Community News
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!

Do You Have a Heart Wall?

Have you had heartache in your life? Have you experienced emotional stress? During times of emotional pain or distress, our hearts can be hurt or injured. Your subconscious will put up an invisible wall, called a Heart Wall to protect your heart. Over time, this wall will compromise relationships and success in life. The organs that may be affected are the Heart and the Small Intestine. A Body Code session can find your Heart Wall and release it along with any negative feelings or unprocessed negative (trapped) emotions. Complimentary consultations are available. Contact for details.

It Is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

Do you know someone with Alzheimer’s? As a friend, neighbour or extended family member, you are an important sources of support for the family. You can assist caregivers by: *Being there for them with a friendly ear, *Offering assistance such as running errands or complete household tasks, and *Stepping in to help with daily tasks to give them a break. The Alzheimer Society of BC want you to know that people with dementia are just like you and I. They *Need to feel valued, *Need companionship, *Strive to maintain an active and independent life and *Have abilities, skills and aspirations.

Pharmacy at Home Program

Today we are all staying at home as much as possible so it is comforting to know that a pharmacist can come to you. The Pharmacy at Home Program brings a pharmacist to your home at no additional cost. The pharmacist will identify all the prescription and non-prescription medication you take, discuss how they are best taken and will create a medication management plan. This may mean being able to stay in your own home longer, reduced number of hospital visits and improved quality of life for you and your caregiver. Contact us to book a medication review with your pharmacist.

Community Profile – Nanaimo Lifeline

Nanaimo Lifeline offers an easy-to-use personal response service that lets you summon help any time of the day or night – even if you can’t speak. Their service *Enable you to continue living in the comfort of your own home *Provide you with prompt, caring assistance at the touch of a button 24 hours a day, 365 days a year *Give you and your family security and peace of mind *Include an automated fall detection pendant *Are available for those without landline telephone *Are 100% local. The Response Center is based in Nanaimo and is available when you need help.

Hearing Sound: Our Window of Perception

If we heard and processed every sound wave traveling through the air, we could easily be overwhelmed by sensory overload. Instead, through evolution, humans have evolved to perceive sound waves within a limited range of frequency. As we age, high frequencies are usually the first to be affected by hearing loss. Those with high-frequency hearing loss may have trouble understanding female or children’s voices or distinguishing consonants such as S, F or H. An audiogram can help determine any loss of hearing perception and is the first step toward counteracting losses of inner ear function.

Cherish the Memories When Downsizing

Downsizing is often a stressful process — both emotionally and physically. When the time comes, give yourself plenty of time for the process to make it seem less overwhelming. As you go through and sort things, recognize and acknowledge the sentimental value of a once-prized stuffed bear and kindergarten Mother’s Day cards. Great Grandma’s 20 piece dinner service will remind you of all the happy family times. It is ok to get lost in nostalgia for a moment or two. Remind yourself that the memories will always be there. Focus on looking forward to the new environment to help ease the process.

Work Towards a Healthier Winter

The winter months can be challenging for many residents, particularly when you’re grappling with poverty and a pandemic. SOS is continuing to assist residents in need with emergency supplies including food and medicine, grocery shopping for seniors, and mental health supports like counselling. Although the pandemic has made it difficult to connect with others and maintain a healthy lifestyle, it’s important to engage in self-care, especially if you are caring for others. Once basic needs are met, residents can look forward to healthier and more stable days. Help SOS meet basic needs by donating to our Winter Emergency Fund. Visit our website or contact us today.

Supporting Seniors in Their Home

While walkers and wheelchairs will always have their place when it comes to safety, have you considered adding a little technology to your routine? Like blood sugar monitors that you wear, plug in smoke alarms that turn off the stove automatically or pill dispensers that remind you to take your medication. The future is here, and we can help! Comfort Keepers thinks outside the box when it comes to Seniors Safety and we can help you! We are available for an in-home assessment for care with an eye on your safety.

Welcome 2021

What a relief to have 2020 behind us. Although we still need to adhere to health restrictions for a while longer, 2021 should bring brighter days. We look forward to seeing people in the coffee shops again enjoying the social connection and reading our newsletters. Until that time, you can connect on line with health and wellness resources in our WellnessHUB. We have missed the excitement of our Expos, promoting our vendors, booking interesting seminars and seeing all the attendees. While we are sad that the Women’s Expo will not be happening this year, we are hopeful that the Health Expo is a go for September.

Enjoy the Outdoors!

If there is one thing that we learned from 2020, it is the importance of our health. Make 2021 the year for living a healthy lifestyle. We may still need to wear masks and practice social distancing, but outside our door is the beautiful nature of our Vancouver Island. Whether it is just a walk around the block, or a hike up Mount Benson, the fresh air and exercise boosts our wellbeing. So lace up your shoes and wear VoxxLife socks with HPT for enhanced balance and stability. Additional benefits include; enhanced pain relief and management, especially PDN pain and improved mobility.