November is Falls Prevention Month

Could a fall change your lifestyle?

Every year, many older adults fall. After a fall, many people are unable to live the way they want. They may lose their independence or live in fear of falling again. Falls are not a natural part of getting older. Here are some at-home exercises that will help:

Falls Prevention Workout 1 Seated

Falls Prevention Workout 2

Stand Up To Falls Week 1

Stand Up To Falls Week 2

Stand Up To Falls Week 3

Stand Up To Falls Week 4

Stand Up To Falls Supplementary Exercises

For more support, please visit www.findingbalancealberta.ca or ask your family doctor for a referral to see the Exercise Specialist at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network. 

National Kinesiology Week

 

The Exercise Specialist (kinesiologist) at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network can help you with cardiorespiratory health, cognitive capacities including mental health, ergonomics, functional abilities, weight gain and obesity, and safe return to sport. To access their services, ask your family doctor for a referral. 

https://lbdpcn.com/programs-2/team-based-care-program/

November is Falls Prevention Month

In Canada, falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults.

According to Fall Prevention Month statistics, over one-third of older adults will be admitted to long-term care after being hospitalized for a fall. Falls in older adults account for $2 billion in annual direct healthcare costs.

Every year, 1 in 3 Alberta seniors will fall.

Take action to reduce your risk.

Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults. The older we get, the greater the risk of falling becomes. Our bodies naturally change with age, and these changes affect the way we feel, move, and behave. 

• Older adults with muscle weakness are 4-5 times more likely to fall.
• Try to do 30 minutes or more of physical activity at least 5 days each week.
• Walking, dancing, Tai Chi, and cross-country skiing are a few great ways to be active.
  

A fall can have a devastating and lasting impact on an individual resulting in injury, chronic pain and reduced quality of life. Even without an injury, a fall can cause a loss of confidence and a reduction in activities for older adults.

• Older adults with low vision are 2.5 times more likely to fall.
  
• A comprehensive eye exam will test your vision and look for issues like glaucoma and cataracts.
  
• Alberta Health Care covers the cost of eye exams for adults 65 and older.
  

Some medications can also put you at risk of a fall.

• Seniors taking more than 3 - 4 medications are at a higher risk of falls.
  
• Some prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements can increase your risk of falling.
  

These actions can help you prevent a fall and stay independent:

• Learn more about how to lower your fall risk to prevent yourself from falling or falling again.
• Talk with a physiotherapist to get the best walking aid for your needs.
• Exercise to improve your strength and balance.
• Talk with a physiotherapist or our PCN Exercise Specialist about exercise to improve your balance.
• Talk to your health care provider if you are worried about falling, especially if it stops you from being active.
• Do 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week strengthening your muscles can reduce your risk of falling - our PCN Exercise Specialist can provide guidance and exercise routines.
• Keep active to improve strength and balance. 
• Talk with your doctor or health care provider about managing the need to rush to the toilet. Rushing could increase your risk of a fall. 
• Talk to your podiatrist or doctor if you have numbness in your feet; numbness can cause a fall.
• Review your medications, vitamins, and supplements with your pharmacist or doctor yearly or if your prescription changes or new medications are added. 
• Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about medication side effects or causes of light-headedness. Sometimes an adjustment of dosage or type of medication can help.
• Are you sad or have concerns about anxiety or depression? Talk to your health care provider or doctor about how you are feeling.
• Visit an eye doctor yearly to check your eye health. Poor vision or a change in vision can increase the risk of a fall.
• Wear proper shoes, especially outside. Take extra care when walking on snow or ice-covered sidewalks or parking lots. Learn the "Penguin Walk".

Take this online assessment quiz to see if you are at risk of a fall.

Health care providers can print paper copies of this quiz, here.

Learn more at https://www.fallpreventionmonth.ca/

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

Diabetes and the Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity

Regular physical activity is very beneficial to those living with diabetes. The short-term benefits of increasing physical activity are: 

• Lowers your blood glucose within one hour.
• Increases your energy and strength during the day
• Decreases stress, anxiety and fatigue
• Improves relaxation and sleep
• Improves overall well being    

The long-term benefits if activity is sustained: 

•  Improved blood glucose (sugar) control
•  Helps with maintaining weight management when healthy eating is involved.
•  Lowered blood pressure
•  Stronger bones and muscles
•  Lower risk of diabetes complications such as eye, heart, and kidney disease
•  Improved quality of life

One of the most effective aerobic activities with the lowest dropout rate is walking. It can be as simple as going for a brisk walk in your neighbourhood. Here is a sample walking program for your use.                                                                                                

Both aerobic and resistance exercises are important when it comes to decreasing the risk of developing or advancing Type 2 Diabetes as both help to improve the body’s insulin sensitivity. 

Make sure to interrupt sitting at least every 30 minutes by getting up and walking, standing or stretching.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a very effective form of exercise at a higher intensity for shorter durations, as an option for those who are able to tolerate it. 

Tracking your activity/steps throughout the day is another way of monitoring the amount of time you are active and for some, it is a strategy for reducing sitting time by staying accountable.

Canadian Diabetes Association information: 

www.diabetes.ca

• Low physical fitness is as strong a risk factor for mortality as smoking.
• Higher levels of physical activity and fitness level is one of the strongest predictors of all-cause mortality in people with diabetes.
• Physical activity can be as powerful as glucose-lowering medication… with fewer side effects.
• Regular physical activity, in conjunction with healthy eating and weight control, can reduce type 2 diabetes incidence by 60 percent.

     If you require help with getting started on an exercise or physical activity plan, ask your family doctor for a referral to the Exercise Specialist at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.

Nurse Practitioner Week

 November 7-13 is Nurse Practitioner Week!

It's Nurse Practitioner Week! Our PCN has two amazing Nurse Practitioners to celebrate - Marilyn, who provides care to the patients at Calmar Medical Clinic, and Michelle, who runs both the Warburg Nurse Practitioner Clinic and Thorsby Nurse Practitioner Clinic. Thank you both for all you do for the PCN, your patients, and the communities you serve!

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

November is Diabetes Awareness Month! 

Did you know that 1 in 3 Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes? So many lives are touched by this chronic disease, yet so few Canadians know they are at risk for developing diabetes. 

What is Diabetes?

It’s a chronic disease where the body cannot make enough insulin or cannot use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps to control blood sugars. A high amount of sugar in the blood can damage organs, blood vessels, and nerves over a long period.  

Are you at risk?

Not much is known about definite risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes, but there are quite a few risk factors for developing Type 2 Diabetes. Some we can have some control over, but some we cannot. 

Here’s a list of risk factors for developing Type 2 Diabetes:

• Have a parent, brother, or sister living with diabetes.

• Member of a high-risk group (Indigenous, Hispanic, South Asian, Asian, African descent)

• Have given birth to a baby weighing more than 4kg or 9lb

• Have had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy)

• Prediabetes diagnosis

• Have high blood pressure

• Have high cholesterol  or high blood fats

• Have extra weight around the abdomen, overweight

• Have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis

• Have acanthosis nigricans diagnosis

• Have obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis

• Have diagnosed psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia, depression

Ask your doctor to test if you have diabetes if you are over 40 years old or if you have several risk factors after taking this risk test: https://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/en/canrisk

Don’t have a doctor?  Find one here: www.albertafindadoctor.ca

Fight the Risk

Here are some healthy habit ideas that can help lower your risk of diabetes:

• Eat a high fibre breakfast every day

• Eat 1 cup of vegetables at each of your meals

• Eat 2-3 servings of fruit each day (1 serving =0.5 cups or tennis ball size piece of fruit)  

• Go for a 10-15 minute walk at lunch every day

• Try deep breathing or visualization technique to manage your stress or check out other stress management techniques at https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/tests-treatments/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=rlxsk&

Your Team

You have a team of Registered Dietitians, an Exercise Specialist, Registered Nurses, Behavioural Health Consultants and Mental Health Therapists that can support your health journey through the Team-Based Care program at the PCN.  You can access this team for support by asking for a referral from your family doctor.