Community News
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 editions of the newsletter.

Live Theatre: Leading Ladies

NTG has been entertaining audiences of all ages for over 60 years. Their next production is “Leading Ladies.” In this play, two actors, Jack and Leo, find themselves so down on their luck that they are reduced to playing “Scenes from Shakespeare” at a Moose Lodge. When they hear that an elderly lady is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long-lost nephews, they resolve to pass themselves off as her beloved relatives and pick up the cash!! Romantic entanglements abound, and the mayhem begins when they arrive and discover that the relatives aren’t nephews but nieces!

Comprehensive Support

Having support after the loss of a loved one is incredibly valuable. Grieving is a deeply personal experience, and having help can make a significant difference in navigating the complex emotions and challenges that come with loss. Support can come in many forms. Practical support can help provide traction to get the necessary details started. Our funeral support can provide help with all the documents that need to be filled out and services cancelled. We are unique in the provision of our estate settlement services. This service helps the family with all their documents. Ask our staff how we might be able to help you manage all the basic details during this difficult time.

Small Heart- Healthy Changes

It’s heart month! Heart disease is the second-leading cause of death in Canada. A heart-healthy lifestyle means eating right, sleeping enough, and exercising every day. But what does that mean? Eating healthfully: you don’t have to give up cookies; add in fruits and vegetables every day. Exercise: walk for 5–10 minutes a day, or do windmills with your arms if mobility is an issue. Sleep—try for at least 7 hours per night. Heart health doesn’t have to mean huge lifestyle changes that can feel overwhelming. A little bit at a time is all you need!

Emotional & Physical Support

In the spirit of a new year’s dual nature, consider the ancient wisdom of acupuncture to aid in navigating the path forward. Drawing from Chinese medicine, acupuncture acts as a holistic guide, harmonizing the body’s energy flow. Much like Janus, who guards transitions, acupuncture targets specific points along the meridians, promoting balance and facilitating a smooth flow. As we embark on new journeys or bid farewell to the past, acupuncture can offer physical and emotional support. It’s a gentle nudge toward equilibrium, addressing imbalances that may hinder progress. Acupuncture provides a mindful and balanced foundation for the exciting chapters unfolding in the months ahead.

Retirement Lifestyle

When is the best time to start thinking about downsizing and moving to a smaller house or a retirement community? The answer is… well before you need to do so. Downsizing is often a stressful process. Start slowly and give yourself plenty of time to make it seem less overwhelming. Take photos of cherished items to remember them by. Research and look at the various options for retirement living before you need to make a move. It will take the fear and stress away knowing that you have done your homework and have started the downsizing process.

Loneliness and Isolation Can Affect Senior Health

For seniors, maintaining social connections and staying in touch with loved ones not only improves quality of life, it improves health. Socially isolated seniors have a 59% greater risk of mental and physical decline than those who do not experience social isolation. Socialization has been shown to slow Alzheimer’s and Dementia patient’s decline. Having care givers can help stem the existence of loneliness in the lives of our seniors. We enjoy conversations, daily walks, shopping, cooking and folding the laundry together. These can be moments of joy when done together in the right way. Comfort Keepers engage the human spirit.

Take Care of Your Heart

Every year, more than 60,000 Canadians suffer a heart attack. A healthy diet and regular exercise can reduce the risk. If you have cardiovascular disease, follow your treatment carefully and take medicine as prescribed. Common signs of a heart attack include: *chest pain; *discomfort or pain in the neck, jaw, shoulder, back, or arm; *shortness of breath; and *dizziness. If you are having a heart attack, call 911 immediately, follow operator instructions, stop all activity, stay calm, and rest in a comfortable position while waiting for help. Ask our pharmacist for more information about heart health.

Community Event – CNOY

Have you registered to walk in the Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) walk? This family-friendly walk helps ICCS run programs that provide shelter, care, and holistic support to empower people to step forward to independence and hope. There is no registration fee to enter. Team up, walk and fundraise! If you raise $150, you will receive one of this year’s amazing toques. The event takes place on February 24th and features family-friendly 2 or 5 km walks. See the website for details on how you can get involved. Join tens of thousands of Canadians in over 180 communities who are participating to support their local community.

Relationships are Everything

Relationships are part of humans’ ingenious and innate mechanism for healing. To remain in connection with the Other, we do the work we might not otherwise do, ultimately mending our relationship with ourselves as well. As the newest associate at Shore Counselling Services in Nanaimo, Jude brings a wealth of integrated, experiential and trauma-informed practices to the art of relationships with a sound integration of professional, evidence-based practices. Non-Violent Communication and the Way of Council are two of the integrations seeing the greatest results. Book a 1-hour Couples Consult with Jude by visiting our website. Consult is available online or in Nanaimo.