March already? How is your New Year’s Resolution to take better care of yourself in 2022 faring? We welcome you to check out the Wellness Hub, your local, online Health and Wellness resource for great information that can help you get back on track or to continue on the right track. It features hundreds of health tips and articles on a variety of health and wellness topics along services, products and events. It is easy to search, access and share information. This month, we recognize National Nutrition Month which invites everyone to focus on making informed food choices, developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
Community News
Book Club: The Science of Nutrition
Debunk the Diet Myths and Learn How to Eat Responsibly for Health and Happiness. By Rhiannon Lambert. Is a vegan diet healthier? Should I try going low-carb? Is it always a bad idea to skip a meal? Are superfoods all they’re cracked up to be? Is fat still bad for you? Can I eat to improve my chances of conceiving? Science of Nutrition cuts through the noise of conflicting diet advice with clear answers backed up by the very latest research. Pick up at your local bookstore.
Relocation Stress Syndrome
While remaining at home is possible for some seniors, many others may need to move to Independent Living with Services to get the best care possible. Since moving is a major life stressor, some seniors may experience relocation stress syndrome, with symptoms like confusion, loneliness, and anxiety. To help make the transition to assisted living as smooth as possible, it’s important to 1) avoid rushing the process; 2) focus on their well-being; 3) make their new home look familiar with personal belongings; 4) help them get involved in their new community; 5) ensure they have frequent visitors.
Increase Your Sense of Awareness
You may have heard cues “to sense the ground or shift your body weight through your feet.” Many people THINK they are doing what is asked but don’t know how much of this sense they have lost, no matter how strong or fit they feel. There is an exercise that helps people regain better neuromuscular connection on how the feet and hip work together, how to relax the back, and truly feel abs working for balance. Increasing your sense of awareness can instantly change how you breathe, stand, walk and exercise. Check out my blog for a link to a free video demonstration.
Join the WellnessHub Today
Are you a health care practitioner? Do you have a health and wellness business? If so, you want to get a listing on the WellnessHub – Basic listings are FREE. The WellnessHub is Vancouver Island’s local online health and wellness resource. It features practitioners, businesses, health tips, a monthly contest and much more. Monthly memberships are available for people who want extra exposure. The WellnessHub is supported in print, social media, radio and more. We work with you to get your message out to your potential customers. The Hub attracts thousands of local visitors every month.
Independence in the Home
Many seniors wish to stay in their own home as long as possible; daily living aid products can help. These products ease the strains of daily activities at home or play. Whether you live by yourself, your spouse or with family, you can minimize change and stressors using assistive products. They can help you improve your quality of life, maintain your sense of independence, and reduce illness and injuries. If you need help selecting products that could benefit you, give us a call, we can help you get the right products into your home.
Dating Someone with Hearing Loss
So your partner has a hearing loss. They struggle every day with situations that people without hearing loss can never truly understand. It can be difficult for you as the partner without a hearing loss at times too. Your loved one’s hearing loss doesn’t take away from who they are or your love for them, but it does present a unique challenge in relationships. It can cause arguments, resentment and frustration that nobody wants affecting their relationship.
We have 6 things to remember when dating someone with a hearing loss so you can support your partner the best way possible and strengthen your relationship.
Be Patient
Constantly struggling to listen and hear is exhausting for someone with a hearing loss. It requires a lot of extra energy and effort that can wear them down. Certain environments are more difficult for your partner such as a noisy restaurant with multiple voices and sounds or a dark place where they can’t read your lips. Each situation brings a challenge and it’s important to be patient.
Remember, they are doing their best. Even with hearing aids and lip-reading techniques, it isn’t always enough. They understand and recognize your frustration because they’ve likely dealt with it throughout their whole life. But, as a hearing person, your experience is very different from theirs. Be compassionate and patient as they are trying.
Communicate Clearly
People with hearing loss struggle to hear clearly and it can be annoying for both parties involved in conversations. Mumbling is the common perpetrator of poor communication. Make sure you are speaking clearly, enunciating and directly facing them to make it easier for your partner to hear you. With these practices, they can read your lips and their hearing aids will pick up speech better.
Be Willing to Repeat Yourself
As irritating as it is when you have to repeat yourself for the third time because your partner can’t hear what you are saying, remind yourself that it isn’t their fault. They can sense your frustration and once you start refusing to repeat yourself saying, “nevermind, it wasn’t important,” it will hurt their feelings. It’s incredibly discouraging for your partner because it is important for them and they’re doing their best.
Your partner genuinely cares to know what you said and wants to carry on the conversation. Remember, it isn’t their fault and it’s upsetting for them too. Negative reactions remind them that they’re different and may make them feel unworthy or less than. By staying positive, calmly repeating yourself as many times as necessary and understanding their position, you can avoid hurt feelings, resentment and fights.
Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to be curious and ask questions. It shows you care and want to learn more about your partner’s experience. Ask about their hearing loss to learn more, work together and be open to finding new ways to improve your communication. It may be an adjustment at first, but your partner will appreciate the effort and it will make a difference in your day-to-day lives.
Help Them Understand, Not Just Hear
It’s easy to hear sounds or words, but to truly understand them is a bit more difficult. Processing words is harder for someone with a hearing loss because their brain and ears don’t function together the same way as someone without a hearing loss.
Your partner may ask you to speak louder, slower or face-to-face so they can understand. It’s common to become annoyed when it frequently happens, but it’s important to remember that all your partner wants is to hear what you said and talk to you. If they didn’t care, you would know.
Don’t Baby Them
Babying your partner looks like a number of things. It can be telling new people about their condition, speaking for them, not inviting them places because it will be hard for them to hear, or treating them as though they can’t deal with it on their own. For you, it comes from a good place, but for your partner, it’s usually a sensitive situation. People with hearing loss are usually used to feeling like outsiders so they try to be as normal as possible. They want to do the same things as others, have the same opportunities and be independent.
It’s worth noting that each person has different boundaries when it comes to hearing loss. What is acceptable for one person might not be for another. Allowing them to advocate for themselves and starting the conversation about it will define boundaries so you know when it’s okay to step in and help.
If you’re concerned about hearing loss affecting you or your partner, choose the NexGen Hearing clinic nearest you to book your no obligation hearing assessment
Sources:
The Cryptocurrency Craze
Crypto! We are hearing about it everywhere now. There are hundreds of cryptocurrencies available, wide-ranging in value. Have you seen the crypto ATMs at the mall? Have you noticed the uptick in crypto advertising during sporting events, including at hockey, football, and basketball games? What is crypto anyways, and how does it work? Is it investing? Playing the market? Gambling? All of the above? None of the above? If you’re curious about crypto, or if it is negatively impacting you or someone you love, please reach out to vigamingsupport.ca. We can help you untangle crypto.
Assistance for an Ageing Workforce
“We’re dealing with an ageing workforce that will have more people with chronic pain issues, more people with vision or hearing loss, and there are different supports available depending on the degree of challenges you are dealing with,” says Nate Toevs, Marketing Manager for the WorkBC Assistive Technology Services program. “We know we can bring a lot to the table that can make a huge impact for that individual, which in turn will impact the company that they work for.” The program provides funding for assistive technology, ergonomics, restorative supports including canes and crutches, hearing aids, vehicle modifications, and more. Contact us for more information.
Coldest Night of the Year
The Coldest Night of the Year is Canada’s National Walk for Homelessness. Since 2011, it has raised more than $43 million. The Coldest Night of the year is a winterrific family-friendly walk to raise money for local charities serving people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness. Team up, walk, and fundraise! It’s cold out there… but there’s no place like home. The event takes place on February 26th in 168 locations in Canada. The event features family-friendly 2 or 5 km walks and Covid-friendly virtual options. See the website for more details on how you can get involved with your local event.
Information and Energy are Key to Health
Have you ever considered that in a state of total wellness, the body’s cells and organs always know what to do, and do it perfectly? The latest science is revealing the mechanisms that allow the body’s optimal functioning, and also what can cause it to lose resilience and efficacy, and to even malfunction. All of the science, along with NES’s extensive research and testing, has demonstrated that the root cause of malfunction – as well as the source of optimal functioning – exists beneath the physiology of the body. We must look to the physics underlying our biochemistry.
