Phone:

(403) 823-3345

Address:

140 Riverside Dr E, Drumheller, AB, T0J 0Y4

Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Sleep Hygiene

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep 💤💤
One in four people experience sleep difficulties, which include trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, early morning waking, sleeping too much, or restless or unsatisfying sleep. It is important to discuss your sleep problems with your doctor.
Getting a good night’s sleep can improve your mental well-being and help you to better manage your anxiety.
To improve your sleep, try some of the following strategies:
⚬ Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment – Create a comfortable sleep environment.
⚬ Relax – Try doing something to relax your body and mind before going to bed.
⚬ Have a Snack – Although a heavy meal late in the evening can disrupt sleep, a healthy light snack in the evening can improve sleep.
⚬ Get Physical – People who exercise tend to have more restful sleep. Exercising for at least 30 minutes three times a week can improve your sleep. The best time to exercise is in the late afternoon or early evening.
⚬ Set a Bedtime Routine – Having a bedtime routine cues your body that it’s time to sleep.
⚬ Establish a Fixed Awakening Time – Try waking up at the same time every day. This way your body will begin to get used to a regular sleep rhythm.
⚬ Sleep Only When Sleepy – Don’t force yourself into bed at a particular time if you’re not feeling sleepy.
⚬ Just for Sleeping – Your bed should be used strictly for sleeping (sex is the only exception
⚬ Get Out of Bed – If you can’t fall asleep after 20 to 30 minutes, get out of bed and do something boring or relaxing. When you start to feel sleepy, try going back to bed.
⚬ Don’t Worry – Leave your worries about work, school, health, relationships, etc. out of the bedroom.
⚬ Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol and Smoking – Avoid consuming caffeine, alcohol or smoking at least four hours before bedtime.
⚬ Skip the Nap -Naps can interfere with normal sleep cycles – So, if you’re having trouble sleeping, avoid taking naps.
⚬ Get Some Natural Light – Try to spend some time outdoors or in natural light every day.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Help In Tough Times

We Are Here to Help. You Are Not Alone ❤️
At some point in our lives, we have stressful times. Unexpected difficulties, financial pressures, unemployment, or situations such as emergencies and disasters can affect us. There are resources and services available to help you and your loved ones during a difficult time. Remember, it is okay to ask for help. Everyone deals with stress differently and a traumatic event can have a big impact.
Help Available 24/7
The following helplines are available 24/7 for support or access to addiction and substance use or mental health information and services.
Helplines
Addiction Helpline – 1-866-332-2322
Mental Health Helpline – 1-877-303-2642
Additional Support
811 Health Link – Health Advice 24/7
211 Alberta – Community Services
Indigenous Support Line – 1-844-944-4744
Crisis Text Line – Text CONNECT to 741741
Family Violence – Find Supports – 310-1818 (call/text, online chat)
Income Supports – 1-866-644-5135
Indigenous Support Line – 1-844-944-4744
Kids Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868
MyHealth.Alberta.ca: List of Important Numbers
Physician & Family Support Program – 1-877-767-4637
Suicide Crisis Helpline – 988
Talk Suicide Canada call – 1-833-456-4566, text – 45645
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Give Life Alberta (GLA)

💚🤍Give Life Alberta (GLA) is the organ and tissue donation program in the province of Alberta, Canada
Save Lives by Registering to Donate
Give Life Alberta is dedicated to increasing awareness about organ and tissue donation – and access to life-saving transplants. Registering as a donor can save lives – and restore the quality of life – of hundreds of people in Alberta each year.
Why Register to Donate
You need to register your decision to donate either online or at a motor vehicle registry office, even if you signed the back of your health care card, to ensure the information is recorded with Alberta Health.
Thousands of Canadians, including hundreds of Albertans, are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant; however, only 1-2% of people can be potential organ donors upon their death. It’s in the numbers: when more people donate, more lives are saved.
Did you know…
One organ donor can save up to 8 lives.
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Each year, dozens of people in Alberta die while waiting for a transplant.
Did you know…
Almost everyone can be considered for tissue donation.
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One tissue donor can help heal up to 75 people, with life-changing gifts such as eyes, bone, skin and heart valves.
Living Donors
Living Donor Services are active in both Edmonton at the University of Alberta Hospital, and in Calgary at the Foothills Medical Centre.
• Living organ donors can give one kidney, or part of the liver.
• Living tissue donations can include surgical bone and amniotic membrane.
• Living donors mean shorter wait times and typically improved outcomes for recipients, thanks to better quality donations and more planning time.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Primary Care Networks

Did you know Primary Care Networks are here to support your journey to better physical and mental health?
 They offer a diverse range of workshops and activities, both online and in person, designed to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need.
Whether you’re looking to boost your mental health, embrace healthier eating habits, or kick the smoking habit, we’ve got engaging sessions for you.
Visit their website to check out the extensive list of free workshops available and take the first step towards a healthier you.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Child Passenger Safety Week 2024

This year’s theme: “The Right Seat, The Right Size, Every Ride.” with focus on the basics of keeping children of all ages safe when riding in the family vehicle.
Always make sure your child is safely buckled on every ride in a car, truck, SUV or van
Make sure your seat meets the Canadian safety standards; look for the National Safety Mark
Make sure that you are using the right stage of seat for your child’s height, weight, fit and development
Don’t rush your child into the next stage before they are ready
Read more about the four stages of child car seat use: https://tc.canada.ca/…/choosing-child-car-seat-booster…
Visit https://childsafetylink.ca/car-seat-safety for rear and forward facing car seat safety
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Using the Rule of Five for School Lunches by Sarah Rummer RD

First things first… here’s what you’ll need:
1. Washable lunch bag (preferably insulated) or leak-proof lunch kit with compartments (or containers for different foods) Practice opening the lunch kit and container before school starts!
2. Ice packs
3. Thermos (optional)
4. Cutlery
5. Your list of lunch ideas (and a well-stocked fridge and pantry)
Now… here’s the rule of five!
1) Vegetables – pack at least one
• Raw veggies, cut up
• Leafy greens, eg. salad
• Frozen veggies, eg. peas
• Cooked vegetables
• Homemade salsa or bruschetta
• Vegetable soup
2) Fruit – pack at least one
• Piece or fresh fruit
• Berries
• Unsweetened canned fruit (canned in water)
• Unsweetened fruit and veggie purées
• Unsweetened dried fruit
3) Protein-rich foods – pack two
• Leftover meat, poultry, fish
• Canned fish
• Eggs
• Milk
• Yogurt or Greek yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Cheese
• Beans/Lentils
• Seeds or seed butter
• Tofu or tempeh
4) Whole grain or starchy vegetable (include at least one)
• Whole grain bread, tortilla, or pita
• Whole grain crackers
• Whole grain homemade granola bar or oat-based energy bite
• Homemade muffin or loaf made with whole grain flour or oats
• Oatmeal
• Whole grain pancake, waffle, or French toast
• Leftover brown rice, quinoa, barley
• Corn
• Potatoes/sweet potatoes/yams
5) The “just because food” – include one small portion
• Cookie
• Brownie
• Pudding
• Gummies
• Licorice
• Chocolate
It’s important to send the message to kids that all foods can fit, and even if a food doesn’t provide a lot of nutritional value, it can add fun to their lunch and help them to become calmer around these foods in the long run. To help combat diet culture in schools, it’s important to remember that it’s the parent’s job to decide what is packed in the lunch, the child’s job to decide which foods to eat (and in which order) and the teachers’ job to decide when and where the lunch is eaten
Need some ideas? For 12 Dietitian-Approved School Lunch Ideas visit:
Blog, Health, Home, Image, Medical, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

What is a Concussion?

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. Rapid movement causes brain tissue to change shape, which can stretch and damage brain cells. This damage also causes chemical and metabolic changes within the brain cells, making it more difficult for cells to function and communicate. Since the brain is the body’s control center, the effects of a concussion can be far-reaching.
Concussions are usually not life-threatening, but the effects of a concussion can change a life and the injury should be treated seriously.
Signs and symptoms of a concussion
The signs and symptoms of a concussion are incredibly important because a concussion doesn’t show up on imaging like an X-ray, CT, or MRI scan and there is no objective test, like drawing blood or saliva, that can determine if a patient has a concussion. A doctor makes a concussion diagnosis based on the results of a comprehensive examination, which includes observing signs of concussion and patients reporting symptoms of concussion appearing after an impact to the head or body. Concussion signs and symptoms are the brain’s way of showing it is injured and not functioning normally.
Concussion signs are what someone could observe about you to determine if you have a concussion. Signs of a concussion range from obvious to much more nuanced, but even one sign of a concussion after a hit to the head should be reported to a medical professional.
Concussion symptoms are what someone who is concussed will tell you they are experiencing. When responding to a possible concussion in a child, remember that a concussed child may not be able to clearly communicate the symptoms they are experiencing because of their age and limited vocabulary, and the fact that they have just experienced a brain injury.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Back-To-School Hacks from Food Allergy Canada

– Pack delicious snacks for school, so you won’t be tempted by food from your classmates
– Label your lunch bag with your name and allergies to avoid confusion
– Label your water bottle with your name
– Check that your child’s auto-injectors and asthma puffers/ inhalers are not expired, review their emergency plan and what to do in case of a reaction
– Remind your child to let you/ others know if they think they are having an anaphylactic reaction
– Review your school’s policies on food allergy and anaphylaxis management
– Update your child’s anaphylaxis emergency plan and share it with your school. If your child has asthma, update this information too
– Talk to your child’s teacher and other school staff about your child’s food allergy and review emergency procedures
– Talk with your child about their food allergy ad practice using an auto-injector training device together
– Keep extra safe snacks in their backpack, so they always have something handy to eat
– Supply your child’s teacher with safe snacks in case your child forgets theirs
– Read the ingredient labels of hand sanitizers and check for any food allergens that need to be avoided
Post-secondary students: Advise school admissions and foodservices management upon registration regarding your food allergy
– If you live with roommates and have a shared kitchen, ensure they are aware of your allergy and write your name on food you don’t want others to touch
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

August 31 – Overdose Awareness Day

On August 31 landmarks across the world will light up in purple to mark International Overdose Awareness Day. This action acknowledges the lives of those lost to overdose and helps to spread the message that overdose is preventable!
2024 THEME: “TOGETHER WE CAN”
No one should stand alone in our fight to end overdose. While every individual action matters greatly, coming together as an international community creates a powerful collective action. One that moves us with greater speed toward our shared goal of preventing, and ultimately, ending all overdoses.
Through their 2024 theme, “Together we can” they’re highlighting the strength of coming together and standing in support of those connected to the tragedy of overdose.
This August 31, reach out and connect with others in your local community and join the global IOAD movement. Our collective voices are stronger, louder, and the most impactful when brought together.
Let’s remember, together, we can end overdose.
Health, Home, Image, Medical, Mental Health, Posts with image, Research, standard, Text posts Jamie Gerlinger

Steps 9 –12 of Anxiety Canada’s – Our 12-step back to school checklist for parents

Follow these simple tips to help students minimize their anxiety on the first day back.
9. Choose a Special Object
• For younger children who are nervous about separating, suggest taking a special object to school that reminds him or her of home
• Put a reassuring note in a child’s lunch can also help ease separation anxiety on the first day of school.
10. Walk with a Friend
• Try and arrange that your child walks with a friend to school for the first couple of days
• Arrange play days with school mates leading up to the first day
11. Talk to the Teacher
• Let the teacher know that your child is having some separation anxiety
12. Praise and Reward
• Most importantly, praise and reward your child for brave behavior!
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