Take Advantage of Your Seniority

Fear Factor: New Survey Reveals that One Quarter of Ontarians Say Surviving a Stroke Would Be Worse Than Dying

2012-01-24T06:33:00.000-08:00

Stroke Survivors Association of Ottawa urging Ontarians to learn about a serious heart condition called atrial fibrillation - and how to prevent it causing the most severe and debilitating type of stroke

TORONTO, January 23, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - According to a new Stroke Survivors of Ottawa Survey, conducted by Léger Marketing, a quarter of Ontarians say surviving a stroke would be worse than dying and more than a third (34 per cent), would rather lose a limb than suffer the effects of a stroke. However, while Ontarians are fearful of the consequences of a stroke, the majority are unfamiliar with the basic facts of atrial fibrillation or AF - a common and serious heart condition that can lead to the most severe and debilitating types of stroke. What's more, 71 per cent of Ontarians falsely believe that AF is tied to an increased risk of heart attack while only 40 per cent understand its connection to stroke.

There are approximately 100,000 Ontarians living with AF, which causes the heart to beat irregularly. After the age of 55, the incidence of AF doubles with each decade of life. People with AF are three to five times more at risk of having a stroke than those without AF, and they are twice as likely to die from one. For those who survive a stroke, the disabilities can be significant and can include paralysis; loss of speech and understanding; and effects on the memory, thought and emotional processes. Currently, AF costs the Ontario health care system approximately $700 million annually.

"Ontarians are right to be frightened by the effects of a stroke - but what concerns me more is the wide-spread lack of awareness about conditions like AF, and thereby the lack of action people are taking to protect themselves from the strokes it can cause," says Janet McTaggart, Executive Director of the Stroke Survivors Association of Ottawa.

Bruce Ryder knows all too well how easy it can be to live with AF and not even know it. He was diagnosed with AF four years ago after passing out at a party.

"Prior to my AF diagnosis, I had never heard of atrial fibrillation, much less knew about its connection to stroke," says Ryder. "Thinking about what could have happened had I not discovered my AF and started treatment is positively frightening to me. I was just living with AF and didn't even realize it - I had no symptoms. That is why you need to raise this with your physician and get them to check your heart rhythm. Not everyone will be as lucky as me."

The survey also revealed that more than 70 per cent of Ontarians do not know how to prevent an AF-related stroke. To help bridge that knowledge gap and raise awareness of AF, a new website has been developed: www.StrokeAndAF.ca. Visitors can not only learn the facts about AF, but they can also find questions to ask their doctor, tips on living with AF, and suggestions for caregivers.

"Ontarians are fearful of stroke, yet many admit they're unfamiliar with its link to AF - a condition that can lead to one of the most severe and debilitating types of stroke," says Dr. Richard Tytus, Associate Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, McMaster University. "Our goal is to educate Ontarians about AF and the consequences of an AF-related stroke, so that they take action by speaking with their doctor. Once people understand their risk, they can then work with their doctor to take the necessary steps to protect themselves."

A White Paper entitled Reconnecting the Pieces to Optimize Care in Atrial Fibrillation was recently published by the Centre for Innovation and Complex Care at the University Health Network. It provides a comprehensive review of the gaps of AF care in Ontario, the challenges for patients, and the costs to the health care system.

"Atrial fibrillation and stroke are putting enormous financial pressures on our health care system that we cannot afford," says Dr. Dante Morra, Medical Director, Centre for Innovation and Complex Care at the University Health Network. "Our population is aging at an alarming rate, but with a combination of some system restructuring and better disease prevention, we can get it under control and provide great care to Ontarians."

According to the survey, Ontarians have an appreciation for the impact a severe stroke could potentially have on their lives. In fact seven in 10 Ontarians fear losing their independence due to stroke and more than six in 10 fear losing their mobility (66 per cent), not fully recovering from a stroke (65 per cent), losing their speech/ability to communicate (64 per cent) and being a burden on their family (63 per cent).

"If we get more people to take action and protect themselves from stroke, hopefully we can reduce the number of stroke survivors that need our assistance. Raising awareness about AF is an important first step," says McTaggart.

About Stroke in Canada

In Canada, stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and the third leading cause of death with up to 15 per cent of strokes being caused by AF. The health care costs for patients in the first six months after a stroke totals more than $2.5 billion a year, with direct and indirect costs for each patient averaging $50,000 in the first six months following a stroke. People with non-disabling strokes spend up to $24,000 during the first six months and the costs for families can increase to over $100,000 for the most severely affected.7 Examples of stroke-related expenses to families include caregiving, transportation and lost income.

About Stroke Survivors Association of Ottawa

Stroke Survivors Association of Ottawa (SSAO) provides stroke survivors, their families, caregivers, professionals and the general public with a wide variety of support services, community re-engagement, advocacy, education and other programs. As well, SSAO has connections to many Ottawa and surrounding area stroke supports.

Cases of Influenza confirmed in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, Ontario

2012-01-19T05:28:00.000-08:00

If you have a vacation planned for March break, now is the time to get your flu shot

WELLINGTON COUNTY, Ontario January 18, 2012 - Health and Safety Watch - Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health reports that while it’s been a relatively mild year for flu activity, confirmed cases are started to be seen in Wellington and Dufferin counties. WDG Public Health has received four lab confirmed cases of flu in the community and one confirmed outbreak of flu in a long-term care home.

Public Health’s Clinical Services Manager, Rosalyn LaRochelle, says,

“To date, we have administered over 10,000 flu shots in our clinics and distributed 61,000 doses to area physicians, hospitals, and long-term care homes. We don’t have numbers for shots administered through independent pharmacies and home health care providers but there’s no doubt anyone who chose to get their flu shot has contributed to the lower incidence of flu in our community.”

In general, flu is spread by droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze and by touching surfaces that are contaminated with the virus such as unwashed hands, toys, cell phones or eating utensils. The most common symptoms are fever and cough PLUS one or more of the following symptoms: Sore throat, Muscle pain, Joint pain, Weakness

LaRochelle adds,

“This year we had the option of ordering pre-filled syringes of the flu vaccine. It’s made the process of administering the shot much more efficient.”

If you have a vacation planned for March break, now is the time to get your flu shot. Appointments are available by calling Public Health or your health care provider. For more information visit: www.wdgpublichealth.ca.

CNIB Recommends Diabetics Have Regular Eye Examinations

2012-01-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

TORONTO, January 17, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - CNIB is stressing the importance of regular eye examinations as part of a diabetic's treatment protocol. This recommendation comes as a result of the 2011 Diabetes in Canada1 report recently released by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) which details the importance of eye disease, in particular diabetic retinopathy, as a key complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

The report not only showed that the prevalence of diabetes had increased 70% over a 11-year period from 1998/99 to 2008/99, it also stated that in the first 20 years after a diagnosis of diabetes almost all individuals with type 1 diabetes and more than 60 percent with type 2 diabetes develop some form of retinopathy. And, according to results from a 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey only 66 percent of individuals with diabetes obtain regular eye exams.

CNIB's Vice President of Research, Dr Keith Gordon, a member of the Diabetes in Canada editorial board, stresses the importance of regular eye examinations for diabetics:

"Because people with diabetes are at a greater risk for vision loss, it is vitally important that all diabetics visit an eye care professional for regular diagnostic examinations to help detect any early signs of diabetic retinopathy and to monitor any further developments of the disease," says Dr. Gordon.

"There are typically few warning signs of diabetic retinopathy in the early stages and very often, by the time symptoms are noticed by an individual with diabetes, the disease has progressed to a more advanced stage, making successful treatment less likely and the risk of blindness greater," adds Dr. Gordon.

According to the PHAC report, in 2008/09 there were almost 2.4 million Canadians or 6.8 percent of the population living with diabetes. It is estimated that close to 500,000 Canadians have been diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy and that approximately 100,000 of these individuals have a vision threatening form of the disease. A CNIB study, conducted in conjunction with the Canadian Ophthalmological Society two years ago2, put the total cost of diabetic retinopathy to the Canadian economy at half a billion dollars.

In diabetic retinopathy, elevated glucose levels in the blood can cause blood vessels in the eye to swell and leak in the retina. New blood vessels may also grow causing further damage. Severe diabetic retinopathy can result in total vision loss. While diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness amongst diabetics, the risk of developing cataracts or glaucoma is also increased in people with diabetes.

"Diabetes affects the organs of the body including the eyes," says Dr. Gordon. "Controlling blood sugars and changing other lifestyle factors can help reduce the risk of developing vision loss due to retinopathy."

Diabetes, a chronic disease that occurs when the body is either unable to sufficiently produce or properly use insulin, can strike at any age. Cathy MacDonald of Sackville, NS was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 4. Despite daily insulin treatment, she began to develop tiny blood vessels in the back of her eyes. Laser treatments to control their growth failed, leading to the development of severe diabetic retinopathy.

After two operations to correct the condition failed, Ms. MacDonald was blind at the age of 27. "If there is a message that I would like to impart, it's that diabetes is very serious and complications do happen," says Ms. MacDonald, who learned firsthand about the long-term effect diabetes can have on internal organs such as the eyes.

Ms. MacDonald relied on services and programs at CNIB to help her regain a sense of independence in her daily activities. She went on to enroll in a local community college, earning a diploma in Human Services. She later married and had a child.

"You can do anything if you put your mind to it," adds Ms. MacDonald.

About CNIB

CNIB is a registered charity, passionately providing community-based support, knowledge and a national voice to ensure Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life. To learn more, visit cnib.ca or call the toll-free CNIB Helpline at 1-800-563-2642.

Call for New Driver Test to Help Improve Road Safety in Canada

2012-01-16T06:12:00.000-08:00

TORONTO, January 16, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - A University of Toronto Psychology Professor believes a test to measure a driver's cognitive ability would go a long way in making Canada's roads safer. As Canadian clinicians become more aware of disorders that impact cognitive ability, such as post concussion syndrome, and dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Konstantine Zakzanis believes it's becoming increasingly important to measure a driver's cognitive ability.

"A practical and accessible screening test to identify those drivers who may be a risk to themselves and others would help to improve road safety for all drivers," said Zakzanis. "It could be used at a time of driver's license renewal, or made available anytime at a driver's request."

Zakzanis has developed a 15-minute online screening test called BrainScreen. It is patent pending, available in 20 languages and is the first test of its kind in North America.

"A whole range of factors affect a driver's cognitive skills, from medications and concussions to Alzheimer's disease," said Brian Patterson, President of the Ontario Safety League. "A standard recognized test to measure a driver's cognitive ability will take road safety to the next logical level."

About BrainScreen

Developed by Professor Konstantine Zakzanis through the University of Toronto and the Hemisphere Centre for Mental Health & Wellness, BrainScreen is an effective screening tool developed to identify cognitive disorders that result from Alzheimer's disease and other Dementia syndromes, as well as psychiatric and medical conditions such as Attention Deficit Disorder and Post-Concussive Syndrome.

"All too often delayed diagnosis prevents people from getting early treatment," said Scott Knight, Executive Director of the Hemisphere Centre for Mental Health and Wellness. "Since BrainScreen is an online test, giving the user immediate results, it serves as an early warning system for anyone to get treatment sooner - treatment that could make all the difference."

BrainScreen is easily adaptable for a range of applications from driver's license renewals and insurance underwriting and claims to improving safety in the trucking and cab industries. BrainScreen provides instant results to the user or any administrator. Similar to baseline testing in sports endeavours, BrainScreen is able to measure against past performance.

The Benefits of Cognitive Testing

In 2025, 1 in 4 Canadians will be 65 and older, making a screening test for cognitive acuity a relevant and practical tool for improving road safety.

Half a million Canadians have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. In other words, 71,000 Canadians under the age of 65, and 1 in 11 Canadians over the age of 65 have Alzheimer's disease. By 2040, that number is expected to more than double, according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada.

About Hemisphere Centre

The Hemisphere Centre for Mental Health and Wellness is a collaborative project designed to promote de-medicalized access to screening tools to aid in the identification of cognitive disorders secondary to various disorders and diseases. Combining assessment best practices and evidence-based research, the Hemisphere Centre is focused on delivering products and services that are scientifically robust, accessible and practical for use by the general public. http://hcmh.ca/

Stay Healthy this Winter, Shovel Lightly!

2012-01-14T06:08:00.000-08:00

MONTREAL, January 13, 2012 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - January is putting on its traditional white coat and whether we like it or not, winter rhymes with snow storm! Here are a few useful tips to make sure you shovel safely this season.

Shovelling is a highly demanding physical activity for your heart and joints and it can cause many injuries. According to Dr. Robert David, spokesperson for the Association des chiropraticiens du Québec,

"the amount of patients who see their chiropractor for muscle, joint or nerve injuries increases during the winter months. Yet, many injuries could be avoided if the right shovelling technique were being used."

Extreme temperatures like the ones we experience in Quebec make shovelling an even more difficult task. To avoid injuries, here are a few tips that will help you make the right decisions when the first big snowfalls will show up to your doorstep.

...Don't let snow pile up. It is preferable to shovel frequently in small quantities than to wait until the storm is over.

...In order to loosen up your joints and activate your blood circulation, take 5 to 10 minutes to warm up before starting. To do so, walk in place, go up and down the stairs, stretch your torso side to side and stretch your back.

...Use a lightweight shovel with an ergonomic curved handle. Ideally, your shovel should be made out of plastic or aluminum and designed to push the snow. Its handle should be long enough so that you don't have to bend over to work, though it should not be higher than your shoulders.

...Push the snow to the side rather than throwing it. If you absolutely need to throw it, lift only the amount you are able to carry and move your feet in the desired direction. Never throw snow over your shoulder height. Flexion-extension and rotating movements cause a lot of tension to your intervertebral disks and ligaments. Lumbar sprains and herniated disks can arise from such movements.

...Use your leg muscles instead of your back. Don't forget to bend your knees, to always keep your back straight and to keep the shovel close to your body.

...Don't turn your torso and never throw snow over your shoulder or sideways.

...Don't always work on the same side; make sure you shovel snow equally your right and left side.

...Wear many layers of clothing so you can remove some if needed and still be properly dressed to prevent chilblains.

...Keep a regular rhythm and take frequent breaks, especially if you are shovelling heavy, wet snow.

...If you feel tired or short of breath, take a break every 10 to 15 minutes.

...Drink a lot of water. Dehydration occurs as much in the winter as in the summer.

...Watch out for temperature rises. In cold weather, the physical strain is lower than when the temperature rises. Water concentration in snow increases in weight and risks of injuries become higher. So when spring comes, make sure you take smaller shovels of snow.

...If you experience pain after shovelling, apply ice on the affected area for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, rest for a few hours. Be careful when applying heat, it could cause inflammation. During the day, apply ice every two hours. If the pain persists for more than three days, consult a chiropractor near you.

If your spine is not in great shape, the risks of developing more problems when the first snow storm occurs are much higher. Prevent pain! See your chiropractor for a full neuromusculoskeletal system evaluation.

About the ACQ

The Association des chiropraticiens du Québec (ACQ) is a non-profit organisation created in 1966. As part of its public education mission, the ACQ seeks to constantly promote educational projects that enhance public health using natural approaches. With that in mind, we are pleased to offer tips to the citizens of Quebec for a safe and healthy Holiday and winter season.

To find out more about how to shovel right, we invite you to visit our website at www.chiropratique.com.

Community Invited to Celebrate Lincoln Alexander’s 90th

2012-01-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

GUELPH, Ontario January 10, 2012 - University of Guelph Campus Bulletin

Lincoln Alexander, the University of Guelph’s chancellor emeritus, turns 90 on Jan. 21. The University will hold a community celebration Jan. 20, 2 to 3:30 p.m., in the Science Complex atrium. The event is open to all University students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

“

Lincoln led our university with grace and dignity for more than 15 years and has made great contributions to Canada during his lifetime,” says president Alastair Summerlee.

“We’ve been blessed that he remains a great supporter and friend to this university, as well as a role model and inspiration. His birthday is truly a day worth celebrating.”

Alexander, a former lieutenant-governor of Ontario, was appointed U of G chancellor in 1991 and served for five terms, a record among Canadian universities. In 2007, he was named chancellor emeritus to recognize his years of dedication to the University.

Alexander was first elected MP for Hamilton West in 1968. He was Canada’s first black MP, the first black chair of the Workers’ Compensation Board and the first visible minority to hold the post of lieutenant-governor.

Ontario schools and buildings and a highway are named after him. Alexander Hall, the University’s environmental teaching hub, opened on the Guelph campus this past fall.

Three U of G awards also carry his name: the Lincoln Alexander Outstanding Leadership Award; the Lincoln Alexander Medal of Distinguished Service; and the Lincoln Alexander Chancellor’s Scholarship. Established on his 80th birthday, the scholarship recognizes top students who are aboriginal, persons with a disability or members of a visible minority who have made significant contributions to their communities and demonstrated leadership potential.

If you’re unable to attend the Jan. 20 celebration, you may leave a birthday greeting online.

Come in From the Cold - Winter 2012 Education Series

2012-01-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

...a FREE series of informational workshops for everyone...

Free Diabetes Screening Clinic - Tuesday, January 10 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Has you doctor ever said to you that you could develop Diabetes because of your weight, activity levels, blood pressure or elevated blood sugars? A Nurse and Dietitian from Diabetes Care Guelph will measure blood sugar, blood pressure and waist circumference and provide consulation regarding your risk for Diabetes

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hmm, so my hearing is not as good as it used to be, now what should I do?" - Wednesday, February 1 1:00 pm

Presented by: Mary Young, Hearing Care Counsellor, Canadian Hearing Society
Topics: dealing with hearing changes, hearing aids, communication strategies, assistive listening devices and community supports

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Get Stroke Smart" - Wednesday, February 8 1:00 pm

Presented by: Andrew Grayson, Heart and Stoke Foundation of Ontario
Topics: the impact of stroke, what a stroke is and the various types, warning signs, risk factors and what to do if someone is having a stroke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Seeing Beyond Vision Loss" - Wednesday, February 15 1:00 pm

Presented by: Roland Schlosser, Canadian National Institute for the Blind

Did you know it is estimated that 75% of vision loss could have been avoided?

Topics: health issues and the contribution to vision loss, eye conditions (AMD, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nutrition checkup! Am I eating well to stay health? How can I improve my diet?" - Wednesday, February 22 1:00 pm

Presented by: Holly Reimer, Registered Dietitian

Come and learn about healty eating guidelines for older adults and online resources to give yourself a nutrition checkup!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Federal and Financial Benefits for Seniors" - Wednesday, February 29 1:00 pm

Presented by: Carolyn Lewis, Service Canada

Eligible seniors are entitled to receive Federal Benefits which provide ongoing financial assistance and services. Learn more about these Pension Benefits.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Fraud Against Older Adults. Recognize it! Report it! Stop it from happening" - Wednesday, March 14 1:00 pm

Presented by: Constable Tina Ryan, Guelph Police Services, Fraud Unit

Back by demand, Tina will provide an update on identity theft and frauds you need to be aware of.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What will happen when you can no longer cope at home by yourself?" - Wednesday, March 21 1:00 pm

Presented by: Barb Wahl, Senior Manager, Waterloo Wellington Community Care Access Centre (CCAC)
Topics: when it may be time to think about Long-Term Care, the difference between Retirement Homes and Long-Term Care, costs, how to apply and questions to ask when deciding where to live.

To Register please contact Pat Gage 519-837-5696 - presented by GWSA Community Support Services

All workshops take place at the Evergreen Seniors Community Centre, 683 Woolwich Street, Guelph, Ontario

January is Alzheimer Awareness Month... Let's face it! Get the facts. Know for sure.

2012-01-04T05:52:00.000-08:00

TORONTO, January 4, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canadians are still dismissing symptoms of dementia as "just old age" based on survey results released today by the Alzheimer Society. Close to 50 per cent of Canadians lived a year or more with their symptoms before seeing a family doctor. Of these, 16 per cent waited more than two years. A delayed diagnosis results in a huge treatment gap and prevents people from getting valuable information about medications, support and better disease management.

To promote the benefits of early diagnosis, this January during Alzheimer Awareness the Alzheimer Society is launching its Let's face it! campaign.

The online survey, which was conducted by the Society in the fall of 2011, also revealed that the most common reason for the delay (53 per cent) was the belief that the symptoms were part of "old age" and would eventually go away. Another 39 per cent said their symptoms were episodic or didn't take them seriously enough. Over a quarter either refused to see a doctor or saw no need to go unless symptoms grew worse.

However, three-quarters of respondents - caregivers of people with dementia - admitted that they wished they had sought a diagnosis sooner to have access to treatments to manage symptoms. They also recognized other benefits of getting a diagnosis when shown a list of these. Seventy-eight per cent of respondents said that early diagnosis would help them put their legal and financial affairs in order; 69 per cent said it would keep the person with dementia at home longer, and allow the person to actively participate in decision-making. Sixty-two percent of respondents attributed better coping and living with the disease to early diagnosis.

"Symptoms of dementia are different from normal aging," says Naguib Gouda, newly appointed CEO at the Alzheimer Society. "We need to help Canadians recognize the symptoms for what they are: signs of a brain disorder that will affect 1.1 million Canadians in the next 25 years. While we don't yet have a cure, we can offer treatment that may slow the progression of the disease, and a wealth of information to help people prepare for their future needs."

Dr. Francine Lemire of the College of Family Physicians of Canada agrees. "Dementia is a complex disease but a diagnosis can be reassuring for both the person exhibiting symptoms and their family. With early diagnosis, medications can help minimize symptoms and improve quality of life."

During Alzheimer Awareness Month, the Alzheimer Society encourages Canadians to face dementia by visiting its Let's face it! campaign site: www.alzheimerletsfaceit.ca There they can learn more about dementia and its warning signs and download a Preparing for your doctor's visit checklist. The site also features moving testimonials of caregivers and people with dementia who tell what early diagnosis has meant to them.

"You've got to take on the role of advocate yourself because your partner or parent can't do it themselves. Don't minimize their symptoms." - Wayne Grieve, Caregiver

About the Alzheimer Society

The Alzheimer Society is the leading nationwide health charity for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Active in more than 150 communities across Canada, the Society offers Help for Today through our programs and services for people living with dementia and Hope for Tomorrow… by funding research to find the cause and the cure.

For more information visit www.alzheimerletsfaceit.ca or www.alzheimer.ca

Novel Influenza A H3N2 Virus identified - Canadians encouraged to get the flu shot and to take the usual precautions

2012-01-01T05:12:00.000-08:00

Health & Safety Watch- January 1, 2012 The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that in recent weeks, a new variant of the influenza A H3N2 virus, now referred to as A(H3N2)v has been identified in the United States. A(H3N2)v is a swine origin influenza virus which also has genes from birds and humans, and usually infects pigs.
The U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has detected 12 cases of human influenza infection caused by the A(H3N2)v since July 2011. According to the CDC, most infections with the virus have resulted in mild, self-limited respiratory illnesses; three people, all with underlying medical conditions, were hospitalized, but have since recovered.
Early cases of infection with A(H3N2)v were associated with contact with pigs, but more recent cases were not, suggesting that A(H3N2)v is now capable of limited human to human spread.
No cases of the A(H3N2)v influenza virus have been identified in Canada. As is the case for all new variant influenza strains however, the Public Health Agency of Canada is working with provinces and territories to closely monitor the situation and has increased its surveillance for A(H3N2)v in Canada.
The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to encourage Canadians to get the flu shot and to take the usual precautions such as regular hand washing and coughing or sneezing into your arm, to protect themselves from the flu.
In collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has also issued information for the food production industry to help protect animal and human health during the flu season.
There are other steps Canadians can take to protect themselves and others from the flu. For more information visit fightflu.ca or get a copy of Fight Flu: Your Seasonal Flu Guide.
...read more story at Health & Safety Watch

New President and CEO at Homewood Health Centre

2011-12-24T05:53:00.000-08:00

photo credit: fadedgenes/via Flickr

GUELPH, Ontario, December 22, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - James Schlegel, President and CEO of Schlegel Health Care, and interim CEO of Homewood Health Centre, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jagoda Pike as President and CEO of Homewood Health Centre.

Ms Pike brings significant experience in Ontario health care including serving on the Board of Hamilton Health Sciences and recently was elected as the inaugural Chair of the Board for the newly merged Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga. She also serves on the Board of Governors of McMaster University.

Ms Pike has over 25 years of senior executive leadership experience. She spent 22 years at Torstar Corporation in a variety of positions including General Manager, Vice President Operations, Vice President Human Resources, Publisher of the Hamilton Spectator and ultimately President, Star Media Group and Publisher of the Toronto Star. Most recently, she was the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games Bid Corporation.

Trained as a lawyer, Ms Pike was called to the bar in 1986. She also studied economics at the University of Toronto, Trinity College. She was named to 'Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award' in 2007, and was named one of the most influential women in sport by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport in 2009.

Mr. Schlegel said that in all of these roles she has provided dynamic, highly capable and inspiring leadership. She has also learned how to manage complex organizations with diverse stakeholder interests, a significant external profile and a mission which includes a broader public purpose.

"Jagoda is interested in and committed to making a positive difference in the world", said Mr. Schlegel. "I am pleased that she will deploy her considerable experience and talent in leading Homewood to make a positive difference in the mental health and addictions field. We will need world class leadership to achieve this goal and I believe Jagoda brings such leadership to our team."

"I am thrilled to be joining such a respected organization. Homewood has a reputation for excellent programs and patient outcomes. I look forward to working with everyone at Homewood and our many stakeholders to build on that great record of achievement."

Homewood Health Centre is Canada's leader in mental health and addiction treatment providing highly specialized psychiatric services to all Canadians. Located in Guelph, Ontario, Homewood has improved lives since 1883. Unique in Canadian health care, Homewood is fully accredited and a recipient of numerous national awards, and serves as a provincial and national resource.

Hamilton Health Sciences ranked as one of Canada's and the world's leading research hospitals

2011-12-22T05:25:00.000-08:00

HAMILTON, Ontario, December 21, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Two different organizations have ranked Hamilton Health Sciences as one of Canada's and the world's leading research hospitals.

...SCImago, a European company that develops scientific information analysis and evaluation tools, has issued the third edition of its Worldwide Ranking of Research Institutions. Using large, scientific databases, SCImago analyzes quantitative indicators including output of scientific papers (particularly in influential journals), international collaboration, how often research is cited by other scientists, and thematic concentration. In total, 3,042 institutions were ranked this year.

In SCImago's "Normalized" Impact ranking, Hamilton Health Sciences is ranked #1 in Canada and #7 in the world, ahead of many famous international research institutions. The Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences was Canada's second place institution at #17. Normalized Impact is useful because it indicates the scientific impact that institutions have over the scientific community. In order to obtain a fair measurement of such impact, its calculation removes the influence due to institutions' size and research profile making it ideal for comparing research performance. Normalized Impact values show the ratio between the average scientific impact of an institution and the world average impact of publications of the same time frame, document type and subject area. Report

...A Calgary-based research and development company called RE$EARCH Infosource Inc. recently produced a ranking of Canada's top 40 research hospitals that was published in the Globe and Mail. It drew on the Canadian Research Hospitals Database and ranked hospitals on the level of research funding they received in 2010. Hamilton Health Sciences was #2 in this ranking, behind University Health Network. Report

Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) is a family of six hospitals, a cancer centre and an urgent care centre, serving more than 2.3 million residents of Hamilton and central west Ontario. HHS is affiliated with one of Canada's leading research universities, McMaster University, also in Hamilton.

"These rankings are indicative of the strength of our researchers' collaborations within the city, across Canada and around the world," says Dr. Salim Yusuf, Vice President Research at Hamilton Health Sciences, Professor of Medicine at McMaster University and Executive Director of the Population Health Research Institute based at Hamilton General Hospital. "Our funding partners, our academic partners and our clinical partners have all contributed to our success in attracting resources to research at HHS - research that is impacting health care worldwide."

"Hamilton Health Sciences is committed to advancing research and we are very proud of what our scientists and investigators have accomplished," says Murray Martin, President and CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences. "We believe in the value and importance of linking our clinical and teaching roles with the advancement of research. It's a vital contribution that hospitals should make to enhancing patient care for this generation, and generations to come."

"We're very pleased, but not at all surprised, by the high ranking of our largest academic hospital partner, Hamilton Health Sciences," says Dr. Steve Collins, associate dean, research, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University. "Our faculty members appreciate the hospital system's commitment to the best patient care by providing an excellent environment for high-impact research."

"The recent rankings of Hamilton Health Sciences as one of the top national and international research hospitals recognizes its increasing pre-eminence," says distinguished cardiology researcher, Dr. John Cairns, who is also Professor of Medicine and Past Dean of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. "The research studies and the outstanding researchers of Hamilton Health Sciences are increasingly acknowledged world-wide. Clinical research lies at the very core of HHS, improving outcomes for local patients, but also for patients everywhere. I congratulate the investigators, the research staff, the hospital personnel and leadership, and the patients who make this research possible."

Research at Hamilton Health Sciences - Summary of Facts & Figures

...$180 million research revenue attracted in 2010
...more than 1,200 research staff
...891 principal investigators
...1,293 published articles in scholarly journals in 2010
...There are research groups and programs in all specialties across Hamilton Health Sciences including: Population Health Research Institute; Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute; Escarpment Cancer Research Institute; McMaster Child Health Research Institute
...The Population Health Research Institute collaborates on research initiatives with 1,500 hospital in 80 countries

Web links:

Hamilton Health Sciences www.HamiltonHealthSciences.ca

Population Health Research Institute - www.phri.ca

Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute - www.taari.c

McMaster Child Health Research Institute - www.wholechildresearch.com

Escarpment Cancer Research Institute - http://www.hhsc.ca/body.cfm?id=2303

Tips from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute on how to stay heart healthy through the holiday season

2011-12-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

OTTAWA, December 13, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The holiday season tends to see an increase in cardiac events, with distinct spikes around Christmas and New Year's Day, according to U.S.-based studies. While the exact reasons for these trends are not known for certain, a number of factors appear to contribute to the 'Merry Christmas Coronary' and 'Happy New Year Heart Attack' phenomenon.

"People may delay getting treatment so as not to make a fuss over the holidays," says Dr. Andrew Pipe, Chief of the Division of Prevention and Rehabilitation at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. "Overeating, drinking too much alcohol, reduced exercise, emotional stress associated with the holiday season, among other things, can all contribute to the onset of a cardiac event such as a heart attack or arrhythmia over the holidays," he added.

While a large proportion of patients who experience holiday heart attacks have a known condition that predisposes them to this risk, many who are afflicted may not have been aware that they were at risk.

The Heart Institute offers the following tips that all Canadians can heed to enhance heart health over the festive season:

Be generous. Helping those less fortunate is an important holiday tradition…and very good for the heart!

Keep moving, but don't over exert yourself. Take time to exercise…a daily walk can be both relaxing and health enhancing! Take your dog for a walk every day - even if you don't have one! But avoid over exerting yourself physically through activities such as heavy snow shoveling, especially if you have known risk factors (e.g. smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels) or a family history of heart disease.

Be merry. The holidays can be stressful. Schedule some 'down time' (maybe during that daily walk!)

Watch what you eat and drink. Enjoy the season's pleasures…but in moderation. Avoid excess salt, fatty foods and too much alcohol. Excess alcohol intake is associated with atrial fibrillation - a common disturbance of heart rhythm which can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.

Get the flu shot. It's always a heart-healthy choice, especially if you are over 65 or have known heart disease.

Make some changes. The New Year might be an appropriate time to consider making changes that will contribute to your health, such as eating more sensibly, exercising more regularly, and most important of all: stopping smoking.

When in doubt - find out! If you feel chest pain or other symptoms, don't delay in calling 911 for emergency help. Don't postpone investigation of unusual symptoms because you don't want to spoil the holiday celebrations.

About UOHI

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute is Canada's largest and foremost cardiovascular health centre dedicated to understanding, treating and preventing heart disease. We deliver high-tech care with a personal touch, shape the way cardiovascular medicine is practiced, and revolutionize cardiac treatment and understanding. We build knowledge through research and translate discoveries into advanced care. We serve the local, national and international community, and are pioneering a new era in heart health. For more information, visit www.ottawaheart.ca.

Health Council of Canada releases 2011 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey results

2011-12-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

Sicker Canadians with chronic conditions face many barriers to the health care they need

TORONTO, December 12, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Today, the Health Council of Canada released results from the 2011 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey. The bulletin How Do Sicker Canadians with Chronic Disease Rate the Health Care System? compares experiences of sicker Canadians with chronic conditions to those of the general public.

Sicker Canadians report using more health care services than the general population. They are more likely to be hospitalized, have surgery, use emergency departments and take prescription medication compared to the general public. Most of this group is 50 years of age or older, but 34% are adults under the age of 50.

Along with being more frequent users of the health care system, sicker Canadians report experiencing considerable barriers to accessing the health care they need. Cost being one of the major barriers. Almost a quarter (23%), said they skipped a dose of medication or did not fill a prescription due to cost, compared to just 10% of the general population. This is a significant number since 90% of sicker Canadians take at least one prescription drug, and 54% take four or more. In addition, one in eight (12%) respondents have skipped a recommended test of follow up treatment due to cost concerns, compared to just 5% of the general population.

Sicker Canadians are more likely (59%) to have below average household income and lower levels of education than the general population. This means that in addition to primary costs for care and medication, secondary costs like travel to appointments, child care and time away from work can create obstacles to accessing care. In fact, 12% of sicker Canadians reported not visiting a doctor due to cost concerns, compared to just 4% of the general population. Over a quarter of health care services in Canada are paid for through private sources, be it out-of-pocket by patients or through private insurance.

"The experiences of patients with chronic conditions can tell us a lot about the quality of the health care system as a whole and the progress we have made," said John G. Abbott, CEO, Health Council of Canada. "The data here tells us, we need to be concerned that there are many Canadians who still cannot afford treatment of their chronic conditions. We need to address this immediately, because medications that prevent complications from chronic disease are vital in contributing to better quality-of- life for individuals, and reduced health care costs for the system. "

The survey also shows that sicker Canadians fare worse when it comes to coordination of their care. People with chronic conditions are likely to see multiple care providers and specialists, yet fewer said they always received help from their doctor's office in coordinating other care they need.

In addition, sicker Canadians felt less engaged in their health care than the general public. Only 64% felt their doctors explained things in ways that they could easily understand, and even fewer (55%) felt they had enough time with their doctor. "We need to help sicker Canadians feel more engaged, because we know that more engaged patients perceive themselves to be healthier and make better use of the health services and resources in the system," said Abbott.

"It's important that my doctors know my medical history and are up to speed on my health results," said Frank Austin, a stroke survivor and patient advocate. "There needs to be improved communication among health care providers so that time is not wasted and the risk of errors in my care is reduced."

However, there were some positive results from sicker Canadians; more had a regular doctor or clinic where they went for care (96% compared to 86% of the general population). They also found it easier to get care after-hours or to get an appointment with a doctor the same or next day. While these results are promising, overall, the results indicate that we certainly have work to do.

The report provides recommendations on how to eliminate cost barriers for prescription drugs and also barriers that prevent patients from following up on recommended tests and treatments. The report looks at alternatives to face-to-face visits - like telemedicine, email and phone consultations - for saving costs on travel time and resources. To improve coordination of care, electronic medical records can be an important tool and are long overdue in Canada. The report also calls for doctors, policy makers and patients to work together to find solutions that increase patient engagement and involvement in their care.

About the Survey

The 2011 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey reflects the perceptions of a random sample of about 19,000 adults across 11 OECD countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Participants, including 3,958 Canadians, were interviewed by telephone between March and June 2011. The Health Council of Canada sponsored a portion of this study along with the Alberta Health Quality Council, Health Quality Ontario, and the Quebec Health and Welfare Commissioner (Commissaire à la santé et au bien-être du Québec).

About the Health Council of Canada

Created by the 2003 First Ministers' Accord on Health Care Renewal, the Health Council of Canada is an independent national agency that reports on the progress of health care renewal. The Council provides a system-wide perspective on health care reform in Canada, and disseminates information on leading practices and innovation across the country. The Councillors are appointed by the participating provincial and territorial governments and the Government of Canada.

To download reports and other Health Council materials, visit www.healthcouncilcanada.ca.

Seniors prone to household injury due to lack of awareness

2011-12-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

New study shows more needs to be done to safeguard homes

TORONTO, December 7, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canadian seniors are vulnerable to dangers within their own homes due to minimal awareness of household perils among them and their loved ones.

The concerning trend was revealed through a recent survey of Canadians that highlighted a minimal awareness of common household risks to seniors and, in turn, little proactivity in addressing them. The survey commissioned by We Care Home Health Services shows only 54 per cent of Canadians correctly identified falling down as the most common household injury among seniors while only one-third (33 per cent) thought that slips in the bath were the most common household peril. However, nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) know someone over the age of 65 who has injured him or herself in a household accident.

Only 34 per cent have removed slipping or tripping hazards from within the home of a senior over the age of 65 and only 39 per cent have arranged the installation of bath rails or seats in the shower or bathtub.

"There's no question that due to the overwhelming lack of awareness about common household hazards for seniors, many of us aren't taking the necessary steps to protect them," says Sue Kelly, Registered Nurse and Director of Health and Wellness for We Care Home Health Services. "We need to be more vigilant when it comes to the safety of our loved ones, but we also need to help them learn how they too can take an active role in preventing injury."

Kelly adds that many seniors are fairly proactive in some respects but fail to recognize some of the less obvious dangers that lurk within the household. Only one in four seniors (25 per cent) have installed bath rails or seats in their shower or bathtub while only 26 per cent have a fire escape plan. Meanwhile, the survey found that less than two-thirds (63 per cent) have a properly installed fire alarm and only 38 per cent have handrails on all stairs.

Kelly notes that many of Canada's senior population can realize a greater level of independence by proactively removing household hazards. "The reality is that as we age, our sense of smell, touch, taste and sound decrease as does our coordination.

The more seniors can do today to prevent common hazards, the longer they'll be able to maintain an independent lifestyle and remain in their home as long as possible."

Falls are currently a major cause of injury among seniors and account for more than half of all injuries suffered by the elderly. Moreover, seniors who are injured from a fall seldom fully recover.

Kelly says these startling statistics were the spur behind We Care's adoption of the Independent Living Guide, which provides seniors and their family members with comprehensive advice on what to be mindful of within the home. The free guide also offers numerous checklists to help seniors identify and take preventative action against the risks in each part of the home.

"There isn't one room of the house that is completely free of hazards," says Kelly. "So we adopted the Independent Living Guide to highlight the less conspicuous dangers and to offer suggestions on how to pre-empt accidents."

For more information, or to get a free copy of the Independent Living Guide, please call 1-855-699-3227 or visit www.wecare.ca.

About the survey

From November 21 to November 22, 2011, an online survey was conducted among 1,165 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.87%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About We Care

We Care Home Health Services, a leading national provider of in-home care and support services with over 50 locations across Canada, provides professional and compassionate care that allows seniors and others to live independently in the comfort of their own homes. We Care employs over 3,000 homecare staff and provides care in over 800 communities across Canada, and has received accreditation through Accreditation Canada within all the regions in which it operates in. For more information, call 1-855-699-3227 or visit www.wecare.ca.

Guelph Chamber Choir Presents Handel’s Messiah – And A Brand New CD!

2011-12-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

Guelph, Ontario – December 5, 2011 – The Guelph Chamber Choir’s 2011/2012 season continues with Handel’s Messiah at the River Run Centre on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 8 pm.

Handel's masterwork embodies the essence of Christmas in sublime music of birth, renewal and celebration.

Gerald Neufeld, conductor of the Guelph Chamber Choir says:

"Messiah brings us the joy of the season through a tradition that has inspired generations of music lovers. Performed together with some of Canada’s best players on period instruments of Handel’s time, this is a unique performance that brings a freshness to the words and music."

As in the past 3 years, tickets are rapidly selling out for this one night only presentation in the comfortable acoustics of The River Run Centre’s Main Theatre. Reserve your tickets soon to avoid disappointment.

The Guelph Chamber Choir is proud to have two of its members, Carolynne Godin and Chris Fischer, as soloists for this concert.

MESSIAH SOLOISTS:

Jennie Such, soprano, is known for the "glowing conviction" she brings to her performances. She has performed with opera companies and choral societies across Canada and has been featured in the Mirvish production of The Sound of Music as well as a film project based on Mozart’s Magic Flute.

Carolynne Godin, alto, has performed as a member and frequent soloist with the Elmer Iseler Singers before developing her current diverse career as soloist in both the concert and theatre worlds with numerous orchestras and choral societies across Canada and the U.S

Chris Fischer, tenor has earned a reputation as a flexible and intelligent interpreter of a great variety of roles in opera, oratorio and recital. He has appeared as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah more than eighty times, with choirs and orchestras throughout Ontario in addition to his work as a private music teacher and organist at Knox Presbyterian Church in Guelph.

Jason Nedecky, bass, has won acclaim for his expressive and meticulous artistry as a soloist in concert and recital engagements. This bilingual baritone has appeared with the International Bach Festival Toronto, Canadian Opera Company, and most recently was a soloist with Consort Caritatis in Mozart's Requiem on the Dalmatian Coast and in northern Italy.

Musica Viva Orchestra will be accompanying the performance on period instruments.

Single tickets are now available for only $30 each or four for $100. We encourage young adults to attend with $10 tickets for those 30 and under and only $5 for youth with the popular eyeGO programme. Remaining tickets are available through the River Run Centre by calling 519-763-3000 or online at www.riverrun.ca.

Special thanks go out to our evening’s sponsors, John and Barbara Wood

NEW CD! "Remember" is a collection of memorable songs Canada commemorating our history and the US. From songs written by Stan Rogers to a guest appearance by Guelph’s own James Gordon, the CD reminds us that remembering our folk roots is the foundation for the stories and myths of a people and of a nation.

CDs are available at our concert, from choir members and at the following Guelph retail outlets: Ground Floor Music, The Bookshelf, Wild Birds Unlimited, University Pharmacy and Prime Care Pharmacy (in the Village By The Arboretum).

Visit their website at www.guelphchamberchoir.ca or call 519-836-5103.

The Patients' Association of Canada helps Ontario's board members adopt the patient perspective

2011-12-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

TORONTO, December 5, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Patients' Association of Canada (PAC) is bringing the patient perspective to the governance level in Ontario's healthcare boards. PAC was awarded a $92,500 grant from The Ontario Trillium Foundation for a project 'Enhancing the Patient Voice in Ontario's Health Care Boards' in which board members and PAC volunteers collaborate to strengthen the patient perspective in board deliberations.

"In many public discussions about health care, patients' interests are represented by others, whose points of view differ from those of patients," says PAC president Sholom Glouberman. "Bringing a patient perspective to decision making is a critical step in improving healthcare."

Board Members who join the collaboration will have access to engagement tools including an information line, in-person meetings, and an online library of resources. PAC will hold three mini-conferences throughout Ontario and the project will culminate in 2012 with a conference on patients and governance.

Information on the project can be found here. To view a video debate about the patient perspective, click here.

About the Ontario Trillium Foundation (www.otf.ca)

A leading grant-maker in Canada, the Ontario Trillium Foundation strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities.

About the Patients' Association of Canada (PAC) ( www.patientsassociation.ca)

The Patients' Association of Canada strengthens the role of patients in health care in order to improve the healthcare experience for all.

Santa shares some of his letters online

2011-12-03T05:22:00.000-08:00

NORTH POLE, H0H 0H0, December 2, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Santa is overjoyed with all the mail he is receiving! The season's most popular pen pal is very grateful for the wonderful letters he receives from children all around the world. Today he read a few of those letters online (canadapost.ca/santascorner).

Thousands of letters are arriving at the North Pole Post Office every day. "Santa's Post Office is almost as busy as Santa's Toy Shop," says Sally, Santa's chief postal elf.

Among the letters shared today is one from 6-year-old Sienna, who lives in Ottawa. Sienna has her room decorated for Christmas and is already listening to holiday music. She would like a camera for Christmas—to take pictures of her family—and wanted Santa to know she is working hard at school. She also wanted to make sure Santa brought a gift for her sister, noting that otherwise her sister "will take all of my stuff!"

Daniel, writing from Nova Scotia, gave Santa a chuckle with his letter when he wrote, "Last year I think you got stuck in our chimney a bit because there were dirty footprints on our carpet!" Daniel also seems to have sibling concerns, telling Santa it's hard for him to always be good because, "my little brother bugs me all the time. Santa he really is a pest, but no one other than me seems to know it." Santa had some sage advice for Daniel on his video.

Children are encouraged to send letters to Santa soon, to give him enough time to respond, and are reminded to include their return address. This year, Santa is set to receive his 20 millionth letter since Canada Post began, 30 years ago, counting the mail he receives. To help Santa manage the expected 1.25 million letters he'll receive this year, he has enlisted some 9,000 volunteer postal elves who will ensure his holiday greetings are delivered before the big day.

Addressing Canada's looming skills crisis: retaining older workers rather than replacing them

2011-12-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

OTTAWA, December 1, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - In a discussion paper released today, Incenting Seniors to Continue Working, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce reinforces the argument that retaining older workers in the workforce is part of the solution to avoid the skills crisis Canada is on the verge of experiencing. The time is right to look at removing disincentives that discourage seniors from working. The paper examines key concerns that need to be addressed in order to pave the way for retention of older workers.

"By the start of the next decade, people old enough to leave the labour force will outnumber those old enough to join it. In Canada, we predict a labour shortage of nearly one million people by 2020", said Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. "We have been talking about this challenge for years, it's time to start looking at concrete solutions" he added.

Seniors represent a constituency that needs to be better integrated into the workforce. They possess the essential skills employers need. Many want to continue working and view work as an important part of their life balance. In order to draw more attention to the seriousness of the demographics issue, last October the Canadian Chamber of Commerce released a report entitled: Canada's Demographic Crunch: Can underrepresented workers save us? Today's report provides some answers.

The Canadian Chamber believes that a new business culture aimed at retaining, rather than replacing, senior workers is the correct approach to pursue. A copy of the paper can be found here.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 420 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 192,000 businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy and in all regions. News and information are available at Chamber.ca or follow us on Twitter @CdnChamberofCom.

Heart and Stroke Foundation Warns: Time Crunch is Stealing Healthy Years From Canadians

2011-11-29T11:14:00.000-08:00

A mix of real and perceived barriers contribute to shortened lifespan

OTTAWA, November 29, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canadians are so focused on the here and now that they are losing out on the opportunity to live a full and healthy life, warns the Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF). Its new survey1 of more than 2,000 adults found that even though Canadians know how to protect their heart health, the majority can't or won't commit the time to do so.

"Eight out of 10 Canadians know that heart disease and stroke can be prevented, postponed or treated by making healthy lifestyle choices but they are focusing on the barriers rather than the opportunities," says David Sculthorpe, CEO, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

"Three-quarters said they would be more active and over half said they would eat healthier meals if they could. And one of the leading barriers that keeps them from following through? Time," Sculthorpe said.

Time Barriers to Physical Activity

...Almost half of Canadians (46%) cite long work days and lack of time as a reason for not getting active on a regular basis.

...Between work, family and other obligations, 44% say they have no time for regular physical activity.

...And, almost a third of respondents (31%) say the time they would like to spend being physically active, they instead spend commuting.

"The sad irony is that the 'time barrier' is getting in the way of steps that can help Canadians avoid heart disease and stroke, add years to their life, and ultimately, life to their years," says Dr. Beth Abramson, cardiologist and spokesperson with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. "These results are not encouraging."

Time Barriers to Healthy Eating

...Forty-one per cent of respondents say healthy meals take too long to prepare.

...More than half (51%) say too many fast food outlets in their community lack healthy choices.

...Seven in 10 say restaurants don't have enough fruit and vegetable options.

Benefits of Finding Time

"The challenge of finding time is a reality for most working Canadians, or those with competing obligations," says Dr. Abramson. "But tackling the time dilemma is absolutely critical. The disturbing statistics tell the tale: One in three Canadian deaths is from heart disease and stroke, and it is the number one killer of women. We must make the effort to find time now to do the things that will give us the greatest health benefits."

The Heart and Stroke Foundation's new campaign, Make Death Wait, challenges Canadians to take charge of their heart health by encouraging them to make one million healthy actions by the end of February 2012.

Some simple steps make a difference when it comes to healthy years of life, and the benefits are huge. Here's a snapshot:

...Getting 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity per week reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes by30%. Canadians can achieve this in bouts of 10 minutes or more. Being inactive can shave almost four years off a person's expected lifespan.

...Eating 5+ servings of fruit and vegetables a day can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by about 20%. Low vegetable and fruit consumption can shave 1.3 years off a person's expected lifespan.

...Controlling high blood pressure can cut the risk of stroke by 40% and of heart attack by up to 25%. High blood pressure can shave two and a half years off a person's expected lifespan.

The survey found that 82% of Canadians know they can prevent heart disease and stroke. But this knowledge isn't being translated into action when it comes to the most important modifiable risk factors that can reduce their risk of these diseases.

"If we don't make the effort to find time now to do the things that will give us the greatest health benefits, we're going to run out of time altogether," says Dr. Abramson. "I've seen the difference it makes in someone's health when they invest the time to incorporate physical activity and healthy eating into their lives."

Barriers to Healthier Living: Are They Real or Perceived?

...Lack of time: Almost half (46%) of survey respondents say they don't have enough time to squeeze exercise into a busy day, and that healthy meals take too long to prepare, with 31% of employed people blaming commute times.

Verdict: Perceived Barrier. Time is consistently cited as a barrier to healthy eating, especially the time it takes to plan, shop for and prepare healthy meals. It's true that Canadians are facing a number of time crunches. For example, results from the 2010 Canadian General Social Survey show that a third (36%) of employed Canadians have a one-way commute time of 30 or more minutes a day. Average commute times may be highest in Canada's six largest cities (30 minutes one way) but are lower in the suburbs (23 minutes) and towns (19 minutes). However, Statistics Canada also reports that almost a third (29%) of Canadians 20 years or older spend two or more hours a day (15 or more hours a week) watching television, with almost 16% reporting more than 20 or more hours per week. In addition, 15% of Canadians age 20 and over report spending at least 1.5 hours a day of their leisure time on their computers.

What HSFC says: Even small investments in active time can have a huge impact. "Some of the time spent in sedentary leisure activities could easily be devoted to more active and healthy pursuits," said Dr. Abramson. "Those who say they have no time should take comfort in the knowledge that stints of 10 minutes are beneficial." When it comes to food preparation, there are many ways to save time; these start with planning meals for a week, picking recipes, making a grocery list and sticking to it. Health Check is one way the Foundation helps Canadians make healthy choices by identifying them in grocery stores and restaurants.

...Lack of facilities: A quarter of respondents say lack of facilities is a barrier to being active.

Verdict: Perceived Barrier. Canadians don't need to go to a facility to be active. Previous research by the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute found that 66% of Canadians reported there are safe places to walk in their community and almost half (45%) say there are many designated physical activity and sport facilities. This doesn't mean that there isn't room for improvement. In the HSFC poll, half (47%) of respondents thought their community could be made more activity-friendly.

What HSFC says: Active, healthy community design strategies - such as good public transit, well-maintained parks, and safe, efficient walking and cycling networks - make it easier to get the physical activity Canadians need to promote heart health, prevent stroke and maintain a healthy lifestyle. For Canadians who would like to see safer walking trails, bike paths, and more health-promoting environments in their neighborhoods -- the Heart and Stroke Foundation has developed a Community Design Tool Kit to help you champion healthy changes within your community.

...Cost: Income and geography play a big role in determining access to affordable healthy foods. Unfortunately, unhealthy options are often the cheap and accessible choice for many Canadians. A quarter (25%) state that there are not enough stores in their neighbourhood selling fresh produce, one half (51%) report there are too many fast food outlets that lack healthy options, and more than two thirds (71%) agree that food service outlets don't have enough fruit and vegetable options.

Verdict: Real Barrier. Access to healthy foods varies significantly across the country and income and geography can make critical differences. In the HSFC survey, almost half (47%) of respondents said the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables is a barrier to healthy eating, with the proportion being highest in Atlantic Canada (64%) and lowest in Quebec (39%). Not surprisingly, those with lower household incomes or in lower-income neighborhoods were more likely to see cost as a barrier to healthy eating.

What HSFC says: To increase access to healthy foods all sectors (government, industry and non-governmental organizations) need to implement a number of measures to make it easier for Canadians to make healthy choices, including:

...Initiatives that will assist low income Canadians to access healthy food choices.
...Agricultural policies and subsidies that can make fruits and vegetables more affordable and accessible.
...More access to stores with healthy food options.

...Lack of motivation: Half of Canadians say they lack the ability to get motivated, and - even more importantly - to sustain the motivation to make healthier choices.

Verdict: Real Barrier. Four out of 10 say that in the past they've tried to start exercising or become more active but weren't able to maintain it. In addition, a third of survey respondents say they've tried to improve their diets in the past but couldn't maintain it. Challenges included the fact that almost half (44%) use food to address emotional issues such as stress or depression, 41% think preparing healthy meals takes too long and 35% are convinced healthy foods aren't as tasty.

What HSFC says: Once again, small steps can lead to big results. You don't need to run a marathon - but you have to get off the couch. Being active with a partner, using a pedometer or tracking activity can help motivate and keep you active. Develop a list of quick and easy recipes and always keep the ingredients on hand. The Heart and Stroke Foundation provides tips and tools: download the Heart&Stroke Health Check Recipe Helper App™ for quick healthy tips, tools and recipes and to learn how to be physically active throughout your day.

Reality Check

"I'm one of the lucky ones," says real estate agent Arul Myles Mylvaganam. "My diagnosis of heart disease was the wake-up call I needed to make time for my health. I know how difficult it is to find time to be active, but I'm finding simple solutions that are making a difference. I believe that prevention is the best medicine."

Arul now takes time to walk every day, aiming for at least 30 minutes. "I want to make sure I am around for my children, nieces and nephews, and to be a positive role model for them," he says.

"Unfortunately, a health scare like Arul's is all too often the motivating factor that necessitates making health changes that would have prevented heart disease in the first place," says Dr. Abramson.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation emphasizes the importance of being healthy role models for youngsters. More Canadian children are overweight and for the first time, the country's younger generations are expected to live shorter lives than their parents because of obesity.

A Healthy Future

The Foundation has set an ambitious goal to reduce death from heart disease and stroke by 25 per cent by 2020.

"That's a big goal, and we're only going to get there by championing a movement to get Canadians to act and be their own health advocates," says David Sculthorpe, CEO of HSFC. "As we approach our 60th anniversary, we are taking stock. For six decades we have supported Canadians in living longer, healthier lives. But, with one in three Canadian deaths due to heart disease and stroke, our work is clearly not done. And we're committed to reducing the toll of these diseases on Canadians' lives."

The Foundation is challenging Canadians to take charge of their heart health, encouraging one million healthy actions by the end of February 2012. These range from simple lifestyle changes like going for a walk to quitting smoking.

"Our national multimedia Make Death Wait campaign is about giving Canadians longer, fuller lives," says Sculthorpe. "We want Canadians to take their heart health seriously."

Canadians can join the movement to make death wait by logging their healthy actions.

Since 1952, the Foundation has invested more than $1.3 billion in research into heart disease and stroke, worked with government to support health policies that reduce the burden of heart disease and stroke, and created educational tools and programs to help inform Canadians of their risk, and how they can take action.

"Sadly, far too many Canadians still don't know the alarming statistics, or aren't acting on them," says Sculthorpe.

The HSFC survey found that only 56% of Canadians are personally concerned about heart disease and stroke and slightly more than half know it is the major cause of death for Canadian women.

"We all need to carve out time to take the simple steps that can prevent the devastating effects of heart disease and stroke," adds Sculthorpe. "We know our goal can only be achieved through solutions found in partnership with the Foundation, governments and Canadians."

To learn more about the Foundation's new campaign to inspire Canadians, visit heartandstroke.ca/time.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke, reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living and advocacy.

Ontario 211 wins industry award for customer satisfaction

2011-11-24T11:22:00.000-08:00

Callers love Ontario's groundbreaking helpline

TORONTO, November 24, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Ontario 211, the information helpline for Ontario's community and social services, won a coveted award for highest customer satisfaction from SQM Group. With a 92% satisfaction level, 211 achieved the highest ranking for any call centre in the government industry. SQM benchmarks over 450 leading North American call centres.

"This award represents good news for 211 and our callers," said Bill Morris, Executive Director, Ontario 211 Services Corporation. "We're proud to have been able to maintain our high standards of quality even as we expanded the reach of 211 province-wide. And, we are very pleased 211 was able to help so many callers address their needs with one call."

211 is currently available to 94% of Ontarians. The goal of reaching all Ontario residents will be met in the coming weeks through launches in Cochrane, Temiskaming, Nipissing, Sudbury, Lambton, Elgin, Prescott and Russell.

"211 represents an exceptional partnership by Ontario's United Ways, municipalities, community data contributors, the Government of Ontario and Canada to work together," said Morris. "Recently an agency in London secretly tested 211 on behalf of the London Free Press. I really can't say it better than to quote the editorial headline, "In helping the public, 211 service hits a home run."

By connecting callers with the right community and social services, 211 prevents problems from spiralling into a crisis. 211's information and referral specialists answered more than 560,000 calls in 2010. They have access to information on more than 56,000 agencies, programs and services across Ontario. 211's free, anonymous and confidential helpline is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and is available in more than 150 languages.

Ontario 211 Services Corporation is a non-profit supported by the Province of Ontario, individual municipalities, local Ontario United Ways, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Dial 211 or search www.211ontario.ca to find the right community and social services.

The survey for 211 and conducted by SQM is anonymous and confidential. Following are some typical comments from callers during the survey:

"Very, very friendly, got the information I needed, they gave me more than one resource."

"I'm legally blind so I find it very difficult to find numbers. They help me no matter what the number is."

"She had local knowledge, she was able to connect me immediately to two agencies I could speak with and she had detailed information on those agencies."

"I think it's a great service. I do a bit of paralegal work and it saves me doing a whole lot of running around to find these numbers."

"Because it wasn't a machine and she was very pleasant."

"She was receptive. She was willing to try and get information for me. She was understanding and did research as well."

"They asked me in depth questions making sure that they understood what my need was and what I was looking for. So I really appreciated that."

"Because I have something I wanted to donate to a women's shelter or unwed mothers. It was a gift that I didn't need and so they referred me to two places and the second place was quite happy to receive it."

"They got me the appropriate person and that person called me back right away."

Celebrate the coming of Christmas with the Guelph Chamber Choir

2011-11-23T05:41:00.000-08:00

Announcing an Advent festival of music and poetry: Voices of Light

The Guelph Chamber Choir brings an Advent festival of music and poetry, Voices of Light to St. George’s Anglican Church on Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 8 pm.

As our nights become longer, music and poetry bring light into a world of darkness. Enjoy the sound of voices, organ and brass heralding the time of Christmas along with seasonal readings that will bring smiles and evoke fond memories.

Come prepared to sing along with familiar carols, with an opportunity to perform the Hallelujah Chorus as part of an expanded chorus of volunteers amidst the choir!

A special feature of the evening will be the warm and enveloping sounds of Musica Viva Brass. Conductor Gerald Neufeld noted,

“Brass instruments have a special way of heralding the Christmas season with their clear, bright tones. We have created a concert that will present familiar Christmas favourites, but will also feature works of nuanced beauty, new to both audience and choir.”

The evening will feature Halley’s Voices of Light with virtuosic flute and piano accompaniment, Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata for choir, brass and organ, Whitacre’s charming Lux aurumque, and Silver’s humorous The Twelve Days After Christmas. Choir members will present poetry and readings throughout the evening.

Voices, brass and the exceptional talent of Christopher Dawes on St. George’s majestic pipe organ will join together to provide a wonderful evening of joyous music and good cheer.

Single tickets are now available for only $25 each or 4 or more for only $20. We encourage young adults to attend with $10 tickets for students and those 30 and under and only $5 for youth with the popular eyeGO programme.

Single tickets are available through choir or board members, through the River Run Centre by calling
519-763-3000 or online at www.riverrun.ca .

To discover more, please visit their website at www.guelphchamberchoir.ca or call 519-836-5103.

Special thanks to their community-engaged concert sponsors: Lawrence and Carol Jones along with soloist sponsors: Knar Jewellery and Macquarie Private Wealth.

Family Caregivers: A Vital Part of Caring for Vulnerable Populations

2011-11-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

OTTAWA, November 17, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Canadian Caregiver Coalition (CCC), on behalf of the five (5) million family caregivers in this country, applauds the work of the Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care. This non-partisan group released its final report, Not To Be Forgotten: Care Of Vulnerable Canadians, today with a comprehensive list of recommendations to improve care for vulnerable Canadians.

Throughout the report, family caregivers emerge as vital to the health care system as they support individuals to remain at home. The Canadian Caregivers Coalition is pleased with the Committee's recommendations that address the financial challenges facing families. "Financial measures for those who must take time off work is a critical component of effective strategy to support family caregivers", said Nadine Henningsen, CCC President.

The intensity and length of caregiving can be significant, with 60% of caregivers providing care for more than three years. Additionally, 41% of Canadians use personal savings to support themselves when caring for loved ones and 22% of these individuals miss one or more months of work.

The CCC believes that there are additional actions that can be taken by all levels of government and sectors of society to support family caregivers, which is expressed in the CCC's Caregiving Strategy. The Strategy describes how Canadians can collectively and individually take measures to support family caregivers, providing them the safety net they require in demanding circumstances. The CCC's Caregiving Strategy includes the following elements:

...Safeguarding the health and wellbeing of family caregivers and increasing the flexibility and availability of respite care

...Minimizing excessive financial burden placed on family caregivers

...Enabling access to user friendly information and education

...Creating flexible workplace environments that respect caregiving obligations

...Investing in research on family caregiving as a foundation for evidence-informed decision making

The CCC commits to working with all stakeholders to realizing the recommendations to support family caregivers envisioned in by the Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care and will continue to champion the adoption of a Caregiving Strategy in Canada.

About the Canadian Caregiver Coalition

The Canadian Caregiver Coalition is a diverse group of national and provincial organizations from across Canada that works collaboratively to represent and promote the needs and interests of family caregivers with all levels of government, and the community. The vision of the Canadian Caregiver Coalition is a Canada that recognizes and respects the integral role of family caregivers in society, and supports this role with the understanding that it is not a substitute for public responsibility in health and social care.

University of Guelph Discovery May Help Fight Ovarian Cancer

2011-11-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

GUELPH, Ontario November 16, 2011 - University of Guelph News Release

A potential breakthrough in treating late-stage ovarian cancer has come from University of Guelph researchers who have discovered a peptide that shrinks advanced tumours and improves survival rates for this deadly but often undetected disease.

“We’re extremely excited about this,” said Jim Petrik, a professor in U of G’s Department of Biomedical Sciences who conducted the research with PhD student Nicole Campbell. “It has the potential, particularly in ovarian cancer, to have a significant impact.”

Their findings will appear in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, published by the American Association for Cancer Research.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer. Its symptoms, which include nausea, bloating and abdominal pain, are vague and can be attributed to a number of ailments.

Often the disease remains undetected until it’s well advanced, when the odds of survival are poor. “It's called the silent killer because it really does sneak up on you,” Petrik said.

He and Campbell discovered that ABT-898, a peptide derived from the thrombospondin molecule, shrinks established late-stage tumours in mouse models of ovarian cancer. In addition to regressing tumours, ABT-898 essentially prunes dysfunctional blood vessels in the tumour while leaving healthy vessels intact.

Petrik explains that chemotherapy treatment relies on blood vessels to transport tumour-fighting drugs. But abnormal blood vessels inside tumours make drug delivery inefficient.

“This new treatment enhances the ability to deliver chemotherapy drugs inside of the tumour where they need to go. So in combination with chemotherapy, it has fantastic potential.”

Besides shrinking tumours, ABT-898 improves survival rates because cancer cells do not have time to adapt to the treatment.

“This is crucial. Women tend to succumb to ovarian cancer because the inefficient delivery of chemotherapy drugs allows the cells to build up resistance and they no longer respond to treatment,” Petrik said.

More efficient drug delivery also means doctors can administer lower amounts, alleviating many of the side effects of chemotherapy. As well, said Petrik, “this is a naturally occurring protein that we are exploiting; we are not making anything synthetic.”

He hopes the research will lead to human trials and, ultimately, to the development of targeted cancer therapies.

Petrik has studied ovarian cancer for more than a decade, especially regulation of growth factors and formation of blood vessels in the ovary. A U of G faculty member since 2001, he teaches physiology and anatomy at the Ontario Veterinary College.

This latest discovery was possible because Petrik’s laboratory had developed a model in which cancer cells are injected directly into healthy mouse ovaries. Ovarian cancer spontaneously occurs in about two months, allowing U of G researchers to follow tumour progression.

Most researchers rely on artificially cultured clumps of cells and immunocompromised mice that poorly mimic disease progression in normal animals.

“It provides us with a tool to ask questions like this and look at interventions such as this in a way that is far more relevant to the human disease,” Petrik said.

Facts Revealed: New Research on Canada's Major 100 Charities

2011-11-16T09:57:00.000-08:00

Charity Intelligence provides Canadians with the answers they've asked for

TORONTO, November 16, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Charity Intelligence Canada today launches an independent online service for donors with research reports on Canada's Major 100 Charities. Each easy-to-read charity report answers the most frequently-asked questions donors have about Canada's largest "household" name charities; how a dollar donated is spent, the charity's wealth, the charity's openness in disclosing information and also basic information about charity staff and salaries. Canada's Major 100 Charities are selected by their sheer size, the 100 charities that receive the largest amount of donations from Canadian donors.

Canadian donors are increasingly asking questions about their giving and seek information to make better giving decisions. Since its beginning in 2006, thousands of donors have called on Charity Intelligence asking for information about the charity they support. The service is free and accessible - anyone can use this charity search engine at Charity Intelligence's website www.charityintelligence.ca.

"We recognize that each donor is unique, with personal passions and interests and that they should be confident and empowered to make giving decisions," says Kate Bahen, Managing Director of Charity Intelligence. "Our goal is simply to help donors by providing the facts and figures to help them make better-informed giving decisions."

When putting together this report, Ci uncovered a number of key findings. Highlights from these include:

...Lack of Transparency in 19 of Canada's Major 100 Charities. There is a startling lack of disclosure in Canada's vital charitable sector. Of Canada's Major 100 charities, 19 do not publically disclose audited financials, nor would they disclose this financial information when requested, forcing an official request for information from Canada Revenue Agency. These 19 "closed" charities received $800 million in donations in the most recent year.

...Canada's Major 100 Charities Receive 37 per cent of Total Canadian Donor Support. According to Ci's findings, Canada's Major 100 charities received a total of $4.5 billion in donations from Canadians in 2009. Ci estimates that the Major 100 received 37% of total individual and corporate tax-receipted donations. In other words, the Major 100 charities represent 0.12% of the 85,630 registered charities in Canada and receive more than 1/3 of total annual donations by Canadians.

...14 of Canada's Major 100 Charities exceed CRA fundraising guidelines. In 2010, the CRA increased its fundraising allowance from 20% to 35%, yet 14 of the Major 100 Charities exceed the 35% level.

...Canada has "rich" charities and "poor" charities. Some charities fundraise because they can, not because they can't meet an unforeseeable need. Some charities can run their programs for years without raising another dollar. 25 of Canada's Major 100 charities have enough cash and investments on hand to cover three or more years of their annual program costs. From a donor's perspective, this means that donations will likely be invested, rather than used for charity work in the next year. On the other hand, "poor" charities would grind to a halt without annual donations. Donors who give annually may wish to pick charities that need money for next year's programs.

...Charity Salaries. Executive compensation is a hot-button issue. Some donors prefer to give to professionally-run charities that may offer the promise of good management and greater results. Other donors feel very strongly otherwise.

"In some respects Charity Intelligence's online search engine is similar to the hugely popular US-based Charity Navigator", says Greg Thomson, Ci Director of Research. "Yet we believe this analysis is ground-breaking. We've used the "gold-standard" of disclosure and accountability, the charity's audited financial statements, rather than government filings. We believe Canadian donors deserve nothing less."

This is only the beginning. Canada's Major 100 Charities are now posted on Charity Intelligence's new website www.charityintelligence.ca . If donors do not find the charity they want information on, Ci asks them to submit a request. The 3-year goal is to have 1,000 charity reports posted and available for all Canadians.

About Charity Intelligence Canada

Charity Intelligence Canada (Ci) is a Canadian charity that seeks to help Canadians be empowered donors. Ci provides evidence-based research and standardized analysis on Canadian charities to help donors make intelligent, more strategic giving decisions. Ci helps donors to be social investors. Charity Intelligence's research is independent and solely-funded by donors.

Charity Intelligence's website www.charityintelligence.ca.

Canada, U.K. Partner Up to Protect Canadians

2011-11-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

GUELPH, Ontario November 14, 2011 - University of Guelph News Release

Leading researchers from the United Kingdom and Canada — including a University of Guelph professor — will tackle the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance with funding from Ottawa and the United Kingdom Medical Research Council.

The funding was announced today in Waterloo, Ont., by Gary Goodyear, minister of state for science and technology.

“Antibiotic resistance is a serious challenge facing Canadians and our health-care system,” Goodyear said. “Our government is pleased to support this important collaborative effort to develop new strategies and tools to protect Canadians from antibiotic-resistant infections.”

Two research teams have been funded through the Canada/U.K. Partnership on Antibiotic Resistance, a collaboration between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the U.K. Medical Research Council.

The Canadian scientists will receive $500,000 a year for four years from the CIHR. Their U.K. counterparts will receive the same amount from the U.K. Medical Research Council.

One research team is co-led by U of G Prof. Anthony Clarke, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Chris Dowson of the University of Warwick.

The team hopes to find new weapons against resistant bacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The group will study pathogens that cause many hospital- and community-acquired infections, including organisms that are increasingly impervious to existing antibiotics.

“Millions of people die each year from bacterial infections, and tens of millions suffer from the consequences of these infections,” Clarke said. “Every 20 seconds, someone dies of tuberculosis alone.”

Bacteria have rigid, insoluble cell walls made of peptidoglycan, or linked sugars and amino acids, Clarke explained. By targeting proteins that cement those building blocks together, the researchers hope to stop cell walls from forming and kill the bacteria.

Many important pathogenic bacteria have evolved to resist antibiotics. “We need to fight back,” Clarke said.

His research team includes scientists from Guelph, the University of British Columbia, McMaster University and Laval University. Seven researchers from five universities in the United Kingdom are also involved.

The second team to receive funding today is led by Gary Dmitrienko of the University of Waterloo and Tim Walsh of the University of Cardiff. They hope to develp a new treatment for hospital-acquired infections caused by bacteria resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics.

Guelph Transit buses will pause for two minutes on Remembrance Day

2011-11-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

Transit operators will stop at safe points to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m.

GUELPH, Ontario, November 9, 2011 – Guelph Transit will join City residents and other Canadians in honouring the nation’s veterans on Remembrance Day by bringing all of its vehicles to a safe stop at 11 a.m. Service will resume immediately following the observation of two minutes of silence.

Since November 1, electronic destination signs on all conventional Guelph Transit buses have featured the words, "Remembrance Day, Lest We Forget".

"In addition, we invited students from local schools to submit Remembrance Day posters," said Michael Anders, General Manager, Community Connectivity and Transit. "Students from June Avenue Public School and Isaac Brock Public School provided the hand drawn artwork that was included in the posters that riders will see on each of our buses."

"We'd like to thank Guelph Transit and the students for this outstanding participation in the Two Minute Wave of Silence" said Joanne Ware, Public Relations Officer of the Guelph Legion.

Guelph Transit has provided free shuttle service for veterans and their families from the Guelph Legion to the Remembrance Day Ceremony downtown for the last several years.

Survey reveals Canadian seniors at risk of becoming helpless in their own homes

2011-11-08T05:39:00.000-08:00

TORONTO, November 8, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canadians in their 70s and 80s today are capable, self-sufficient and want to continue living in their own homes. However, the vast majority have a mistaken understanding about how to access help in the case of a medical emergency and four in ten are unaware falls are the most common cause of injuries among seniors in Canada, reveals the Lifeline Report on Aging in Canada released today by Philips Lifeline.

The Lifeline Report on Aging in Canada is a survey of 1,000 Canadians aged 73 or older commissioned by Philips Lifeline, Canada's leading medical alert and response service. According to the survey, 95 per cent of those surveyed say continuing to live independently at home is either their top priority or very important to them. However, a staggering number are at risk of becoming helpless in their homes following a fall.

"All seniors living alone should have a failsafe plan about how they would get help if they fell as falls are a reality of aging. Each year more than 1.4 million Canadian seniors fall and 50 per cent are unable get up without help," says Jaclyn Mcleod, Clinical Nurse, Geriatric Emergency Management with Lakeridge Health in Oshawa. "Calling for help on a telephone is simply not possible if one cannot move, becomes disoriented or is knocked unconscious. It is unrealistic and dangerous, to assume a telephone will always be in reach or that someone will always hear your cry for help."

According to the survey:

...86 per cent of respondents are counting on always being able to reach and use a telephone following a fall.

...A further 10 per cent say they would try to get help on their own by trying to get up or yelling for help.

...26 per cent said they didn't know how long it would take for help to arrive if they needed it.

Seniors' lack of preparedness for falls is in stark contrast to other survey findings which show respondents are willing and ready to make whatever changes are required if the changes help them to continue living in their own homes.

...Although 62 per cent of respondents don't currently have any assistance at home, they said it is only because they have not reached the age when they feel they need the help (64 per cent), rather than a reluctance to engage it.

...Nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of respondents said they would make some changes and engage seniors' services if it helped them to stay in their own home longer.

...Forty five per cent said they would even be willing to move into a smaller home if it enabled them to continue living independently.

...Only three per cent said they would never use senior services.

"Our survey reveals that today's Canadian seniors are practical, independent and open to change but also dangerously unaware that falls are one of the most serious health risks among their age group," says Erik Sande, General Manager, Philips Home Monitoring (Canada). "We recommend they subscribe to a medical alert device, such as Lifeline. This simple, unobtrusive device enables seniors to live active, independent lives yet provides instant access to help in case of a fall and peace of mind to the subscribers and their families."

Falls are one of the most serious health risks among seniors, with an estimated one in three Canadians over age 65 expected to fall each year. Fifty per cent of seniors who fall can't get up without help. The longer a senior lies helpless following a fall can have a dramatic impact on outcome. If a senior lies helpless for one hour or less the change of mortality is 12 per cent. However, seniors who lie helpless for 72 hours or more have a 67 per cent chance of mortality.

The Lifeline Report on Aging was an online survey conducted from September 6th to September 8th among a sample of the 1004 Canadians aged 73 or older who are Angus Reid Forum panel members. The margin of error on the full base which measures sampling variability is is +/- 3.1%. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Philips Lifeline is Canada's leading medical alarm and response service. Its commitment to providing quality and caring service has made it the industry leader for more than thirty five years. Lifeline is also the only medical alarm and response service integrated with the Canadian healthcare system. With hundreds of partnerships with hospitals, healthcare agencies and senior living residences across the country, the Lifeline service is readily accessible across the country. For more information on Lifeline medical alarm and response service please visit www.Lifeline.ca.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of "sense and simplicity." Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs over 120,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 22.3 billion in 2010, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Back pain and a great gender divide?

2011-11-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Majority of sufferers have never received a pain management plan

TORONTO, November 7, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - While one-in-four Canadians live with chronic low back pain, a new survey commissioned by Eli Lilly Canada, reveals that men and women may differ when it comes to how the pain impacts their daily lives.

Of those Canadians who rated their back pain as five or higher (on a scale of one to 10), most day-to-day activities such as sleep, sex, concentration, and enjoyment of life appear to impact women slightly more than men when it comes to chronic low back pain.1 Most importantly, what is common to both genders is that the majority of patients (62 per cent) who have been diagnosed with chronic low back pain have never received a pain management plan to help them deal with the pain.

"It comes as no surprise that so many Canadians are suffering from chronic low back pain and that men and women are feeling the impact on their quality of life in various ways," says Dr. Gordon Ko, medical pain specialist and assistant professor, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. "What is most concerning is the majority of people diagnosed with chronic low back pain state they have not received a pain management plan from their doctor. This tells me that many Canadians are not receiving appropriate direction and may be suffering unnecessarily."

What is chronic low back pain?

Chronic low back pain is usually described as persistent, deep, aching, dull or burning pain in the area of the lower back or nagging discomfort that may travel down the legs, and lasts longer than three months. Pain is often worse while sitting in one position or when bending over, lifting, or doing physically demanding work.2 Low back pain can also be caused in part by the aging process, and also as a result of sedentary life styles with too little (sometimes punctuated by too much) exercise.

Of those survey respondents who suffer from chronic low back pain, 30 per cent rate the intensity of their pain as moderate to severe,1 (based on survey respondents who rated their back pain between seven and 10, on a scale from one to 10) and the pain may impact the quality of life of female respondents to a greater degree than male sufferers.

Chronic low back pain by the sexes?

Sixty-four per cent of women report that their chronic low back pain affects their ability to enjoy life, versus 56 per cent of men, with chronic low back pain having a similar impact on sleeping patterns (65 per cent of women vs. 57 per cent of men), and sex lives (39 per cent women vs. 33 per cent men).1 While these numbers do not significantly indicate a gender difference in terms of back pain impact, they may suggest a trend towards women perceiving pain differently. What is significant is that 71 per cent of female respondents say their back pain impacts their ability to do household chores, compared to only 50 per cent of men.1

According to Dr. Gordon Ko, "women often report more frequent and intense pain, which may have a biological basis."

Amelia Usher, a married mother of three, knows this reality quite well. Since injuring her back years ago, her life has been turned upside down and according to her, even more so than the men she has encountered who have experienced the same injury. "When I am at the clinic, I often have conversations with others who have chronic low back pain and have the impression that my quality of life has been impacted more negatively than men when it comes to some of the most important things in life - sleep, taking care of the household and just day to day activities."

Telling employers

While most Canadians experience chronic low back pain as a result of injury (31 per cent) or their work (25 per cent), only 50 per cent of respondents tell their employer about their back pain.

Plan to manage the pain

According to the survey, 62 per cent of people with chronic low back pain who consulted a doctor, report that their physician has not provided them with a pain management plan to help them deal with the impact their chronic low back pain is having on their life, including concerns and issues about treatment, yet among this group, 61 per cent state that they would find this type of discussion helpful.

Lynn Cooper from The Canadian Pain Coalition, a partnership of pain consumer groups, health professionals and scientists studying better ways of treating pain, says this finding is not surprising.

"Chronic pain continues to be a challenging phenomenon for people with pain and clinicians to address," says Lynn Cooper, President of the Canadian Pain Coalition. "That's why we need to work towards a model of improved patient-physician decision making and encourage conversations that are mindful of a patient's concerns and beliefs. Developing a pain management plan that involves multidisciplinary pain management and lifestyle changes is a step in the right direction that should produce better outcomes for all people with pain."

Treatment options

"With many Canadians concerned about the potential addictive nature of pain medications (60 per cent of those surveyed), it's important to know that there are a variety of treatment options available to manage chronic low back pain, so there's no need to just grin and bear it," says Dr. Ko.

"We now have a number of treatment options to manage chronic low back pain, including over-the-counter analgesics, opioids and new prescription non-opioid medications, as well as complementary options like acupuncture, platelet injections, meditation and biofeedback," says Dr. Ko. "Your doctor can work with you to determine which treatment options are most appropriate for you."

Sufferers who suspect they may have chronic low back pain should speak to a doctor to obtain a formal diagnosis and obtain a comprehensive pain management plan. It is possible to live a better life despite chronic low back pain.

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Lilly provides answers - through medicines and information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Eli Lilly Canada, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, employs close to 500 people across the country. Additional information about Eli Lilly Canada can be found at www.lilly.ca.

Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend ~ Check medical devices and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

2011-11-06T04:37:00.000-08:00

from Health & Safety Watch.com

As we prepare to turn our clocks back this Sunday, its a good time to check medical devices, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Medical Devices

Canadians who rely on medical devices or systems with internal clocks should check these devices to ensure they switch from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time on Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 2:00 a.m.

The start and end dates of Daylight Saving Time were changed in 2007. Medical equipment manufactured prior to 2007 may not function optimally if the equipment has not been updated by manufacturers to compensate for the new dates.

To date, Health Canada has not reported any device malfunctions because of the revised time change that began in 2007. However, examples of medical devices that could be affected by the change include (but are not limited to): implanted pacemakers/defibrillators with sleep modes that can only be adjusted by physicians; Holter monitors, used to continuously record heartbeat; and glucose monitors that store data on glucose levels.

If a medical device displays the incorrect time after 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 6, 2011, users should contact the manufacturer to bring the problem to their attention and consult a health care professional.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

When you change your clocks this weekend, remember to change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms.

"Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms save lives by alerting you to a fire or CO buildup. They can't do their job if the batteries aren't working," said Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "Protect your family by replacing smoke and CO alarm batteries at least once each year."

In addition to changing batteries every year, CPSC recommends consumers test their alarms monthly. Place smoke alarms on every level of the home, outside sleeping areas, and inside each bedroom. About two-thirds of fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that don't work.

Fire departments responded to more than 386,000 residential fires in the U.S. that resulted in nearly 2,400 deaths, more than 12,500 injuries, and $6.92 billion in property losses annually, on average, from 2006 through 2008.

In addition to changing batteries in smoke alarms, CPSC urges consumers to stay in the kitchen while cooking to help prevent fires. Cooking fires accounted for the largest percentage of home fires, an annual average of nearly 150,000 or 38.7 percent, from 2006 through 2008.

CO alarms should be installed on each level of the home and outside sleeping areas. CO alarms should not be installed in attics or basements unless they include a sleeping area. Combination smoke and CO alarms are available to consumers.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, poisonous gas that consumers cannot see or smell. An average of 184 unintentional non-fire CO poisoning deaths associated with consumer products, including portable generators, occurred annually from 2005 through 2007.

To protect against CO poisoning, schedule an annual professional inspection of all fuel-burning appliances, including furnaces and chimneys. Home heating systems were associated with 70 deaths, or 38 percent of CO poisoning deaths, in 2007, the largest percentage of non-fire CO poisoning deaths.

Read the full story at Health & Safety Watch

Happy 3rd Birthday GWSA Website! and congratulations on your 30,000th visitor today

2011-11-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

from the GWSA Sentinel

GUELPH, Ontario November 4, 2011 - Guelph Wellington Seniors Association - This month is the third anniversary of the GWSA website in its current inception.

Webmaster, Ken Russell, set up the new site in November/December 2008 as an introduction to potential new members seeking information and as an enticement to people considering a move to Guelph. However, the site also has links to active GWSA clubs and services, and a complete copy of each monthly Sentinel newsletter as a .pdf file.

For people who want to be interactive, they can post comments on six Blogs which are:

Take Advantage of Your Senority
Duffer's Rule
Feeling Better - Eat Well
Boomers Info Kiosk
Go Evergreen
Cyber Security for Seniors

All this plus a Facebook connection and information on Twitter and GWSA members are leaping into the 21st. century.

Ken is a self-taught computer techno-whiz and just recenty upgraded from playing around on his eldery Windows 98 system with dial-up internet.

"If I make it simple, I can train someone else to take over," says Ken, refering to the many websites he's set up for churches, friends, and other organizations.

Joining Wellington Freespace in the mid 1990's encouraged Ken to experiment and he's now been making web pages since 1996. He programs on a word processor and describes himself as "graphically challenged." However, new members viewing the web page agree that it looks very professional.

Ken is quick to comment his page is a new version of the original website programmed by Jim Langedijk. In the early days, the page was aimed at member news. When Jim retired, Ken took over the web address and changed the page to a more corporate website with a brochure look.

Ken says

"it's designed to attract new members and to encourage current members to click on information links for news, events, and updates on services."

Check it out at: www.gwsa-guelph.ca

Fast Facts:

Visitors to the website Nov 4, 2008 - Nov 4, 2011 30,010
Average visitors per day 20,
Average visitors per week 143
Average visitors per month 597
Total visitors to the six blogs 60,175

Ontario's Doctors Improving Access to Care for Patients

2011-11-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

2.1 Million More Patients Now Have a Family Doctor in Ontario

TORONTO, November 3, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - New figures from the Ontario Medical Association reveal that since 2003 over 2 million more patients now have a family doctor in the province. Ontario's doctors released the new information in conjunction with the launch of the latest phase of the "Your life is our life's work" public awareness campaign. Featuring patients from around the province, this multi-layered campaign highlights that Ontario's doctors are working hard to strengthen the health care system by improving access and finding innovative ways to save the system money that can be re-invested into patient care.

"The fact that over 2 million more patients now have access to a doctor is a result of physicians working harder and more efficiently so that patients not only get the care they need, but when they need it. Ontario's doctors are very proud of this accomplishment and we are committed to continuing to work with government to strengthen the health care system." - Stewart Kennedy, MD President, Ontario Medical Association

The campaign launches as a newly elected government and MPPs return to Queen's Park following the provincial election. Ontario's doctors look forward to working with the government and all MPPs to discuss the challenges facing the health care system and to offer recommendations to improve care for patients. Some of the key priorities for Ontario's doctors include increasing patient access to physicians, expanding Electronic Medical Records, investing in children's mental health and implementing a strategy to fight childhood obesity.

Ontario's doctors are aware of the fiscal challenges facing the province and of the rising costs of health care in Ontario. This is why Ontario's doctors have been working with the government to find savings that do not negatively impact patient care. In just a short time, some $240 million in savings have been identified which can be re-invested into the health services that need it the most. Ontario's doctors are committed to continuing these discussions bilaterally with government.

"Ontario's doctors see 400,000 patients every day which gives us a unique perspective from which to offer solutions on how to improve our health care system. While we've come a long way over the last number of years, there is more work to do. Ontario's doctors will continue to offer practical solutions that will have a positive impact on patients and foster a more sustainable health care system." - Stewart Kennedy, MD President, Ontario Medical Association

Quick Facts:

Since 2003, Ontario's doctors have been working with the government on a number of initiatives aimed at improving access to care. Specifically, physicians have:

...Treated over 38 million patients in emergency rooms;

...Performed more than 975,000 cataract surgeries;

...Performed nearly 141,000 knee replacement surgeries; and

...Performed more than 90,000 hip replacement surgeries.

In addition, the latest statistics reveal that in 2009/2010, 5,800 physicians performed house calls for almost 90-thousand patients and after hours service provided by general practitioners has increased by more than 40 per cent across all practice settings.

mihealth™ Consumer Health Application Achieves Infoway Certification

2011-10-27T10:19:00.001-07:00

Assures product built according to National privacy and security standards

TORONTO, October 27, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canadians are one step closer to having secure access to their personal health records as mihealth™ achieves Infoway certification, announced Richard Alvarez, President and CEO, Canada Health Infoway (Infoway).

"I congratulate Mihealth Global Systems Inc. for having their mihealth™ consumer health application successfully complete the Infoway certification process," said Alvarez. "The mihealth™ application was assessed to show that it complies with national privacy and security requirements."

The application will receive the Infoway certification mark, which demonstrates Mihealth Global Systems Inc.'s leadership and commitment to national standards and best practices.

"mihealth™ is about securely placing valuable health information in the hands of patients so they can stay informed about their health," said Dr. Wendy Graham, CEO, Mihealth Global Systems Inc. "It will also improve the traditional patient-physician health care experience and transform it into a more dynamic two-way relationship where the patient is much more engaged in the health care process."

mihealth™ consists of a personalized web portal where patients can enter, track and access their health data such as drug histories, lab test results, allergies and other vital information. Patients can also download an optional smart phone application to display their health information when needed.

"Patients want to have greater roles in managing their wellness, as well as their chronic diseases, and having ready access to their own medical information is essential," said Dr. Kevin J. Leonard, Founder and Executive Director, Patient Destiny. "Knowing that the mihealth™ app has been certified by Infoway will go a long way to reassure Canadians that the system complies with national privacy and security standards. And this is particularly important to both physicians and patients."

Infoway Certification Services provides a national process to certify trusted, standards-based health information solutions. It offers pre-implementation certification for the following technology classes:

* Consumer Health Application
* Consumer Health Platform
* Diagnostic Imaging
* Drug Information System
* Electronic Medical Record
* Immunization Registry
* Client Registry
* Provider Registry

About Mihealth Global Systems Inc.

Mihealth Global Systems Inc. is a Canadian company founded in 2009 by Dr. Wendy Graham, a long-time advocate of medical reform. Powered by Diversinet™, the company's mihealth™ application provides patients with secure online access to their physician-validated health information so they can take better control of their health and wellness. The application, which can be accessed through smartphones and tablets, enhances two-way communication between patients and physicians.

Canada Health Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government. Infoway jointly invests with every province and territory to accelerate the development and adoption of information and communications technology projects in Canada. Fully respecting patient confidentiality, these secure systems will provide clinicians and patients with the information they need to better support safe care decisions and manage their own health. Accessing this vital information quickly will help foster a more modern and sustainable health care system for all Canadians.

Composer Ann Southam leaves legacy gift of over $14 million to Canadian Women's Foundation

2011-10-25T06:27:00.000-07:00

Gift marks largest individual donation to a Canadian women's organization

TORONTO, October 25, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Canadian Women's Foundation, Canada's public foundation dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls, is receiving a donation of over $14 million from celebrated music composer and Order of Canada Member, Ann Southam. The gift from Southam, who passed away in November 2010 at age 73, is the largest single donation a community-based Canadian women's organization has ever received from an individual. It will take the Canadian Women's Foundation work to a new level.

Beverley Wybrow, President & CEO of Canadian Women's Foundation, said she was "stunned" when she learned of Southam's generosity. "Ann cared passionately about making positive change for women and girls in Canada," says Wybrow. "She was involved with the Foundation for more than 12 years, as a donor, volunteer, and a spokesperson on behalf of strategic philanthropy benefiting women and girls. She got involved in our work because we shared her values. I believe she found a home with us."

Southam was one of Canada's most notable women composers, and an inspired philanthropist. She was born in Winnipeg but lived most of her life in Toronto. She began composing music at the age of 15. After studying at the University of Toronto and the Royal Conservatory of Music, she launched a highly successful career composing music for modern dance companies, such as the Toronto Dance Theatre. She also taught at the Royal Conservatory. Southam once compared writing music and playing the piano to traditional women's work such as weaving, saying it required the same kind of time and patience. Ann was an inspired philanthropist committed to changing the world through investing in women and girls. She supported shelters for abused women, programs to help women get out of poverty by getting into trades and technology careers, and programs building resiliency in girls. She believed in the power of women helping other women and girls.

Southam's brother Kip says he couldn't be happier about his sister's gift to the Foundation. "Ann was passionate about many things, but issues for women and girls were particularly close to her heart," he says. "I know the money will be put to very, very good use."

The Foundation will invest the majority of Southam's gift in its new Ann Southam Empowerment Fund, an endowment to help make the Foundation permanent for the women and girls of Canada. It will generate annual earnings to help support the Foundation's ongoing programs and operations.

Southam's gift will also help to double the size of the Foundation's Girls' Fund, a program she helped to found in 2006.

"There is so much pressure on girls today and they lose ground as they reach adolescence," Southam said in a 2007 interview. "My dream is to get to them before that and give them every chance in the world to succeed."

Girls' Fund programs address challenges facing girls aged 9 to 13, a time when many girls experience a serious decline in self-esteem along with high rates of sexual assault and depression. In the programs, girls learn how to stay safe, how to develop their critical thinking and decision-making skills, and how to challenge media stereotypes that sexualize women and girls and limit their potential. These skills are the building blocks that help girls grow stronger inside and out, and create a solid foundation for a bright future.

Southam strongly believed in women using the power of their own money through charitable giving to help other women and girls. Southam's donation is an example of the new trend of women's philanthropy, where women target their charitable giving to causes that directly affect women and girls. Women are also more likely to give to organizations that challenge the common idea of charity and take a transformative approach to solving economic and social problems, and to use charitable giving in a way that builds communities.

"Ann was special and unique. She was also unassuming - she really didn't care about personal recognition," says Wybrow. "But she would absolutely love the idea that her final gift might inspire others to give women and girls a chance for a better life. When asked why she was so committed to help women and girls, she would say that helping women helps us all - invest in women and they go on to help their families, communities, and societies. And she would then add her favourite saying 'And don't forget, when women have power, girls can dream!'"

Canadian Women's Foundation is Canada's public foundation dedicated to giving women and girls a chance for a better life. The Foundation invests in programs that move women and girls out of violence, out of poverty, and into confidence. Since 1991, it has supported more than 1,100 community programs across Canada. It is one of the ten largest women's foundations in the world. For more information please visit http://www.canadianwomen.org/.

Silver screen classic is brought to life with live music as the Guelph Chamber Choir presents The Hunchback of Notre Dame

2011-10-21T05:07:00.000-07:00

GUELPH, Ontario October 21, 2011 - The Guelph Chamber Choir opens its 2011/12 season with a screening of the classic 1923 film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, starring Lon Chaney with live music for choir and organ on Saturday, October 29, 2011 at St. George’s Anglican Church at 8 pm.

This merging of film, choral music and improvisation on St. George’s organ – capable of sounds both delicate and thunderous – offers a special musical and visual treat certain to provide thrills, shock, and delight, just before Halloween.

The GCC looks forward to collaborating again with guest conductor Robert Cooper, one of Canada’s eminent choral conductors, currently head of the esteemed Orpheus Choir of Toronto, the Opera in Concert Chorus and the newly formed BlackCreek Festival Chorus.

Dr. Cooper has selected a mélange of dramatic choral music to portray Quasimodo’s turbulent emotional struggles during the French Revolution in Paris. Edward Moroney’s sensational improvisations on the organ, sounding at the front and back of the church, will immerse you in this tale of tortured love.

Conductor Gerald Neufeld commented,

“It is exciting to blend choral music with film media to create an entirely new experience. It creates a very powerful emotional impact on the audience through the excitement of live music performed with the movie.”

Join film historian and popular culture critic Joan Nicks for an illustrated PodiumTalk!, entitled Filmmaking and Hollywood Style in the Jazz Age, immediately before the performance from 7:00 to 7:30 pm.

Single tickets are now available for only $25 each or 4 or more for only $20. We encourage young adults to attend with $10 tickets for those 30 and under and only $5 for youth with the popular eyeGO programme.

Single tickets are available through choir or board members, or through the River Run Centre by calling 519-763-3000 or online at www.riverrun.ca

To discover more, please visit our website at www.guelphchamberchoir.ca or call 519-836-5103.

Special thanks to our community-engaged concert sponsors: Deloitte, Guelph Twines and TD Canada Trust along with soloist sponsors: MDK/Child Financial Advisors, Miller Thomson Lawyers and Weiler & Company Chartered Accountants.

Love Your Bones on World Osteoporosis Day October 20th

2011-10-20T05:11:00.000-07:00

NYON, Switzerland, October 20, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - This World Osteoporosis Day (October 20) the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and its 200 member patient and medical societies are calling on the public and health professionals around the world to take action for bone health and osteoporosis prevention. The global campaign, launched in more than six languages, urges people of all ages to take three essential steps to set a strong foundation for healthy bones and muscles:

1) Ensure you have enough vitamin D intake (through safe exposure to sunlight, diet, and supplementation if required, particularly if you are over 60)

2) Eat a calcium and protein-rich diet

3) Keep active with daily weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening physical activity

Osteoporosis is often called a 'silent disease' because it has few symptoms. However, unless the disease is treated, the skeleton becomes progressively weaker and more fragile, leaving people at serious risk of debilitating fractures.

Around the world, at least one in three women and one in five men over the age of fifty will suffer a fracture caused by weak bones. Fractures result in pain, debilitation and loss of quality of life. One in three seniors who suffers a hip fracture becomes physically impaired and loses his or her ability to live independently. At least one in five will die within a year of the fracture. Vertebral (spine) fractures can cause extreme pain, long or short term disability, dowager's hump, and significant loss in quality of life. Without treatment, the risk of suffering new fractures is high.

Video features: Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari MD Dr PH Director Centre on Aging and Mobility, University of Zurich and City Hospital Waid; SNF-Professor Dept. of Rheumatology and Institute of Physical Medicine, University Hospital Zurich

World Osteoporosis Day is an occasion to remind the community that bone health matters. Osteoporosis and fracture prevention must be a priority for us all. Visit http://www.worldosteoporosisday.org to participate in the global 'unbreakable embrace' campaign and to view the live streaming of World Osteoporosis Day events around the world at 2:06 local time (206 bones in the human body). Multi-language material including posters, fact sheets, and the report 'Three Steps to Unbreakable Bones: Vitamin D, Calcium and Exercise' are also available.

About IOF

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is a non-profit, nongovernmental umbrella organization dedicated to the worldwide fight against osteoporosis, the disease known as "the silent epidemic". IOF's members - committees of scientific researchers, patient, medical and research societies and industry representatives from around the world - share a common vision of a world without osteoporotic fractures. http://www.iofbonehealth.org

Infection control and you

2011-10-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

Public Health Ontario celebrates National Infection Control Week

TORONTO, October 17, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - In light of recent outbreaks in Ontario's hospitals and communities, now is the time to remind everyone about the role each person can play in the continued practice of good infection prevention and control measures in health care settings. Whether you work in a health care setting, are a resident or patient, or a visitor, each of us can prevent the spread of germs that can lead to illness.

October 17-21 is National Infection Control Week in Canada. The week is an opportunity for infection control professionals to educate health care staff and the community at large about the importance of infection prevention, and to promote the important work being done by infection control professionals. Numerous local infection prevention and control activities will be happening during the week across the province. Public Health Ontario will be hosting a series of educational webinars each day on topics related to influenza, hand hygiene and outbreak management for health care professionals.

While infection control professionals are working to prevent outbreaks like C. difficile, the public has its own role in preventing the spread of infection. As we head toward flu season, there are several things you can do to protect yourself and others from infection:

...Wash your hands often or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Washing hands kills germs that can be spread easily. Just 20-30 seconds of your time can stop the transmission of germs.

...Contain your cough by covering your mouth with your sleeve, not with your hand.

...If feeling unwell, stay home and rest. You wouldn't want to get your colleagues sick!

...If sick, don't visit a loved one in hospital or long-term care facility. With weakened immune systems, the elderly and those in hospital are more at risk of getting sick.

...Get the flu shot. The flu shot is available across the province. Ask your doctor or local public health unit for more information about how flu shots can protect you and your loved ones' health.

Infection control week is just one way to remind us all of the important work that goes on at so many levels to prevent and control the spread of disease. But it's year-round and continued practice on the part of the public that will continue to support the work of infection control professionals across the province.

Public Health Ontario and its partners across the province are leaders in infection prevention and control. It publishes guidelines and standards on infection control practices, operates programs such as Just Clean Your Hands, works with partners such as public health units to promote infection control in health care settings and provides field support and training.

Public Health Ontario is an arm's-length government agency dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of all Ontarians and reducing inequities in health. As a hub organization, it links public health practitioners, front-line health workers and researchers to the best scientific intelligence and knowledge from around the world. For more information, please visit Public Health Ontario's website at www.oahpp.ca.

Gas furnace and fireplace safety tips from CSA International

2011-10-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

TORONTO, October 17, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - As nights become longer and colder, many people will spend more time indoors with family and friends. Furnaces and fireplaces are often the go-to sources to keep homes warm and cozy. Before blasting the heat, remember the importance of conducting routine inspections and maintenance of your gas heating appliances for the upcoming winter months. Fall is a prime time to do this.

CSA International, a leading provider of product testing and certification services, offers the following safety tips to help prepare your gas fireplace and furnace for the fall and winter seasons:

General Gas Appliance Tips

...Installation, maintenance and repair of gas appliances should only be done by a qualified professional service person.

...Gas appliances should be inspected before use and checked annually by a qualified professional service person.

...Due to high temperatures, do not store or use combustible materials, like chemicals, paint, rags, , draperies, paper, cleaning products, gasoline or flammable vapours and liquids in the vicinity of your gas appliances.

...Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless and lethal gas that can occur any time there is incomplete combustion or poor venting. Any home that contains fuel burning appliances, such as a fireplace or furnace should have a CSA International-certified carbon monoxide alarm installed according to the manufacturer's instructions. Follow the manufacturer's instructions in the owner's manual, or use the care guide for maintenance and use of your gas fireplace or furnace.

...Control compartments, burners and circulating air passageways of the fireplace and furnace should be kept clean.

...If purchasing a new gas heating appliance, be sure to look for a certification mark, such as the CSA Flame certification mark to ensure it has been tested to the applicable standards for safety and performance.

Gas Furnace Maintenance

...Keep vents, space heaters and baseboards clear of furniture, rugs and drapes to allow free air movement.

...Clean or replace your furnace filter frequently during the heating season.

...Have a qualified heating contractor perform a yearly maintenance check of your furnace and venting system.

...Ensure there is free air flow around your furnace and there are no storage items obstructing air flow.

Gas Fireplace Maintenance

...Children should be carefully supervised, and adults should be alerted to the hazards of high surface temperatures and should stay away to avoid burns or the possibility of clothing catching on fire.

...Any safety screen or guard removed for servicing a fireplace must be replaced before operating the appliance.

...If the pilot light or flame goes out, wait five minutes or longer (see the manufacturer's instructions) before attempting to relight the fireplace. This allows time to clear the fireplace of gas and is particularly important with direct-vent models.

...Be alert for unusual odours or flames that are not blue in colour often indicating that the fireplace is not operating properly. In such cases, contact your dealer or licensed technician for servicing. Contact the gas company or emergency services if you smell gas when the unit is off.

...Gas fireplaces with glass doors should not be operated if the glass is cracked or broken.

...Do not clean your fireplace if it is operational or still hot.

...Do not use abrasive cleaners, and always refer to manufacturer's instructions when cleaning glass components of your fireplace.

CSA International is a provider of product testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products. Recognized in the U.S., Canada and around the world, CSA International certification marks appear on billions of products worldwide. CSA International is a division of CSA Group, which also includes CSA, a leading solutions based standards organization, providing standards development, application products, training and advisory services; and OnSpeX, a provider of consumer product evaluation, inspection and advisory services for retailers and manufacturers. For more information, visit www.csa-international.org

Mental Health Commission of Canada releases Guidelines for Comprehensive Mental Health Services for Older Adults in Canada

2011-10-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

Guidelines to help improve the mental health of Canada's aging population

CALGARY, October 12, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) unveiled new guidelines for seniors' mental health today at the annual scientific meeting of the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry (CAGP), in Vancouver, BC. The Guidelines aim to improve mental health care for Canada's senior citizens.

"The Guidelines contain recommendations, service benchmarks and many ideas to help ensure that older Canadians living with mental health problems and illnesses receive optimal and comprehensive services and supports," said Marie-France Tourigny-Rivard MD, Chair of the MHCC's Seniors Advisory Committee.

Tourigny-Rivard kicked off the CAGP meeting by outlining some of the key elements of the Guidelines.

The ten main recommendations of the Guidelines include:

...Understanding local context and resources

...Developing policies using the Seniors Policy Lens Toolkit

...Mental health promotion

...Prevention strategies

...Recovery and well-being for all

...Collaboration for an accessible range of services

...Benchmarks for specialized services

...Cultural safety and diversity

...Caregivers as active partners

...Education and training

(for the complete report and details of the recommendations, please visit www.mhccseniorsguidelines.ca)

"The completion of the updated Guidelines for Comprehensive Mental Health Services for Older Adults in Canada is a major accomplishment for the Mental Health Commission of Canada," said Louise Bradley, President and CEO of the MHCC. "This document will help to ensure that the diverse mental health needs of Canadian seniors are met in the coming decades. As a former seniors' mental health clinical nurse specialist, I know these guidelines will prove incredibly valuable to those providing the services."

The first of Canada's boomers are turning 65 this year, with millions more to mark that milestone over the next 25 years. By 2036, Canada will have around 10 million seniors, who will outnumber children for the first time in history.

With a large, rapidly aging population comes the challenge of meeting additional health care needs. Already, about one in four Canadian seniors is living with a mental illness such as depression, dementia, anxiety, or a psychotic disorder. Health policy experts say that now is the time to prepare our health and social services systems for these challenges.

The Guidelines were developed through the MHCC advisory committee on seniors' mental health with input from seniors, their families, and service planners and providers from across the country. The document will assist policy makers, service planners and providers, and advocacy organizations working to ensure that all older Canadians and family caregivers receive the range of supports they need.

To view the interactive Guidelines visit www.mhccseniorsguidelines.ca

About the Mental Health Commission of Canada

The Mental Health Commission of Canada is a catalyst for transformative change. Our mission is to work with stakeholders to change the attitudes of Canadians toward mental health problems and to improve services and support. Our goal is to help people who live with mental health problems lead meaningful and productive lives. The Mental Health Commission of Canada is funded by Health Canada.

The views represented herein solely represent the views of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Production of this document is made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada.

Canada's Emergency Doctors Push to Improve Rate of "Bystander" CPR Assistance

2011-10-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

OTTAWA, October 13, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canadians who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital are three to four times more likely to survive if they receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). According to the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP), such assistance is provided in only about one-quarter of cases.

In a position statement on "bystander" CPR to be published today in the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine (CJEM), CAEP says it is not acceptable that vast numbers of witnessed cardiac arrest victims do not receive bystander CPR. More than 20,000 people suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Canada each year, with 85 per cent of cases occurring in residential dwellings. Currently, less than 10 per cent of these people survive.

Every Canadian should be trained in CPR and all Canadians should respond and provide chest compressions, with or without mouth-to-mouth ventilation, whether they are trained or not, CAEP says.

Dr. Christian Vaillancourt, one of the lead authors of the position statement and a Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, says "emergency department doctors too often see the missed opportunities to save someone's life had CPR been administered promptly. Many more lives can be saved, but we need stronger inducements and a systematic approach to ensure more people in the community are prepared and ready to perform CPR." Dr. Vaillancourt is an Emergency Physician at The Ottawa Hospital and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Ottawa.

The position statement's recommendations include:

...compulsory CPR education in high schools

...targeting senior citizens since they represent the population most at risk to witness a cardiac arrest

...tax exemptions for companies providing certified CPR training courses to employees and to individuals who take similar certified CPR education

...consideration of dispatch-assisted CPR instructions from emergency services for bystanders

...the creation of a coalition of stakeholder organizations to spearhead a national public awareness campaign.

"The Heart and Stroke Foundation applauds this initiative," says Manuel Arango, Director, Health Policy, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. "The Foundation is dedicated to strengthening the Chain of Survival™ in communities across Canada." He adds, "Early access to the EMS system through 9-1-1 or local emergency numbers, early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced care are essential links in this chain."

"Paramedics often see firsthand the benefits of CPR. We know these patients have the best chance for survival. Paramedics are proud to support the CAEP recommendations for CPR," says Pierre Poirier, Executive Director, Paramedic Association of Canada.

The position paper is available on the CAEP website: www.caep.ca

In addition to Dr. Vaillancourt, members of the CAEP working group that developed the position statement on bystander CPR are: Dr. Norman Epstein, Toronto, ON; Dr. Sheldon Cheskes, Toronto, ON; Dr. Justin Maloney, Ottawa, ON; Dr. Ian. G. Stiell, Ottawa, ON; Dr. James Christenson, Vancouver, BC; Dr. Andrew Affleck, Thunder Bay, ON; Dr. Andrew H. Travers, Dartmouth, NS; Dr. Martin H. Osmond, Ottawa, ON; Patrick Forgie, Peel Region, ON; and Jason Slenys, Peel Region, ON.

As the national voice of Emergency Medicine, CAEP provides continuing medical education and advocates on behalf of emergency physicians and their patients. In cooperation with other specialties and committees, CAEP plays a vital role in the development of national standards and clinical guidelines. For more information: www.caep.ca

Ontario Arts Engagement Study Shows Depth and Variety to How Arts are Part of the Lives of Most Ontarians

2011-10-13T06:04:00.000-07:00

photo credit: calrla dance via Flickr

TORONTO, October 13, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) has released the findings of its commissioned report, the Ontario Arts Engagement Study, by the research firm WolfBrown.

The study reveals the multi-faceted and widespread nature of how Ontarians engage in the arts around the province and that virtually all Ontarians take part in arts activities of some sort.

It explores the full spectrum of arts activities from traditional attendance-based activities (such as attending performing arts events or visiting an art gallery) to personal practice activities (such as playing a musical instrument, painting, or taking dance lessons) and includes arts participation via electronic, print and digital media (such as radio, television or the Internet).

In addition, the study explores the importance of these arts activities to Ontarians, the settings in which arts activities take place, the relationships between personal arts practice and attendance, and the patterns of engagement across regions and demographic groups such as age and gender.

"Overall these results point to the extensiveness and depth of involvement in the arts across the province," said John Brotman OAC Executive Director. "Almost all Ontarians are engaged in the arts in some way."

KEY FINDINGS

A Population Actively Participating in the Arts:

...Many Ontarians actively participate in the arts - expressing themselves through artistic creation and interpretation in a variety of personal activities - 43 per cent of Ontarians dance socially at least once a year, over a third (36 per cent) take photographs with artistic intentions, one quarter paint, draw or make other original art, 24 per cent engage in textile crafts, 24 per cent make other crafts like pottery, jewelry or work with wood, glass or metal, 22 per cent of Ontarians play a musical instrument, 17 per cent write fiction, short stories or poetry, and 14 per cent make original videos or films.

...The home is the main setting for arts participation - The home is the predominant setting for Ontarians engaging in music, dance and visual arts/crafts/film. While traditional arts venues (like theatre or concert facilities and museums/galleries) remain common settings, much arts participation takes place in informal settings like parks and outdoor spaces, bars/nightclubs, community centres and places of worship.

...Involvement in participatory activities is linked to attendance at audience-based activities - Overall, people who engage in participatory arts activities are more likely to attend audience or visitor-based activities - sometimes at a rate of two or three times higher than those who do not engage in participatory activities. For example, Ontarians who play a musical instrument attend concerts by professional musicians twice as frequently as those who don't play an instrument.

A Population Whose Arts Engagement Shows Depth and Variety:

...Arts engagement is multi-faceted and widespread - 98 per cent of Ontarians engage at least once a year in music activities; 98 per cent engage in visual arts, crafts or film activities; and 64 per cent of Ontarians participate at least once a year in theatre activities.

...Media-based arts engagement plays a pivotal role in arts engagement - 90 per cent of Ontarians listen to music on a local radio station, and 88 per cent of Ontarians read paperback or hardcover books for enjoyment; 75 per cent of Ontarians of age 18 to 35 download music at least once a year or more.

...A majority of Ontarians attend professional audience-based activities at least once a year or more - 60 per cent of Ontarians attend professional music concerts at least once a year; 55 per cent attend professional stage plays or musicals; and 51 per cent visit art museums or art galleries.

...Ontarians place a high value on live arts experiences - While media-based participation is more widespread, Ontarians attach a relatively higher level of importance to attending live events such as visiting art museums and attending plays. For example, among Ontarians who reported visiting an art museum or art gallery at least once in the past year, 80 per cent described this activity as being very important to them.

Patterns of engagement often differ across regions and demographic groups:

...Arts engagement is generally higher for Ontarians of colour - Driven primarily by overall higher levels of engagement in community-based arts activities and arts learning activities (such as taking lessons or classes). However, it's important to note that patterns of participation differ across specific racial/cultural groups.

...Urban area residents (in particular those living in the City of Toronto) are generally more engaged - However, the differences between urban and rural engagement are largely within the audience-based activities such as attending live performing arts and visiting art galleries. Engagement in inventive and interpretive activities, community-based arts events, and media-based participation is relatively equivalent between urban and rural Ontarians.

...Online participation is a central aspect of the arts participation of younger adults - For example, 75 per cent of Ontarians age 18 to 35 download music at least once a year or more. In addition, Ontarians ages 18 to 35 are twice as likely to be engaged in personal practice activities, such as playing a musical instrument, as those over 65.

Additional Detail:

...Interest in cultural heritage correlates strongly with higher levels of engagement - Ontarians who are interested in their own cultural heritage, or learning more about the cultural heritage of others, have much higher levels of engagement in the arts.

...Room to grow - The results suggest that opportunities exist for increasing the engagement among those who are interested but participate infrequently in the arts. In most types of activities, approximately 20 per cent of Ontarians account for about half of all engagement.

"This research builds our understanding of the relationship between the professional not-for-profit arts sector and the broader community," said principal researcher Alan Brown of WolfBrown. "It suggests some exciting opportunities for arts organizations to further develop and deepen their relationships with audiences and visitors in innovative ways."

LEARN MORE

Click here to access the Summary and the full WolfBrown report.

The Ontario Arts Engagement Study was commissioned by the Ontario Arts Council and led by Alan Brown of WolfBrown, based on his previous work in California and Philadelphia. Data collection was undertaken by Ipsos Reid in May and June of 2011 through a random digit dialing of Ontario residents 18 years or older. The total sample included a general population sample of 1,300 and booster sample of certain sub-populations of interest. Weighting was applied to create a representative sample of Ontarians. Results for the overall main sample are accurate within +/- 2.7 per cent at a 95 per cent confidence level. Intervals are larger for smaller sub-samples.

The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is the province of Ontario's primary funding body for professional arts activity. Since 1963, the OAC has played a vital role in promoting and assisting the development of the arts and artists for the enjoyment and benefit of Ontarians.

Primary Care and Home Care Key Priorities for Ontarians

2011-10-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Alzheimer Society of Ontario urges Liberal Government to take action

TORONTO, October 6, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Alzheimer Society of Ontario congratulates Ontario's re-elected Liberal Government and urges them to make good on their healthcare commitments:

...redesign the primary care and home care system

...implement an eight-week caregiver leave

...shift more research investment into the prevention, treatment and cure of conditions such as Alzheimer's disease

"Fulfilling these commitments would significantly address the urgent challenges presented by Alzheimer's disease and dementia today," says the Society's Chief Public Policy and Programs Initiatives Officer David Harvey.

Informal polling by the Alzheimer Society reveals that Ontarians living with Alzheimer's disease and dementia and their caregivers want in-home care and respite support to be a top priority.

At present, 25 per cent of patients in Ontario hospitals who remain there too long have dementia. More and better trained family doctors, nurses and other primary care workers can help ease the strain on hospitals and increase the quality of life of those living with this disease.

"Keeping people with dementia in their homes longer is cost-effective and a more humane alternative to unnecessary hospital stays and helps delay more expensive long-term care placement," adds Harvey.

Family caregivers who provide the bulk of care for people with dementia will especially benefit from the Liberals' proposed eight-week caregiver leave. They are vital to building a robust home-care system.

Ontario will experience a 40 per cent growth in the disease in the next nine years. Almost a quarter of Ontario's population, or 4.2 million people, will be over the age of 65 by 2036. After 65, the risk for Alzheimer's doubles every five years.

Total spending on dementia will increase by more than $770 million per year through 2020. Without reform, services will become increasingly unsustainable and more costly as the population ages.

The Alzheimer Society will continue to champion the healthcare needs of Ontario families dealing with dementia and looks forward to working with the Liberal Government to lead change.

About the Alzheimer Society

The Alzheimer Society of Ontario is the province's leading care and research charity committed to helping people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias by offering Help for Today through programs and services and Hope for Tomorrow…® by funding research to find the cause and the cure.

Prevention measures needed to address major risk of falls after stroke

2011-10-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

Most people fall after stroke, usually at home, study finds

OTTAWA, October 3, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Almost 60 per cent of people who have a stroke experience one or more falls afterwards - most often in their own homes - and some are left with serious injuries, according to a study released today at the Canadian Stroke Congress.

Better identification of people at risk of falling and proactive measures, such as assessments to create fall-proof homes, are required to keep people safe and injury-free, says Prof. Julie Tilson of the University of Southern California.

Ironically, the greatest risk comes when people are resuming their daily routines and regaining self-confidence, according to the study, which involved 408 people from two-to-12 months post-stroke. "As patients start to recover and gain mobility, the risk for falls may actually increase," Prof. Tilson says. "As they become more active, they are more likely to fall."

Over 70 per cent of falls were in the home and three-quarters of those who fell were unable to get up afterward. Of those who fell, 10 per cent experienced serious injury - from loss of consciousness to broken bones. The U.S. researcher said it is crucial that people receive post-stroke rehabilitation to test their balance and to learn exercises and techniques to prevent falls.

The study was part of the Locomotor Experience Applied Post Stroke (LEAPS) study, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which investigated the impact of different physical therapy treatments for improving people's ability to walk after a stroke.

According to the Canadian Stroke Network's 2011 report on the Quality of Stroke Care in Canada, 90 per cent of individuals with mild stroke are discharged directly home from acute care. Only 37 per cent of all moderate to severe stroke cases are discharged to a rehabilitation facility. The report indicates there are huge gaps in the delivery of rehabilitation services in all parts of Canada and services are not well documented.

"Research tells us that balance can be tested safely and new techniques for fall prevention are being developed by researchers in Canada that should be adopted as soon as possible," says Dr. Mark Bayley of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.

"Specialized rehabilitation can substantially improve how well a patient recovers after a stroke," says Dr. Antoine Hakim, CEO and Scientific Director of the Canadian Stroke Network. "Given the potential impact that appropriate rehabilitation can have, gaps in care need to be addressed to ensure all patients have access to appropriate rehabilitation."

Dr. Michael Hill from the Heart and Stroke Foundation encourages people who have strokes and their families to be actively involved with the stroke team in assessing needs and planning their rehab programs. "Rehabilitation after hospital is an important part of the road to recovery and should be individualized for each case," he says. "Building up physical activity levels, when ready, can also enhance balance and help prevent falls." He recommends that patients and caregivers also speak to their stroke team about what changes could be made to make their homes more safe and accessible.

There are an estimated 50,000 strokes a year in Canada and another 315,000 people are living with the after-effects of stroke.

The Canadian Stroke Congress is co-hosted by the Canadian Stroke Network, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the Canadian Stroke Consortium.

The Canadian Stroke Network ( canadianstrokenetwork.ca) is a national research network headquartered at the University of Ottawa. It includes scientists, clinicians and health-policy experts committed to reducing the impact of stroke.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation ( heartandstroke.ca), a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy.

Join Us for our Fall Education Series

Presented by: GWSA Health Promotion Services
at the Evergreen Seniors Community Centre

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

"Falling: What can I do to reduce my Risk"

Presented by: Dr. William Gage, Faculty of Health Services, York University

Event start at 1:00 pm and is FREE - All Welcome

To Register please contact Pat Gage
myahinfo@gmail.com or 519 837-5696

Smoking causes stroke to occur nearly a decade earlier, study finds

2011-10-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

OTTAWA, October 3, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Not only are smokers twice as likely to have strokes, they are almost a decade younger than non-smokers when they have them, according to a study presented today at the Canadian Stroke Congress.

Between January 2009 and March 2011, researchers studied 982 stroke patients (264 smokers and 718 non-smokers) at an Ottawa prevention clinic. They found the average age of stroke patients who smoked was 58, compared to age 67 for non-smokers.

"The information from this study provides yet another important piece of evidence about the significance of helping people stop smoking," said Dr. Andrew Pipe of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, one of the study's authors. "It also alerts the neurology community to the importance of addressing smoking in stroke patients."

Smoking causes a build-up of debris on the inside of blood vessels, a condition called atherosclerosis, and it contributes to a higher likelihood of clots forming, said Dr. Pipe.

The Ottawa Hospital study, led by principal investigators Dr. Mike Sharma and Dr. Robert Reid, found smokers have double the risk of a stroke caused by a dislodged blood clot (ischemic stroke) and four times the risk of a stroke caused by a ruptured blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke) than the non-smoking population.

In addition, smokers have a greater chance of having more complications and recurrent strokes. Patients who have had a minor stroke are 10 times more likely to have a major stroke, especially if they continue to smoke, said Dr. Pipe.

"It's scandalous that Canadians continue to die in large numbers from stroke, heart disease, cancers and a host of other diseases for which the tobacco industry is responsible," Dr. Pipe said.

If a person stops smoking, their risk for stroke or heart disease decreases. Within 18 months to two years of quitting, the risks of stroke are about the same as for non-smokers, said Dr. Pipe.

Some of the initiatives Dr. Pipe hopes to see enforced are to:

...reduce tobacco access to minors

...ensure tobacco is appropriately priced

...act more aggressively to deal with contraband tobacco

...be more systematic, from a health system's point of view, in terms of helping those who are smokers quit

...create an integrated smoking cessation unit within the health community

"Stroke is preventable," said Dr. Sharma, Deputy Director of the Canadian Stroke Network. "This study highlights the sizeable role smoking has on stroke. Quitting smoking, controlling blood pressure, following a healthy diet and being physically active significantly reduce the risk of stroke."

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, more than 37,000 Canadians will die prematurely each year due to tobacco use. Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Dr. Michael Hill notes that this study reinforces the importance of education, prevention programs, and legislation. "It is critical for governments to continue to wage the battle against tobacco industry products," says Dr. Hill. "This includes the renewal of the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy, which is set to expire next spring, and ensuring that Canada adopts plain and standardized tobacco packaging."

The Canadian Stroke Congress is co-hosted by the Canadian Stroke Network, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the Canadian Stroke Consortium.

The Canadian Stroke Network ( canadianstrokenetwork.ca) is a national research network headquartered at the University of Ottawa. It includes scientists, clinicians and health-policy experts committed to reducing the impact of stroke.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation ( heartandstroke.ca), a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy.

Bayshore Home Health has its eye on seniors' health with the launch of monthly e-newsletter

2011-09-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, September 19, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Today, Bayshore Home Health officially launched the first edition of its new monthly e-newsletter, Eye on Health. The newsletter is designed to support families and informal caregivers in caring for their elderly loved ones.

Each month, Eye on Health will feature a new theme related to seniors' health and well-being, and offer tips and solutions to help manage health issues and alleviate the stresses associated with caregiving. The inaugural newsletter focuses on Arthritis Awareness.

"Nearly 4.5 million Canadians are currently affected by more than 100 forms of arthritis and by 2031, the number of Canadians aged 15 and older affected is expected to increase to approximately seven million," 1 says Jackie Hickey, a registered nurse and Community Health Advisor for Bayshore Home Health. "While the exact cause is not known, there are a number of simple steps that we can all take to help prevent and manage this disease."

In the not so distant future, seniors will comprise 13 per cent of the Canadian population, with Statistics Canada predicting that by 2026 this will increase to 21 per cent.2 As seniors become a greater proportion of the Canadian population, arthritis and other common diseases will become more prevalent if the necessary preventative steps are not taken.

"The first major steps toward prevention of arthritis and related diseases are awareness and education," says Hickey. "Bayshore Home Health is generating national awareness and providing a valuable resource to family caregivers with the launch of Eye on Health."

In each newsletter, Bayshore Home Health will provide Canadian readers with detailed background information on the featured theme, resources and possible solutions to a wide-range of topics affecting our loved ones.

To access and subscribe to editions of Eye on Health, please visit www.bayshore.ca.

About Bayshore Home Health

Bayshore Home Health has been enhancing the quality of life, dignity and independence of Canadians in their homes since 1966. Canadian owned and operated, it is the country's largest provider of home and community health care services, with more than 50 home care offices and two-dozen community care clinics. It delivers nursing, personal care, home support and companion services to more than 70,000 Canadians annually, and also offers nurse and caregiver staffing services to health care organizations and corporate clients. Its subsidiaries provide specialty pharmacy, infusion and pharmaceutical support services (Bayshore Specialty Rx), physiotherapy and rehabilitation services (Bayshore Therapy & Rehab), and dialysis services (Bayshore Dialysis).

The Scarf

2011-09-22T05:34:00.000-07:00

This wonderful short film from Carla Feldman reveals a period in a young boy's life when his aging grandmother, dealing with the on-set of Alzheimer's, comes to stay with his family. Leonard is naïve and puzzled by her increasingly odd behavior and seeks stability in their strained relationship, which is unraveling very much like her gift of a scarf.

A young boy's world is forever changed when his aging grandmother comes to stay. Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2011 ASIFA Atlanta 'Roll Yer Own' - Best in Show Atlantic Film Festival Chicago International Children's Film Festival Hearts...

The Scarf has additionally been included in the resource libraries of North York General Hospital's geriatric program (Toronto) and Shalom Manor & Gardens.

The Scarf from Carla Veldman on Vimeo.

Ontario Pharmacists' Association announces top policy priorities

2011-09-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

Pharmacists hope to play larger role in patients' circle of care by 2015

TORONTO, September 15, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - With Ontarians set to go to the polls on October 6, the Ontario Pharmacists' Association (OPA), the professional association that represents the views and interests of more than 12,500 pharmacists, has announced its policy priorities for the 2011 provincial election and beyond.

Included in OPA's Vision for Pharmacists' Role in Health Care 2011-15, available at http://www.opatoday.com/files/public/documents/OPA_Vision2011-15.pdf, are nine key priorities including an expanded scope of practice for all pharmacists.

By 2015, it is hoped that Ontario's highly-educated community pharmacists will be better utilized and fairly compensated for providing essential health care services, especially for seniors and those suffering from chronic illnesses.

"Better access to health care services is a top concern for voters during this election, and the Ontario Pharmacists' Association will continue to advocate strongly for a greater scope of practice for pharmacists," said Darryl Moore, Chair of the Ontario Pharmacists Association. "Ontarians need and expect community pharmacists to provide more patient care services, just as pharmacists do in other jurisdictions around the world. Routine immunizations and the authority to assess and treat minor ailments are just two examples of services that OPA hopes pharmacists are able to provide in the near future."

Pharmacists are medication experts with in-depth knowledge about hundreds of prescription and non-prescription drugs. Many also undertake additional training to become certified as diabetes or asthma educators, or specialize in areas such as geriatrics or menopause.

According to a March 2009 Ipsos-Reid survey, 86 per cent of Ontarians said they would rely on their pharmacist to provide medication for minor ailments, and 71 per cent said they believed pharmacists could do more to help them manage their health.

"We know it can be done," said Dennis Darby, Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Pharmacists' Association. "Many other jurisdictions have authorized pharmacists to provide routine injections of immunizations and vaccines, with great success and improved uptake by patients. Other provinces and countries have authorized pharmacists to prescribe drugs for minor ailments, like pink eye or poison ivy."

The Association emphasizes that by expanding Ontario pharmacists' scope of practice, pharmacists can improve patient care; take pressure off family physicians, emergency rooms and walk-in clinics; reduce wait times and hospitals stays; and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of Ontario's health care system.

A more significant monitoring system

Another key priority is to create a comprehensive plan aimed at reducing the misuse and abuse of prescription narcotics - one of the most serious public health and safety issues in Ontario.

"The current government made a good first move by creating the prescription drug database, which will allow the province to monitor prescriptions; however we are also calling for increased patient education, improved addictions treatment, and coordinated efforts with law enforcement to ensure the safety and security of pharmacists and all of the patients they serve," Darby said.

To help pharmacists better fulfill their medication management role and to reduce growing public anxiety about the likelihood of drug shortages, OPA is also recommending the creation of a drug supply monitoring system comparable to that of the United States' Food and Drug Administration. Drug shortages faced by pharmacists in the past year posed significant problems for pharmacists, patients and prescribers. A drug monitoring system would ensure pharmacists are able to provide the most appropriate medication needed to patients at the correct dosage.

About Ontario Pharmacists' Association

The Ontario Pharmacists' Association is the professional association that represents the views and interests of more than 12,500 pharmacists and pharmacists-in-training across the province. The Association works to inspire excellence in the profession and practice of pharmacy, and to promote wellness for patients. For more information, visit www.opatoday.com.

Make your coffee count!

2011-09-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

Alzheimer Society hosts Canada's biggest Coffee Break® to raise funds for Alzheimer support

TORONTO, September 15, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Alzheimer Society is encouraging Canadians to take part in the country's largest Coffee Break® on September 15, 2011.

Held every September, from Vancouver to Toronto to Halifax and points in between, Coffee Break events raise funds in exchange for a cup of coffee. Donations support Alzheimer Society programs and services that improve the quality of life of individuals and their families living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Anyone can host a Coffee Break - friends, families, or corporations - at home, at work or other public venue. This year's goal is $1.5 million.

"For many Canadians living with this devastating disease, the Alzheimer Society is their lifeline," says Andrea Grimm, Chief Fund Development Officer at the Alzheimer Society. "We provide practical support, training and information in communities across Canada, while our programs make a tremendous difference to the individuals and families living with dementia. We're encouraging Canadians to get involved and spread the word so we can help even more people with this disease."

Demand for these services is steadily climbing as the number of Canadians with dementia surges. An estimated 1.1 million Canadians will be affected by 2038. This number does not take into account thousands of caregivers who already clock a staggering 231 million hours a year in unpaid care. Burgeoning baby boomers will compound this trend. The risk for the disease doubles every five years after age 65.

While Coffee Break officially kicks off September 15, participants can host their event any time during the month and into October, and can be as simple or elaborate as they like, from organizing corporate challenges to holding trivia nights, to staging events at local coffee shops or shopping malls.

Those interested can also donate by purchasing Coffee Break decals from this year's campaign supporters: Bulk Barn, from September 7 through 22, and Kent Building Supplies, throughout September.

For registration, tips and information on how to get started, visit www.alzheimercoffeebreak.ca

About Coffee Break

Coffee Break® is the Alzheimer Society's largest nationwide fundraising event. Since launching in 1996, it has raised more than $13 million. Funds remain in local provinces and communities. The Alzheimer Society thanks Bulk Barn and Kent Building Supplies for their generous support and Mother Parkers for their in-kind contribution.

About Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. It is a fatal brain disease that progressively impacts memory, speech and behaviour. Eventually those affected will become dependent on others for every aspect of their care. The disease can start to develop 10 to 20 years before symptoms appear. Age is still a major risk factor, but the disease can also strike people in their 50s and 40s.

About the Alzheimer Society

The Alzheimer Society is the leading nationwide health charity for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Active in more than 150 communities across Canada, the Society offers Help for Today through our programs and services for people living with dementia and Hope for Tomorrow… ® by funding research to find the cause and the cure.

Expanded University Centre Transit Hub Opens

2011-09-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

GUELPH, Ontario September 13, 2011 - University of Guelph Campus Bulletin

Bus service to the University of Guelph will increase and improve, thanks to an expansion to the University Centre transit hub.

Construction took place over the summer on new bus bays and shelters and new passenger platforms. There were also changes to adjacent parking lot exits.

Guelph Transit and GO Transit will run more buses to and from campus. In total, about 620 buses will travel through the expanded bus loop every day.

“We expanded to accommodate a planned increase in bus service and to make improvements to address some operational concerns,” said Ian Weir, Guelph’s manager of parking services and transportation planning.

Guelph Transit will be improving service to nine routes, with frequency increasing to one bus every 15 minutes. Four new Guelph Transit bus bays and new bus shelters were built south of South Ring Road on the east side of the loop.

New walkways and crossings with pedestrian-activated signals were installed on each side of the South Ring Road and University Centre main-entrance intersection to help ensure pedestrian safety. New concrete sidewalks were added from Christie Lane to connect with Winegard Walk on the north side.

GO Transit will increase its weekday bus service as well. To make room for the expansion, the connection to the bus loop entrance at parking lot P42 was closed.

Greyhound and Aboutown, which provides bus service to and from Hamilton, will continue to use current stops in the bus loop.

Vehicular access on the north end of the bus loop will continue to be restricted to buses and emergency vehicles.

“These changes will create a more efficient and accessible environment for all transit users,” Weir said.

Retired University of Guelph English Professor Named to Royal Society

2011-09-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

GUELPH, Ontario September 12, 2011 - University of Guelph News Release - University of Guelph professor emerita Elizabeth Waterston has been elected to the Royal Society of Canada, considered Canada's senior academic honour. She will be inducted at a Nov. 26 ceremony in Ottawa.

Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada is the country’s oldest and most prestigious scholarly organization. Scholars are selected for the honour by their peers and are those the society believes have had a profound impact on sciences, arts and humanities in Canada.

Waterston, professor emerita in the School of English and Theatre Studies, was honoured for her distinguished career in writing, research and teaching.

“Elizabeth Waterston has contributed to Canadian culture as a teacher, writer, editor, public speaker at home and abroad, and mentor to young writers,” according to the citation from the Royal Society. “She pioneered interdisciplinary studies and in the applicaiton of computer technology in studies in the humanities.”

An expert on Canadian authors, Waterston has fostered the study of Canadian literature in high schools and universities since the 1950s and mentored writers such as Mordecai Richler and Guelph graduate Jane Urquhart.

She taught literature at U of G for more than two decades.

Waterston is a leading expert on the life and writings of Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the Anne of Green Gables series. Along with U of G professor emerita Mary Rubio, she has travelled the globe researching the famous Canadian author’s life and legacy.

Waterston’s book Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery explores the Anne stories, drawing parallels between Montgomery’s personal life and professional career and the characters in her novels. Along with Rubio, she edited The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery and wrote the short biography Writing a Life: L.M. Montgomery.

Survey Finds Ontario Patients Say Naturopathic Medicine Reduces Use of Prescription Medications and Emergency Room Visits

2011-09-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

An estimated 2 million Ontario residents now see a naturopathic doctor

TORONTO, September 8, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - A new survey commissioned by the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine reveals that almost half of Ontarians treated by naturopathic doctors report naturopathic medicine has helped reduce their use of prescription drugs. Further, approximately 4 in 10 of those individuals report fewer visits to their family doctors and 3 in 10 to hospitals as a result of the care they receive from naturopathic doctors.

Ontarians seeking more natural approaches to health and wellness are increasingly turning to naturopathic medicine. The survey conducted in August 2011 found that 72% of Ontarians familiar with the practice view naturopathic medicine positively, 43% say they are familiar with the practice and an estimated 18% of all adult Ontarians— an estimated two million people—have seen a naturopathic doctor.

According to the survey, women are both more likely to be familiar with naturopathic medicine (49% versus 36%) and more likely to have a positive impression of it (77% versus 66%) as compared to men. Of interest, the Ontario Ministry of Finance reports that females in Ontario enjoy a life expectancy which is over four years longer than their male counterparts.

"These results show more Ontario residents are not only increasingly using complementary therapies, but also indicating that naturopathic medicine is an effective alternative to help relieve the cost pressures on the publicly-funded provincial health system," says Nick DeGroot, a naturopathic doctor and dean of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.

The demand for naturopathic medicine continues to grow with 41% of respondents indicating they are likely to see a naturopathic doctor in the next few years, and over half of these anticipating a visit within the next 12 months.

Moreover, the survey showed that there is a general movement moving towards selecting naturopathic medicine as a treatment option based on a strong desire for more natural approaches to boosting and maintaining health. In fact, survey respondents currently seeking treatment from naturopathic doctors indicate they are seeking more natural approaches to health and wellness (67%) as opposed to being motivated by a dissatisfaction with traditional health services (4%).

"The naturopathic treatment for my psoriasis has allowed me to make outstanding progress, despite the fact that I'd been treated for the past three years with steroids and other traditional treatments with limited success," says Andrew Tappin, a patient at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic. "My psoriasis gradually and consistently diminished, and I've also experienced a new burst of energy, clarity of thought and tremendously improved sleep patterns. The naturopathic care I've received has given me my life back," adds Tappin.

This study was conducted by Innovative Research Group Inc. through random digit dialling telephone interviews among a sample of 606 English speaking Ontarians, 18 years of age or older. The interviews were conducted between August 17th and August 23rd, 2011. Up to eight call-backs were made in the case of non-response. Using 2006 Census data from Statistics Canada, the results were weighted according to region, age and gender to ensure a sample representative of the entire Ontario adult population. After weighting a sample of this size, the aggregate results are considered accurate to within ±4.0% (19 times out of 20). The margin of error will be larger within each sub-grouping of the sample.

About the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine

The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) is Canada's premier institute for education and research in naturopathic medicine. CCNM offers a rigorous four-year, full-time doctor of naturopathic medicine program. The College educates, develops and trains naturopathic doctors through excellence in health education, clinical services and research that integrate mind, body and spirit.

In Ontario, naturopathic doctors (NDs) are regulated health-care practitioners. Currently, the profession is transitioning to new regulation within the Regulated Health Professions Act. Visits to naturopathic doctors are typically half an hour or more in length, and involve standard medical diagnostic assessments as well as a range of therapies including lifestyle counselling, nutrition, botanical medicine, acupuncture/Asian medicine, homeopathic medicine, and hydrotherapy/massage.

University of Guelph Professor Wins Grant to Study Excessive Shoppers

2011-09-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

GUELPH, Ontario September 7, 2011 - University of Guelph News Release - So-called “shopaholics” may appear to share the same urge to “shop ‘til you drop” but the underlying causes may be very different, according to University of Guelph marketing and consumer studies professor Sunghwan Yi.

Differentiating between compulsive and impulsive shoppers, and what motivates excessive buying, is the focus of a new study supported by a $105,000 grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Yi aims to determine if some shoppers are motivated by a need to escape from negative self-perception.

“I believe that, among pathological compulsive shoppers, excessive buying is primarily motivated by the need to escape from negative feelings about oneself, such as shame and sense of worthlessness,” he said.

“In contrast, for impulse buyers, other motives, like the need for sensory stimulation and materialism, are likely to be more important. Our empirical study will help test this idea.”

Yi will assess the strength of different motives for buying utilizing a technique called “Response Time.” It involves detecting the strength of a person’s positive versus negative associations with a focal concept by measuring automatic response time.

Study participants will press different computer keys as soon as word strings, related either to shopping or to a control concept, appear on the computer screen. This procedure is analogous to how quickly the thought of going shopping pops up in compulsive buyers’ minds when they feel shame or a sense of worthlessness compared with impulsive buyers.

“How quickly or slowly negative emotional words activate the concept of shopping in consumers' minds is a surreptitious way of assessing the strength of the negative emotion motive behind excessive buying,” he said.

“Measuring this strength is vital to distinguishing pathological compulsive buyers from impulse buyers.”

In the past, research on excessive buying relied on one-on-one interviews among small samples of self-identified pathological shoppers, Yi said.

“It is difficult to get to the heart of the matter by asking directly why a person shops so often, or how bad a person is feeling when they get the urge to go shopping. For one thing, their recollection may not be accurate, or they may not be consciously aware of their feelings; or maybe they’re simply too embarrassed to be fully revealing.”

“This study is different in that we will examine motives of excessive buying in a less disruptive manner with a larger sample of consumers that encompass impulse buyers as well as compulsive buyers.”

Excessive buying is a hot topic in psychology and marketing fields alike and a social problem that Yi hopes to address by scrutinizing the hidden motives behind people’s shopping habits. He will work with colleagues at the University of Western Ontario and Concordia University on the three-year research project.

“Understanding why people shop as much or as often as they do is important in order to distinguish compulsive buyers from impulse buyers, and to develop appropriate solutions for the two groups of buyers,” Yi said.

Canadians urged to check if their joint pain is osteoarthritis

2011-09-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

TORONTO, September 6, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canadians who never have their joint pains and aches examined by a doctor could be making the problem much worse, The Arthritis Society warns. The Society is encouraging people during Arthritis Awareness Month in September to complete a short quiz at www.arthritisquiz.ca to help them determine whether they have osteoarthritis (OA) and prevent long-term joint damage.

"Joint pain is a daily reality for millions of Canadians, but unfortunately many never follow up with their health-care provider. Some think it's an inevitable part of aging, others hope it will go away," says Steven McNair, President and CEO of The Arthritis Society. "Learning more about what lies behind your joint pain is a major quality of life issue. Establishing an early diagnosis of osteoarthritis is critical to the outcome of the disease, since it only gets progressively worse and therapies work best when started as early as possible."

OA is the most common type of arthritis, affecting more than three million Canadians. While anyone can get OA, it is more common as we age. It occurs when cartilage, the tough elastic material that covers and protects the ends of bones, begins to wear away. The result is pain, stiffness, swelling and bone-on-bone movement in the affected joint. Joints commonly affected are the end joints of fingers, the middle joints of fingers, hips, knees and the neck (cervical spine). Over 90 per cent of the more than 58,000 annual joint replacement surgeries in Canada result from the end stage of joint damage caused by OA.

While there is still no cure for OA, appropriate treatment and a healthy lifestyle can allow someone to take control of their disease.

"Managing body weight through physical activity and a balanced diet is one of most effective ways of reducing joint pain," Dr. Joanne Homik, Chair of The Arthritis Society's Medical Advisory Committee, explains. "Losing 10 pounds reduces the pressure on each knee by 40 pounds. Being overweight puts an extra burden on your weight-bearing joints, such as the hips, knees, ankles and feet."

Every September, The Arthritis Society aims to heighten awareness of the prevalence of arthritis in Canada and to raise much-needed funds for arthritis research and programs. In addition to useful resources, such as the toll-free Arthritis Information Line (1.800.321.1433) and website (www.arthritis.ca), The Society offers the Arthritis Self-Management Program and Chronic Pain Management Workshop, programs that inform participants on how to handle pain and stress, eat healthy and exercise with arthritis.

About The Arthritis Society

The Arthritis Society is Canada's principal arthritis health charity empowering the nearly 4.5 million Canadians with arthritis to live their lives to the fullest by combating the daily limitations of arthritis. In the last 60 years, The Society has invested more than $175 million towards arthritis research to develop better treatments and, ultimately, find a cure.

Round-trip from Philly to NYC to DC is Just $3.50. Say What?!

2011-09-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Gerard Donnelly via Flickr

from TreeHugger.com
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA

Josh has posted on how to make a cross-country bus trip more comfortable, and Jennifer reported before that Megabus was seeking to reinvent the long-distance bus riding experience in the US. Yet it's a fair bet that many people are still avoiding long distance bus travel for fear of inconvenience, discomfort or (usually exaggerated) horror stories about personal safety. But in these budget conscious times, maybe this will persuade you—a multi-city round trip from Philly to NYC to DC can set you back as little as $3.50.

And guess how much they'll charge you for wi-fi...

Insanely Cheap Inter-City Travel

Donna Freedman reports over at the ever-fabulous, ever-frugal GetRichSlowly.com about why she loves the Megabus. On a recent month-long trip around the East Coast she flew into Philly, and then proceeded to travel from city-to-city using this newcomer to long distance bus travel. The total cost of traveling from Philly to NYC to DC and then back up to Philly came out at an astounding $3.50.

Budget Airlines Provide Model for Cheap, Low-Carbon Transport

Much like the budget airlines it was modeled on, Megabus keeps overheads insanely low, and varies ticket prices based on when you purchase and how much demand there is. While few folks will save quite as much as Freedman, the economics of it all still look pretty amazing:

Megabus has no bus terminals to maintain, insure and staff. Instead, it picks up and drops off on city streets or at existing facilities such as 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. You buy your ticket online and present a reservation number to the driver.

Ticket prices vary based on when you buy and how many seats have already been sold. As the vehicle fills and/or the departure date approaches, fares gradually go up. The average ticket price is $20 -- but again, you could pay a lot less, especially on short trips.

Sure, folks who value speed over money will still be wary, but with each leg of her journey taking at most an hour or two longer than the train, and with the avoidance of airports and security and such, this starts to look like a pretty good deal.

Free Wi-Fi is Icing on the Cake

Add to that the fact that wi-fi was provided free of charge (hear that, airlines!?), and Megabus starts looking pretty darned attractive, if you live somewhere that it serves. (Freedman tells us that Megabus currently operates as far west as Missouri, as far north as Boston and as far south as North Carolina, and also serves Ontario and Quebec.)

Head over to Get Rich Slowly for the full scoop on Freedman's low budget bus travel, including some alternatives to Megabus. And check out the Megabus website if you are ready to hop on the bus.

Check out TreeHugger for 30+ fresh, green stories every day!

World's Oldest Person Found Thriving in the Amazon

2011-08-31T06:53:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Survival International

from TreeHugger.com
by Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil

While the Amazon rainforest is certainly known to be teeming with life, it turns out that the people who live there are too. Maria Lucimar Pereira, an indigenous Amazonian belonging to the Kaxinawá tribe of western Brazil, will soon be celebrating her birthday -- her 121st birthday, to be exact. The truth behind Pereira's remarkable longevity was recently discovered by the Brazilian government while performing a routine review of birth records -- which, in her case, date back to 1890 -- making her the world's oldest living person. And the best part of all? Pereira credits her long-life to an all-natural diet derived wholly from the Amazon.

According to Survival International, an indigenous rights group working in the Amazon, the government officials have confirmed the validity of Pereira's birth certificate, indicating that the Brazilian native is not only the world's oldest living person, but is also 6 years older than the previous title-holder.

What makes Pereira's longevity all the more fascinating are the humble conditions in which she lives. The centenarian, who will turn 121 years old on Saturday, lives in a remote corner of the Amazon, in the Brazilian state of Acre, where she practices a traditional way of life that stretches back for centuries, free of many modern amenities many people half her age often think they cannot live without.

Pereira credits her long-life to an active, healthy lifestyle, in addition to a diet rich in locally grown meats, fruits, and vegetables gathered in the forests around her home -- free of the extra salt, sugar, and preservatives so commonly found in foods around the world. Her all-natural diet, along with frequent walks around town, has allowed Pereira to thrive while others, many years her junior, do not.

With so many fads and gimmicks aimed at promoting a 'healthy' alternative, Pereira's example seems to suggest that looking to past dietary habits may be the best way to ensure a thriving life stretching far into the future.

"All too often we witness the negative effects forced change can have on indigenous peoples," says Stephen Corry of Survival International. "It is refreshing to see a community that has retained strong links to its ancestral land and enjoyed the undeniable benefits of this."

Check out TreeHugger for 30+ fresh, green stories every day!

Partners to build research centre for seniors at the University of Waterloo

2011-08-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

WATERLOO, Ontario, August 29, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - An ambitious partnership involving the Ontario government, postsecondary sector and Schlegel Villages will develop a centre of excellence for research, training and innovation in senior health care and wellness at the University of Waterloo. The goal is to help Canada better prepare for an aging population.

The development on Waterloo's north campus will be built in three phases, starting with a 192-bed long-term care home owned and managed by Schlegel Villages. It will include a specialized building where faculty, staff and students from the University of Waterloo, Conestoga College and the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) will work and learn with residents and staff from the adjacent long-term home.

Two later phases will develop assisted living and independent living for seniors as well as a primary care health centre to create a full continuum of care. Total construction costs will be about $130-million.

"This project is a sterling example of government, university, college and private collaboration," said Ron Schlegel, chair of Schlegel Villages and Founder of the RIA. "We have a university that is tops in Canada for innovation and entrepreneurship, a college with a passion for building a workforce better equipped to meet the needs of growing numbers of seniors, a research institute with a strong track record in practice-relevant research, and a provider of long-term care and retirement that is a leader in the province."

The Ontario government will contribute $20-million in capital funds for the 192-bed long-term care home. The province will also provide $625,000 a year in operating funds for the learning, research and innovation centre. The provincial funding will enhance capacity and expertise in the long-term care sector, as well as improve the delivery of existing long-term care services.

"Today's announcement is evidence of the Ontario government's commitment to providing first-class care for seniors in our community. The creation of these additional beds means that we will have more services in waterloo Region for those who require them, " - John Milloy, minister of training, colleges and universities, and MPP for Kitchener Centre

"I have worked consistently for the last four years to secure 192 long-term care beds for the seniors in our community," said Leeanna Pendergast, MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga. "The Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging brings cutting-edge services to our community not found anywhere else in North America."

The province's investment unleashes an estimated $84-million in additional funding for teaching and research, including financial and land contributions from the University of Waterloo The Schlegel family will provide a minimum $45-million over 20 years to fund 14 research chairs in aging, matched fifty-fifty by the University of Waterloo and one research chair matched fifty-fifty by Conestoga College. The family will also contribute $3-million to the capital costs for the learning, research and innovation centre.

"We are very pleased to be a partner in the centre of excellence. We look forward to working with the RIA to address the growing need for knowledgeable and skilled workers dedicated to senior living and care. Our early experience with the Schlegel Chair for Enhanced Seniors Care and our living classroom at the Village of Riverside Glen indicates that this collaborative approach creates a positive impact on students' attitudes about working with seniors, often leading them to choose careers in the field." - John Tibbits, president, Conestoga College.

These contributions build on the $6-million Schlegel has already committed to found the RIA for a total investment of over $50-million. Four research chairs are already in place and actively working in the areas of geriatric medicine, geriatric pharmacotherapy, vascular aging and brain health, and nutrition, while a fifth chair in enhanced senior care is at Conestoga College. The new learning, research and innovation centre will be operated as part of RIA.

The work of the centre of excellence will inform policy and program decisions to directly and positively impact on a number of government priorities, including long-term care transformation, building human resource capacity in the seniors care system, resident-centred care, reducing emergency room visits, and job creation/economic activity stemming from commercialization and export of products internationally, including curriculum.

The centre will provide students, researchers and educators with the opportunity for direct engagement in seniors care environments. It will develop new training programs and enhance gerontology content of existing programs to build a workforce better prepared for the rapidly increasing senior population.

"Ensuring an appropriate quality-of-life for an increasing population of seniors may prove to be one of our greatest challenges in the decades to come," said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president of the University of Waterloo. "Innovative collaborations like this one - marrying research and education with the daily experience of resident seniors - will help incubate programs and services that will improve that quality of life."

Over the next 20 years, the number of seniors in Ontario will double, with the fastest growing group being those over age 80. This will put unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems serving seniors - programs that are already under strain.

Construction on the first phase should begin in late 2012 and be completed late spring 2014. While construction is underway, faculty and staff will begin developing learning, research and innovation programs from the nearby Village of Winston Park and RIA offices in Kitchener.

The centre of excellence will also include the Village of Winston Park, Williamsburg Town Centre and Williamsburg South in Kitchener. These locations extend the model to provide a range of research and development sites to study aging at home and broader health system issues.

About Schlegel Villages

Twelve long-term care and retirement communities in Ontario owned and managed by Schlegel Villages will serve as accelerator centres leading to dissemination of products and services developed through the learning, research and innovation centre. For more information go to www.schlegelvillages.com.

About Schlegel-Waterloo Research Institute for Aging

The Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging was created in 2005 as a senate-approved research institute at the University of Waterloo, then became a non-profit charitable organization in 2006 with core partnerships with University of Waterloo, Conestoga College and Schlegel Villages. The RIA conducts research aimed at enhancing the care, health and wellness of older adults in community-based and long-term care environments. The 2,500 residents living in 11 Schlegel Villages provide voluntary and vibrant living research environments and living classroom environments. The best of what is learned in these environments is disseminated broadly to benefit seniors everywhere. For more information go to www.the-ria.ca.

About Waterloo

The University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle, is one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities. Waterloo is home to 30,000 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students who are dedicated to making the future better and brighter. Waterloo, known for the largest post- secondary co-operative education program in the world, supports enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca

"As researchers, we need to think not only of our contributions to knowledge, but how we're changing the lives of Canadians. The Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging has been a defining force in enhancing the health and care of older adults. This new centre will be the catalyst for experiential learning and innovative discoveries to address the complex needs of our aging population." - Susan Elliott, dean, faculty of applied health sciences, University of Waterloo

University of Guelph and the City of Guelph are Part of $60-Million Water Consortium

2011-08-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, centre, speaks with a wastewater treatment company while touring displays at the Ontario Discovery Conference in Toronto, May 18, 2011. - Photo Credit: Ontario Innovation via Flickr

GUELPH, Ontario August 23, 2011 - University of Guelph News Release - The University of Guelph and City of Guelph are key players in a groundbreaking, $60-million clean water initiative announced today. The Southern Ontario Water Consortium includes eight universities and 60 industry partners, and will create a platform for world-leading research, testing and technology development. About a dozen U of G faculty will be involved.

“This nexus will transform how water is studied and how universities, governments and industry work together to find viable solutions,” said Kevin Hall, U of G’s vice-president (research), a civil engineer and water expert. “Industry will have access to the latest academic discoveries and innovations, and scientists can connect with municipal and provincial water authorities and technology developers to better understand their needs and priorities. It’s win-win collaboration.”

The Ontario government kick-started the consoritum with an investment of nearly $9 million from the Ministry of Research and Innovation in 2009. Building on this success, today the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) announced it’s providing $20 million through its Technology Development Program. IBM Canada has also contributed $20 million, with the remaining funding coming from the participating universities and private-sector partners.

"One of the most important issues for communities around the world is access to clean drinking water and the safe treatment of wastewater," said Gary Goodyear, minister of state for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. "This investment will strengthen southern Ontario’s position as a world leader in clean water technologies, create new jobs in our region, while offering solutions for communities across the globe that lack easy access to clean water."

Glen Murray, Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation, added:

“This tremendous collaboration of leading Ontario scientists will help us meet current and emerging challenges in drinking water and wastewater treatment. Ontario is proud to support our water technology researchers and companies so they grow, expand and export water technology to the world using ‘made-in-Ontario’ expertise.”

The consortium will include five research nodes: wastewater treatment, drinking water testing and development, ecotoxicological analysis, watershed management, and sensor development.

The wastewater research node will be located in Guelph and led by U of G engineering professor Ed McBean, who holds the Canada Research Chair in water supply security. A cutting-edge facility to house pilot-scale treatment systems will be constructed at the City of Guelph’s Wastewater Treatment Plant as part of the initiative. As well, there will be new pilot-scale equipment and analytical capabilities in laboratories on the U of G campus.

The new facility and equipment will allow for sophisticated testing of technologies being designed to treat and recycle wastewater for multiple uses. The capacity to evaluate water and wastewater technologies at this scope and breadth are not currently available, McBean said.

“This is a world-class opportunity. It will help ensure that Ontario stays in the lead in water research,” he said. “It will also foster university and industry co-operation and encourage us to go overseas with these technologies, where we can really make a difference.”

Cameron Walsh, manager of wastewater services for the City of Guelph, said the city is pleased to be part of the consortium and that the planned facility is a key component of the research platform.

“It’s envisioned that innovations developed through this collaboration will not only position stakeholders well in terms of planning and prioritization of future needs, but also create economic benefits as solutions move from pilot scale to commercialization.”

There will also be facilities in the Grand River watershed, the Mimico Creek sub-watershed near Toronto, and the Greenway Wastewater Treatment Centre in London, as well as a mobile facility that will be deployed across watersheds as needed. A Toronto-based computation and data facility — funded by the IBM contribution — will participate in the analysis, storage and distribution of the collected data.

The consortium is being led by the University of Waterloo and includes, in addition to U of G, the University of Western Ontario, Wilfrid Laurier University, McMaster University, the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

FedDev Ontario was created as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan to support businesses and communities in southern Ontario to allow the region to compete globally.

Sock Summit Celebrates Knitting...Socks

2011-08-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: yarnharlot

from TreeHugger.com
by Bonnie Alter, London

The Sock Summit 2011 was a purl of an event. Held in Portland, Oregon, it was a "one of a kind conference for hand-knitters that explores the humble art form known as the sock."

Why socks, one might well ask. Well, these thousand or so women have the answer to that one, and it's not simple.

As they say:

"Socks are practical, beautiful, historical, engaging and symbolic. Socks are circular, portable, structural and a perfect tiny canvas for almost any hand knitting technique you'd like to put on them. No matter what you're interested in when it comes to knitting, there's a way that it has to do with socks."

We know that knitting is hip and fashionable now, but it wasn't ever thus. This group of women (mainly) is celebrating the geeky, intellectual streak in knitting and making it a virtue.

According to the Toronto Star, they even held an impromptu flash mob where they went to a square and danced with their favorite skeins of yarn to "I had the Time of My Life" with banners proclaiming "Taking Sock Knitting Almost Too Far."

It's a meeting of the minds, with women knitting through out all the classes. There was the fastest knitter competition, and the Fleece to Foot competition where a team of spinners and weavers start with a sheep, and end up with a shawl, and the first team to do it wins.

This is the winner of a competition to design a sock that could be knit by a team of five at the Fleece to Foot Challenge. Of course there was a Sock Hop, and in 2009 they won a Guinness World Record for The Most Number of People Knitting Simultaneously (937 participants).

Why do they do it? "As sock knitters, we're all a little strange," says one. "Knitting socks makes us happy. That's why we do it and, as such, it can be considered a spiritual exercise."

Explained another: to her they're all about engineering or sock "architecture." "I think of socks as the sports car driving of knitting. Sweaters tend to be done in separate, flat pieces. A sock is like a curvy, mountain road. You can't see around the corners."

It's also a universal tradition that transcends history and politics. "If I sat down in a park in Tehran and knit, I would gather a group of women around me like that."

Visit TreeHugger to see what's new. 30+ fresh, green stories every day!

Holistically Healthy Lifestyle Reduces Alzheimer's Risk, Study Says

2011-08-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: bravenewtraveler

from TreeHugger.com
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC

A holistically healthy lifestyle marked by ample exercise and a healthy whole foods diet means less risk of Alzheimer's. Basically, the way you treat your body has a lot to do with your mind. New research links activity level, blood pressure, weight, and smoking to Alzheimer's, according to the Washington Times. And prevention is crucial considering that there is yet no cure to this agonizing disease.

Currently Alzheimer's impacts 35 million people around the world and for the most part people feel helpless in preventing it. But a new study points to decisions we make during our lives as an indicator of the disease later in life.

"We can do something about this," Dr. Ronald Petersen, a Mayo Clinic dementia specialist who had no role in the study told the Washington Times. A common misconception is that you're "dealt a deck of cards at birth," he said, but "people need not just sit back and watch this unfold."

A whole foods diet loaded with fruits and vegetables along with exercise, avoiding smoking, and weight management reduce your changes of the disease significantly.

According to the Washington Times:

The study used a mathematical model to estimate the impact of top modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease: smoking, depression, low education, diabetes, too little exercise, and obesity and high blood pressure in mid-life.

Education had the biggest impact on the disorder worldwide because this accounts for individuals that don't use cognitive function as often and it was also linked to poor nutrition. Smoking was the second highest risk factor worldwide. In the US, where education rates are higher, a sedentary lifestyle and mid-life depression were the biggest risk factors.

According to Alzheimer's Prevention, the ideal prevention diet includes 20 percent healthy fats including extra virgin olive oil, avocado, and flax seed oil and whole foods including soy, fish, and other lean proteins as well as a rainbow of fruits, vegetables, and legumes. And then there's the brain superfoods including blueberries, spinach, and seaweed.

This isn't very far from a locally minded plant-based diet. Hit the farmers' market and load up on the freshest, most antioxidant laden produce, cook everything with good fats (listed above), and walk to get to all your destinations. It's low impact on the planet and studies like this prove your risks of disease later down the line decline.

...read more story at TreeHugger.com

The United Senior Citizens of Ontario Inc. Holds 53rd Annual Convention

2011-08-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

TORONTO, Aug. 8, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The United Senior Citizens of Ontario Inc., (U.S.C.O.) is holding its 53rd annual convention at the Best Western Hotel, 700 Lakeshore Dr. North Bay, Ontario on August 15, 16, and 17, 2011 with approximately 200 delegates in attendance.

Representing some 300,000 seniors across the province, the U.S.C.O. is dedicated to promoting the quality of life of older adults through educating, counselling and advising seniors, service providers, and policy makers about issues of importance to seniors.

The delegates discuss resolutions that have been submitted by many of our 900 clubs.

These resolutions will be debated and voted on. Those passed will be forwarded in a brief to the various government ministries involved.

There will be speakers representing provincial and local government as well as presentations on other timely topics of interest to seniors.

We look forward to a very exciting and challenging convention as we debate issues such as health, pension, transportation, etc.

We invite all persons over the age of 50 to become active in the seniors movement by joining the largest volunteer, grass-roots senior association in Ontario.

Give yourself a voice in your future - call U.S.C.O office at 1-888-320-2222.
Or e-mail us at office@uscont.ca

Canadian News Icon Lloyd Robertson Signs Off Sept. 1 on CTV

2011-08-05T05:32:00.000-07:00

photo credit: babyspinkstein via Flickr

TORONTO, Aug. 4, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - After 60 years in broadcasting - and 35 years at CTV - Canada's most-trusted news anchor Lloyd Robertson signs off for the last time at the end of his final broadcast on Thursday, September 1 at 11 p.m. on CTV, it was confirmed today. Robertson vacates his role as Chief Anchor and Senior Editor of the country's most-watched newscast, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LLOYD ROBERTSON, while continuing on at CTV in a variety of roles, including as Host and Chief Correspondent of the documentary series W5.

In the hour leading up to Robertson's final newscast, CTV airs LLOYD ROBERTSON - AND THAT'S THE KIND OF LIFE IT'S BEEN, a new, original one-hour documentary directed by Robertson's daughter Lisa. The documentary premieres Thursday, September 1 at 10 p.m. local time, scheduled across Canada to immediately precede Robertson's final newscast in all markets on CTV.

In the weeks leading up to his final newscast, viewers across Canada have an opportunity to pay tribute to Robertson on the dedicated, interactive website, CTV.ca/Lloyd, which goes live today. There, viewers can send in written comments, upload video and photos, and send personal messages to Robertson, while accessing highlights of his storied career.

12 Guelph-area organizations chosen by Co-operators staff to share $44,250

2011-07-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

GUELPH, Ontario, July 28, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Co-operators today announced staff-directed donations of $44,250 to 12 Guelph-area organizations. The contributions are part of the organization's Directed Donations program, in which staff members may each direct $75 of corporate funds to the organization of their choice. This year, a total of $236,150 was provided to 156 groups across Canada selected by Co-operators staff members, directors and delegates.

"This popular program allows employees to be directly involved from start to finish as they nominate organizations and then choose which will receive their portion of the corporate donation," said Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of The Co-operators. "These charities are very close to our employees' hearts, ones they feel make enormous impacts in the communities they serve."

The following local charities were chosen to receive donations by Co-operators staff:

Action Read, Guelph $1,800
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guelph $2,400
Canadian Cancer Society - Guelph Branch $6,900
The Children's Foundation of Guelph and Wellington $2,100
Community Living Guelph Wellington - ARC Industries $1,350
Groves Memorial Hospital Foundation, Fergus $4,650
The Guelph Food Bank $4,950
Hospice Wellington $6,375
Kids Ability - Centre for Child Development, Guelph $3,075
Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre, Guelph $3,000
Women in Crisis Guelph-Wellington $5,475
Wyndham House, Guelph $2,175

"Our organization relies on donations from the local community for some forty per cent of our operating costs," said Rosslyn Bentley, Executive Director of Hospice Wellington. "The financial support as well as the in-kind contributions we receive regularly from Co-operators staff members mean a great deal to us, as it helps us better serve individuals and families during very difficult times."

The funding is provided through The Co-operators Foundation, which supports social economy enterprises and other commendable causes throughout Canada. In total, 2,977 staff members directed $223,275 to 82 employee-nominated organizations, while 103 directors and delegates steered $12,875 to 74 organizations of their choice. In many cases, Co-operators staff members will be presenting the donations to organizations with which they are personally involved.

About The Co-operators:

The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian-owned co-operative with more than $40 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. The Co-operators is ranked #1 among the 50 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada by Corporate Knights, and listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada. For more information visit www.cooperators.ca.

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research receives $420 million over five years for important cancer research in Ontario.

2011-07-27T07:31:00.001-07:00

TORONTO, July 26, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) will receive $420 million over five years from the Government of Ontario to continue its research into the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Institute will also occupy two floors of Phase II of the MaRS Centre in addition to its current laboratories and offices at its headquarters in the MaRS Centre. The announcement was made today by Dr. Tom Hudson, President and Scientific Director.

Today's announcement means continued support for the Institute in fulfilling the ambitious goals set out in its second Strategic Plan for 2010-2015, which focuses on the adoption of more personalized approaches to cancer diagnosis and treatment. OICR's current research activities in genomics and bioinformatics will be expanded in the new space in Phase II, allowing the Institute to increase its capacity to make new discoveries and move them out of the laboratory into the clinic for the benefit of patients. The funding will also enable the Ontario Health Study to complete its recruitment plans for the Study which will lead to better prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases.

"Over the past five years OICR has networked top scientific talent from the province and recruited 35 international stars of the cancer research world, to meet the cancer challenge," said Dr. Hudson. "We have one of the highest rates of patient enrolment in cancer clinical trials in North America. The trials, conducted in 23 adult and five paediatric cancer centres in Ontario, brings new cancer therapies to Ontario cancer patients sooner. With renewed funding we will continue this important work, ensuring the most promising cancer research in Ontario will be turned into new treatments and provide new hope for cancer patients worldwide."

"Our government is proud of OICR's commitment to life-saving research," said Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation Glen Murray. "By helping to commercialize Ontario discoveries, the Institute strengthens our innovation-based economy and creates jobs for Ontario families."

The Institute's clinical and translational research activities are strategically chosen to focus on areas of the highest potential impact on patients. They build on Ontario's existing global strengths - medical imaging, clinical trials, cancer stem cells and bio-therapeutics. OICR has complemented these strengths with world-leading programs and facilities in genomics, bioinformatics and high-throughput screening. OICR's commercialization efforts have led to numerous achievements including the formation of 10 spinoff companies, attraction of private capital, and product development in diagnostics, medical devices and therapeutics.

OICR is an innovative cancer research and development institute dedicated to prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Institute is an independent, not-for-profit corporation, launched by the Government of Ontario in 2005. The budget for OICR, its research partners and collaborators exceeds $160 million per year through leveraging of the Ontario government's investment with partnerships with federal funding agencies, philanthropic organizations and industry. This supports more than 1,400 investigators, clinician scientists, research staff and trainees located at its headquarters and in research institutes and academia across the Province of Ontario. It has research hubs in Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, and Toronto. OICR has key research efforts underway in small molecules, biologics, stem cells, imaging, genomics, informatics and bio-computing, from early stage research to Phase II clinical trials.

For more information, please visit the website at www.oicr.on.ca

Campaign to advocate for elderly patients pushed out of hospital while acutely ill or denied acute care services they desperately need

2011-07-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

TORONTO, July 25, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Representatives of the Ontario Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists and the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE will kick off a provincial campaign in Guelph, Hamilton and St. Catharines on July 25. The campaign will advocate for elderly patients who are pushed out of hospital while they are acutely ill or who are denied acute care services they need. Patients are being denied access to services like speech language pathology (for assistance with swallowing and speech) following a stroke because they are discharged earlier than they should be, without treatment and the appropriate follow-up.

"Patients who have had strokes face long waits for access to professional care, to assist them with swallowing and speaking following the closure of many hospital speech language pathology programmes," says Mary Cook, Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists. "These delays are cruel and unnecessary in a province with our resources," she says.

Ontario has the fewest number of acute hospital beds of any developed economy in the world. Botswana, Panama and Albania have more hospital beds to population than Ontario, which ranks alongside Peru, Cape Verde and Cameroon. Ontario's hospital occupancy rate of 97.9% results in many patients, primarily elderly, being discharged prematurely some to unregulated retirement homes, sometimes with deadly consequences.

"Many family members have experienced enormous pressure to move their mothers or fathers out of hospital, while that parent is still acutely ill," says Michael Hurley, president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE. "We believe that elderly patients are being discriminated against in our hospital system to deal with bed shortages. We don't believe that it is right and we want to bring all of the families and patients with this shared experience together to do something about the problem," he says.

A hotline has been established for patients or their family members to call to report their experiences. The hotline number is 888-599-0770.

Happy 100th Birthday Marshall McLuhan

2011-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

from TreeHugger.com
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto

It is the Marshall McLuhan's 100th birthday today. In the video below, the very funny Vestibules describes the Marshall as having "the best insight into mass media, this side of the Rio Grande."

The great media theorist coined the phrase "global village", "the medium is the message, and beloved of treehuggers everywhere, "There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew."

The Ballad of Marshall Mcluhan from Randall Acronym on Vimeo.

The Toronto Standard has a longer, wonderful quote from a Playboy interview in 1969 that shows how little things have changed in the media in 42 years, as he deals with those who criticize his work:

Theirs is the customary human reaction when confronted with innovation: to flounder about attempting to adapt old responses to new situations or to simply condemn or ignore the harbingers of change--a practice refined by the Chinese emperors, who used to execute messengers bringing bad news. The new technological environments generate the most pain among those least prepared to alter their old value structures. The literati find the new electronic environment far more threatening than do those less committed to literacy as a way of life. When an individual or social group feels that its whole identity is jeopardized by social or psychic change, its natural reaction is to lash out in defensive fury. But for all their lamentations, the revolution has already taken place.

McLuhan foresaw the internet in 1962:

The next medium, whatever it is - it may be the extension of consciousness - will include television as its content, not as its environment, and will transform television into an art form. A computer as a research and communication instrument could enhance retrieval, obsolesce mass library organization, retrieve the individual's encyclopedic function and flip into a private line to speedily tailored data of a saleable kind.

According to Wikipedia, he even invented the term "surfing" in its electronic form:
McLuhan coined and certainly popularized the usage of the term "surfing" to refer to rapid, irregular and multidirectional movement through a heterogeneous body of documents or knowledge, e.g., statements like "Heidegger surf-boards along on the electronic wave as triumphantly as Descartes rode the mechanical wave."

He certainly was, as Radio Free Vestibule describes him in the video, a groovy thinker... Read more story at TreeHugger.com

Fan use during extreme heat events can actually be counter productive causing heat exhaustion to happen faster

2011-07-22T10:22:00.001-07:00

from Heath & Safety Watch - July 21, 2011 - For those Canadians suffering through an extreme heat event, turning on a fan can actually be counter productive causing heat exhaustion to happen faster. The following information on the use of electric fans during an extreme heat event was summarized from a publication of the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health.

Much controversy has surrounded the use of electric fans during an extreme heat event and whether their use contributes or impedes heat loss at high ambient temperatures, particularly when accompanied by high humidity. Based on currently available information, the following is recommendation:

When air is cooler than skin temperature (34-36ºC):

When air temperature is cooler than a person’s skin temperature, sitting in the direct path of a fan’s air flow can promote both convective and evaporative heat loss. As long as the air temperature is below skin temperature, the body gives off heat to the moving airstream more quickly than in the case of stagnant air, through transfer by conduction / convection, and evaporation, thereby keeping the body temperature lower than in a stagnant air situation.

When air is warmer than skin temperatures (above 36ºC):

When air temperature is higher than a person’s skin temperature, sitting in the direct path of the fan’s air flow can help with evaporative heat loss only if someone is sweating or misting themselves with water and the sweat/water is evaporating. Otherwise, the hot air leads to further warming through convection. If air temperature is very high (greater than skin temperature) and humidity is also high (as to impede the rate of sweat evaporation), the use of a fan can become counter-productive, i.e., actually increasing the thermal load on the body, compared with a stagnant air situation. It is important to note that the point at which this temperature/humidity combination is achieved will vary, depending on rate of fan-generated air flow, type of clothing, activity level (metabolic heat load), personal characteristics, such as age (e.g., older persons may have a decreased degree of skin wetness by reduced sweating), and other conditions which may inhibit or diminish the sweating mechanism, such as diabetes, obesity, vascular impairments, or anhidrotic conditions (e.g., as may be brought about by certain medications).

Summary

The use of a fan to direct air at a person can be counter-productive when the air temperature is greater than skin temperature and the evaporation of sweat is impaired by high humidity or by age, certain diseases or the effects of specific medications. During extreme heat, indoor temperatures can be much hotter than the temperature outside and so re-circulating extremely hot air can be dangerous. It is also possible that some older fans have poor air flow and are not as efficient, therefore having less of an effect.

See related @dvice Event: Heat and Extreme Heat Alerts.

Canada Post asks dog owners for help

2011-07-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

Dog-related injuries increasing

OTTAWA, July 21, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canada Post is appealing to dog owners to help prevent dog bites across Canada following a series of recent incidents. In the first 18 days this month, Canada Post employees have reported 41 dog bites across the country, some very serious.

To keep delivery employees safe, Canada Post requires dog owners to always restrain their dogs well away from the area of mail delivery, including the approach from the street, mail slots in doors and outside mailboxes.

"We train our people, make them aware of known risks on their routes and provide dog repellent to help protect them from dog bites, but we need dog owners to remember to keep dogs away from these delivery areas," said Nikki Forest, Interim Vice-President, Collection and Delivery at Canada Post. "The responsibility is the same no matter how big or small, friendly or unfriendly the dog."

The risk of dog bites can increase in summer, when more dogs are outside for longer periods of time and delivery personnel who are replacing colleagues on vacation are less familiar to the dogs on a route. This year, dogs may also be adjusting to seeing delivery personnel every day after the service disruption in June.

Even a small dog with a normally friendly disposition can inflict a serious injury if it believes it is guarding its territory or the family home.

City of Guelph Cooling Centres

2011-07-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

from Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination - Weekly Update July 18, 2011

On days when a humidex advisory is declared, Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health advises people to stay out of the sun, drink lots of water, limit outdoor activity to morning and evening hours and stay in air conditioned places. Seniors and young children are particularly at risk during heat and smog-related weather conditions. Residents are encouraged to call or visit family, friends and neighbours to make sure they are okay, especially isolated adults and seniors, who are at greater risk of suffering from heat-related illness.

Click HERE for a list of cooling centres in Guelph.

Click HERE to read about the importance of warming and cooling centres for vulnerable people.

International Survey Reveals Attitudes Towards Alzheimer's Diagnosis and Treatment

2011-07-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

- Alzheimer's Disease Feared Second Only to Cancer -

- Majority Would Seek A Diagnosis to Explain Memory Loss and Confusion -

PARIS, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A survey reported today at the Alzheimer's Association® International Conference 2011 (AAIC 2011) in Paris by Alzheimer Europe and administered by the Harvard School of Public Health reveals that while people fear Alzheimer's second only to cancer, the overwhelming majority would go to the doctor, or take a loved one for evaluation, if they saw symptoms of memory loss and confusion.

Concerns that people with early symptoms of Alzheimer's might not seek medical evaluation, and thus miss opportunities for early detection and medical intervention, led Alzheimer Europe to survey the public about their attitudes and beliefs concerning the disease.

"The reason for the survey is the importance of promoting early Alzheimer's diagnosis, and the fact that early diagnosis is included in national dementia plans in England, France, Norway and Scotland," said Jean Georges, Executive Director of Alzheimer Europe. "In Europe, we are still encountering resistance from some in the medical profession due to their nihilistic views regarding the value of an early diagnosis and the benefits of current treatments. We were hoping that a public opinion survey would show a willingness to gain a diagnosis and the value of confronting the disease."

Data reported at AAIC 2011 are derived from a five-country survey conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health. The study was supported by a grant to Alzheimer Europe from Bayer. A total of 2,678 adults aged 18 and over were interviewed by telephone in France (n=529), Germany (n=499), Poland (n=509), Spain (n=502), and the United States (n=639) in February 2011.

"According to the World Alzheimer's Report 2010, Alzheimer's is the most significant social and health crisis of the 21st century," said William Thies, PhD, Alzheimer's Association Chief Medical and Scientific Officer. "The overwhelming numbers of people whose lives will be altered by Alzheimer's disease and dementia, combined with the staggering economic burden on families and nations, make Alzheimer's the defining disease of this generation. However, if governments act urgently to develop national research and care strategies with appropriate smart investment, the impact of Alzheimer's and dementia can be managed."

In four of the five counties, Alzheimer's was the disease that people were second most afraid of getting, behind cancer. In the fifth country, Poland, Alzheimer's was third behind cancer and heart disease. The percentage of respondents who most feared getting cancer/Alzheimer's were: France 41.0/26.9 percent, Germany 43.8/23.0 percent, Poland 43.1/12.1 percent, Spain 48.5/23.6 percent, U.S. 39.3/21.9 percent. A large proportion of respondents were worried that they or a family member will get Alzheimer's, with significant differences between the countries (43 percent to 95 percent).

This strong fear exists even though the survey shows that Alzheimer's is under recognized as a fatal disease, especially outside the U.S. The percentage of people who answered "yes" to the question, "Do you think that Alzheimer's disease is a fatal disease or not?" was: France 44.4 percent, Germany 32.7 percent, Poland 34.3 percent, Spain 41.7 percent, U.S. 61.0 percent

A very high percentage of respondents - more than eight in ten (85-95 percent) in each of the five countries - said that if they were exhibiting confusion or memory loss, they would go to a doctor to determine if the cause of the symptoms was Alzheimer's disease. The numbers were even higher (94-99 percent) for wanting a family member experiencing memory loss to see a doctor for evaluation.

Many of the respondents believe there is now an effective medical or pharmaceutical treatment to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease and make the symptoms less severe (27-63 percent). Between 38 and 59 percent believed there was a reliable test currently available to determine if a person is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (though neither of these statements is true).

"Many of the public have high expectations about the possibilities of treatment alternatives and medical testing. It is important for doctors to talk to patients about what treatment and testing options are or are not available," said Robert Blendon, ScD, Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Respondents expressed strong support for increasing government spending for research on new treatments for Alzheimer's disease: France 82.6 percent, Germany 68.2 percent, Poland 74.7 percent, Spain 83.0 percent, U.S. 67.4 percent. However, the majority of survey respondents said it "would not make much difference" in how they voted for a candidate for national office.

"The fear and concern uncovered by our survey is evidence of the urgency with which the public wants the Alzheimer's issue addressed, and eventually eliminated. Governments should follow the expressed desires of their constituents and increase funding for Alzheimer's research," Georges said.

"The willingness to get a diagnosis that was expressed by the survey respondents is encouraging, however better public education is needed. We need to address potentially unrealistic expectations about the availability of a definitive early test and effective treatment for the disease, while providing positive reasons for seeking a diagnosis in the absence of disease modifying treatments," Georges added.

About AAICThe Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) is the world's largest conference of its kind, bringing together researchers from around the world to report and discuss groundbreaking research and information on the cause, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. As a part of the Alzheimer's Association's research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community.

About the Alzheimer's AssociationThe Alzheimer's Association is the world's leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's. Visit www.alz.org or call 800-272-3900.

Age Strong - Respecting Seniors is Respecting Yourself

2011-07-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

Local Wellington County Intergenerational video project receives International recognition

Below is the article from the International Federation on Ageing - June 2011 eNews

Age Strong - Respecting Seniors is Respecting Yourself is a message that a group of seniors and high school students developed to tackle the issue of ageism and elder abuse in Guelph Ontario. With a grant from the Government of Canada New Horizons for Seniors Program, this project took a social marketing approach to addressing an underlying cause of elder abuse, AGEISM. The 15 students and 12 older adults began meeting in April 2010 with the goal of creating an ageism awareness toolkit that could be used in high schools.

The group created a catchy slogan with a message AGE STRONG - Respecting Seniors is Respecting Yourself which they displayed on t-shirts and bracelet give aways for their peers. Focusing on reaching out to a tech savvy computer generation of teenagers, the students insisted that the information be brought to their peers via the internet and social marketing sites.

The group created their own facebook page and turned their attention to the production of a 5 minute rap video which has become the cornerstone of the toolkit. The rap lyrics and the music were written by students in the group and every member performed in the video. The rap video was uploaded onto youtube, October 5th to coincide with the group's first presentation to a local high school. The video has received over 3000 hits and garnered the attention of provincial, national and international organizations. Since the video's debut, the group has made presentations to local high schools and distributed the "toolkit" with tremendous success. One local high school, St. James Catholic High School, has created a Grade 12 course running this semester with an intergenerational theme.

The success of the rap video has demonstrated to all involved that a positive collaboration across the generations can do more to raise awareness and change attitudes than a multitude of brochures and posters. Take a look at what a small group can accomplish in working to create better relationships across the generations ... its inspiring! Follow the Link to view the video

About The International Federation on Ageing

THEY ARE an international non-governmental organization with a membership base of NGOs, the corporate sector, academia, government, and individuals.

THEY BELIEVE in 'generating positive change for older people throughout the world by stimulating, collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information on rights, policies, and practices that improve the quality of life of people as they age.'

Additional material and resouces for schools and youth groups interested in underatking elder abuse awareness and intergenerational awareness projects can find a range of resources on the IFA website at www.ifa-fiv.org

The Grand Tea for the Prevention of Elder Abuse: an afternoon of indulgence

2011-07-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

TORONTO, July 12, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - On October 2, 2011 The Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA) will host The Grand Tea at The Grand Luxe on Bayview Avenue. This elaborate event will feature a traditional tea service, luncheon and exquisite petit dessert selection. The ballroom will be energized by live entertainment, spa treatments, silent auction and giveaways throughout the day. Guests are encouraged to dress in traditional themed tea party fashions and brush up on their tea etiquette in preparation for this luxurious event.

The Grand Event is in support of ONPEA's recently launched fundraising campaign A Cup of Tea ( www.acupoftea.ca) that raises funds and awareness for ONPEA's Ontario-wide Senior Safety Line (1-866-299-1011). It operates 24 hours a day, seven days.

Date: Sunday October 2, 2011

Time: 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm (Doors open at 12:00 pm)

Location:
The Grand Luxe
3125 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M2K 1G2
Free parking

Tickets: $40 for adults, $35 for seniors and children

Tickets and further information is available online at www.acupoftea.ca

Ontario Hospital Association Statement on C. difficile Outbreaks

2011-07-09T06:31:00.000-07:00

TORONTO, July 8, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a bacteria that can be naturally found in the intestines of 3-5% of adults. Some types of C. difficile can produce toxins that can make people ill. Although patients can acquire C. difficile while hospitalized, this can also occur outside of the hospital in the community.

A great deal of public attention has been focused on C. difficile and its presence in Ontario hospitals recently. While outbreaks of C. difficile are extremely unfortunate, they are not unheard of. According to Dr. Michael Gardam, a well-respected epidemiologist and researcher for the University of Health Network,

"All Ontario hospitals have been challenged with C. difficile for many years. Unfortunately there is no one simple way to prevent C. difficile outbreaks; however our experience with multiple Ontario hospitals has shown that while outbreaks may occur, they can also be reliably stopped through early identification and treatment, aggressive environmental cleaning, healthcare worker hand hygiene, and control of antibiotics."

It is also important to note that the number of reported outbreaks and cases of C. difficile can change rapidly as hospitals move quickly to get outbreak situations under control. Using the most accurate and up-to-date data is essential, and this information is best sought from local public health units and cross-checked with individual hospitals.

The spread of infections is something Ontario hospitals take extremely seriously, and they do everything they can, with the resources they have, to make patient safety their number one priority and to ensure effective infection prevention and control measures are in place.

While open debate about ways to improve health care are central to providing safer, higher quality care to patients, the discussion should always remain grounded in the facts, and focused on improving confidence in Ontario's health care system. We encourage everyone to bear this in mind when considering the current and future health care environment.

Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors Welcomes New Funding for Long Term Care

2011-07-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

TORONTO, July 6, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors (OANHSS) welcomes confirmation of close to $150 million in new provincial funding to enhance care and services for residents of Ontario's long term care homes.

"We now have the details of the 2011-2012 budget allocation for homes and we are very pleased to see that many of the priorities we identified in our pre-budget submission have been addressed," said Debbie Humphreys, Acting CEO of OANHSS. "Residents will see a direct benefit from this investment through enhanced levels of care and services."

The government communicated to the sector this week that the new funding includes the following allocations:

...$76.5 million for nursing and personal care as well as programming and support services.

...$32 million for 800 additional personal support workers.

...$15 million to address costs associated with implementing new regulation requirements.

...$7.4 million to support staffing training.

...$17.4 million to increase the daily food allowance for residents and to address inflationary pressures.

"We understand the fiscal pressures that the Ontario government is currently facing and we appreciate the commitment this government has made to improve the lives of Ontario's seniors," said Humphreys. "As residents become older and frailer, they will require significantly more care and this funding will go a long way to ensure that they receive the care they deserve."

OANHSS is the provincial association representing not-for-profit providers of long term care, services and housing for seniors. Members include municipal and charitable long term care homes, non-profit nursing homes, seniors' housing projects and community service agencies. Member organizations operate over 27,000 long term care beds and over 5,000 seniors' housing units across the province.

Canada's Housing Co-ops Warmly Welcome Accountability Measures in New Affordable Housing Framework

2011-07-06T07:02:00.000-07:00

OTTAWA, July 4, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) welcomes new accountability measures in the Affordable Housing Framework for 2011-14 announced today in Ottawa by Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Ministers Responsible for Housing.

The new framework for years three to five (2011 to 2014) of the Affordable Housing Initiative (AHI) contains a landmark measure calling on signatories to "be accountable to the public for the use of public funds through an open and transparent process which identifies expected outcomes, measures performance, reports on results to the public and provides for follow-up."

"Canada's housing co-ops have lobbied for an accountability framework that links housing spending to measurable reductions in housing need—and the government has listened," said CHF Canada Acting Executive Director Dale Reagan. "Now, it's up to all levels of government to ensure that the framework targets housing need reduction across all demographics - including seniors, working families, single parents and new Canadians - in their respective jurisdictions."

"CHF Canada anticipates that the new framework, which includes measures to increase housing supply and streamline program delivery, will help to address Canada's shortage of co-operative housing by building more co-op homes," said Reagan. "We hope that all governments will increasingly rely on co-operatives as a proven way to develop strong and affordable communities."

In 2009, CHF Canada released a report (based on 2006 CMHC data) titled The Dunning Report: Dimensions of Core Housing Need in Canada -Second Edition. The comprehensive report documented the 1.5 million Canadian households (the equivalent of nearly four million Canadians) in core housing need across Canada.

CHF Canada is the national voice of the Canadian co-operative housing movement. Its members include over 900 non-profit housing co-operatives and other organizations across Canada. More than a quarter of a million Canadians live in housing co-ops, in every province and territory.

McClelland and Stewart to Publish a New Memoir from Conrad Black

2011-06-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

photo via flickr by LeStudio1.com

TORONTO, June 29, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - McClelland and Stewart is proud to announce that the company will be publishing a new memoir from Conrad Black. The book, A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, will hit bookstores in the fall of 2011.

A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE is an unflinchingly revealing and superbly written memoir examining Conrad Black's life from 1993 to 2011. The book explores his years at the head of one of the world's largest newspaper groups, the accusations of fraud and obstruction of justice, his trial in Chicago, the Supreme Court appeal, as well as his subsequent imprisonment. The book also weaves together Black's very personal views on a number of big themes ranging from politics to corporate governance to the U.S. justice system. He is also candid about highly personal subjects such as his marriage and close friendships.

"We're honoured to be publishing Conrad Black's A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE," says Douglas Pepper, President and Publisher of McClelland and Stewart. "Years in the making, it spans from 1993 (the year after publication of his first memoir) to the present, and is a hard-hitting yet eloquent memoir by one of the most interesting men of our times. A biographer of some of the great men of modern politics, Conrad Black looks inward, giving us a bird's eye view of his controversial life as a media baron, philanthropist, and visionary. The book is a continuation of Lord Black's distinguished publishing career and we are looking forward to the exciting projects to come."

McClelland and Stewart acquired rights to this important memoir from Michael A. Levine, Chairman of Westwood Creative Artists.

More Focus needed on Providing Vision Care to Ageing Population says Canadian Council of the Blind in Launching New Campaign

2011-06-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Mike Yale and his guide dog Vargus travelled the world together

Canadians need "The Vision Care We Deserve," including better access to approved treatments, care and equipment

OTTAWA, June 21, 2011 /Canada NewWire Telbec/ - Governments must make vision care a greater health priority to ensure all Canadians have access to appropriate, comprehensive and approved vision care and treatments through the public health system, the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) says in launching a new national campaign called "The Vision Care We Deserve."

Serious vision impairment is a major health issue, affecting one in four Canadians who reach old age, and becoming a greater issue as the population ages. According to a new poll commissioned by CCB, this is a major issue for Canadians, with 82% saying the loss of vision is their most feared disability. This compares to loss of hearing (3%), loss of a leg (4%) or loss of an arm (2%).

The same poll showed that more than two-thirds of Canadians (70%) feel that regular eye exams and vision care should be covered as part of provincial public health plans. Almost as many (65%) would expect if they lost their sight that medical treatments and assistive devices would be made available to them through the public health system, but this is not the case at present. The visually impaired have to rely on non-profit groups, such as the CCB, for help and services.

"This shows there is a disconnect between what Canadians expect they would receive if they had serious vision impairment and the current reality," said Louis Gillis, National President of the CCB. "We want our campaign to raise awareness about how vision care isn't the health priority it should be. We want government action so Canadians really do get the vision care we deserve."

As a symbol of patients not getting what they deserve, the CCB is drawing attention to what it sees as a potentially serious safety issue in British Columbia and Nova Scotia related to treatments provided by the public health plans in those provinces for the leading cause of adult-onset vision loss, age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The newest treatment, Lucentis, is a great step forward by stopping and even reversing vision loss in many patients. It is now available on the public drug plans of every province, but B.C. and Nova Scotia also allow their public plans to give patients the cancer drug Avastin, which is not approved by Health Canada for treating wet AMD, because it costs less. However, a recent study from Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. showed greater rates of death and stroke among people using the cancer drug Avastin for wet AMD compared to those on the approved drug, Lucentis.

"We are calling on all the provinces to ensure they put patient safety ahead of cost considerations by ensuring persons with wet AMD get the treatment that has been approved for the condition," said Ms Gillis. "To do otherwise is unacceptable to us as patients. British Columbia and Nova Scotia need to stop allowing their public plans to provide an off-label cancer drug for wet AMD when an approved alternative exists and is available."

The CCB sees this as an important example of how vision care has been made a very low priority in our healthcare system, with governments seeking to provide the bare minimum for a vital health issue. As a result, Canadians are left to provide for themselves for many aspects of vision care. The CCB poll found that, for seven out of 10 Canadians (71%), cost is a factor when deciding to get vision and eye care services.

The poll also indicates that Canadians would be receptive to more and better training programs to help visually impaired people get appropriate jobs to allow them to be productive members of society. Almost nine out of 10 Canadians (89%) agreed that more training programs should be made available. And 60% agreed that those with visual impairments should be given special consideration when applying for a job.

As part of its campaign, the CCB has sent letters to every Minister and Deputy Minister of Health in Canada, urging a greater priority on vision care more in line with the serious nature of vision health issues and the importance Canadians put on them.

The Vision Critical / Angus Reid Forum poll for CCB

From May 27 to May 28, 2011, an online survey was conducted by Vision Critical among 1,007 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panellists. The margin of error, which measures sampling variability, is +/- 3.1% 19 times out of 20. The results were statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada.

The Canadian Council of the Blind

The Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) was founded in 1944 by blind war veterans and graduates from schools of the blind. All officers and directors are blind or visually impaired which gives a unique sensitivity to the needs of the blind community. The CCB is a registered charity pursuant to the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada). The CCB has over 65 chapters across Canada and is the largest membership based organization for the blind. Recently, under changes to its new bylaws, the CCB encourages the sighted community to become members to assist in its mission to address the issues of blindness and visual impairment which affect many families in Canada. The CCB deals with the ongoing effects of blindness with specific programs to encourage active participation in local communities, education, sports and recreation and employment. The national office is located in Ottawa, Ontario. The CCB is the "Voice of the Blind®" in Canada. More info at: www.ccbnational.net.

Pharmacy of the Future: Rexall Rolls Out Next-Generation Prototype

2011-06-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

WESTBANK, British Columbia, June 20, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - An afternoon trip to the pharmacy isn't what it used to be. From prescribing medications to injections, the traditional notion of a Pharmacist is changing and moving our most-trusted health care provider* from the back of the counter to the forefront of the health care team. Rexall's "pharmacy first" philosophy is taking the industry by storm with the national rollout of its next-generation, new pharmacy concept: the Rexall Healthy Living Store. The seventh prototype in Canada opened last weekend on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 2241 Louie Drive in Westbank, British Columbia.

"The scope of practice for Pharmacists is rapidly changing at the same time across the country and is shifting the pharmacy service model," said Andy Giancamilli, CEO, Rexall. "Our next-generation Rexall healthy living prototype has a total wellness approach that's rooted in the valuable role of the Pharmacist as a vital member of the health care team. We're here when you are sick or managing a chronic condition with expanded patient-focused services, and we are also making a great investment in helping you prevent illness with tools meant to empower customers to lead healthier lives. This is the future of pharmacy."

In Rexall's Healthy Living stores, Rexall Pharmacists are creating special pharmacist/patient relationships by anchoring an expanded team and a host of new and unique tools and services that shift the entire store's focus to helping customers better manage their health both through preventative strategies and treatment.

Meet The New Recruits: Healthy Living Advisors & Derm Consultants

Imagine if there was someone readily available to help navigate the increasingly overwhelming vitamin and supplements aisle. Or help filter through the massive amount of health information available, or even arrange the walking group customers always wanted to join, all free-of-charge? Enter the Healthy Living Advisor, Rexall's newest team member. Helping customers prioritize and better understand the assortment of more than 15,000 products available to meet their health needs, the Healthy Living Advisor functions as the right hand and support to the pharmacy by allowing the Pharmacist to spend more time with patients on primary care and also making sure that there is a referral to the pharmacist when needed. Completely dedicated to helping a customer get the most out of the store's services and products, Healthy Living Advisors bring expertise in fields such as nutrition, fitness and kinesiology, as well as extensive product and health training to Rexall Healthy Living stores.

Rounding out the expanded team is the Derm Consultant, whose expertise assists patients in navigating Rexall's impressive skincare assortment; 156% more skincare products than a traditional pharmacy from niche cosmoceuticals and dermatological products to expanded everyday skincare lines. The skin is the body's largest organ and Rexall's focus on skin health is immediately apparent upon walking through the doors. The Derm Consultant helps determine customers' skincare needs and makes recommendations about maintenance, treatment and regimens to optimize skin health. A Dermo Analyzer is available onsite to assess hydration and skin type, as well as the effects of the sun - diagnosis allows for a personalized skincare regimen to be developed and if more critical skin conditions are identified, the Derm Consultant works collaboratively with the Pharmacist to find the right solution or develop a plan of action.

Together, the Pharmacist, the Rexall Healthy Living Advisor, and Derm Consultant are an expanded pharmacy team fusing a unique combination of health services to help Canadians feel their best.

Testing 1, 2, 3

In response to what the Pharmacist sees and hears from patients, and combined with extensive research and analysis of the most pressing health issues in Canada, Rexall is focusing on the following areas of critical interest in its Healthy Living stores: digestion and food intolerances, high blood pressure, and smoking and lung health.

Enhanced in-store tests offered at Rexall include:

...Food Smart Hemocode detects food intolerances and sensitivities - approximately 30% of Canadians suffer from food intolerance and many are not aware that certain food and additives are the cause of their symptoms;

...BPro measures blood pressure directly at the base of the aorta and is analyzed by a cardiologist - high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects one in five Canadians, is the number one risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for heart disease, as well as the leading cause of death among women in Canada;

...Lung Age measures the strength of a patient's breath against their age and can help to diagnose illnesses such as lung disease and emphysema - a recent study revealed that smokers who knew their lung age were twice as likely to quit smoking.

Our Patients' Best Interests At Heart

All Rexall Healthy Living stores include a Healthy Living Terminal, an innovative tool running on Apple technology that assists customers obtain relevant and accurate health information on various health topics with just one touch. Located at the Healthy Living Advisor Station, the oversized touch screen is not found in any other pharmacy and provides easy sourcing of information on products, symptoms, illness, treatment, disease management, prevention and more. Moving forward, Rexall plans to introduce text-based prescription reminders; yet another example of paving the way with innovative technology with its patients' best interests at heart.

Health information and messages cleverly engage customers and patients with more than 280 helpful reminders and tips located throughout the store, including those in the Healthy Living zone - boasting an extensive assortment of vitamins and nutritional products, supplements and sports nutrition, Rexall's Healthy State Wall keeps relevant product and information together in key categories including diabetes, women's essentials and seasonal health topics. There is also a resource centre large enough for group health seminars and community health groups.

An expanded pharmacy team and a clear commitment to what it means to be a partner in health care all function to take the mystery out of the pharmacy and motivate Canadians to live healthier lives with the help of Rexall's new Healthy Living stores. "We are committed to building the world's best pharmacy for our patients with the support of our dedicated team," says Giancamilli. "Consumers can expect to see continued growth, state-of-the-art technology, services and offerings at all new and existing Rexall pharmacies as the company heads into the future."

About Rexall™

Rexall is a division of Katz Group Canada Ltd., Canada's largest pharmacy group encompassing 1,800 corporately owned, franchise and independent pharmacies across the country. A commitment to being a pharmacy first and the health and wellness of its patients embodies the Rexall brand. Among the services Rexall provides to its customers are Rexall Reminder Ready: a free service that notifies patients when their prescription has been refilled and is ready for pick-up; and Rexall Replenish & Renew Nutrient Depletion: a free consultation with a pharmacist to help identify medications that may be causing potential nutrient deficiencies, as well as free annual health clinics. For more information on Rexall, visit rexall.ca

Waits for access to alternate levels of care causing ripple effect throughout health care system

2011-06-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

OTTAWA, June 21, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Wait Time Alliance (WTA) today warned that as the expiry of the 10-Year Accord to Strengthen Health Care draws near, long waits for care still threaten the ability of Canadians to get timely access to quality health care services.

"Nearly 10 years and billions of dollars later, Canadians still experience lengthy delays in accessing a wide range of necessary care," said Dr. Lorne Bellan, WTA Chair. "Further, the data show that the system is barely functioning as a system at all, as too often patients are languishing in hospitals instead of receiving the appropriate level of care they need."

The sixth annual WTA report card highlights the serious detrimental impact alternate-levels-of-care (ALC) stays are having on wait times for both emergency and elective/scheduled care. Approximately one in six hospital beds are occupied by patients who should be receiving care somewhere else.

"A myriad of factors lead to long waits for care, but the high number of hospital patients waiting for alternative levels of care such as rehabilitative or long-term care is likely the single-biggest cause of wait times," said Dr. Bellan. "Even more important is the fact that these patients would receive more appropriate and cost-effective care outside of the hospital."

As in the WTA's five previous annual report cards, provinces and territories have shown modest improvement in reducing waits endured by patients in the five clinical areas governments consider a priority. For the five-year period between 2007-2011, governments receive an overall national grade of B for reducing waits for cancer care, heart procedures, diagnostic imaging, joint replacement and sight restoration. However, beyond those five priority areas governments are reporting on just 10 per cent of the important procedures selected by the WTA. Those grades that could be assigned for these other procedures/treatments are very low in most instances. "This is of tremendous concern because it translates to thousands of Canadian patients waiting too long for treatment and care," added Dr. Bellan.

One area where governments are doing better is in the public reporting of wait time data, with all provinces now having a wait-time website. While progress has been achieved in increasing accountability to the public, there remains considerable room for improvement in how many services are reported on and in the provision of more precise data.

The Wait Time Alliance (WTA) was formed out of concern among Canada's doctors over delayed access to care for their patients, and an interest in working collaboratively with stakeholders to improve wait times. The WTA works to hold governments accountable for addressing the lengthy wait times endured by patients throughout the health care system. The WTA comprises 14 national organizations whose members are directly involved in providing a wide range of specialty medical care to patients.

For more information, including WTA reports and examples of leading practices, please go to: www.waittimealliance.ca.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Launches Canadian Clinical Trial Network

2011-06-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

TORONTO, June 17, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is pleased to announce the launch of its new Canadian Clinical Trial Network (CCTN) and the opening of the first of its many planned clinical trials. Created in partnership with the Government of Canada's Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the JDRF CCTN is launching the groundbreaking initiative in order to speed the development of better treatments and a cure for type 1 diabetes.

The JDRF CCTN is a significant boost to the long-held Canadian tradition of innovation in diabetes research, which began with the discovery of insulin by Banting and Best in 1922. While countries around the world struggle to bridge the divide between laboratory discoveries and improvements in clinical care, the JDRF CCTN will aim to accelerate the development and commercialization of treatments for type 1 diabetes, bringing Canada to the forefront of diabetes innovation, and thereby improving the lives of the growing number of Canadians of all ages that are affected by diabetes.

About JDRF

The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults, and can be fatal. Until a cure is found, people with type 1 diabetes have to test their blood sugar and give themselves insulin injections multiple times or use a pump - each day, every day of their lives. And even with that intensive care, insulin is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its potential complications, which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and amputation.

JDRF is the leading charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research worldwide. JDRF's mission is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. JDRF funding and leadership is associated with most major scientific breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes research to date in Canada and around the world. It has raised more than $1.5 billion for type 1 diabetes research since its inception in 1970, including $107 million in 2010. JDRF raises funds in seven countries, and is funding research in 19, including over 50 human clinical trials. Over 80 percent of the funds JDRF expends support research and research-related education. For more information, please visit www.jdrf.ca.

About JDRF CCTN

The JDRF CCTN is a groundbreaking effort to accelerate made-in-Canada solutions for the management, care and cure of type 1 diabetes. The JDRF CCTN is currently developing several high-profile clinical trials, in association with leading diabetes researchers at partner universities and medical centers in Southern Ontario. The goal is to position Southern Ontario as an international hub for diabetes translational research, innovation, and commercialization of new therapeutics and enabling technologies. For more information, please visit www.jdrf.ca/cctn.

Canadians still choosing not to check for skin cancer despite risks

2011-06-16T06:24:00.000-07:00

Melanoma can be successfully treated if caught early but fewer than one in five Canadians have moles checked regularly

VANCOUVER, June 16, 2011 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - Most Canadians (85 per cent) know that melanoma is a form of skin cancer and yet over one third (35 per cent) still never check for unusual moles/freckles or get them checked, according to a new survey conducted by the Save Your Skin Foundation.

Melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers worldwide, but because it is one of the only cancers that is clearly visible on the skin, early detection is not only possible, but important for successful treatment.

"It's important to learn the basics of melanoma and regularly check your moles. The earlier anomalies can be brought to your doctor's attention, the greater your chances for survival," explains Kathy Barnard, founder of Save Your Skin Foundation and a melanoma patient herself.

Young people in particular are lax in checking for skin cancer, despite the fact that melanoma is the second most common cancer among those aged 15 to 34.1 According to the survey, almost half (46%) of Canadians in that age group never check for unusual moles or freckles. Even when told that the incidence of melanoma has more than tripled over the past 30 years, just over half (52%) are only a little more likely or no more likely to check moles or freckles.

"This trend is troubling," says Dr. Michelle Withers a dermatologist in Vancouver. "Melanoma is a survivable cancer, but early detection is key. All Canadians, especially younger ones, should be aware of the necessity of doing a simple monthly mole check."

Overall, Canadians are not taking enough action to detect this highly visible cancer early on. Of those who do take steps to spot melanoma, by checking for unusual moles or freckles, almost half (49%) rely on their family doctor as their primary method of detection. And less than one in five (17%) get or do the monthly mole checks as recommended by the Canadian Dermatology Association.

With summer officially underway next week, the Save Your Skin Foundation wants to continue to emphasize the importance of noticing the early signs of melanoma and to encourage everyone to routinely check themselves and their loved ones.

"Make it a fun habit," suggests Kathy Barnard. "If you are a parent, teach your kids young, take pictures, make a scrapbook, so they know what to look for and are aware of the disease. Between adults, the practice can become a welcome romantic fixture in everyday busy lives."

For more information about melanoma and how to properly check your moles, please visit www.saveyourskin.ca

About Melanoma in Canada

Every year, thousands of Canadians are diagnosed with melanoma, with the incidence of the disease increasing faster than that of any other cancer. One in 74 men and 1 in 90 women is expected to develop melanoma during their lifetime; 1 in 284 men and 1 in 486 women will die of it. It is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, causing 75% of deaths associated with skin cancer. Currently in Canada, there is no treatment proven to extend the lives of people diagnosed with metastatic (advanced) melanoma, despite the rising incidence of the disease.

About the Save Your Skin Foundation

The Save Your Skin Foundation was created by family, friends and colleagues of founder Kathy Barnard, who is currently battling melanoma. Save Your Skin is a Canadian-based not-for-profit foundation. Through events and other initiatives, the Foundation focuses on raising funds for education and awareness, providing emotional and financial support to those dealing with skin cancer, and on supporting the ongoing research and treatment of skin cancer. Donations go towards providing critical and timely treatments, as well as ongoing education, research, and awareness initiatives. For additional information please visit www.saveyourskin.ca or contact Marion Pérole at 604-734-4223.

"Help Keep Our Aging Loved Ones Safe" says OPP

2011-06-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Ontario Provincial Police Recognizes World Elder Abuse Day

ORILLIA, Ontario, June 15, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - June 15, 2011 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would like Ontarians to familiarize themselves with the warning signs of elder abuse to ensure that our aging loved ones do not have to worry about abuse or neglect.

By learning to identify the warning signs, people can detect and report incidents of abuse and neglect among aging members of our community.

Seniors may have unexplainable physical injuries, changes in personality, be socially withdrawn and have attitude or abnormal behavior. They may also show signs of poor hygiene, lack of nutrition or necessities and suddenly become unable to meet financial obligations. Financial abuse is the most common form of elder abuse as individuals attempt to cash in financially on a population they see as "vulnerable".

If you see any senior members of your community exposed to one or more of these circumstances, help protect them by reporting suspected abuse. It's important that everyone be able to talk about elder abuse openly and seniors should feel empowered to talk with caregivers, family members or physicians anytime they feel threatened.

The OPP continues to work with community and government agencies across Ontario as well as front-line officers so they can recognize when elder abuse may be occurring and take the appropriate action. The OPP as well as our aging loved ones are counting on the eyes and ears of the public to help stop elder abuse. For more resources on safety for seniors visit the OPP website at: Seniors Assistance.

Awareness campaigns are invaluable in preventing elder abuse, so on June 15 2011 and throughout the month of June, Ontarians are encouraged to recognize the International World Elder Abuse Awareness Day campaign to help prevent and stop elder abuse in our local communities.