Things you can do to make your home safer and reduce the risk of falling:
Remove tripping hazards like clutter, small throw rugs • Keep items you use the most easily accessible • Improve lighting to ensure you can see your path when walking, especially at night • Install grab bars in the bathroom and ensure your home has handrails on all staircases • Wear non-slip shoes both inside and outside of the house • Get a Home Safety Assessment if you are at risk of falling; an Occupational Therapist can help to advise you on making your home safer.
Community News
Diabetes Foot Care
Foot care is an important part of managing your diabetes. High blood sugar levels associated with Diabetes causes potential damage to the nervous and circulatory systems. Wearing well-fitting shoes and quality socks are a key part of foot care. Use socks that will keep your feet warm and dry, as well as provide protection from foot injuries. Keeping your feet warm can help improve blood circulation and is beneficial to the health of the nerves in the feet. Look for socks that provide extra cushioning in the heel and bottom of the foot and are non-binding at the top.
Does Getting Dental Implants Hurt?
The placement of dental implants causes only minor surgical discomfort because the jaw bones have few nerve endings, Bone grafting may have a little more discomfort associated with it. Many patients are able to work within a day of surgery. Any post-operative discomfort is controlled with prescription pain medication. Patients are placed on a soft diet and antibiotics for a few days and told to use an antiseptic mouth rinse several times daily. If sutures are necessary, they will be removed 7 to 14 days after the implants are placed. New techniques developed are always geared to improving patient comfort.
Shovelling Snow? Injury Prevention
In our area, winters usually mean rain, but there are days when we need to do some snow shovelling. With that comes an increased risk of sprains and strains. Prevent injuries by employing a few tips: *Do a 5 minute full body warm up before shovelling. *Scoop and push small amounts of snow. *Lift and move weight with your legs. *Engage core muscles to assist in stability, balance and limb movement. *Check your posture. As we tire our posture tends to fail. Take a break, sip hot cocoa and reset yourself. For instruction on effective posture and core awareness, ask your Physiotherapist!
Let’s Drive Our Brain
Driving is a privilege. RoadSafetyBC mandates every person at age 80, and every two years following, undergo a Driver Medical Examination Report. The report is the primary tool to assess conditions such as mental ability to drive. Anyone (19+) who needs their license reinstated due to a stroke, brain injury or other situation also requires this report. Cowichan Brain Injury Society offers a program, ‘Let’s Drive Our Brain’, for cognitive training. It has a brain workout to prepare for this test. Testing and training include verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, abstract, deductive, and inductive reasoning to evaluate logic skills. To learn more contact Tracey Nyhan.
Online Gaming Player Health
What does player health on online gaming and gambling platforms look like? Playnow, BCLC’s online platform continues to offer player support via their Game Sense Advisor program, including an active chatbox staffed by one of your GSA’s. Players are encouraged to *Stick to their time and financial limits *Take physical breaks from the screens *Walk around and to do something else for a while *Remain sober while playing *Use App-blockers if needed. Feel free to reach out to our outreach team for support. This pandemic is taking a toll on us all. We’re always here to help!
Add a Little Exercise to your Lifestyle
Physical activity plays an important role in your health and quality of life by making you feel healthier and stronger. Being active helps to improve your balance, reduce your risk of falls and injuries and can help you stay independent longer. So take the initiative! It’s never too late to start and you don’t need to go to a gym to add a little exercise to your routine; consult your doctor and ask to learn more about exercises that can be done while sitting in your chair!
Keep your Heart Tip Top
The heart muscle is your body’s blood pump. It uses the circulatory system to supply oxygen and nutrients to all tissues and vital organs while also removing carbon dioxide and other wastes. Keep your heart tip top with healthy lifestyle choices that include eating whole foods and avoiding overly salted and fatty processed foods, consuming plenty of green tea and garlic, losing excess weight, increase physical activity, quitting smoking, and drinking alcohol only in moderation. Heart-happy supplements include: Multivitamin/mineral, Extra Magnesium, Omega 3 fatty acids, Coenzyme Q10 (age 50+), L-Carnitine and Hawthorn Berry.
Time to Quit Smoking?
To quit smoking for good is not easy! Nicotine substitutes (patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers) or a prescription medication can help. Your pharmacist can offer support along the way and recommend the best choice according to your needs and state of health. Smoking can interfere with certain drug treatments. When you quit smoking, speak to your pharmacist to see if your treatment needs to be adjusted. Very few smokers are able to quit for good on their first try. Don’t get discouraged. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! Ask your pharmacist for help, and remember—it’s never too late to quit smoking.
Living with Tinnitus
Your hearing is vitally important as you navigate your relationships and the world around you. If you have trouble hearing or are dealing with tinnitus, it can make life more difficult. Tinnitus is characterized by a ringing or buzzing sound in the ears. Over 360,000 Canadians report suffering from chronic tinnitus, and almost half of those are severely affected. The use of a hearing aid to amplify sounds has proven effective in minimizing the distraction caused by tinnitus. If you or a family member are concerned about hearing loss or tinnitus, be sure to schedule a hearing test.
Connect with Loved Ones
Relationships are a key source of strength and help build resilience in these strenuous times. This Valentine’s Day, let’s not forget to remember our significant others… lovers… or those who have stood by us in the darkest times of this past year. Take time to reflect on how important your loved ones are to you, remembering to connect in meaningful ways. Reminding those who are special to you this Valentine’s day how much they mean to you with a call, a thank you, or a hug that lasts just a little longer than usual brings more love into the world
