Wednesday 28 January 2015

The 72% - women and Alzheimer's disease

January is Alzheimer's Awareness Month

72% of Canadian women will develop Alzheimer's disease in their lifetime. 72%! That is a staggering number. Age is the biggest risk factor of Alzheimer's and because women live longer than men, they are most at risk. 

10 warning signs of Alzheimer's from Alzheimer Society Canada.

1) Memory loss that affects day-to-day abilities. Forgetting things often or struggling to retain new information.
2) Difficulty performing familiar tasks such as preparing a meal or getting dressed.
3) Problems with finding the right words or substituting words that don't fit.
4) Disorientation in time and space - not knowing what day of the week it is or getting lost in your own home or a familiar place.
5) Impaired judgement - not recognizing a medical problem that requires attention or not dressing appropriately for the weather.
6) Problems with abstract thinking - having difficulty with banking or math. Not understanding how numbers are used.
7) Misplacing items or putting items in the wrong spot, for example, putting the sugar bowl in the microwave or putting laundry away in the refrigerator. 
8) Changes in mood and behaviour - quickly changing from easy going to angry.
9) Changes in personality - behaving out of character, becoming confused, suspicious or fearful.
10) Loss of initiative - losing interest in friends, family and/or favourite activities. 

If you have notice these signs in yourself or someone you love, please talk to your doctor. Early diagnosis allows you to get the help you need and plan for the future.

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network provides a specialized geriatric assessment service for seniors who have chronic, complex health issues.  Our goal is to ensure seniors living in Leduc, Beaumont and Devon enjoy optimal health and quality of life while remaining in the community for as long as possible.

We accept referrals for the following conditions:
  • cognitive/behavioural concerns
  • functional decline (falls, mobility issues)
  • review of medications
  • capacity assessment
This program can be accessed by referral from a PCN physician. 

Wednesday 21 January 2015

National No-Smoking Week

January 18 - 24th is National No-Smoking Week in Canada!

The purpose of this themed week is to educate the public on the dangers of smoking, prevent those who do not smoke from starting, encourage and support those who do smoke to quit, educate the public on the dangers of secondhand smoke and to denormalize the tobacco industry, their marketing practices, tobacco products and usage.

January 21st is Weedless Wednesday!

The purpose of this day is to encourage those who smoke to abstain for just one day. The goal is that by not smoking for one day, it will kickstart the quitting process.

If you smoke and would like to quit, our PCN can help with education and one on one support. Please contact our office at 780-986-6624 for more information or visit our website at:

http://www.lbdpcn.com/Services/Pages/SmokingCessation.aspx   

Quick Facts:


  • Tobacco use is one of the leading risk factors for chronic disease and is responsible for more than 37,000 premature deaths in Canada each year.
  • 3,400 Albertans die each year as a result of tobacco-related diseases.
  • Smoking is still responsible for more deaths each year than drug and alcohol abuse, car crashes, AIDS, murder and suicide combined. According to the World Health Organization, every eight seconds someone dies from a tobacco-related illness. It's clear that nictine has a firm grip on those who consume it.
  • Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness, disability and death in Alberta and Canada.
  • Half of all regular smokers will eventually die from their habit. Most of these deaths are premature.
  • Researchers estimate that, on average, smokers lose about 15 years of their lives.
  • On average, people who quit smoking before they turn 50 cut their risk of death in half.
  • Between 1997 and 2001, there were 40 deaths in Alberta from fires caused by smokers.
  • In 2001, 87% of substance-related deaths in Alberta were related to tobacco use.


For more information, please visit the Canadian Cancer Society website and Alberta Health Services website.

Monday 19 January 2015

Thank you for your support!

Voting is now closed.


The Edmonton and area Primary Care Networks, surrounding municipalities, the City of Edmonton, the YMCA and Alberta Health Services are proud partners in a ground-breaking collaborative initiative in the Edmonton area known as “Prescription To Get Active”.  This program brings primary care providers and local wellness organizations together to increase the physical activity levels in our population using a “prescription” for physical activity.



We received great news this fall that “Prescription To Get Active” was one of six finalists across Canada for the Play Exchange grant!  The Play Exchange is a national challenge to find and support schools, students, families, not-for-profit organizations, social enterprises, and businesses that are promoting active living across Canada. Prescription To Get Active was chosen as one of the top six entries out of over 400 submissions - and now we are looking to our partners for help!

All six finalists were featured on a television special for the Play Exchange on CBC on Friday, January 9thClick here to watch the show online. During the week that followed, Canadians selected the winning idea by voting online. The winner of the Play Exchange will receive an investment of up to $1-million from the Government of Canada!
Thank you for your support! The winner of The Play Exchange will be announced in the next couple of weeks.  


Monday 12 January 2015

Voting now open!

Please support Prescription To Get Active win up to $1 million in funding to help grow and support our initiative! This program launch in 2011 and was a partnership between our PCN and the City of Leduc. Since then, it has expanded throughout the Edmonton-area, into Wetaskiwin and now Calgary! What started with 1 PCN and 1 recreation facility has now grown to 10 PCNs and 42 recreation facilities! Imagine how far we could go with this funding...

Please support us by voting at vote.playexchange.ca or click the picture below.

Each visitor can vote up to 3 times but all 3 votes must be done within 1 visit, you can't save some for later.

Thank you so much for your support!


Monday 5 January 2015

Exciting news!

We are hoping to have your support for a very exciting initiative that we are involved in.


The Edmonton and area Primary Care Networks, surrounding municipalities, the City of Edmonton, the YMCA and Alberta Health Services are proud partners in a ground-breaking collaborative initiative in the Edmonton area known as “Prescription To Get Active”.  This program brings primary care providers and local wellness organizations together to increase the physical activity levels in our population using a “prescription” for physical activity.

We received great news this fall that “Prescription To Get Active” is one of six finalists across Canada for the Play Exchange grant!  The Play Exchange is a national challenge to find and support schools, students, families, not-for-profit organizations, social enterprises, and businesses that are promoting active living across Canada. “Prescription To Get Active was chosen as one of the top six entries out of over 400 submissions - and now we are looking to our partners for help!

All six finalists will be featured on a television special for the Play Exchange on CBC to air on Friday, January 9th at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday January 10th at 4:00 p.m.  During the week that follows, Canadians will select the winning idea by voting online. The winner of the Play Exchange will receive an investment of up to $1-million from the Government of Canada. 

Help us rally support by voting and spreading the word!   

Here’s some ways you can help:

1.    Vote! It’s easy, and only takes a minute: http://www.vote.playexchange.ca (link will be live once the CBC special airs)
2.    Share our website, story, video, photos on Twitter and Facebook! 
3.    Follow Prescription To Get Active on Facebook and Twitter:

Thank you in advance for all of your support.  We hope that our strong community, partnerships and networks will help us gain the support we need for “Prescription To Get Active” to become the successful finalist when the votes are tallied in February!