Goodbye Mealtime Struggles

Alberta Health Services offers a FREE workshop on mealtime struggles for parents of children 6 months to 5 years old. 

Join an introductory discussion with other parents, a pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT) and a Registered Dietitian (RD).

• Learn more about how children grow and develop eating skills.
• Explore the many reasons behind meal time struggles, and decide which first step strategies best fit your child and family.
• Learn about setting a consistent routine, connecting with your child, introducing healthy new foods and appropriate portion sizes.

Options for follow-up by an OT or RD are reviewed at the workshop.

This workshop is suitable for parents of children who do not have complex medical/feeding concerns or have had extensive feeding intervention.

Registration is required. Childcare is available.

It's flu season >:-( How to identify it and protect yourself

It’s that time of year again; time to get your flu shot.   Anyone can get the flu, but what’s even better is that anyone (six months and older) who lives, works or studies in Alberta can get the flu vaccine, free of charge.   

The flu season typically lasts from October – May, with the peak season starting in December.  Why should you get the flu vaccine?  Because it’s the best way to protect yourself and others from getting the flu and developing symptoms.   Symptoms generally appear 1-4 days after exposure to the virus and can last anywhere from 5 to 10 days, but it can take weeks to fully recover.  You can be contagious before symptoms appear and up to seven days after.   By protecting yourself, you help protect people around you who are at risk of complications from influenza. If more people are protected, less people will get sick from influenza.

What are the symptoms? 

• fever
• chills
• cough
• sore throat
• headache
• muscle aches
• stuffy nose 
• runny eyes
• extreme fatigue and weakness
• 
  

Those symptoms sound horrible! What can I do to avoid getting the flu?

https://www.ontario.ca/health-and-wellness/flu-facts

Despite my best efforts, I got the flu.  Now what can I do?

• Stay home and get plenty of rest;
• Drink lots of fluids;
• Avoid drinks with caffeine;
• Take basic pain or fever relievers but do not give acetylsalicylic acid (ASA or Aspirin®) to children and teens under the age of 18;
• Take a warm bath;
• Gargle with warm salt water or suck on lozenges;
• Use spray or saline drops for a stuffy nose;
• Avoid alcohol and tobacco.

Call you doctor or health care provider if:

• You don’t start to feel better after a few days;
• Your symptoms get worse.

Not sure if it’s the flu, cold, or the stomach “flu”?  Use this chart to help:

Click chart for a larger view

References:

Common Questions about Influenza Immunization

Flu Facts Ontario

             

To find a flu clinic near you, check out our blog post from earlier this week:

Influenza Immunization Clinics (Leduc, Beaumont, Devon, Calmar, Thorsby, Warburg, New Sarepta.

For influenza immunization clinics across Alberta, click here.

Cherie deBoer is the Chronic Disease Management Registered Nurse at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.  

Influenza Immunization Clinics!

October is Immunization Awareness Month

When you make influenza immunization (also referred to as a flu shot or FluMist) an annual event, you protect yourself, your family, and our communities from infection & illness.

Influenza immunization will be available as of October 20, 2014, free of charge, to all Albertans six months of age and older, through dedicated Influenza Immunization Clinics across the province.

The brochure contains a list of local immunization clinics. For more information on immunization clinics, please see the Alberta Health Services website at www.albertahealthservices.ca

The following communities will hold drop-in immunization clinics on the following dates and time:

Leduc

Leduc Best Western – Marquis Room

5207 50 Avenue, Leduc

October 24, 2014                   9:00 am – 4:30 pm

October 25, 2014                   9:00 am – 4:30 pm

October 28, 2014                   9:00 am – 8:00 pm

November 5, 2014                 9:00 am – 8:00 pm

Leduc Public Health Centre

4219 50 Street, Leduc

November 12, 2014               9:00 am – 4:30 pm

November 18, 2014               9:00 am – 4:30 pm

Beaumont

Beaumont Health Centre

4918 50 Avenue

November 13, 2013               9:00 am – 4:30 pm

St. Vital de Beaumont Seniors Club

5204 50 Avenue, Beaumont

October 22, 2014                   9:00 am – 6:00 pm

October 27, 2014                   9:00 am – 5:00 pm

November 7, 2014                 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

November 8, 2014                 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Devon

Devon Community Centre

20 Haven Avenue, Devon

October 23, 2014                   9:30 am – 7:30 pm

October 28, 2014                   9:30 am – 7:30 pm

Devon General Hospital

November 10, 2014               9:00 am – 4:30 pm

November 17, 2014               9:00 am – 4:30 pm

Calmar

Calmar and District Senior Citizen Club

4916 50 Avenue, Calmar

November 3, 2014                  9:00 am – 7:30 pm

Thorsby

Thorsby Health Centre

4825 Hankin Street, Thorsby

November 19, 2014                9:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Warburg

Warburg Cloverleaf Manor Lodge

5204 53 Avenue, Warburg

October 30, 2014                    1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

New Sarepta

New Sarepta Agriplex

5088 1 Street South

October 27, 2014                    9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Additional clinics may be added. Please see the Alberta Health Services website for additional clinic dates: www.albertahealthservices.ca

Prescription To Get Active named finalist in The Play Exchange!

Prescription To Get Active announced as 1 of 6 finalists in The Play Exchange

The Prescription To Get Active program has been named as one of six finalists in The Play Exchange by a panel of expert judges. The Play Exchange is a national, online challenge that was launched in February 2014 by Minister of Health, Rona Ambrose, as a way to find creative ideas to get Canadians living healthier, more active lives. More than 420 entries were received by The Play Exchange and the finalists were announced September 22, 2014. The contest was open to all Canadians, including not-for-profit organizations, businesses, schools and families.

Each of the six finalists will be featured on a CBC television special and will compete for an investment of up to $1 million from the Government of Canada to help support their program. Canadians will decide the winner by voting for the finalist that they feel has the best initiative. Voting will begin in January 2015. Each finalist also receives mentoring and support from LIFT Philanthropy Partners to develop a strategic business plan, valued at $30,000.

“Prescription To Get Active is an initiative that opens the discussion of the significant health benefits associated with an active lifestyle as well as and the numerous health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.  It offers recreation resources and low-barrier, flexible opportunities as part of the patient’s healthy living plan.” explains Len Frank, co-chair of the Prescription To Get Active strategic leadership committee.  “The strength of the partnerships between community and primary care providers along with a tangible prescription supporting physical activity  is what makes this initiative unique.”

Prescription To Get Active is a unique venture where local Primary Care Network (PCN) family physicians and their health care teams prescribe physical activity to patients who would benefit from increased activity. The initiative began in Leduc in October 2011 and launched throughout the Edmonton area in February 2014. There are now 27 recreation facilities and 9 PCNs on board.

“Being named a finalist gives recognition to the hard work between our partners and will expose our program further, “says Frank. “If the program is selected the winner by Canadians, it will allow us to expand the program across the province and eventually, across Canada.”

www.prescriptiontogetactive.com

News release annoucing launch of The Play Exchange from the office of the Honourable Rona Ambrose.

more about The Play Exchange

Happy Thanksgiving! Tips for Holiday Eating

Mental Illness Awareness Week

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is an annual national public education campaign designed to help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness. This year, MIAW is October 5 - 11th.

Mental illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person's thinking, feeling and mood.  It also affects a person’s ability to relate to others and impacts the way they function daily.  The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the handbook used by health care professionals to assist them in understanding and clarifying the criteria for diagnosing mental disorders.

A few different types of mental illnesses include:

Major Depressive Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Schizophrenia
Schizoaffective Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Every person’s mental health can be affected by day to day stress, but living with a mental illness means consistently suffering from signs and symptoms.  Mental illness can be scary when suffering alone or in silence.

“20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime."
See the Canadian Mental Health Association website for more facts about mental illness.

You or someone you know is suffering from a mental illness.

The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health have launched their “Faces of Mental Illness Campaign” to show Canadians that it affects everyone, in all walks of life.  Please check out their website and read the stories along with the faces that share their personal struggles and success in managing a mental illness.



Terri Ward is a Mental Health Therapist at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.