not be able to get ourselves something to drink when we need to. Other causes include medication side effects, symptoms of being ill that cause fluid imbalances, increased urination, and decreased kidney function. Symptoms of dehydration range from low urine output to difficulty walking, and can result in life threatening complications. To help seniors avoid dehydration, provide easy access to liquids, serve food with a high water content, and monitor fluid intake and urine output.
Returning to Work After an Injury
Motor vehicle accidents (MPI) and workplace injuries (WCB) can be stressful, especially if you end up needing time off from work. It is important not to rush back and risk further injury. Physiotherapists will provide the appropriate hands-on treatments and exercises, while offering safe return-to-work plans with graduated hours and workplace restrictions, if needed. Soft tissue typically takes 3 to 6 weeks to heal, depending on severity, and so functional testing will be done routinely throughout your treatments to ensure that increases in job demands are appropriate and will not flare up symptoms or cause re-injury.
Book Club: Whose Mind Is It Anyway?
Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life by Lisa Esile & Franco Esile. Most of us spend our lives trailing after our minds, allowing our brains to take us in directions that are safe and secure, controlled and conformed. Whose Mind Is It Anyway? will help you learn how to separate what you want from what your brain wants and how to do less when your mind is trying to trick you into doing more. In a colorful, funny, and nonthreatening way, it answers the difficult question of how we can take control of our self-defeating behaviors.
Community Event
Balanced Life Experience
October 13 & 14. Assiniboia Downs. Sat 10-8. Sun 10-6. Aligning Body, Mind and Spirit. Event Highlights: Top leaders, practitioners and businesses within the wellness or healthy living industry. Main stage offering free demos, talks, presentations and entertainment. Exciting workshops. Free fitness demos. Reader’s Corner – come see one of our talented intuitives/psychics. Creator’s Corner – Handmade Market. Natural Products. BalancedLifeWpg.ca.
In Your Neighbourhood
Are you 55+ and looking for fun and affordable fitness programs? Whether you’re a beginner or already physically active, Good Neighbours Active Living Centre has a fitness class for you. Examples are Beginner and Intermediate Barre Fitness, Functional Movement, Interval Training, PACE (People with Arthritis Can Exercise), Beginner and Intermediate Pilates, Tai Chi, Total Body Conditioning, a variety of Yoga classes (Beginner, Intermediate, Chair Yoga, Strength & Yoga, Relax & Restore Yin Yoga), Drums Alive, Let’s Move, Let’s Dance and more! All of our fitness instructors are certified and trained to work with older adults. For more information, call Good Neighbours at 204-669-1710 or visit our website at www.gnalc.ca.
Tips for Staying Hydrated
Even though summer is winding down, it’s still important to make sure you’re drinking enough water to avoid dehydration! Especially for older individuals, dehydration can result in: dizziness, fainting, low blood pressure, and irregular bowel movements.
Most adults should drink at least 8-12 glasses of water per day for adequate hydration. Here are a few tips to ensure you’re drinking enough:
-Drink water with your meals and keep a jug of water on the table for easy access.
-Carry a water bottle with you at school, at work, or when running errands.
-For flavour, try adding lime, cucumber slices, or lemon to your water.
