Worldwide, an astounding 50 million are diagnosed with dementia and over 23,000 of them live in Manitoba. Having a globally coordinated World Alzheimer’s Month sends a strong message to governments and policy makers, alerting them to the fact that dementia is a serious health issue that will have overwhelming implications on services and health systems around the world as the population grows older. We’ll be wearing blue on World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21st to show our support. Will you? Make sure to post your photos to social media, tag us and use the hashtag #goblueforalz.
Community News
Don’t Let Dentures Scare You!
Because dentures have been around for such a long time, they have had centuries to generate stories and myths. These fables and warning stories are sometimes used to scare children into taking better care of their teeth. While some concerns may have been valid in the past, they don’t hold anymore. The quality of modern dentures is continuously improving. After an adjustment period, you can enjoy the benefits of white, straight, and attractive teeth. Also, you can eat, drink, and speak normally, without embarrassment. Dentures are lighter, more natural-looking, and much easier to manage than ever before, giving you confidence and a beautiful smile!
Suffering From Peripheral Arterial Disease?
PAD or Peripheral Arterial Disease is the narrowing of the arteries in the legs. The narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) can limit blood flow and eventually block blood to the legs. If blood flow to legs is limited or blocked it can cause pain with walking or eventually at rest, skin discoloration, loss of hair growth, numbness, and even amputation of a toe or lower limb. Individuals with the following would be at greater risk of PAD: ≥ 65 years of age, Diabetes, Smokers, High Blood Pressure, History of heart disease and/or stroke.
Book Club
Living Well with Arthritis: A Sourcebook for Understanding and Managing Your Arthritis Living Well with Arthritis is written by Canadian doctors for Canadians. Its authors, all respected experts in the field, focus not only on medications and complementary treatments, but also on management of the many aspects of life that arthritis can affect. Topics such as dealing with chronic pain and fatigue, developing emotional and social coping strategies, and managing relationships are all explored, taking readers through the steps of how the body is affected, and ways to manage the disease.
Clean Eating Recipe
Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps. 1 lb lean ground chicken; 2 shallots, thinly sliced; ½ red pepper, diced; 1 tbsp chili powder; 2 tbsp lime juice; 2 tbsp orange juice; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp sriracha; 1/3 c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped; 12 iceberg lettuce leaves; 1/3 c chopped peanuts. Sauté chicken, shallots, red pepper, and chili powder 5-8 min, until chicken is brown. Stir in lime juice, orange juice, fish sauce, honey and Sriracha. Cook 3-5 min, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir 2 tbsp cilantro into the mixture. Remove from heat. Serve in lettuce leaves. Garnish with cilantro and peanuts. Enjoy!
Free Online Alzheimer Education
Learning new skills can help you face the daily realities of living with and caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. The Alzheimer Society of Manitoba is offering free online family education to help empower and inform people with dementia, their families and friends. Join us for a wide range of topics, such as navigating the first steps after a diagnosis and end of life care, so you can feel more confident on your dementia journey. To learn more about our sessions and to register, please visit our website at Alzheimer.mb.ca.
The Little Things That Matter
Often in life, the most meaningful moments are the moments spent with those who teach you something, with those who share laughs with you, and with those who support you no matter what. And within those moments, it’s the little things that become the most significant and valuable. Professional caregivers can be there for you, when you need a little extra hand around the house or someone to accompany you on your outings. Caregivers can help with the day-to-day tasks, so you have time to enjoy the little things in life, while remaining safe and independent in your own home.
A Good Night’s Sleep – Naturally!
A good night’s sleep does not come from a bottle because sleeping pills are not able to create natural, good quality, deep and refreshing sleep.
You may have already tried various strategies to manage sleeping problems or taking one or more medications to help you fall asleep or stay asleep. Interestingly, people who take sleeping pills are very often dissatisfied with their sleep despite taking one or more sleeping pills. On top of that, sleeping pills have longterm consequences. If you want deep, refreshing sleep, take a fresh approach. The research and medical community rank Cognitive behaviour therapy for sleep, which involves no remedies, the most effective and safest strategy. Happy zzzz!
Senior Moving Preparation
Not quite ready to commit to a move but want to get a head start on preparing? Here are a couple suggestions you can work away on to make things simpler when the time does come! Filing cabinets and desks are notorious for holding papers that are unnecessary. Take one drawer per day and make friends with your shredder! Do you only use items on 2 shelves in your 4-shelf linen closet? Pet shelters and rescues appreciate used towels and donation centres are always happy to accept bedding, to sell at reduced prices to folks who can really use them.
Workplace Wellness
Wellness is the state of being healthy in mind, body, and spirit. This approach to healthcare emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to treating diseases, especially of deliberate effort. Workplace Wellness is any workplace health promotion activity or policy designed to support healthy behavior in the workplace and to improve health outcomes. People are an organization’s most valuable asset. Helping them stay healthy, considers the 8 dimensions of wellness for a holistic approach. It will keep your organization healthy, seeing reduced absenteeism, lateness and turnover due to illness and increased productivity, loyalty and commitment due to better health.
What is a Green Burial?
Green burials, also sometimes called eco-funerals or natural burials, provide a simple, green option for saying goodbye to a loved one. Green burials typically don’t involve embalming – instead, family and friends may choose to wrap their loved one in a shroud made of eco-friendly, biodegradable material and choose an eco-friendly casket. Using land sustainably for burial purposes, such as choosing communal memorialization and planting with native plants, is also often part of a green burial. Your local funeral director can provide advice about and help you plan a suitable green burial for your loved one.
