Community News
Ask The Expert

Q: Is it a good idea to get laser surgery so I don’t need reading glasses any longer? A: That’s a tough one. You’d have to speak to your eye doctor about the way your eyes are focussed. In general though, corneal refractive surgery is usually meant as a correction for nearsightedness (as opposed to presbyopia, the age-related difficulty in focussing on close objects), and you’re likely not an ideal candidate for that kind of laser surgery.

Kids’ Holiday Dental Care

With all of the fun and excitement of the holiday season, it can be easy to forget about dental hygiene essentials. Here are 5 tips for kids’ holiday dental care: 1) Eat fruits and veggies – make eating these foods fun and kids will enjoy them! Cut into shapes or create artistic plate presentations with them. 2) Drink plenty of water – it’s good to stay hydrated and water helps wash away sugar and food on your teeth. 3) Schedule brushing and flossing time. 4) Brush before and after snacking to avoid cavities. 5) Schedule an end of year dental cleaning.

Transitioning Wealth

Did you know that many Canadians are not adequately prepared to pass on or inherit family wealth? This is often due to a lack of communication and planning. The good news is that it’s never too early or too late to start. Planning helps you identify tax saving opportunities, mitigate potential financial gaps, and maximize your current lifestyle. Your wealth transfer plan isn’t set in stone, so as your family grows and evolves, so can your plan. Contact Stu to request a copy of IG’s legacy-related workbooks and learn about 10 wealth transitioning actions you can begin to take today.

Making New Holiday Traditions

The first holiday season after a move to a senior community can sometimes be stressful and difficult for your senior loved one. Creating new traditions can help with the transition and make the holiday season less stressful for everyone. Although your family holiday events may have been held at your senior loved one’s home in the past, holding gatherings at another family member’s home going forward can make things easier. Have your senior loved one help with one or two tasks that keep them involved without overwhelming them, and take advantage of the many holiday events.

Staying Healthy in Winter with Diet

Winter is characterized by coldness, darkness, and dormancy, and we must adapt to it by using
more energy to stay warm and maintain homeostasis. Our mood tends to be more subdued
due to a decrease in sunlight, causing a drop in serotonin transmitters. Winter is an ideal time
to use food for nourishment and supplementation. Eat foods with a warm nature such as beef,
lamb, potatoes, yams, squash, ginger, cinnamon, apples, and pears. Eat more and rest more
which will preserve your energy for more fun in the summer and reduce the chances of getting sick or feeling depressed

Yoga and its Benefits

No matter what style of yoga you choose to do, you will likely see improvements in many areas of your health. The benefits of yoga go far beyond improving flexibility. By practicing yoga regularly, you can: increase your flexibility, muscle tone and strength and improve your circulatory and cardio health. Practicing yoga renews your energy levels, improves athletic performance, reduces injuries, detoxifies your organs, increases your blood flow, drains your lymphatic system, improves your posture, helps with chronic pain, helps you sleep better, improves your mood and SO MUCH MORE! What’s holding you back from achieving your wellness goals?

Negotiating vs. Compromising

I used to believe that relationships were all about learning to compromise with each other to find a middle ground. When we compromise, we tend to give up our own needs for the betterment of staying connected to others. When we learn to negotiate, we zero in and distill those needs that are fully needed to be met by finding the bridge between ourselves and another. By giving ourselves permission to express and negotiate our deepest desires, we find a creative way where both people can get their core needs met, which then leads to less resentment and greater satisfaction without losing themselves in the relationship.

Be a Santa to a Senior

Ready to Care® is a movement powered by Home Instead® to make the world a better place for seniors through programs like Be a Santa to a Senior. Help seniors in need this holiday season, by becoming a Santa to a Senior. FOUR easy ways to get involved. 1. Find a participating Be a Santa to Senior Business. 2. Remove the ornament with the senior’s gift request from the tree. 3. Purchase the requested gift(s) listed on the ornament. 4. Place the bulb and gift(s) in the designated box next to the tree. Visit BeaSantaToaSenior.com to find out how you can participate.

Healthy Play Guidelines

As we head into the holiday season and emerge from Covid restrictions, our gambling habits may have been stretched beyond our usual boundaries. Gambling or sports betting to make money is always dangerous, as is gambling to escape our day-to-day preoccupations. If you are not sure if your gambling habits fall within healthy playing guidelines, check Canada’s Low Risk Gambling Guidelines at GamblingGuideLines.ca. Using the 1-4-2 formula can help contextualize your play: No more than 1% of your income, Maximum 4 days per month and Only 2 types of game play. If you’re unsure, check out the self-assessment tool.

Scooter Maintenance for Winter

Scooter maintenance is necessary to keep your scooter’s batteries in good condition for the colder winter months. Batteries will lose charge faster when using the scooter in the winter. When not in use, the batteries should be kept on charge with the approved charger that came with the scooter. It’s also important to keep the scooter dry during rainy days, since moisture can damage the electronics and the cables to the motor. If using the scooter in the rain, avoid large puddles so that water and mud don’t splash up into your scooter and dry the scooter off afterwards.

Sleep Changes & The Elderly

Seniors generally wake up more often during the night and earlier in the morning, have a harder time falling asleep, and spend less time in deep, dreamless sleep. Some measures to help you sleep better include: 1) Eat a light bedtime snack. 2) Avoid caffeine for at least 3 or 4 hours before bed. 3) Avoid napping during the day. 4) Exercise regularly, but not within 3 hours of bedtime. 5) Practice relaxation techniques at bedtime. 6) Don’t watch TV or use devices while in bed. 7) Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.