Community News
Take Care of the Caregiver

In Canada, over 4.5 million individuals play a role in caring for elderly family members. Caregiver stress and burnout is a real issue. If you find yourself in a caregiving position, be honest about how much care you can realistically provide. While most caregivers want to be present 24/7, this is impossible while juggling other family and career responsibilities. Reach out for help available in the community. Today’s caregivers deserve respect and gratitude. Whether motivated by love, duty or simply a selfless desire to help others, they play an invaluable role in the care of our senior population.

Residential Care – Access to 24/7 Assistance

Residential care, sometimes known as complex care, offers 24/7 nursing and care support. This level of care is designed for those in need of intermediate care, extended care, dementia care, respite care and palliative care. Residents receive: *Three meals a day customized as per the individual’s dietary needs, *Medication support and management, *Assistance with personal care, including bathing, dressing and other hygiene-related tasks, *24 hour on-call nurse, *Housekeeping and laundry services, *Access to entertainment, activities and socializing. A multidisciplinary team of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, dieticians, occupational and physiotherapists ensure both the body and soul of residents are nurtured.

Medication Review Services

Your pharmacist is a medication expert who can help you better understand your medications. Accessible and convenient, your pharmacist is available to help you with a variety of clinical pharmacy services, such as Medication Review Services and more. If you have been prescribed at least five medications in the last six months and you are a BC resident with a valid BC Services Card, you may benefit from Medication Review Services. The aim of the service is to help British Columbians better understand their medications. Book your Medication Review with your Personal Pharmacist at Medicine Shoppe Departure Bay Road in Nanaimo.

Fun Hearing Facts!

Here are some fun facts about how other species hear. *Snakes hear through their jaw bone as well as through a traditional inner ear. In essence, snakes have two distinct hearing mechanisms, which helps them hear and catch prey. *In the hopes of attracting a mate, mice serenade each other with sounds inaudible to humans. *Male mosquitoes hear with thousands of tiny hairs growing on their antennae. Humans can rely on technology to improve their hearing. If you are wondering about your own hearing ability, the first thing to do is to book a hearing test.

Digital Presence after Death

Receiving a birthday notification for a friend that has passed away is rattling and painful. Planning your own funeral is important and so is thinking about what happens to your online presence after your death. For close family and friends, your social media may be something they want to keep to reflect on times shared with you. Your social media profiles may also be used as a way for people to share condolences. Once you’ve decided what you’d like to happen to your digital footprint, consider including your wishes in your will or in a separate letter to your chosen legacy contact.

Good Posture Can Prevent Pain & Injuries

Having good posture makes you look strong and healthy and it’s also a critical factor in preventing pain and injuries. For recreational activities like golf, skating, yoga or running, posture actually plays an important role in performance. Posture is critical in preventing workplace injuries that come from repetitive stress or sitting at a desk in front of a computer all day. Physiotherapists can help you discover how to improve your posture by demonstrating positions and stretches for when you start to feel the tension in your body. Make the move to see a physiotherapist!

Managing Stress

Awareness and management of personal stress continues to be important as we navigate through COVID-19. Mental Stress may include decrease in concentration and short-term memory as well as trouble making decisions. Prioritizing ‘timeout’ breaks can help with maintaining mental function balance. Emotional Stress symptoms may include feeling tense, nervous or anxious, being angry, frustrated or impatient and feeling depressed. Set time limits for how much you watch the news and talk about the pandemic. Shift your attention to something different. A technique called Reframing helps to change your perspective and can ease your stress.

Summer Contest

After a long year with many restrictions, we are looking forward to more freedom and a change of scenery. We are thrilled to offer our readers a chance to win a Summer Adventure at Mt. Washington. The prize includes 3 nights of accommodations at Paradise Ridge, a gift basket to enjoy along with mountain adventures. The winner will be able to soak up the mountain vistas and enjoy getting out in nature. Draw date is July 31, 2021. Prize can be redeemed between August 14 and November 1, 2021 or between June 1 and November 1, 2022. Good Luck.

You Are Not Alone

According to Statistics Canada, in 2019 an estimated 19% of Canadian adults had at least mild hearing loss in the speech-frequency and 35% had some degree of hearing loss in the high-frequency range. This is where age-related hearing loss typically begins. Here are some signs that you may be suffering from some hearing loss: *You struggle to hear when there is background noise, *People around you sound like they are whispering or mumbling, *People ask you to turn down the TV or radio, *Conversations in a group setting are becoming frustrating. Book a hearing test and we will come to you!

Wellness for Fathers’ Day

Does the man in your life have a closet full of Father’s Day ties? This year, show him that you care about his wellness and give him socks – VoxxLife socks. They have wearable technology that works with the brain to reduce pain, increase strength and endurance and enhance stability and balance. Knee high socks with mild compression are great when standing for a long time or excess sitting. For the active walkers or runners, chose moisture wicking socks to keep the feet cool in summer. Socks are available for contactless pick-up or delivery in Central Vancouver Island or order directly from the website.

Finding Joy

What does “Joy” mean to you? The dictionary defines it as a noun, “A feeling of great pleasure and happiness”. Some say that joy comes when you make peace with who you are, why you are and how you are. Joy means something different to each person. Author Robert Holden suggests affirming every day: “Today I will follow my joy”. Spiritual Teacher Eckhart Tolle teaches that Joy can flow from deep within us out to the world. A Certified Body/Emotion Code Practitioner can help you release any unprocessed negative (trapped) emotions to allow more JOY in your life.