“Elder orphans” is a term used for seniors who live alone in the community, with no partner, children or other people to support or care for them. Elder orphans may also be socially or physically isolated, adding to their vulnerability. They are at higher risk of depression, loneliness, social isolation and losing their ability to make decisions. Older adults can prepare for the future by thinking about what support and resources they have, what they need and where they might live (including factors such as cost and proximity to family and medical care). Make your wishes known to family and friends.

It is hard to imagine that summer is now behind us, but it’s true. As we head into the fall and winter, we will encounter shorter daylight hours and more grey skies. As a result, we sometimes find that winter will trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). How do we treat SAD? In severe cases, medications may be needed, and as adjunctive treatment, light therapy may be added. Effective light therapy is achieved by exposure to 10,000 lux cool-white light. Optimal exposure is for 30 to 45 minutes early in the morning upon awakening.

What makes us healthy and invulnerable to disease? Discover this for yourself right now. Hold your breath for 60 seconds. What happened? Clearly there is absolutely nothing as critical to our health as oxygen metabolism. Oxygen utilization is the single most important predictor of your risk for degenerative disease and premature aging. As we get older our cells become less able to efficiently use the oxygen we breathe, some as much as 50%! Ozone therapy activates the immune system, prevents free radical damage and helps the body detoxify, the ultimate preventative tool to stay healthy and happy into old age.

With cold and flu season on the way, you may be looking for ways to stay healthy. Acupuncture is a great way to help you recover from colds and flu viruses more quickly, and can even help prevent them in the first place! Getting acupuncture treatment can help elevate immune-boosting hormones for several days after treatment, helping to prevent and fight colds and flu viruses. It can also help to reduce body aches, fever, and chills, as well as relieve congestion and sore throats. Consider acupuncture treatment as part of your toolkit to stay well during cold and flu season!

Many children have flat feet but have no joint pain, but there are others who develop knee and/or arch pain that limits their ability to enjoy activities. If there is pain, and an obvious fallen arch, foot orthotics may be warranted considering family history and degree of severity. If there is no pain, yet there is an obvious fallen arch then the question is whether to correct or not. Many medical professionals believe that fallen arches will adversely affect the knees and hips and lead to early arthritic pain. Correcting the foot posture early on is then seen as a preventative measure for future knee and hip joint health.

Many people find gambling fun and exciting… you never know if you are going to win big! It is important to understand the reason why you never know if you are going to win big. It is because all gambling games are influenced by chance; the outcome of the games cannot be controlled or predicted with certainty. If a game’s outcome was certain, it wouldn’t be gambling. Gambling games are designed to favour “the house” meaning the game operator or vendor. This is true for casino games, online games, horse racing, bingo, sports and lottery games.

When considering professional home care for a loved one, family caregivers have to sift through an overwhelming amount of information, making it difficult to know what is true and what isn’t. “Bayshore has been providing care for over 50 years”, says Chris Swift, Care Manager at Bayshore Home Health, “and we’ve heard many myths about professional home care.”
• A family member is the best person to care for an aging loved one.
• Home care is only for people who are sick.
• Home care means a loss of independence.
• Home care isn’t a long-term solution.
• Seniors with dementia aren’t good candidates for home care.
Read more about these myths at: Wellnessnews.ca

As professionals we want to help. From a holistic approach, we want to understand your concerns from a mind, body, spirit and emotional connection. Whether it be from body pain, low mood, or an interruption in sexual functioning, we seek to understand various factors that may be affecting you, preventing you from being your best self. We recognize that when people experience distress, this can impact other parts of their lives, and the people around them. Holistic health works to develop a map to healing that integrates support for the various parts of your health in order to promote optimal wellness.

Your physiotherapy appointment begins in a private office with your therapist where you can discuss your presenting issue along with your goals and social/medical history. During this time any medical reports can be reviewed. Your therapist will take you through an assessment observing things like gait, range of motion, strength and functional movements. A working diagnosis is reached and together with the therapist you will come up with a treatment plan. Treatment may include massage, joint mobilization, dry needling and/or exercise therapy. At Fresh Tracks we reserve a full hour one-on-one in order to complete a comprehensive history, assessment and treatment.