June is Stroke Awareness Month

June is Stroke Awareness Month

A stroke happens when blood stops flowing to any part of your brain, damaging brain cells. The effects of a stroke depend on the part of the brain that was damaged and the amount of damage done. Learn more...



Are you at risk of a stroke? Take the stroke assessment test.

Our PCN healthcare providers can help those who are at risk or who have had a stroke. Ask your PCN family doctor to our Team-Based Care program.

March is Pharmacist Awareness Month

Each March Pharmacist Awareness Month (PAM) celebrates the contributions that pharmacists make to our health care system and helps educate Canadians about the health care services and advice their pharmacists are now delivering. 

Pharmacists across Canada have had a widely expanded scope of practice over the past decade that has them doing more for their patients than ever before. We want to celebrate the great strides the profession has made, highlight the health care services now offered at the pharmacy, and encourage Canadians to Think Pharmacists this March.

Our PCN Pharmacist, Nandini Desai, provides a wide scope of patient care from diabetes education, medication reviews and tobacco cessation support. Ask your PCN family doctor for a referral to visit Nandini for support. 

March is Pharmacy Awareness Month

Our Registered Pharmacist is a member of our SMILE healthcare team; com see how a pharmacist can help you manage your health.

LBD PCN PROGRAMS and SERVICES.

https://www.pharmacists.ca/news-events/events/pharmacist-awareness-month-pam/

Mental Illness Awareness Week

Mental Illness Awareness Week
October 2 - 8, 2016

The World Health Organization defines Mental Health as: “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”  On the other hand, “mental disorders comprise a broad range of problems, with different symptoms…they are generally characterized by some combination of abnormal thoughts, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others”. 

During any given year, about one in five Canadian adults experience mental illness, and American research estimates that about half of all adults will be diagnosable with a mental illness at some point during their lifetime. 

Having good mental health can encompass a broad range of functions and activities, including:

• The ability to think clearly and realistically about oneself, others, and the world around us;
• The ability to cope with, and manage, stress or changes in our life;
• The ability to feel, express, and manage a wide range of both positive and negative emotions;
• The ability to make and maintain good relationships with others;
• The ability to learn and problem-solve.

 Having a mental illness goes beyond just having a bad day and is often characterized as problems with thinking, mood, or behaviour that results in significant distress and impairment to one’s relationships, work, school, and/or social life.  Examples include, major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, trauma disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and addiction-related disorders.

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is an annual national public education campaign intended to raise awareness and engage Canadians in a national conversation about mental illness.  The hope is that by raising awareness, the stigma of mental illness will be reduced and that people will have greater access to information around services and support available to those living with mental illness. 

The Canadian Psychiatric Association initiated the week-long campaign in 1992, and it is now coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH).  The CAMIMH is a non-profit organization that includes health care providers and organizations that are committed to ensuring that mental health and the lived experience of those affected by mental illness (including caregivers and families) are represented on a national level. 

Through initiatives such as MIAW, the CAMIMH and partners work to promote a National Action Plan that upholds three principles.  They believe that:

(1) Mental illness and mental health issues must be considered within the framework of determinants of health, with recognition that mental health is inexorably linked to physical health;

(2) Mental illness contributes to a considerable cost to individuals, social services, health, education, the criminal justice system, as well as the economy.  As such, the CAMIMH believe it is imperative that Canadian governments and health planners consider ways to address mental health to reduce the burden on society; and

(3) Mental health promotion and the treatment of mental illness must be timely, continuous, interdisciplinary, culturally appropriate, and integrated across the full life cycle and the continuum of care (including primary care, home/community care, and tertiary care).

On September 2, 2016, the CAMIMH launched a comprehensive policy document, entitled Mental Health Now! That outlines a call to action for the government to improve the mental health of Canadians.  Click here to read more.

Check your mental health and reflect on your mental well-being with the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Meter.  Click here to take the quiz. 

Where to find help: 

·         Phone Services:

o   Health Link: 811

o   Community social services information: 211

o   Mental Health Helpline (24/7): Call 1 (877) 303-2642 for confidential help, information on mental health services and referrals

o   Distress Line (24/7): (780) 483-HELP (4357)

·         Local Mental Health Resources:

o   Leduc Addictions and Mental Health: (780) 980-7580, or visit, alberta.health.ca for more information on Addictions and Mental Health Services.

o   Family and Child Social Services:

§  Leduc: (780) 980-7109

§  Leduc County: (780) 979-2385

§  Beaumont: (780) 929-1369

§  Devon: (780) 987-8325

o   Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network Mental Health Program: Access is through a referral by your family physician.  Please talk to your family for more information.

Dr. Sheila Gothjelpsen is a Registered Psychologist at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network. 

Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental health is important not only to you as an individual, but also with your family, friends, and at your place of work. Mental Health AwarenessWeek is May 4-10, 2015. Use this time to talk amongst your family, friends and co-workers about issues related to mental health. Each and every one of us encounters struggles within our daily lives.  A person can struggle with changes in mood, energy, sleep, appetite, weight, concentration, attention and self-worth. Talking amongst our natural supports help us to recognize we are not alone. It also helps us to gain support in accessing counselors, social workers, therapists and psychologists when our mental health is significantly impacting our daily function.  

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

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.

National Suicide Awareness Week

Did you know? 

There were 3,890 deaths by suicide in Canada in 2009. 2,989 were male. 901 were female.
Men aged 40-60 had the highest number of suicides In Canada with 1361, followed by males aged 20-39 with 892.

Suicide Prevention Primer - Myths & Facts

Supportive Listening:
• Leduc Regional Hub: Tues to Fri 2-6pm, Sat 11am-1pm      (780) 739-LHUB (5482)
• Distress Line (780) 482-HELP (4357)
Local Private Counselling:
• Connelly Counselling (780) 237-3510
• Iasis Psychological Services –www.icanheal.ca (780) 739-0707
• Karunia Counselling –www.karunia.ca (780) 628-3939

Terry Fox Run

This marks the 34th year since Terry was forced to stop his Marathon of Hope, just outside of Thunder Bay. With one leg having been amputated, Terry decided to run across Canada to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. Terry ran 5373 kms in 143 days before the cancer spread to his lungs, forced him to stop. Terry's goal was to raise $1 for each citizen living in Canada at that time; 24 million people.

His legacy continues through yearly runs hosted in many communities around the world. The annual run has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over C$600 million has been raised in Terry's name.

Here are a few local runs that you can participate in on Sunday, September 14th.

Leduc

Telford House
Registration: 9:00 am.
Run 11:00 am - Noon
You can participate in a 2k, 5k or 10k bike, walk or run route, dogs are welcome!

Beaumont

Four Seasons Park near the concession
Registration: 10:30 am
Run starts at 11:00 am

Beaumont offers 1km 5km and 10km routes (bike, walk, run, rollerblade) as well as a kids 1km fun run.

Devon

Intersection of River Drive And Rideau Street.
Registration: 12:00 pm
Run starts at 1:00 pm
Walk, run, rollerblade, stroller and wheelchair accessible, dogs welcome.

For other locations, please click here. 

There is no entry fee required and no minimum donation.

Donate at: http://www.terryfox.org/Run/

Watch the Terry Fox Story, here.

January is Alzheimer Awareness Month

Alzheimer's disease is a fatal, progressive and degenerative disease that destroys brain cells. It is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 64 per cent of all dementias in Canada.

Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging. Symptoms include having difficulty remembering things, making decisions and performing everyday activities. These changes can affect the way a person feels and acts. There is currently no way to stop the disease, but research is improving the way we provide care and will continue to search for a cure. 

For more information, please visit the Alzheimer Society Canada website.

Leduc Eldercare Consultation Team

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

For referral to the Leduc Eldercare Consultation Team, please talk to your LBD PCN family physician.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

More than 9 million Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes.

There are three main types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes, usually diagnosed in children and adolescents, occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that controls the amount of glucose in the blood. Approximately 10 per cent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.

The remaining 90 per cent have type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not effectively use the insulin that is produced. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood, although increasing numbers of children in high-risk populations are being diagnosed.

A third type of diabetes, gestational diabetes, is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. It affects approximately 2 to 4 per cent of all pregnancies (in the non-Aboriginal population) and involves an increased risk of developing diabetes for both mother and child.

Prediabetes refers to a condition where a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.

If left untreated or improperly managed, diabetes can result in a variety of complications, including:

• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• Eye disease
• Problems with erection (impotence)
• Nerve damage

The first step in preventing or delaying the onset of these complications is recognizing the risk factors, as well as signs and symptoms of diabetes.

What are the risk factors for diabetes?

If you are aged 40 or older, you are at risk for type 2 diabetes and should be tested at least every three years. If any of the following risks factors apply, you should be tested earlier and/or more often.

Being:

• A member of a high-risk group (Aboriginal, Hispanic, Asian, South Asian or African descent);
• Overweight (especially if you carry most of your weight around your middle).

Having:

• A parent, brother or sister with diabetes;
• Health complications that are associated with diabetes;
• Given birth to a baby that weighed more than 4 kg (9 lb);
• Had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy);
• Impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose;
• High blood pressure;
• High cholesterol or other fats in the blood;
• Been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, acanthosis nigricans (darkened patches of skin), or schizophrenia.

What are the symptoms?

Signs and symptoms of diabetes include the following:

• Unusual thirst;
• Frequent urination;
• Weight change (gain or loss);
• Extreme fatigue or lack of energy;
• Blurred vision;
• Frequent or recurring infections;
• Cuts and bruises that are slow to heal;
• Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet;
• Trouble getting or maintaining an erection.

It is important to recognize, however, that many people who have type 2 diabetes may display no symptoms.

Can you prevent diabetes?

Scientists believe that lifestyle changes can help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. A healthy meal plan, weight control and physical activity are important prevention steps.

How is diabetes treated?

People with diabetes can expect to live active, independent and vital lives if they make a lifelong commitment to careful diabetes management, which includes the following:

Education: Diabetes education is an important first step. All people with diabetes need to be informed about their condition.

Physical Activity: Regular physical activity helps your body lower blood glucose levels, promotes weight loss, reduces stress and enhances overall fitness.

Nutrition: What, when and how much you eat all play an important role in regulating blood glucose levels.

Weight Management: Maintaining a healthy weight is especially important in the management of type 2 diabetes.

Medication: Type 1 diabetes is always treated with insulin. Type 2 diabetes is managed through physical activity and meal planning and may require medications and/or insulin to assist your body in controlling blood glucose more effectively.

Lifestyle Management: Learning to reduce stress levels in day-to-day life can help people with diabetes better manage their disease.

Blood Pressure: High blood pressure can lead to eye disease, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, so people with diabetes should try to maintain a blood pressure level at or below 130/80. To do this, you may need to change your eating and physical activity habits and/or take medication.

For more information, please visit the Canadian Diabetes Association webpage.

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network has a team of healthcare professionals that help people living with various chronic conditions such as diabetes, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. A smoking cessation program is also offered. Our team, which includes a registered nurse, psychologist and pharmacist, registered dietitians and an exercise specialist, works with patients to help them learn strategies to improve their ability to manage their health.

If you are concerned with any of these health issues, please see your LBD PCN family physician for a referral to our program.

Mental Health Awareness Week

For decades, Mental Health Awareness Week has been observed every year during the first full week of October by various association and organizations across Canada and the United States.  The purpose is to promote community outreach and public education around mental illness and mental health.  

Within Mental Health Awareness Week is National Depression Screening Day (October 10, 2013) and is intended to raise awareness and to educate the public about depression and other mood and anxiety related disorders.  

What is mental illness?

Mental illness is marked by a disruption of mood, thoughts and ability to function in your daily life.  The disruptions to mood and thought are often overwhelming and can leave a person feeling as though they are unable to cope with life’s demands.  Some mental illnesses, such as depression, can be temporary or episodic, while others, such as schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder, are life-long.  It is not always easy to know if a person is suffering from mental illness, and if they are, sometimes it is unclear as to what illness that might be.  The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders – IV (DSM-IV) is used by mental health providers to diagnose mental illness.  At present, the DSM-IV includes over 300 different mental illnesses.  There is no one test that a person can take that will definitively diagnose a mental illness, though tests are given to provide some information.   A trained and experienced mental health provider can provide an accurate mental illness diagnosis and suggest appropriate treatment options.  

If you suspect that you or a loved one may have depression or another mood related concern, talk to your doctor.      

Markers of depression include:

(Most of the days, in the past two weeks)

Inability to feel:

o Pleasure,  hope,  love, or attachment

o Emotionally “flat”

Thinking:

o Poor concentration due to difficulty pulling thoughts together,  slow thinking

Thoughts:

o “I’m disgusting, worthless, inadequate.”

o “I’ve done something wrong; I’m at fault.”

o “Nothing will work out.”

o “Things will never get better”

o “I cannot do anything.  Nothing helps.”

o “Death would be a relief.”

Motivation:

o Loss of will, desire, interest

o Avoidance of people, work and activity

Physical:

o Disrupted sleep: too much or too little

o Poor appetite or overeating

o Weight loss or gain

o Reduced or no ability to respond sexually

o Possible crying spells without knowing why

Activity:

o Restless or slowed activity/speech

o Reduced talking, smiling, motion, energy

You can take an anonymous depression screening test at:  www.HelpYourselfHelpOthers.org

Additional Mental Health Resources:

http://camimh.ca/about-mental-illness-and-mental-health/

http://mentalhealthweek.cmha.ca/

Local Mental Health Services:

• Leduc Mental Health Clinic  (780) 986-2660

Subsidized Counselling:

• FCSS – Leduc (780) 980-7109 

• FCSS – Beaumont (780) 929-1369 or (780) 929-3327

• FCSS – Devon (780) 987-8325

• FCSS – Leduc County  (780) 979-2385

Supportive Listening:

• Leduc Regional Hub: Tues to Fri 2-6pm, Sat 11am-1pm      (780) 739-LHUB (5482)

• Distress Line (780) 482-HELP (4357)

Local Private Counselling:

• Connelly Counselling (780) 237-3510

• Iasis Psychological Services –www.icanheal.ca (780) 739-0707 

• Karunia Counselling –www.karunia.ca (780) 628-3939

• Northern Aurora Counselling Services – (780) 980-3747 www.auroracounsellingservices.com 

Sheila Gothjelpsen is a Registered Psychiatrist with the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.  

Mental Illness Awareness Week September 30th - October 6, 2012

The key to good mental health is balancing your life

Mental Health means striking a balance in all aspects of your life: social, physical, spiritual, economic and mental.  Reaching a balance is a learning process.  At times you might lean in too much in one direction and have to find your footing again.  Your personal balance will be unique, and your challenge will be to stay mentally healthy by keeping that balance.

Build healthy self-esteem

Self-esteem is more than just seeing your good qualities.  It is being able to see all your abilities and weaknesses together, accepting them, and doing your best with what you have.  For example, you may not play tennis enough to be a star, but that should not stop you from enjoying the game.
Build Confidence - Take a good look at your good points.  What do you do best?  Where are your skills and interest areas?  How would a friend describe you?  Now, look at your weak points.  What do you have difficulty doing?  What things make you feel frustrated? Remember that all of us have our positive and negative sides.  We let our strengths shine, and we build on our weak points to help us mature and grow.

Receive as well as give

Many of us confuse having a realistic view of our good points with conceit.  We have trouble accepting kindness from others.  We often shrug off a compliment with a “yes, but…” and put ourselves down.
Accept compliments – The next time someone compliments you, say “Thank You!  I’m glad you think so.”  Think about other compliments you have had, and how good they made you feel.

Create positive parenting and family relationships

Work on building good family relationships.  Learn to value each member’s skills and abilities.  Learn how to give and accept support.
Make time - Make time just to be a family.  Schedule time for both serious things and fun.  Listen respectfully without interruption to what each person has to say.  Do it frequently.

Make friends who count

Friends help you understand that you are not alone.  They help you by sharing your “ups” and “downs” and you in turn help them.  Together, you and your friends share life’s challenges and celebrate life’s joys.
Build a “friendship tree” – Keep in touch - invite a friend to lunch.  Encourage new friendships - ask your friend to bring someone you have never met.

Figure out your priorities

Advertisers try very hard to convince us that we “need” their products and services.  Our challenge is to know the difference between our real needs (food, shelter, clothing, transportation) and our “wants” (bigger TV, new CD player, the latest fashions, flashy car), and to find the right balance in our spending.  Financial problems cause stress, so it’s important to avoid over-spending.
Create a meaningful budget -  Write out a budget for yourself.  Is it realistic?  Have you planned what to do with the money left over for your “wants”?  Which “wants” are most important to you.

Get involved

Being involved in things that really matter to us provide a great feeling of purpose and satisfaction.  You should always remember that you make a difference, no matter how big or small your efforts.
Volunteer - Read to children at your local library: visit and elderly person at home or in hospital: serve on a committee or the board of your favorite charity, organize a clean-up of a local park or beach, help a neighbor clean out his/her garage.

Learn to manage stress effectively

Stress is a normal part of life.  How you deal with it will depend on your attitude.  You may become overwhelmed by  things that other people deal with easily.  Learning to keep a balance among work, family and leisure is difficult and needs skillful management of your time.  Planning helps, and so does staying calm.
Take a five- minute vacation – Each day, set aside five minutes for a mental health break.  Close your office door or go into another room, and day-dream about a place, person or idea, or think about nothing at all.

Cope with changes that affect you

It would be nice to “live happily ever after” but there will always be challenges in our lives.  Children have accidents, parents get ill, jobs disappear.  Dealing with these unexpected ( and often unwanted) changes can be stressful, so we need to be flexible and learn ways to cope.
Find strength in numbers - Search out a support group that deals  with the issues you are facing.  By teaming up with people who share your problems, you may find a fresh solution.  Try starting a group of your own by suing the public service announcements in your local newspaper, radio station or TV station.

Deal with you emotions

We are all challenged to find safe and constructive ways to express and share our  feelings of anger, sadness, joy and fear.  Your ways of experiencing and expressing emotions are unique because you are unique.
Identify and deal with your moods - Find out what makes you happy, sad, joyful, or angry.   How can you deal with your moods?  Share joyful news with a  friend; “cry on a friend’s shoulder” when you feel blue.  Physical exercise can help you deal with your anger.  Keep a stack of your favorite funny cartoons or a collection of humorous stories or video tapes for times when you feel the need to laugh.

Have a spirituality to call your own

Learn to be at peace with yourself.  Get to know who you are, what makes you really happy, what you are passionate about.  Learn to balance what you are able to change about yourself with what you cannot change.  Get to know and trust your inner self.
Spend quality time with yourself - Set aside time to be totally alone.  Do a breathing exercise- try counting your breaths from one to four, then start at one again.  Or do something you love to do, like dancing, going, to a baseball game or building a bird house- whatever works for you!

This information was provided by the Canadian Mental Health Association.

National Sun Awareness Week

June 4-10 marks National Sun Awareness Week

 

After a long winter and all those short daylight hours, we welcome the warm, sunny days of spring and summer.  People of all ages love to be outside enjoying the fresh air doing a variety of activities.

 

The Canadian Cancer Society wants us all to stay healthy when it comes to sun exposure.   The purpose of National Sun Awareness Week is to remind people that we need to be “sun smart” while enjoying the great outdoors. 

 

Here are some sun safety basics:

 

Limit time in the midday sun.

- The sun's rays are strongest between 11am and 4pm.  Whenever possible, limit exposure to the sun during these hours.

When your shadow is shorter than you, look for shade.

- Do outdoor activities under a tree, umbrella, or in the shade of a building.

- Create shade by planting trees or by using partial roofs, awnings, gazebo tents, etc.

Use the UV index each day to plan outdoor activities.

- Consult local radio and TV stations or check on-line for the UV index forecast in your area. When the UV index is 3 or higher, wear protective clothing, sunglasses and  sunscreen.
- Wear tightly-woven, loose-fitting, full-length shirts and pants.
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat so that your ears are covered as well.

- Wear sunglasses that provide 100% UVA and UVB protection and ensure they wrap around your face.

- Apply a generous amount of sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) on all exposed areas 20 minutes before you go outside. Ideally, sunscreen should be reapplied 20 minutes after going outdoors so that the product stabilizes on the skin and gives maximum protection. Thereafter, reapply sunscreen every 2 hours (and more often if you are swimming or sweating).

- Do not put sunscreen on babies less than 6 months of age.

 

For more information, visit:

Health Canada 

Canadian Cancer Society