Looking for more local health and wellness information? Check out the WellnessHub Vancouver Island. It features hundreds of local businesses and practitioners offering services and products, health tips on a variety of topics, podcasts, reviews and more. It is easy to search, access and share information. Our health and wellness resources also include our printed newsletters, the “Wellness Wednesday” radio show podcasts and health and wellness events. Spring is a great time to start new activities and adopt healthy habits to keep you active and well all year long.

If you are a south-Island senior, the 55+ Lifestyle Show presented by INSPIRED Magazine is the place to be! Enjoy Informative exhibitors – over 100 organizations representing health, beauty, housing, finance, home renovation, travel, and more. There will be a fashion show, fashion makeovers, prizes, special speakers, dancers, musicians, artists, and artisans. Come out for a day of entertainment, 9am-3pm at Pearkes Recreation Centre, Victoria BC. Admission $5.

Properly fitted dentures are essential for confidence and comfort as well as for chewing and digestion. Well-made dentures are esthetically pleasing and enable individuals with missing teeth to effectively chew their food. The process of chewing stimulates saliva production and signals the digestive system to prepare for food intake. Just like natural teeth, dentures aid in the mechanical breakdown of food, facilitating easier digestion and nutrient absorption. Having dentures that can perform this task is extremely important. Equally important is having dentures that are comfortable and that give you the confidence to enjoy life without worrying about your dentures.

Property assessments are in! What do they really mean? Your municipality needs to determine how much your contribution to the overall budget should be, so they apply a “mill rate” to the estimated value of your house. You probably have never had a physical assessment, nor have you reported upgrades or renovations. The assessment number is a guess at best. It’s always interesting that owners want their assessment to be low when paying taxes but high when trying to sell! The assessment is irrelevant to market value; it is only determined by what a buyer is willing to pay. We’d be happy to chat about your real estate needs.

Please join Comfort Keepers for a free fall prevention clinic on February 16th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The Victorian at McKenzie, 4000 Douglas Street. The clinic includes presentations from: Heather Fudge, a retired VIHA fall prevention specialist; Jeff Campbell, owner of Ears To You, a mobile hearing clinic; and Gina Martin, owner of DiverseAbilities, who coined the phrase “Having a disability does not change who you are. It changes your interaction with the world.”. The clinic also includes free hearing tests by Ears To You, a question and answer period, onsite tours, and refreshments from the kitchen at The Victorian at McKenzie.

“Let’s build wellness rather than treat disease.” Bruce Daggy

Falls are the cause of 85% of injury-related hospitalizations among Canadian seniors; between 20% and 30% of seniors fall each year. These result in $2 billion a year in direct healthcare costs. Over one-third of seniors are admitted to long-term care following hospitalization for a fall. (Seniors’ Falls in Canada, Phac-Aspc.gc.ca) As we age, the severity of falling is immense, and the outcome can be devastating. A broken bone for a senior can lead to many other health issues, long-term disability, and the possibility of losing independence. Comfort Keepers believes prevention is the best measure to stay safe, mobile, and continue your best life.