Online health information can have many positive impacts on us, unfortunately, the quality and accuracy of online health information is not consistent, including social media where information quality can be very low. Use the steps below to evaluate the health information you find online.

Check the date

 Look to see when the website was created or last updated. Health information should be up to date to make sure it is relevant and accurate. Even if the information has not changed, it should be regularly reviewed.

Check the Author

Identify the author to determine if they have the necessary background, experience, or training to accurately discuss the topic.

Look for the Evidence: Is it True?

Health information should be based on facts rather than opinion, rumors, or personal stories. Authors and websites should clearly list their sources, so that you can check the information for yourself.

Understand the Purpose

Read a website’s “About Us” page to understand the website’s purpose and who runs it. Are they credible and unbiased? Be cautious of websites selling a product. Their information may already be biased as the goal is to make a profit rather than present clear facts. Often product claims are too good to be true.

Be Critical of the Details

Be skeptical of websites that look outdated, contain broken links or have spelling and grammar errors. Patient information should be written in plain language, making it easy to follow.

Protect your Privacy

Be careful when sharing your personal information. Look for a privacy policy to find out how and why your information is being used, stored, or shared.

You should carefully consider the source of the information you find on the internet and discuss that health information with your healthcare provider.

As you look online for health information, watch for both misinformation – inaccurate information and disinformation – false information that is deliberately meant to mislead.

AHS Wellness Article

It is usually mild but it can be more serious in young children, older adults, and people with certain health problems. You can get it more than once in your life. RSV season tends to start in late fall and last until spring.

RSV symptoms are usually mild cold-like symptoms that get better in 1 to 2 weeks.

How does it spread?

• An infected person sneezes, coughs, talks, or even breathes.

• You breathe in the virus.

• You touch something that has the virus on it (such as hands or a door- knob), then touch your eyes, mouth, or nose. RSV can live on surfaces for several hours. It can live on unclean hands for 30 minutes or more.

You can spread RSV before symptoms start.

To stop RSV from spreading:

• Get the RSV vaccine if it is recommended for you.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unclean hands.

• Wash your hands with warm water and soap or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer often.

• Cover your cough or sneeze into your arm or a tissue, not your hand.

• Stay home when you are sick.

You can get the vaccine anytime of the year, it is best to get it before RSV season, which usually starts in late fall and lasts until spring.

If you are age 60 years or older and live in a continuing care or supportive living facility, you will be offered the RSV vaccine free of charge at your facility.

If you are age 70 years or older (or an Indigenous person age 60 years or older) and do not live in a continuing care or supportive living facility, you can book an appointment for RSV vaccine free of charge:

• Call your local pharmacy to find out if they offer the vaccine.

If you are not eligible to get the RSV vaccine free of charge, you may be able to pay for it at a pharmacy.

Click here for more information on available immunizations: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/…/Immuni…/Pages/default.aspx

Join this FREE online class for parents & caregivers of 1-5 year olds in Alberta, led by Registered Dietitians.

You will learn about key foods and nutrients for growth, strategies for lower-stress family meals and how to get your child involved and excited about food!

Three options to choose from:

Tuesday October 21, 2025, 12:00-1:30 pm

Wednesday November 19, 2025, 6:00-7:30 pm

Tuesday December 9, 2025, 12:00-1:30 pm

Register at: https://redcap.albertahealthservices.ca/surveys/…

This session will be held on Zoom. Join us on a computer, tablet, or smart phone.

Not familiar with Zoom? A link for the class and user instructions will be emailed to you prior to the class.

Despite its lifesaving potential, handwashing with soap is seldom practiced.

Follow these five steps every time:

Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.

Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap.

Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.

Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

Why it’s important

Washing hands can keep you healthy and prevent the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections. Germs can spread from person to person or from surfaces to people when you:

– Touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands

– Prepare or eat food and drinks with unwashed hands

– Touch surfaces or objects that have germs on them

– Blow your nose, cough, or sneeze into hands and then touch other people’s hands or common objects

Key times to wash hands

You can help yourself and your loved ones stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:

– Before, during, and after preparing food

– Before and after eating food

– Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea

– Before and after treating a cut or wound

– After using the toilet

– After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet

– After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

– After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste

– After handling pet food or pet treats

– After touching garbage

Eat together

Try to have meals together as a family as often as possible.

Getting everyone together for mealtime can be a challenge. There are many reasons why everyone might not be able to come together at mealtimes. Even if some family members are not available, there are still benefits to eating with those who are.

Make healthy foods the routine

Offer your kids healthy meals and snacks at regular times throughout the day. This is important to help them get enough nutrients and energy to help them grow and develop.

Every day, offer a variety of:

• vegetables and fruit, including:

• dark green vegetables such as kale and bok choy each day

• orange vegetables such as carrots and sweet potato most days

• whole grain foods, such as:

• oats

• wild rice

• whole wheat pasta

• protein foods such as:

• eggs

• nuts and seeds

• fish and shellfish

• beans, peas, and lentils

• lean red meats, including wild game

• lower fat dairy products such as milk and yogurt

• fortified soy beverages, tofu, soybeans and other soy products

• Include healthy snacks, such as yogurt and fruit, or hummus and vegetable sticks instead of highly processed sweetened granola bars

Offering a variety of healthy foods is the best way to help your children get the nutrients they need.

Make healthy drink choices

Offer water.

Healthy drink options other than water can include:

• white milk (unsweetened lower fat milk)

• unsweetened fortified plant-based beverages

Make a healthy choice

Limit the amount of highly processed foods you offer.

Prepare meals and snacks with little to no added:

• sodium

• sugars

• saturated fat

Get them involved and share the tasks

Teach your kids about making healthy food choices.

Plan out your meals and snacks with your kids to have the healthy foods they like in the home.

Get your kids cooking. Support them, regardless of age, by helping them with simple food-related tasks.

This free event includes a complimentary lunch, activities, a fantastic social setting and features five excellent speakers!

To ensure we have sufficient seating, refreshments, and lunch, registration is required. Please RSVP to Kim Larsen, 403-321-4727 by September 22, 2025.

Featuring

– Parkinson’s Association of Alberta

– Jason Schneck, PHD Student from the University of Zurich

– Recovery of Alberta, ‘Maintaining Wellbeing as you Age’

– Public Health Dietitian, ‘Key Nutrients and Cooking on a Budget’

– Tom Zariski, Town of Drumheller Councilor

This event is proudly sponsored by the Drumheller Community Seniors Coalition, Connecting People & Community for Living Well, Healthy Aging Alberta, Drumheller FCSS, and the Big Country Primary Care Network.

Living with a long-term (chronic) health condition can be hard. Better Choices, Better Health® is a free group workshop for adults who live with or support someone with a chronic health condition. Choose between three workshops:

Better Choices, Better Health® – Chronic Disease: for those with conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, arthritis, gastrointestinal (GI), depression, long COVID-19 and others. – https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/…/if-phc-cdm-bcbh…

Better Choices, Better Health® – Chronic Pain: for those with conditions like fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, persistent pain, migraines, arthritis and others. – https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/…/if-phc-cdm-bcbh…

Better Choices, Better Health® – Chronic Disease: Balancing Work & Life – https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/…/if-phc-cdm-bcbh…

These workshops can help improve your confidence by learning new self-management skills and to enjoy a better quality of life.