We are committed to helping improve your loved ones quality of life and helping them thrive in the comfort of their own home.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Seniors' Christmas Celebration - Happy Holidays: A Musical Revue
What a wonderful way to start the holiday season! Enjoy an afternoon of entertainment at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts. Tickets are FREE and will be available on a first come, first served basis at the McConaghy Seniors Centre starting Monday, October 24. (You will be required to produce identification that confirms you are a Richmond Hill resident and 60+. Each senior is allowed to pick up a maximum of two tickets. Identification will be required for BOTH tickets.) For more information about this fantastic event please contact the McConaghy Seniors’ office at 905-737-1818 |
 Location: Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts http://onrichmondhill.com/events.php?id=11305 |
Friday, November 25, 2011
10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease
The winter holidays are a time when family members come together, share stories and spend quality time with each other. Due to geographic or time limitations, this may be one of the few opportunities throughout the year that adult children have to spend time with their parents. It is especially important to know thewarning signs of Alzheimer's Disease as you enjoy this time with aging parents or loved ones.
With Alzheimer’s disease rapidly becoming one of the greatest challenges facing our aging population, we are sharing 10 warning signs for you to be aware of. Recognizing these signs can help you to promote early detection and diagnosis.
1) Memory changes that disrupt daily life.
2) Challenges in planning or solving problems.
3) Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.
4) Confusion with time or place.
5) Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.
6) New problems with words in speaking or writing.
7) Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.
8) Decreased or poor judgment.
9) Withdrawal from work or social activities.
10) Changes in mood and personality.
For a more detailed description of these warning signs and a checklist of questions to ask a physician, visitwww.alz.org/10signs. Early diagnosis presents the best opportunity for treatment, support and future planning. For more information, visit www.alz.org or www.alzheimer.ca.
Home Care Assistance is proud to announce that, along with companies such as Starbucks, Intel and Pfizer, we are now a champion corporate partner of the Alzheimer’s Early Detection Alliance (AEDA), a program renowned for raising awareness for Alzheimer’s. As a member of this important alliance, we are committed to educating local communities about the warning signs of Alzheimer’s, the importance of early detection and the resources available to help those with the disease.
Friday, November 18, 2011
HEALTH CONNECTION – YOUR RESOURCE FOR CURRENT HEALTH CARE INFORMATION
Health Connection is a free and confidential health information/education telephone service provided by Public Health Nurses and Public Health Inspectors. The health care professionals at Health Connection can provide you and your family with current health information and can provide support and counselling for your individual health related concerns and questions.
Health Connection currently receives numerous calls from residents throughout York Region regarding a variety of health related topics, and if you have not used our services yet, we would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to connect with us.
We look forward to being a valuable resource for you, your family and friends.
We look forward to being a valuable resource for you, your family and friends.
Health Connection is a valuable resource in providing the following:
- Health care information/education
- Confidential counselling/consulting on health issues
- Answers to health related questions/concerns
- Accepting requests from the individual callers, work sites and community groups for presentations and information
HOURS – MONDAY-FRIDAY 8:30am-4:30pm
OPTION OF LEAVING A MESSAGE 24 HOURS/DAY
OPTION OF LEAVING A MESSAGE 24 HOURS/DAY
IF MESSAGE LEFT AFTER HOURS, HEALTH CONNECTION STAFF WILL RESPOND
TO YOUR CALL ON THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY
1 800 361-5653
TTY 1-866-252-9933
1 800 361-5653
TTY 1-866-252-9933
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Let's beat the flu
Everyone is at risk of getting the flu. You need to get the flu shot every year to be protected because the viruses that cause the flu change frequently.
The vaccine is free and available to people six months of age and older who live, work or attend school in Ontario.
The flu vaccine is very safe. Read the Influenza and the influenza vaccine fact sheet to learn more. The types of influenza now being seen in Toronto are a good match to the ones in this year's vaccine.
You can get the flu shot at doctors' offices, walk-in medical clinics, some pharmacies and at public health clinics. See Toronto Public Health's flu shot schedule to find out when and where a flu clinic is taking place near you.
More Information
Weekly Influenza Bulletin
Epidemiological data on influenza activity in Toronto. Updated weekly.
Epidemiological data on influenza activity in Toronto. Updated weekly.
Influenza and the influenza vaccine fact sheet is available in several languages.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
100-year-old Toronto Marathon runner denied record
The Canadian Press
Posted: Oct 24, 2011 11:25 AM ET
Last Updated: Oct 24, 2011 11:21 AM ET
Hundred-year-old marathoner Fauja Singh won't have a spot in the Guinness World Book of Records after all.
Singh attracted worldwide attention when he completed the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Oct. 16.But Guinness World Records told the BBC it won't recognize claims that Singh is the world's oldest marathon runner, because he can't show a birth certificate from 1911.
Singh has a British passport showing his date of birth as being April 1, 1911, as well as a letter from the Queen congratulating him on his 100th birthday.
A letter from Indian government officials state that no birth records were kept in 1911.
It took Singh over eight hours to cross the finish line, where he was met by a throng of media, supporters, family and friends.
Three days earlier, Singh claimed another eight records for 100-year-old men in eight track and field distances from 100 metres to 5,000 metres.
It appears those records will be recognized by World Masters Athletics..\
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Your best partner in the fight against breast cancer
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Canadian women. We estimate 23,200 women in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,300 women will die from the disease in 2011.
The Canadian Cancer Society fights back against cancer by leading breast cancer prevention initiatives, offering information and support services for breast cancer patients and their families, funding world-class breast cancer research and advocating for cancer-related issues.
Prevention
We fight breast cancer by doing everything we can to prevent cancer from ever happening in the first place. As part of our mission work, we create awareness of the Ontario Breast Screening Program and educate women about breast screening through our Thingamaboob tool.
We fight breast cancer by doing everything we can to prevent cancer from ever happening in the first place. As part of our mission work, we create awareness of the Ontario Breast Screening Program and educate women about breast screening through our Thingamaboob tool.
Take action! Did you know mammograms save lives by detecting the disease early when it's most treatable? If you're a woman 50 to 69 years old, fight back against breast cancer by getting a mammogram every two years. Talk to your healthcare professional or call the Ontario Breast Screening Program today at 1 800 668-9304 to book your own appointment.
ServicesThe Society cares about women living with breast cancer and their families. Our information and support services have been proven to decrease anxiety and increase people's ability to cope with cancer. If you know someone who is living with breast cancer, either as a patient or caregiver be sure to tell them about our free information and support services.
ResearchThis year, the Canadian Cancer Society is investing $2.7 million to support world-class breast cancer research. Recently, two of our ground-breaking breast cancer clinical trials made news headlines because they will change how breast cancer is prevented and treated around the world.
Our first study related to preventing breast cancer in women who are at increased risk for the disease. For these women our study found that the drug exemestane reduces their risk of developing the disease by 65 per cent.
The second study related to the treatment of breast cancer. Our study found that additional radiation treatment reduces risk of reoccurrence for women with early breast cancer.
Read more: http://www.cancer.ca/ontario/about%20us/od-mark%20your%20calendar/october%20is%20breast%20cancer%20awareness%20month.aspx?sc_lang=en#ixzz1bpKRUWm8
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Chocolate lovers have fewer strokes: Study
Written by: Reuters Oct. 11, 2011
Tempted by a chocolate bar? Maybe indulging every so often is not a bad thing — especially if it’s dark chocolate.
According to a Swedish study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that looked at more than 33,000 women, the more chocolate the women said they ate, the lower their risk of stroke.
The results add to a growing body of evidence linking cocoa consumption to heart health, but they aren’t a free pass to gorge on chocolate.
“Given the observational design of the study, findings of this study cannot prove that it’s chocolate that lowers the risk of stroke,” said Susanna Larsson from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, in an email to Reuters Health.
While she believes chocolate has health benefits, she also warned that eating too much of it could be counterproductive.
“Chocolate should be consumed in moderation as it is high in calories, fat and sugar. As dark chocolate contains more cocoa and less sugar than milk chocolate, consumption of dark chocolate would be more beneficial.”
Larsson and her colleagues tapped into data from a mammography study that included self-reports of how much chocolate women ate in 1997. The women ranged in age from 49 to 83 years.
Over the next decade, there were 1,549 strokes among the group. The more chocolate women ate, the lower their risk.
Among those with the highest weekly chocolate intake, more than 45 grams, there were 2.5 strokes per 1,000 women per year. That figure was 7.8 per 1,000 among women who at the least, less than 8.9 grams a week.
Scientists speculate that substances known as flavonoids, in particular so-called flavanois, may be responsible for chocolate’s apparent impact on health.
According to Larsson, flavonoids have been shown to cut high blood pressure, a risk factor for strokes, and improve other blood factors linked to heart health. Whether that theoretical benefit translates to real-life benefits remains to be proven by rigorous studies, however.
Nearly 800,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke every year, with about a sixth of them dying of it and many more left disabled.
For those at high risk, doctors recommend blood pressure medicine, quitting smoking, exercising more and eating a healthier diet — but so far, chocolate isn’t on the list.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Woodbridge Seniors Recognized
Regional Councillor Mario Ferri recently visited the South Asian Seniors group in Woodbridge at The Vellore Village Community Centre run in part with Human Endeavour. During his visit, he distributed The Volunteer Classic Collection award to those seniors who volunteer their time to make the program successful. Human Endeavour runs seniors wellness and prevention programs at five different locations in York Region, for more information you can visit: www.humanendeavour.org
http://www.snapwoodbridge.com/index.php?option=com_sngevents&id%5B%5D=95879
Monday, September 19, 2011
Why laughing until it hurts makes you happy
JAMES GORMAN
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
Published
Last updated
The answer, reports Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary psychologist at Oxford, is not the intellectual pleasure of cerebral humour, but the physical act of laughing. The simple muscular exertions involved in producing the familiar ha, ha, ha, he said, trigger an increase in endorphins, the brain chemicals known for their feel-good effect.
His results build on a long history of scientific attempts to understand a deceptively simple and universal behaviour. “Laughter is very weird stuff, actually. That’s why we got interested in it,” Dr. Dunbar said. And the findings fit well with a growing sense that laughter contributes to group bonding and may have been important in the evolution of highly social humans.
Social laughter, he suggests, relaxed and contagious, is “grooming at a distance,” an activity that fosters closeness in a group the way one-on-one grooming, patting and delousing promote and maintain bonds between individual primates of all sorts.
In five sets of studies in the laboratory and one field study at comedy performances, Dr. Dunbar and colleagues tested resistance to pain both before and after bouts of social laughter. The pain came from a freezing wine sleeve slipped over a forearm, an ever tightening blood pressure cuff or an excruciating ski exercise.
The findings, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, eliminated the possibility that the pain resistance measured was the result of a general sense of well being rather than actual laughter. And, he said, they also provided a partial answer to the ageless conundrum of whether we laugh because we feel giddy, or feel giddy because we laugh.
“The causal sequence is laughter triggers endorphin activation,” he said. What triggers laughter is a question that leads into a different labyrinth.
Robert Provine, a neuroscientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and the author of “Laughter: A Scientific Investigation,” said he thought the study was “a significant contribution” to a field of study that dates back 2,000 years or so.
It has not always focused on the benefits of laughter. Both Plato and Aristotle, Dr. Provine said, were concerned with the power of laughter to undermine authority. And he noted that the ancients were very aware that laughter could accompany raping and pillaging as well as a comic tale told by the hearth.
Dunbar, however, was concerned with relaxed, contagious social laughter, not the tyrant’s cackle or the “polite titter” of awkward conversation. He said a classic example would be the dinner at which everyone else speaks a different language, and someone makes an apparently hilarious, but incomprehensible, comment. “Everybody falls about laughing, and you look a little puzzled for about three seconds, but really you just can’t help falling about laughing yourself.”
To test the relationship of laughter of this sort to pain resistance, he did a series of six experiments. In five, participants watched excerpts of comedy videos, neutral videos or videos meant to promote good feeling, but not laughter.
Among the comedy videos were excerpts from “The Simpsons,” “Friends” and “South Park,” as well as from performances by standup comedians like Eddie Izzard. The neutral videos included “Barking Mad,” a documentary on pet training, and a golfing program. The positive, but unfunny, videos included excerpts from shows about nature, like the “Jungles” episode of “Planet Earth.”
In the lab experiments the participants were tested before and after seeing different combinations of videos. They suffered the frozen wine sleeve or blood pressure cuff in different experiments, and were asked to say when the pain reached a point they couldn’t stand. They wore recorders during the videos so the time they spent laughing could be established. In the one real world experiment similar tests were conducted at performances of an improvisational comedy group, the Oxford Imps.
The results, when analyzed, showed that laughing increased pain resistance, whereas simple good feeling, or positive affect, in a group setting, did not. Pain resistance is used as an indicator of endorphin levels because their presence in the brain is so difficult to test, and the molecules would not appear in blood samples, because they are among the brain chemicals that are prevented from entering circulating blood by the so-called blood brain barrier.
Dr. Dunbar thinks that laughter may have been favoured by evolution because it helped bring human groups together, the way other activities like dancing and singing do. Those activities also produce endorphins, he said, and physical activity is important in them as well. “Laughter is an early mechanism to bond social groups,” he said. “Primates use it.”
Indeed apes are known to laugh, although in a different way than humans. They pant. “Panting is the sound of rough and tumble play,” Dr. Provine said. It becomes a “ritualization” of the sound of play. And, in the course of the evolution of human beings, he suggests, “Pant, pant becomes ha, ha.”
New York Times News Service
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Learning to Love Growing Old
Fear of aging speeds the very decline we dread most.
Fear of aging speeds the very decline we dread most. And it ultimately robs our life of any meaning. No wonder there's an attitude shift in the making.
Technically, they are still baby boomers. But on the cusp of 50, much to their surprise, having come late into maturity, they can suddenly envision themselves becoming obsolete, just as their fathers, mothers, grandparents, uncles, and aunts did when they crossed the age 65 barrier, the moment society now defines as the border line between maturity and old age.
Although they may be unprepared psychologically, they are certainly fortitled demographically to notice the problems their elders now face—isolation, loneliness, lack of respect, and above all, virtual disenfranchisement from the society they built. The number of people reaching the increasingly mythic retirement age of 65 has zoomed from about seven and a half million in the 1930s (when Social Security legislation decreed 65 as the age of obsolescence) to 34 million today. By the turn of the century, that figure will be 61.4 million.
If the boomers' luck holds out, they will be spared what amounts to the psychological torture of uselessness and burdensomeness that every graying generation this century has faced before them. In an irony that boomers will no doubt appreciate (as rebellion is an act usually reserved for the young), a revolution in attitude about age is coming largely from a corner of the population that has traditionally been content to enjoy the status quo—a cultural elite whose median age is surely over 65.
A small but growing gaggle of experts (themselves mostly elders)—a diverse lot of gerontologists, physicians, psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, philosophers, ethicists, cultural observers, and spiritualleaders—are the vanguard of a movement to change the way society looks at and deals with growing old. They seek to have us stop viewing old age as a problem—as an incurable disease, if you will—to be "solved" by spending billions of dollars on plastic surgery in an attempt to mask visible signs of aging, other billions on medical research to extend the life span itself, and billions more on nursing and retirement homes as a way to isolate those who fail at the quest to deny aging.
Separately and together, this cultural elite is exploring ways to move us and our social institutions toward a new concept of aging, one they call "conscious aging." They want us to be aware of and accept what aging actually is—a notice that life has not only a beginning and a middle but an end—and to eliminate the denial that now prevents us from anticipating, fruitfully using, and even appreciating what are lost to euphemism as "the golden years."
"Conscious aging is a new way of looking at and experiencing aging that moves beyond our cultural obsession with youth toward a respect and need for the wisdom of age," explains Stephan Rechtschaffen, M.D., a holistic physician who directs the Omega Institute, a kind of New Age think tank that is a driving force in this attitude shift. He would have us:
- Recognize and accept the aging process and all that goes with it as a reality, a natural part of the life cycle; it happens to us all. The goal is to change the prevailing view of aging as something to be feared and the aged as worthless.
- Reverse our societal attitude of aging as an affliction, and instead of spending billions on walling off the aging, spend more to improve the quality of life among the aged.
We now live, and die, psychologically and spiritually incomplete. It may be a troubling sense of incompleteness that most stirs an appreciation for age among the baby boomers, so unfamiliar is any sense of incompleteness to the generation that invented the possibility of and has prided itself on "having it all."
Participants in the movement range from Shetwin Nuland, M.D., surgeon-author of the surprise best-seller How We Die, to Betty Friedan, who has dissected American attitudes toward aging in her latest book, Fountain of Youth, to spiritualist Ram Dass, Columbia University gerontologist Rence Solomon, Ph.D., and Dean Ornish, M.D., director of the University of California's Preventive Medicine Research Institute.
Until now, the conventional wisdom has been that only the aged, or those approaching its border, worry about its consequences: rejection, isolation, loneliness, and mandated obsolescence. Only they care about how they can give purpose to this final stage of their lives.
Sherwin Nuland has clear evidence to the contrary. His book, How We Die, paints a shimmeringly lucid and remarkably unsentimental picture of death—the process and its meaning to the dying and to those around them. The biggest group of readers of this best-seller? Not the elderly, as most observers, and even the author himself, had anticipated. It's the baby boomers. Curiosity about age and death is booming among the boomers.
Cont'd
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199409/learning-love-growing-old
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Alzheimer's Disease, 10 Warning signs
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease. Symptoms include loss of memory, difficulty with day-to-day tasks, and changes in mood and behaviour. People may think these symptoms are part of normal aging but they aren't. It is important to see a doctor when you notice any of these symptoms as they may be due to other conditions such as depression, drug interactions or an infection. If the diagnosis is Alzheimer's disease, your local Alzheimer Society can help.
To help you know what warning signs to look for, the Alzheimer Society has developed the following list:
- Memory loss that affects day-to-day function
It's normal to occasionally forget appointments, colleagues' names or a friend's phone number and remember them later. A person with Alzheimer's disease may forget things more often and not remember them later, especially things that have happened more recently. - Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Busy people can be so distracted from time to time that they may leave the carrots on the stove and only remember to serve them at the end of a meal. A person with Alzheimer's disease may have trouble with tasks that have been familiar to them all their lives, such as preparing a meal. - Problems with language
Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes, but a person with Alzheimer's disease may forget simple words or substitute words, making her sentences difficult to understand. - Disorientation of time and place
It's normal to forget the day of the week or your destination -- for a moment. But a person with Alzheimer's disease can become lost on their own street, not knowing how they got there or how to get home. - Poor or decreased judgment
People may sometimes put off going to a doctor if they have an infection, but eventually seek medical attention. A person with Alzheimer's disease may have decreased judgment, for example not recognizing a medical problem that needs attention or wearing heavy clothing on a hot day. - Problems with abstract thinking
From time to time, people may have difficulty with tasks that require abstract thinking, such as balancing a cheque book. Someone with Alzheimer's disease may have significant difficulties with such tasks, for example not recognizing what the numbers in the cheque book mean. - Misplacing things
Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or keys. A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in inappropriate places: an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl. - Changes in mood and behaviour
Everyone becomes sad or moody from time to time. Someone with Alzheimer's disease can exhibit varied mood swings -- from calm to tears to anger -- for no apparent reason. - Changes in personality
People's personalities can change somewhat with age. But a person with Alzheimer's disease can become confused, suspicious or withdrawn. Changes may also include apathy, fearfulness or acting out of character. - Loss of initiative
It's normal to tire of housework, business activities or social obligations, but most people regain their initiative. A person with Alzheimer's disease may become very passive, and require cues and prompting to become involved.
[This information is also available in a brochure from yourlocal Alzheimer Society or you can download the brochurefrom this site. Design and printing of this brochure made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer. ]
http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/disease/warningsigns.htm
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A Blog Worth Reading
August 2, 2011, 12:03 PM - By PAULA SPAN
When there’s radio silence from Chuck Ross for more than two months, loyal readers like me start to fret.
“Life With Father,” the blog Mr. Ross writes from Cape Cod, Mass., where he lives with and cares for his 89-year-old father, is a strikingly thoughtful and clear-eyed account of the ways in which family caregiving can upend one’s life.
Since I first wrote about the blog in January 2010, Mr. Ross has told readers about his father’s encounters with hospitals and rehab facilities and an array of doctors. He’s discussed his maneuvering to have his dad’s doctor get his driver’s license revoked after a scary near-accident, and described his father’s smoldering anger this spring when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts finally obliged.
The younger Mr. Ross is disarmingly honest about his own anger, an admission that serves, he writes, as an antidote to people’s tendency “to turn the caregiving experience into some sort of Norman Rockwell depiction of the virtues of compassion.”
He posts intermittently. When things are going well, Mr. Ross manages to check in three or four times a month; when work and caregiving obligations pile up, his dispatches dwindle. But “Life With Father” had gone silent since May 3, and I found myself wondering what was going on.
But Mr. Ross has resurfaced. As usual, he’s wise and reflective (and angry, and human). Take a look.
http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Easy Exercises to Protect Your Eyesight
As we age, our vision generally deteriorates. The muscles in our eyes change shape from decades of strain and become less flexible. As a result, we suffer from decreased sharpness of vision and an inability to focus. Doing daily eye exercises can help you maintain your eyes and slow the rate of eye muscle deterioration.
Here are four simple exercises for improving eyesight:
- 1. Tracing – Trace the outlines of the objects around you with your eyes. Practice following the contours of the objects at various speeds. Doing this exercise for a few minutes each day can help strengthen eye muscles and increase their flexibility.
- 2. Blinking – Blinking exercises are extremely easy to do and can help lubricate and relax the eyes. Close your eyes for a few moments, relax and then blink 15 times. Blink lightly, yet rapidly. If you feel like you are straining the muscles around your eyes or your eyelids, you should slow down.
- 3. Near/Far Focusing – This exercise helps to restore your eyes’ ability to rapidly shift focus between objects that are at various distances. Start by focusing on something situated very close to you. Allow your eyes to linger on this object long enough for them to clearly focus before focusing on an object 30 feet away. Upon completion, try focusing on an object 500 feet away and then even further. Repeat.
- 4. Zooming – Stretch your arm out in front of you with your hand in the “thumbs up” position. Focus on your thumb as your arm is extended out in front of you. Follow it with your eyes as you bring your thumb closer to your face. Stop when your thumb is about 3 inches away from your face. Then, maintaining focus on your thumb, slowly begin extending your arm out in front of you again. This exercise will increase your sharpness of vision and ability to focus.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Markham - Arthritis Health Events
| Event | Osteoarthritis of the Neck and BackThese sessions, led by a Physiotherapist from The Arthritis Society, will focus on: · Helping you better understand your diagnosis and possible causes of your pain · Teaching you about good posture habits · Providing you tips, tools and strategies for easing daily activities · Linking you to resources and choices for more help in your community | |
| Date | Tuesdays, Aug .16 & 30, 2011 | |
| Time | 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | |
| Location | Markham Stouffville Hospital Room 1633, 381 Church Street Markham, ON L3P 7P3 | |
| Cost: Register | Free For more information or to register, please call 1.800.321.1433 ext.3381 | |
| Event | Stay Active – Manage OA PainAt the end of this program, participants will be able to: - Identify the joint changes that occur with Osteoarthritis - Identify strategies to manage pain - Identify community resources for healthy living | |
| Date | Tuesday, September 27, 2011 | |
| Time | 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. | |
| Location | Markham Stouffville Hospital Room 1633, 381 Church Street Markham, ON L3P 7P3 | |
| Cost: Register | Free For more information or to register, please call 1.800.321.1433 ext.3381 | |
| Event | Osteoarthritis (OA) HandAt the end of this program, participants will be able to use strategies to control pain, protect joints and improve function of the hand | |
| Date | Tuesday, September 27, 2011 | |
| Time | 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. | |
| Location | Markham Stouffville Hospital 381 Church Street, Private Dining Room Markham, ON L3P 7P3 | |
| Cost: Register | Free For more information or to register, please call 1.800.321.1433 ext.3381 | |
Thursday, August 4, 2011
West Nile Virus
On July 22, 2011, Toronto Public Health received a laboratory report indicating that two more mosquito batches in Toronto have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). Toronto currenlty has three positive mosquito batches in 2011.
The first mosquitoes to test positive for WNV this year were reported on July 15, 2011. In 2010 there was one confirmed WNV human case and 19 positive mosquito batches that tested positive. This is the latest information on the status of WNV in Toronto.
For more information on Toronto's West Nile virus program or to speak to a public health inspector about West Nile virus related questions and/or concerns, please call 416-338-7600
http://www.toronto.ca/health/westnile/index.htm
| Reports, links & resources |
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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Extreme Heat
Heat rash and muscle cramps, to more dangerous hot weather emergencies like heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke:
Symptoms and treatment
Heat Exhaustion | Heat Stroke |
What is it? | |
Heat exhaustion occurs when the body loses an excessive amount of water and salt found in sweat. It can develop after exposure to high temperatures without enough fluid replacement. It can lead to heat stroke if it is left untreated. | Heat stroke occurs when the body's temperature rises rapidly (to 40°C/104°F or above) and the body is unable to cool down. It can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided. |
Symptoms | |
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Treatment | |
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Who is at risk?
Although extreme heat can affect everyone, some people are more at risk than others for heat-related illnesses, including:
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Tips to beat the heat
During extreme heat, the most important thing is to keep cool and avoid additional stress on your body.
Here are some important tips:
Here are some important tips:
Plan for the summer heat!
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Stay cool
Outdoors
- Schedule physical outdoor activities in the morning and evening hours when it is cooler
- Reduce activity and rest often in shady areas
- Choose lightweight, light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses with UV protection and sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher
Indoors
- Stay indoors in cool, well-ventilated areas
- Use fans with caution, always keep a window or door open to bring in outside air
- Close blinds and drapes to reduce heat entering your home
- Take a cool shower or bath, or wet your hands, face and the back of your neck
- If the outdoor temperature is cooler at night, open windows to let the cool air in
- If you are not in an air-conditioned environment and unable to stay cool, go to a public building such as a library, community centre, shopping mall or public pool
Visit your local municipality's website for more information on where you can stay cool in your area:
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York Region Heat Advisories
York Region issues a heat advisory when Environment Canada issues a humidex advisory for York-Durham. Environment Canada issues humidex advisories when the temperature is expected to reach or exceed 30°C and the humidex is expected to reach or exceed 40. The York Region extreme heat program runs annually from May 15th to September 30th.
| Year | Date heat advisory issued | Number of days heat advisory was in effect |
| 2010 | July 5 August 4 August 30 | 4 1 4 |
| 2011 | May 31 June 8 July 20 | 1 1 2 |
Additional Resources
Extreme Heat Events - Health Canada
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/environ/heat-chaleur-eng.php
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/environ/heat-chaleur-eng.php
Climate Change & Health - Health Canada
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/climat/index-eng.php
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/climat/index-eng.php
Extreme Heat - York Region Emergency Management
www.york.ca/Services/Emergency+Management/What+to+do+if.../4.4.4.+Extreme+heat.htm
www.york.ca/Services/Emergency+Management/What+to+do+if.../4.4.4.+Extreme+heat.htm
Plant Trees, Build Shade; for Your Health and the Environment - York Region's Sun Sense Coalition
www.sunsafeyork.org
www.sunsafeyork.org
Heat Stress (Health and Safety Guidelines) - Ontario Ministry of Labour
www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/gl_heat.php
www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/gl_heat.php
For more information on this or other health-related topics, please call
York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653, TTY 1-866-252-9933.
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