When someone close to you is grieving, it is important to recognise that everyone grieves in their own way and at their own pace. Here are some ways to help: Be respectful of their coping methods. Your loved one may not have the answer when asked, “What can I do to help?” Try to spot their needs; Mow their lawn, bring in groceries. There is plenty of support at first, but it will dwindle long before the need does. Let your loved one know that you are aware that they are still in pain, and continue to “Be there for them” as long as it takes.
Community News
AJ Pedal Wheelchair
Whether your mobility has been impacted by Parkinson’s, MS, a stroke, or knee or hip trouble, the AJ Pedal Wheelchair is designed to get you moving again. Like a bike, it’s powered by you – so you can reconnect with your body, rebuild muscle tone and improve your cardiovascular system. Designed to maneuver in tight spaces, the AJ rides easily into elevators, buildings and shopping centres. More robust than a wheelchair, the AJ allows you to pedal through parks, along sidewalks and even ride public transit. Each AJ is hand built in Victoria, BC, using durable materials for a safe and sturdy ride.
Practicing Gratitude
Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude and thankfulness. Being thankful and grateful for what you have is very powerful. Gratitude is consistently connected with greater happiness, it helps people feel more positive emotions and improves health. Practicing Gratitude is a high vibrational energy. When you are grateful you attract higher positive energies. Writing daily in a Gratitude Journal assists in raising these positive vibrations. A Certified Body/Emotion Code Practitioner can help you release unprocessed negative (trapped) emotions that will assist you in being grateful.
Product Profile: VoxxLife Wearable Technology
Over the past four years, Great Socks for All has introduced pain relief and enhanced balance to the people on Vancouver Island. A Canadian, searching for drug free pain relief for his mother’s MS symptoms, spent several years and millions of dollars analysing brainstem functionality and the peripheral nervous system. The result of the research is a very specific sequence and pattern of neuroreceptor activation on the bottom of the feet. This pattern is incorporated into VOXXLife socks and insoles. Benefits include enhanced pain relief and management, especially PDN pain, enhanced postural stability and balance, improved mobility and higher energy levels.
Helping Seniors Eat Healthy
Seniors need to get adequate nutrients from their meals to help them reduce the risk of serious health conditions, stabilize their mood, and maintain their mental health. Retirement communities help meet seniors’ nutrition needs by providing meals that are low in saturated fats and have moderate amounts of unsaturated fat, which promotes a stable body mass index (BMI) and metabolism. Healthy portion sizes support a healthy weight for older adults by preventing excessive calorie intake. If you or a loved one have questions about proper nutrition and eating habits for seniors, reach out to your care provider or retirement community.
Get Online to Stay Connected
About 71 percent of seniors are online every day. Of those who are online, their main reason is to stay connected with family and friends. Whether it’s joining forums or sharing photos and stories with loved ones, social media and email allows seniors with limited mobility the opportunity to interact with others. If you’re interested in getting online but don’t know where to start, community centres and local senior groups often have programs to teach seniors about the internet and how to participate in online communities. Spending time with others benefits our mental and emotional health. It is important as we age to continue to stay socially connected to friends and loved ones.
The Canadian Lower Risk Gambling Guidelines
The Canadian Lower Risk Gambling Guidelines were released in September. They include. 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 two types of games, including lotteries, sports betting, table games, slot machines, scratch tickets, horse racing, bingo, video lottery terminals (VLTs), and online gambling. See more at gamblingguidelines.ca . Mental health & addictions, gambling type and reasons for gambling can make these guidelines difficult to follow. Reach out at VI Gaming Support! We’re here for you!
Supplements to Support and Boost your BRAIN
There are a number of supplements that support and boost the many functions of the brain. These include *GABA, L-theanine, Magnesium for anxiety, *Omega 3, Saffron, Vitamin D to improve your mood, *Panax Ginseng, Cordyceps for improved focus and energy, *Gingko Biloba, Gotu Kola, Omega 3s help your memory function, *Melatonin, 5-HTP, Ashwaganda are for better sleep, *5-HTP, SAM-E, L-tyrosine, Ginkgo can provide relief of drepression. Come and talked to us about how supplements can help your brain function.
Daily Routine Important for Seniors
People are afraid of the unknown. If an older adult is losing control over their physical abilities, independence, or cognitive abilities, their world gets filled with more and more unknowns. Establishing routine is extremely important for seniors. A daily routine offers a level of stability that individuals often enjoy, as it allows them to settle into a schedule they understand. Doing the same basic activities like eating, dressing, and bathing at the same time every day is known to improve sleep quality. A predictable routine also helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
Fall Prevention Tips
Falls in the home are all too common and making a few modifications in the home can prevent dangerous situations, such as slippery floors, poor lighting, loose rugs, electrical cords and clutter. Visit each room in your home. Then look at the space objectively and ask: Is this safe? Are there objects or items that present a falls risk? If so, think about the many ways to create a safer home: wear non slip socks or slippers, use night lights in dark hallways, remove throw rugs, keep electrical cords safely hidden behind furniture and organize your projects so they are off the floor and out of walkways.
Co-Regulation Comes Before Self-Regulation
Some of the little people in our lives struggle more than others to develop self-regulation skills. They need us to be their co-regulators in their moments of big feelings. Having a consistent adult that can be an effective co-regulator builds a sense of safety in a child that will give them the foundation to develop self-regulation skills.
Co-regulation is warm and responsive interactions that provide the support, coaching, and modeling children need to understand, express, and modulate their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. How can we be co-regulators when children are experiencing big feelings? *Check yourself – relax your body, remain calm and collected. *Come alongside – get down to the child’s level and acknowledge their feelings and the event that led to them. *Mirror their feelings – subtly mimic their facial expressions and name the emotion they might be feeling.
