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Mental Health Support Options in the Leduc region

 Self-management – Connect with friends, family members, clergy-persons or other supports that already exist for you.

Supportive Listening – if someone just needs to talk…

Leduc Regional Hub: Tues to Fri 2-6pm (780) 739-LHUB (5482)- can help with access to community, social, health and government services

Distress Line (780) 482-HELP (4357)- can offer supportive listening for any distressing issue you might be dealing with – you don’t need to be suicidal to call.

Counselling – For those who want to access a counsellor.

LBD PCN Mental Health team – This program offers mental and emotional health assessment and assists patients in finding the most appropriate mental health service in the community. Access to this program is through referral from a PCN family physician.

FCSS (Family and Community Support Services) offers a subsidized counselling program. Services are provided by psychologists, provisional psychologists and counsellors. They use a sliding scale fee schedule ($20-$50) based on annual income. They provide short-term individual, couples and family counselling.

FCSS – Leduc FCSS – (780) 980-7109

Beaumont FCSS – (780) 929-1006

Devon FCSS – (780) 987-8325

Leduc County – (780) 979-2385

Leduc Addictions & Mental Health Clinic – for those who have a formal mental health disorder such as major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc. People in crisis can also go to Leduc Mental Health (780-986-2660).

Local Private Psychologists – Most charge full fees ($190/hr). Some provide sliding scale fees – you can always ask. You may be able to utilize Employee Family Assistance Programs and Health Insurance to pay for services (Contact your EFAP or insurance provider for info).

Karunia Counselling (780-628-3939)

Connelly Counselling (780-237-3510) Family Counselling Centre (780) 612-8577

IASIS Psychological Services (780-739-0707)

24/7 Crisis support:

24hr Addiction & Mental Health Crisis Response Team (780-342-7777)

The Support Network: 211 (info & referral), Distress Line (780-492-4357(HELP))

RCMP – 911

Leduc Community Hospital Emergency (4210-48 Street)

Meal Planning

 On Wednesday, July 13th, the Edmonton O-day'min PCN is hosting a Meal Planning class, so I thought this was the perfect time to share a popular post I wrote back in 2014 about the wonders of meal planning:

Ninety-two weeks ago, one of our LBD PCN Registered Dietitians changed my life for the better. I am the Communications Coordinator at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network where Andrea, the aforementioned Dietitian works. She had been teaching our Weight Wise classes for a few years and had listened to me complain about how much I hated planning dinner every night. Finally, she had enough of my complaining and for that, I am so grateful!

Sound a bit dramatic? Maybe, but planning meals and going to the grocery store every day was grinding on my last nerve. Without fail, my day was always the same. Get up, get the kids off to school, and go to work. Realize at about 3:45 that I had not even thought about supper or taken anything out of the freezer. Does my son or husband have hockey that night? Do I have a class at the gym? Is my oldest going to the ski hill? Did I have to get take-out or run to the grocery store? It was the same routine every day and it was grating on me. I seriously hated it!

One day, Andrea was prepping for the Weight Wise #6 class – Meal Planning and Shopping Tips, when she decided today was the day. She came into my office and simply said, “Come with me.” I had no idea what she was up to but I went with her and because of that, my life changed. I found myself reluctantly sitting in the front row of her meal planning class.

In the class, we learned how to create a weekly meal plan, and building off the meal plan, we could create a grocery list. We learned tips on how to plan meals where we could cook enough of the protein (beef, chicken, etc.) one night so that it was enough for two meals, thus, eliminating the need to cook meat again the next day. We also learned about which vegetables had a shorter lifespan than others and used this knowledge when creating the meal plan. Very helpful information, it reduces the problem of getting to the end of the week and finding out the tomatoes have gone bad and having to run to the grocery store just for that one ingredient.

I went home that night and created this weekly meal plan template in Excel (feel free to right click and save it to your own computer for use.) I do not include breakfast on my meal plan because my husband and I do not eat breakfast at home, but we ensure the weekly grocery list always has breakfast options for our kids. Lunch is included because we both like to take leftovers to work for lunch and this plan will give you a quick visual to see if there will be leftovers or if we will have to take something else, like a sandwich. The “Prep for tomorrow” column is for notes like “Take chicken out of the freezer”. Reminders like this eliminate the issue of getting home from work at 5:00 pm, only to find out that I forgot to take the chicken out the night before and having to head to the grocery store.

Sunday is meal planning and grocery shopping day. It just works best for my family but you are free to do it whenever works for you. I picked Sunday because by then, I have my kid’s schedules for the week ahead and can plan that right into the week. One of our boys is in hockey which means anywhere from 2-4 ice slots in a typical week. Those nights used to mean take out or fast food meals, but since learning how to meal plan and planning for those kinds of nights, we rarely have to resort to take out anymore and only have it if we plan it in. Sometimes take out just works best, like if we have to be at a hockey game at 6pm on a Wednesday in a town an hour away - that is just fine. Take out food has its place, but using it as an excuse not to cook on a busy night doesn't have to become the norm (which is was in our house.)

How to meal plan:

1. The first thing I do is write our family’s scheduled events right on the plan.

2. Next, I ask each kid and my husband to pick 1-2 meals that they would like to have that week. On the back of the meal plan page, I write the meals they have selected. Don’t worry if they can’t all be accommodated that week, there is always next week to plan for!

3. Now, look at the week ahead and add the meals on nights they would work best. For example, we have nothing happening Sunday night but my younger son has hockey practice at 6:35 Monday. We don’t get home from work until 5:00 or 5:30 so this leaves me little time to prepare a meal from scratch. I cook enough protein for both meals, eliminating the need to cook meat again the next night. Big time saver!

4. Now, I write down all the ingredients I need for each of the meals.

5. Then, I go to the pantry and fridge and see which of those ingredients I already have.

6. If I already have the ingredients, it gets cross off the list.

7. Voila! There is my grocery list for the week! By doing this, I have now ended the guessing game at the grocery store, “Do we have avocados at home?” and ending up with extra food that might end up spoiling before you get around to eating it.

Bonuses of meal planning:

1. By creating a meal plan, I have eliminated the stress at the end of my day of not knowing what to cook. I know what we are going to cook ahead of time; no guess work is necessary. I now feel relief and as if I have been liberated!

2. By creating a meal plan, I have eliminated the need to stop at the grocery store every day on my way home from work. That easily frees up 20-30 per day, at my busiest time of day when I am usually tired from work and just want to get home.

3. By creating a precise grocery list, I have eliminated accidentally doubling up on items we already have at home. It also stops me from impulse buying items. If it’s not on the list, I don’t buy it. This has saved huge amounts of money off my grocery bill.

Lessons learned and how to make meal planning even easier:

1. While I am 95% of the time pretty strict with my meal plan, life happens. Sometimes at  3:00 pm we will get a text from the hockey coach that an extra ice slot opened up and we are now expected to be at the rink in 3 hours. We need to be flexible.

2. A friend once asked me, “what if you get to that night and all of a sudden you don’t feel like the meal you've planned?” Honestly, in the 92 weeks since I've been meal planning, I've never had that happen. I’m so grateful that I don’t have to think about it everyday, the last thing I want to do is throw a wrench in the plan! Just stick with it as best you can.

3. Let everyone have a say in the meals. If each person in the house gets to pick a meal, it gets everyone involved in the meal selection which is a positive way for your children to build healthy lifestyle habits.  It also takes the stress off me of having to decide 7 suppers a week.

4. Make extras. I double up when making spaghetti sauce and put the extras in individual meal sized containers for quick suppers another time.

5. Cook proteins in larger batches for multiple meals. For example, look at the list of meal choices for the week ahead. I see my younger son picked tacos and my older son picked spaghetti. Perfect! If we make tacos on Sunday night, I will just double the amount of hamburger, cook it all as the same time and separate out the amount I need for spaghetti before adding the taco seasoning. Now on Monday night when I am pressed for time, I don’t have to worry about cooking hamburger for spaghetti sauce. Continue planning like this through the rest of the week.

6. Meals don’t have to be elaborate to be planned ahead. Yes, I do plan for soup and sandwich nights!

7. Sometimes even thinking of meals is tedious. Save your meal plans so that you can quickly look back on them for ideas. 92 weeks of meal planning is a lot of sheets of paper! I don’t save them all but have save most as they show the variety of meals we make depending on what is going on that week. I got in the habit of numbering the sheets so I could see how many weeks we’d been doing this. It’s a great reminder that Meal Planning is very do-able and it also makes me feel good to have kept with it for so long. After a few weeks, it will become part of your weekly routine.

8. Keep your meal plan in plain view, like on the coffee table or on the kitchen counter so that you see it daily. That way, you won’t forget to take the chicken out of the freezer and find yourself having to run to the grocery store that day.

9. There a tonnes of free apps for smartphones that can assist with your meal planning, specifically with your grocery list. They are great for those who don't like working off a paper list or, like me, have a tendency to forget the list at home. As soon as complete my grocery list, I then enter all the items into an app so it is with me at all time. I also sometimes take a picture of my completed meal plan so I can take a glance anytime if I forget what's for dinner tonight.

Weekly Meal Plan Template 

VIEWER COMMENT:

I love this clear, simple approach to meal planning. I have never done meal planning before! I have found since doing this, with my family's input, we are eating much more healthy. There is also less impulse shopping. Even if I shop while hungry, I'm not straying from the list.
~ Kristine. M, 

Register for the meal planning class here: https://lbdpcn.com/event/meal-planning-3/2022-07-13/?reg-id=

 

June 2022 LBD PCN Newsletter

 Our June 2022 LBD PCN Newsletter is here! Click the subscribe button inside the newsletter to receive this quarterly newsletter to your email inbox. 

The LBD PCN currently does not have any doctors accepting new patients

 

 It's #NationalNursingWeek!

THANK YOU to all nurses who work tirelessly every day to promote health and wellness for their patients.

Our PCN is proud to have a dedicated and passionate group of nurses on our team!

#WeAnswerTheCall

Mental Health Week May 2-8

 When someone is struggling, they don’t need you to fix it. They need you to understand. Before you weigh in, tune in.

#MentalHealthWeek #GetReal

www.mentalhealthweek.ca

March is Nutrition Month!

 Ingredients for a Healthier Tomorrow is the theme for #NutritionMonth 2022. PCNs offer a variety of free workshops to help you create a healthy eating plan. Talk to your PCN Registered Dietitian for nutrition support, healthy eating tips, classes, and more.

COVID-19 and the LBD PCN

 Even though Alberta has lifted indoor masking requirements, masks are still required in a healthcare facility. All patients, guests, and staff will be provided with a new medical mask when they enter the PCN office.

March 2022 Leduc Beaumont Devon PCN Newsletter

 Our March 2022 Leduc Beaumont Devon PCN Newsletter is now available!

Don't forget to subscribe to this quarterly newsletter so you can stay informed of everything happening at the PCN.

Season's Greetings!

 

December 2021 LBD PCN Newsletter

 Our December newsletter is out! Read about:

- Edmonton Zone Health Education

- How to access our providers

- Team-Based Care Program

- Prescription To Get Active

- Alberta Seniors’ Centre Without Walls Program

Read the newsletter here: December 2021 LBD PCN Newsletter

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.  

Soccer Injury Prevention

By Dr. Keith Barry 

As summer finally arrives so too does the soccer season. Soccer is now the most popular sport amongst Canadian children. With the sharp twists and turns of soccer comes an increased risk of lower extremity injuries. Young girls in particular have a significantly increased risk of ACL injuries. 

An ACL tear is a season-ending, potentially surgical knee, that can lead to permanent knee damage. Several exercise programs have been developed to help prevent ACL injuries and I encourage all young athletes (not just soccer) to take part in one. 

A physiotherapist can assist with such a program. FIFA 11+ is an exercise/warm-up program designed to help prevent soccer injuries. This is applicable to all soccer players but is particularly important for adolescent females given their elevated risk. The program can be found here: FIFA 11+ – FIFA Medical Platform (fifamedicalnetwork.com)

Reference: Pimlott, N and Carson, J.  Canadian Family Physician. Vol 60. May 2014. Page 404

Rethinking the Annual Physical Exam - by Dr. Keith Barry

In years past, having patients come in for an "Annual Physical" was commonplace in any family medicine practice.  As evidence has evolved, we have realized that the time and cost of this practice can be better used elsewhere. The actual physical examination component of a yearly visit has never been shown to be of utility. What is more debatable, is the need for routine testing or screening. 

Screening is the practice of looking for disease in people without any symptoms. The idea is to find a disease or a modifiable risk factor for disease early on, where early intervention can prevent complications or offer an easier cure. Many screening tests are current recommended in Canada. Examples include but are not limited to: 

• pap smears
• mammograms
• FIT testing (fecal immunochemical test)
• bone density
• PSA (prostate-specific antigen)
• cholesterol testing
• diabetes screening

You may be surprised to learn that for even these commonly recommended tests, the evidence of benefit is often questionable and almost no one needs them yearly.  In this video, Dr. Mike Evans discusses some of these tests along with some others which are generally not recommended. The key with screening is making it individualized, based on your specific history, risk factors and values. This is why it is important to have a good relationship with your family doctor. 

Although an "Annual Physical" may not be necessary, you should touch base regularly with your family physician, who knows you and your health history, to discuss and decide which test's you may benefit from.  How often this discussion or "preventative health exam" should occur needs to be individualized. You can use the same opportunity to work on improving your lifestyle, which is usually much more beneficial to health than any test. 

I see a common practice still occurring in some physician offices, where a receptionist gives a patient a lab requisition as soon as they book for a physical. This is bad medicine. Which tests to do needs to be a discussion between you and your physician. A single list of tests for every patient is not appropriate. This is an unnecessary cost to the system; but more importantly will lead to unnecessary testing, false positives and harm. More information about various screening tests and their indications can be found at choosingwisely.ca. 

Below is information from Towards Optimized Practice about a change in the way we think about Cholesterol/Cardiovascular risk reduction.  No one needs their cholesterol checked every year! (click on image to download/enlarge.)