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 Fall Prevention Month

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 a reduced quality of life. Even without an injury, a fall can cause a loss in 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/

April 2015 Newsletter is now available!

Our April 2015 newsletter is now available online!

The April edition has information about the new location of the Leduc After-Hours Clinic, the upcoming Get Out Get Active event, a thank you to all who supported us with Prescription To Get Active, a contest and information on programs and upcoming classes and workshops.

Sign up to receive this quarterly newsletter right in your inbox.

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 9^th. Click 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.  

www.prescriptiontogetactive.com

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!

Watch us on The Play Exchange!

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 9^th 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:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrescriptionToGetActive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RxToGetActive

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!

www.prescriptiontogetactive.com

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

Create your own medication record

“Knowledge is the best medicine” (KiBM) is a program that helps you take control of your health and work with your prescriber and the rest of your healthcare team to manage your medicines safely and appropriately.

This program is supported by leading health organizations in Canada who believe that an educated patient is a healthier patient. The healthcare professionals at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network provide their patients with a MyMedRec booklet to help track their medications. This small booklet is a handy tool that patients carry with them, which ensures a listing of their medications is available for other members of their healthcare team to review.

KiBM products will enable you and your family to:

Keep an up to date medication list with you at all times
Communicate your medication/health related needs at each point of contact with the healthcare system
Easily access medication/health related information

Remember when it comes to your health, knowledge is the best medicine.

Who are the members of your healthcare team?

You! As well as, doctors, pharmacists, nurses and anyone else who is involved in your healthcare whether they are regulated healthcare professionals and providers or family and friends.

Know Your Health

Most Canadians have at least one risk factor for chronic disease that is within their power to change. Making healthy choices will not only reduce your risk of disease, it will also make you feel better. Here are some resources to help you better manage your health.

Easy steps for healthy living:

- Exercise regularly
- Eat a balanced diet
- Avoid smoking or second hand smoke
- Reduce stress

Create Your Own Medication Record

- Create your own personalized medication book to record your medications, allergies and other health information. Keep it up-to-date (your pharmacist, doctor, nurse or other healthcare team member can help you with this). Bring it with you to all of your medical appointments or when you go to the hospital.

Why should you record your medicines

- Keeping an up-to-date record of your medicines helps you, your loved ones and your healthcare team members have complete information about your medicines

- It is very important to record exactly how you take your medicines (including whether or not you are taking them as directed)

- Knowing how you take your medicines helps everyone involved to make correct decisions about your care

- Having a medication record can also be helpful at times when you might not be able to remember your medications, for example in an emergency

- Medication records can help you to remember to take your medicines safely each day at the scheduled times

- Accurate communication of your medicines can help to reduce the chance of errors

To create your own medication record, click here: Knowledge is the Best Medicine

To download the MyMedRec app (available for Apple, Android and Blackberry), click here: Apps 

Are you a Prescription to Get Active participant?

In addition to utilizing partner recreation facilities, the Prescription to Get Active program encourages participants to engage in activity such as using community trails for walking, running and biking, public tennis courts, boating clubs, outdoor fitness parks, local ski hills, cross country skiing trails, mall walking and at-home programs as ways to get active. See our links under Get Active tab for ideas on how to participate.

With each “Prescription to Get Active”, PCN health professionals are able to prescribe the amount of activity you need to help improve your health and prevent disease. The participating facilities are supporting you by providing certain services when you bring a prescription to them. It might be a tour, some free access passes or a free month of access to their facility. Please click the Participating Facilities tab and click the List View button to see what each participating facility is offering.

Don't forget to register! Registering allows you track your activity online so you can see where you started and how far you have come! You can register by clicking the link above or visiting www.prescriptiontogetactive.com and clicking the "Get started and track activity now" button in the upper right hand corner.

Prescription to Get Active

Last year, the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network began a successful partnership with local municipalities in a unique venture where local family physicians prescribe physical activity to patients who they feel would benefit from increased activity. 

With each “Prescription to Get Active”, doctors are able to prescribe the intensity, duration and frequency of activity a patient is required to undertake to help in preventing future medical issues such as heart conditions, lung conditions and diabetes. 

Regular physical exercise has been shown to improve health and quality of life, as well as significantly reduces the risks of chronic disease, disability and premature death.

Ongoing promotion of this program includes distribution of  a series of posters, poster 1 (below) ran in this week's Leduc Representative, Beaumont News and Devon Dispatch newspapers. Look for them in all local family physician clinics. For more information about the program, please talk to your LBD PCN family physician, visit our website or the Prescription to Get Active blog.

Click on each poster to see larger.

Poster for Leduc:

Poster for Beaumont:

Poster for Devon and Calmar:

http://prescriptiontogetactive.blogspot.ca/

Medication Management Tips for Seniors

Seniors consume 28 to 40 per cent of all prescription medications in Canada and on average, geriatric patients have six co-existing conditions.  Of particular concern is inappropriate use of these medications and drug related problems which result in a high burden on the health care system.

Here are 10 basic tips that can help to reduce the risk of medication errors:

1. Check the label of each prescription to verify that the proper medication was received.

2. When possible, keep all medication in original containers.

3. Never double up on the next dose to make up for a missed dose. Call your pharmacists for guidance as the medication will determine the next step.

4. If possible, fill all prescriptions at the same pharmacy.

5. Do not share or take another person’s medications, even if they have the same problems as you do.

6. If you purchase an over the counter medication (non-prescription medication), always consult with the pharmacist to make sure which one is safe to take. 

7. Keep a list of all medications on hand.  Keep this list current and make sure to include any drug allergies, the name of your doctor and the name of a contact person in case of emergencies.

8. Store medications out of the reach of children. Do not store in the bathroom or where they may be exposed to light, heat or humidity.

9. The best way to get rid of expired and unused pills is to return them to the pharmacy for safe disposal.

10. Check expiry dates of over the counter (non prescription) medications.

~ Nandini Desai, Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network Pharmacist and Certified Diabetes Educator