Passport to Wellness Health Fair: What's Happening on Saturday, April 8th in Nelson

Hop to IT!

Session Descriptions and Scheduling  

 Saturday, April 8^th, 2017

10:30

Flourishing through Mindfulness- Sonya Franke, Certified Mindfulness Educator

Join Sonya Franke, certified mindfulness educator to learn simple yet effective techniques to increase present moment awareness, helping to cultivate healthy habits of heart, mind and body.  Scientists are calling mindfulness, “Brain Hygiene”.  Mindfulness offers us a way to meet our present moment experience in an accepting, open, compassionate way, developing greater inner patience, resilience, calm and happiness over time.  Learn how to practice in formal and informal ways

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Mental Health through Massage – Sherri Bouliane  RMT

Sherri Bouliane will be presenting on how massage can help with a variety of mental health  issues such as stress, anxiety, insomnia , PTSD, trauma and body awareness.

Karen Leman – Services to support mental health in our community and the health care system- IHA

Join Karen Leman as she helps us understand what the role of the IHA is in the mental health of our community and what resources are available for us.  She will be able to answer questions and direct people to appropriate resources.

12:00

Inspiring Change in self: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Relational Somatic Therapy for Chronic Pain and Mood Problems – Tara Emery RSW/RST

Join Tara Emery as she explains these practical treatments and how they can be used to set goals, inspire change, treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain and insomnia. Tare is a Relational Somatic Therapist and Social Worker who has been with the RISEBC Wellness Centre for 2 years.

Resilience: Addressing the Challenges of MS ( and other Chronic conditions) , Lonnie Facchina Ms Resource Facilitator for Northern and Interior Regions

This session aims to educate and equip those affected by a chronic health condition with inspiring examples and resources to help put positive thinking to work in their own lives.

Growing Home: Your Personal Journey with Aging, Lee Reid Retired Clinical Counsellor-Specialized in Addictions, Founder of SEEDS & Author

Lee offers a 45- minute slideshow, talk and Q and A for group sharing that illustrates the values and skills rural seniors bring to healthy and creative aging.  The audience will travel into the homes and lives of seniors around the West Kootenay in a personal and intimate way.  The presentation is intended to both inspire, and to challenge, social perceptions of aging.  It is not a problem-solving venue

1:30

Parenting Kids in Anxious Times- Christy Bryceland, PhD and Liz Amaral, Family/Parenting Support- Nelson Community Services

Christy will talk about how to recognize childhood anxiety and offer strategies to support anxious children.  Liz will talk about the pillars of parenting especially needed in these anxious times. 

Emergency Room Perspective on Mental Health:  Dr. Wiedrick- MD CCFP (EM) ER Physician Lead and GP Anesthetist at Kootenay Lake Hospital in Nelson 

Dr. Wiedrick will share his perspective and provide time for group chat and discussion.

 Anxiety: What is it and how to manage it. Laura Barkwell- Registered Clinical Counsellor:

   In this session explore with Laura Barkwell, explore what anxiety is, how it presents, and how is can affect individuals. Tools and strategies will be discussed. In this session feel free to listen share stories and strategies to make this a useful, and productive session.  

Heartfulness Meditation and Peace of Mind- Sarah Sherk, Meditation Coach

Participants will be guided through a relaxation and meditation exercise to discover first hand, how this brings one into the peace of the heart.  Discover how to leave your thought behind and create a quiet space within.  In no particular posture, and in silence, you can learn to do this anywhere and at anytime.  

2:45

Community conversation inspiring action for Mental Well-being and Happiness in our communities.

Facilitated by Mia Gardiner

The “Bite” truck will be on site. Child care is available.

Come spend the day for your Mental Health and Happiness.

See you Friday and Saturday... will be a great two days for our community.

Marion and Eric

Inspiring Mental Health and Wellness HEALTH FAIR: In Nelson, BC on Friday April 7th and 8th 2017

Busy Times as We Look Forward to Spring!

Busy times down here at the Community First Co-op.   Like all of you, we too have had enough snow on the ground down here, it can all be up on the hill now, where is belongs.  We had to cancel a meeting when people could not actually get out of their homes to attend, so was nice to arrive and walk on pavement that was cleared.

 The Kalein Hospice Society is offering a Day Hospice program for people with life ending diagnoses. The program will begin on Thursday, March 23 and run for 8 weeks from 10-4 each Thursday.  Participants need to be mobile or in a wheelchair but can be moved by 1 person, and they cannot be suffering from dementia. The program will include peer support, workshops, massage, quiet rooms for rest if needed and a nutritious lunch.

The Kalein centre in Rosemont will host the sessions and with the help of a grant, has been upgraded for wheelchair ease and kitchen renovations.  

If you or someone you know if interested, please call 250-352-2337, as a pre-screening is required to be part of this program, 

We applaud the Kalein Society and the Nelson and District Hospice Society for their collaborative effort to make this initiative available in the community.

Welcome to Maggie Hailey, a counsellor, who has moved her practise to the Main Floor clinic.  Maggie works in our building with Nelson Community Services on a part -time basis and has a private practise. She is now one of 5 partners in the clinic.

We are very excited to be offering a Friday evening session for our 3^rd annual Passport to Wellness Health Fair. 

With a focus on Mental Wellness and Health for the Fair, we have 3 speakers lined up for our Friday, April 7, 2017 session in the Osprey Room at the Best Western Plus Hotel on Baker Street.  Gord Menelaws, Nancy  Bowie, and Tyler Exner will address issues of mental health in our area and the resources available to help.  

After they speak a panel will be held where questions generated by the audience will be answered. Join us at 7pm on Friday, April 7 for this informative session.  

SPRING IS COMING!  SPRING IS COMING!

Eric and Marion

First Board Meeting of 2017: Lots Happening!

It is cold outside these days but a warming trend is on theway!! Some of the Board were talking about how they do not recall such a long stretch of cold weather.  We do enjoy the sun and blue skies and white mountain tops, though we do say, looking out your window, is definitely preferred by many.

 Our first Board meeting for 2017 was a busy one and we met a new person to our community who has now volunteered to be on our Health Fair Committee and will allow her name to stand for becoming a Board member!!

 Jacqueline Carr, the Executive Director and Patient Navigator for Rise Above Pain Society gave the board a great presentation on a new society that will work with Rise BC Wellness Centre and Dr. Joel Kalia and staff, to support those living with chronic pain. 

The program being offered in Nelson and area is a 3-pronged approach -  Chronic Pain workshops- Self Management – Movement/Support classes. The 8-week program will begin on February 8,2017 for 10 participants, as a pilot project. There are spaces available for 2 more participants. You must commit to 2 hours a week, and some homework to be involved. There is no cost to the program and it will run out the Rise BC Wellness Centre at the Community First Health Co-op.  The workshops will focus on the emotional, physical, and science of living with chronic pain.  Jacqueline reminded us the 22,000 people in the Southern Interior live with chronic pain. 

The Lake Street Housing Committee is holding a Community Planning Meeting at CFHC, February 17,2017 from 4:00- 5:00 pm in the Resource Room.  The meeting is to hear about the plans for the units and commercial space.  We know from the plans that there are 42 units of space available. This is a project that has been in the works for many years and we are excited that we may be able to move forward.

We would like to Welcome T.O.P. S. as a corporate member of CFHC and a partner in the building.  Check them out  TOPS and How It Works

First Community Health Co-op  (TOPS BC 1705) 518 Lake St  Room 204 Nelson,  BC  V1L 4C6  Canada Mondays:  5:45/6:30 PM

 We encourage groups that take care of their health and support others to do the same.

The first two Health Fairs have been amazing!

So, do not forget to mark April 8, 2017 as a date to take part in our 3^rd Passport to Wellness Health Fair, with a focus on Mental Health.

From all of us, be careful out there, we have heard of several people with broken hips and legs and arms from an ice related fall. 

Our fellow blogger Erin is taking a break, so we wish her the best and we sign off for January 2017

Eric and Marion 

Satellite TEETH Clinics Improve Access to Low Cost Dental Care

Dr. Donato DeSandoli and Staff at Saddle Mountain Dental Clinic in Nakusp

West Kootenay Community TEETH Clinic Society (TEETH) has been providing access for community members with a net family income of less than $30,000 since June 2014. Back in January of this year, TEETH won 1^st prize, from Pacific Blue Cross 75^th Anniversary “Share the Care Giveaway.” This prize has enabled the TEETH board to seek, organize and create partnerships in the region such as, satellite clinics and mobile dental hygiene services, in order to increase access to low-cost quality dental care in outlying areas from Nelson.  As up until now, the primary location for TEETH services had solely been running out of Dr. Osepchook’s dental office in Nelson;  when his own practice is closed.

With much delight, TEETH would like to announce current satellite partnerships have been established with Record Ridge Denture Clinic, located in Trail; Dr. Donato DeSandoli, located at Saddle Mountain Dental Clinic in Nakusp; Dr. Howard Fox, located at Cedar Avenue Dental Centre in Trail and additionally, Mobile Dental Hygiene services, provided by RDH Andrea Noel can now be accessed at various Interior Health Authority locations throughout the Kootenay Boundary region.

 Clients interested in seeking dental services from TEETH clinics must first register to become a TEETH client. There are various ‘Intake’ locations throughout the Kootenay-Boundary region where trained volunteers can assist individuals in the registration process. Applications are also available online: http://www.healthco-op.ca. Once you are a registered TEETH client either the TEETH administration staff or the satellite dental clinic staff will call you to set-up your initial dental appointment.

Please note: All locations of TEETH do NOT accept walk-in clients as all appointments are pre-arranged.

For more information on TEETH such as intake locations or how you can get involved in a partnership such as satellite dental clinic please contact: TEETHClinicWK@gmail.com or 250-352-6560 (TEETH info Hot Line).

The support for our low cost dental clinic continues to amaze,

Marion, Erin and Eric

Upcoming Workshops on Dementia: In Nelson on January 25; February 16, 23 and March 2, 2017

Busy, Busy, Busy... Working Toward a Healthier Community

We at Community First Health Co-op are all involved in some kind of activity to support our community in wellness and health.  The TEETH Clinic is pleased that two new dentists, one in Trail and one in Nakusp, have signed on to provide services to low income patients.  Our Mobile Dental clinic has made 3 stops with our hygienist providing services and we have hired a new administrator to handle all the bookings and other paper work for the society.  We are always in need of more dentists to provide a day to work on our patients, so encourage people to talk with their dentist to see if they can help out.

  Welcome to a new partner at the Lake Street Building – Aaron Young from NAPA Forest Consultants is working in the resource based industry with local companies to help provide employment opportunities in the community.   We know that one of the social determinants of wellness is having an income to support our needs. 

The Health Fair Planning Committee is working hard to get space, sponsors and presenters for the 3^rd fair being held on April 8, 2017. With a focus on Mental Health, we are currently looking into a keynote presenter to kick off this fair.  We know that our community, like many, is looking for some support and solutions for mental health issues and we want to be part of that conversation in bringing this out into the open.  We are pleased that once again the Nelson Star is on board as one of our major sponsors.

So what happens as a senior when you need to go to an appointment and you do not drive or do not have access to a ride? Who can help you with going to get re-tested if you have lost your driver licence due to your age? What resources and routes are available in your community? How can drivers help our seniors out?

Corrine Younie, left, and Dana Burgess (Nelson Star, Bill Metcalfe photo)

Dana Burgess is the Seniors Transportation Co-ordinator for our area - Nelson to Kaslo, Meadow Creek and Argenta. Salmo, Trail, Castlegar and the Slocan Valley to Nakusp.  One of her challenges is finding enough drivers for the Volunteer Driver Program ( VDP). The Handy Dart is one option, but it is often fully booked, it does not transport across regions, and it does not service some communities.

The VDP is in need of YOU!  The service is Monday to Friday during daytime hours to access medical appointments.

To volunteer you need:  A drivers Abstract from ICBC, a criminal record check, $3,000,000 liability on your vehicle, and a vehicle in good working conditions. You would need to be screened by the program coordinator, agree to the Volunteer code of conduct, and attend a volunteer training.

Drivers are reimbursed $.45 a km. Once you are a driver, it is easy. The client asks for a driver, the co-ordinator phones the volunteer to see if they are available and tells them who the client is, any special needs and where they are going – and the driver can say Yes or No. 

So if you would like to contribute to our community by being a driver, then please contact dana@nelsoncares.ca or call her at 250-352-2708 ex. 10

November 11^th is here and we at Community First Health Co-op would like to thank all of those who served so that we have the peaceful country we live in today.  My mom was in the Airforce and is now 92, and although she no longer remembers that she was, I especially want to thank her for paving the way for future women to take on the jobs that once were only considered for men.

Erin is busy helping move the Kootenay Co-op – rumor has that it will open in the new Nelson Commons on November 29^th, Eric is battling the leaves and wind and working hard for TEETH, and Marion, well she is out riding her bike and packing her bags to spend a month in Australia.

Signing off for this blog

Erin, Eric and Marion