Community News
The Journey to Better Hearing

Recognizing the signs of hearing loss in yourself can be difficult, and taking steps to address hearing loss can be even harder.  Many individuals with hearing loss delay treatment 7-10 years and are often not sure how to seek assistance.  With the right steps, creating a treatment plan can be simple.

Don’t Wait – Have Your Hearing Assessed

Once you start to notice signs of hearing loss, the first step is to obtain a hearing assessment.  You can do this by contacting a local hearing health professional or obtaining a referral from your primary care physician.

During the hearing assessment, the clinician will determine your lifestyle and communication needs as well as the type and degree of hearing loss present.  If a medical condition is identified a referral will be made to the appropriate health professional.

Hearing Aid Selection & Fitting

If hearing aids are recommended, the clinician will work with you to find the right product that will meet your hearing and lifestyle needs.  A trial period with the chosen hearing aid is an important part of the process, as it provides you time to adjust to the hearing aids so you are able to assess the benefit accurately.  It can sometimes take multiple visits to the clinic to have the hearing aids adjusted.  It is important to establish a trusted relationship with your hearing health professional as hearing aids require ongoing maintenance and at a minimum should be checked annually.

NexGen Hearing offers free hearing tests and hearing aid consultations, hearing aid fittings, leasing options and sales. Book an appointment at one of our 45+ clinics in the BC Interior, Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island by clicking here or calling 1-877-606-6671

Keep Betting in Perspective

March Madness (NCAA Basketball) is one of the biggest sports betting events across North America. According to a study at AmericanGaming.org reported on 888Gambler.org, in 2019, 47M Americans gambled on March Madness, with an estimated $8.5B wagered. More than 40M participants filled in over 149M brackets, with 18M Americans wagering about $3.9B on sportsbooks alone. And these are strictly American statistics. In Canada, online sports betting was recently legalized (August 2021), however, 3rd party apps abound, offering sports betting enthusiasts many opportunities and types of gambling. Keep sports betting fun and in perspective. Don’t let a game you can’t control, control you.

Medication and Supplement Review

Do you take a number of prescription medications along with over-the counter health supplements? Combining certain medications and supplements can cause medications to become ineffective and the combinations may even be harmful to your health. Many people do not have a good understanding of the medications that they have been prescribed, the supplements that they take or their possible harmful interactions. Your Personal Pharmacist can sit down with you to review your medications and supplements, answer any questions you may have and make sure you are getting the most out of your medication.

Take Care of Yourself

Providing long-term care for a loved one can be very taxing and time-consuming. With spring around the corner, we are all itching to leave our cozy winter hearths and get back to being active. By bringing in in-home elder care, you can take time to care for your health. Care for your loved ones frees up time for tackling your next challenge and helps ensure that you can enjoy the good things in life, going forward. If you or someone you know would benefit from in-home care, reach out to explore the options available.

Do I Need a Medical Alert System?

Here are some of the reasons people use a medical alert system: *They live alone. *They use a cane or walker to assist with mobility. *They had a fall or were at risk of falling. *They sometimes feel weak or dizzy. If you face any of these issues and it is important for you to continue living independently, a medical alert system may be the answer. With Lifeline, a local service that supports The Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation, you and your loved ones can have peace of mind knowing that help is available 24/7 at the push of a button.

Natural Pain Relief

Do you know that lack of stability and balance accounts for a large portion of foot, leg and back pain issues? Today, wellness consumers want products to enhance their quality of life and are asking for natural, safe solutions for more energy, pain relief and enhanced mobility. VoxxLife socks and insoles with HPT optimize the user’s stability and balance at the nervous system level and provide relief from aches and pains with drug-free proven technology. Voxx Human Performance Technology (HPT) is based on 45 Years of research in Neuromuscular Science, Chiropractic Neurology and Reflexology.

Online Health and Wellness Resource

Wellnessnews Choices for Healthy Living® invites you to check out the WellnessHub, your online Health and Wellness resource for Vancouver Island. The WellnessHub features hundreds of local business and practitioners offering services and products. In addition, there are hundreds of health tips, articles and podcasts on a variety of topics. It is easy to search, access and share information. While you are checking out the WellnessHub, don’t forget to subscribe to receive a monthly email letting you know about events and the monthly contest. You can also read the digital version of our five island editons of the newsletter.

Retirement Living

When you hear the words “independent retirement living”, what comes to mind? Do you think of *tasty home-cooked meals, *five-star plated celebrations, *fun-filled activities with friends, *weekly housekeeping and linen service and *24/7 emergency care when needed? This is what retirement living can offer and more. Whether relaxing in the privacy of your individualized senior apartment or indulging the company of others in a main living room, patio side lounge or dining room, you can be sure that your retirement will be a pleasurable one. Retirement is a time to relax and enjoy being with friends. After all, friendships are gifts to be treasured!

Elderdog – Help for Senior Dog Owners

If you are a senior (55+) dog owner who has trouble taking care of your dog, Elderdog can help. They will help care for your dog so that you can keep love in your home. Elderdog’s volunteers provide free assistance to older dog owners living in Nanaimo, Oceanside and Ladysmith. Their many services include dog walking, transportation to vet appointments and food delivery. If an owner is unable to temporarily care for their dog due to hospitalization or surgery, Elderdog provides foster care in a pre-approved home. To find out more, arrange services or volunteer, visit their website.

Benefits of a Raindrop Massage

A Raindrop Massage uses essential oils to help with the realignment and detoxification of the spinal column. During a massage, the oils used on the feet and back help detox the body systems, improve emotional well-being, improve immune system functions and reduce stress and minor anxiety. Pure essential oils have the ability to enter our cell walls because they are from nature and their molecules are extremely tiny. One single drop of essential oil has 40 million trillion molecules. This means that they can reach a virus that lives inside our cells and provide health benefits on a cellular level.

Profile: Harbour City Dental Hygiene

Harbour City Dental Hygiene, the first private dental hygiene practice in Nanaimo, has been operating since 2003. They are proud to provide exceptional preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene care for the whole family. What sets them apart is the quality of their staff, excellent, compassionate service and attention to detail. Dental Hygiene Practitioner Heather Cooper has a gentle touch and over 25 years of experience. Along with Meghan Suiker, Heather also provides mobile services for clients living in Long Term Care Facilities and First Nation communities. Their goal is to help clients maintain superior oral health while improving overall well-being.