TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2019 /CNW/ - Moving adult smokers away from cigarettes to vaping products should be one of Ontario's public health goals. However, the recently announced ban on e-cigarette advertising at retail will limit adult smokers' ability to learn about alternative nicotine products.
"Adult consumers need to know the facts about vaping. With the news of vaping related illnesses, vapers don't know where to turn for accurate information. They need to know that vaping is less harmful than smoking. They need to know the science behind it. They need to know their options and how to use them. Imposing regulations that would further restrict communication about these products would only serve to keep smokers hooked on tobacco," said Helen Cran, a spokesperson for Rights4Vapers.com.
The data shows that adult smokers turn to vaping products to help them quit.
Right4Vapers.com surveyed 4,000 Canadian vapers. This survey is the largest consumer survey of vapers and their behaviour. The study found that 95 percent of respondents have used vapour products to quit smoking, and 98 percent of respondents smoke less because of vape use.
"We agree with responsible advertising. It shouldn't target minors or portray vaping as glamorous or safe. However, smokers need information on their products," said Ms. Cran.
Rights4Vapers.com is an organization of vaping advocates dedicated to the advancement of Canadian-based research on vaping. Dr. Chris Lalonde is an academic advisor.
[1] Tobacco Harm Reduction Approaches to Smoking, UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, public health guidance 45, July 2013
SOURCE Rights 4 Vapers
Ontario Medical Association Applauds Restrictions to Promotion of Vaping Products in Convenience Stores and Gas Stations
TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2019 /CNW/ - The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) strongly supports this move by the Ontario Government to address the issue of youth vaping by banning the promotion of vapour products in convenience stores and gas stations.
Our position is clear: vaping devices should not be used by non-smokers and especially not by young people.
The OMA wrote to Minister Elliott in September and recommended that the government:
Expand restrictions on the marketing and promotion of vaping products.
Expand restrictions of flavouring for vape juice, e-juice and e-liquid.
Develop awareness campaigns to educate the public, especially youth, about the harmful risks of vaping.
"On behalf of Ontario's doctors, I applaud today's announcement by Health Minister Christine Elliott that will restrict promotion of vaping products in convenience stores and gas stations," said Dr. Sohail Gandhi, President, OMA. "This is an important first step towards ensuring that these products are not marketed to youth. I also thank the Minister for inviting the OMA to participate in the Minister's roundtables to discuss this issue. We look forward to continuing to work with the government to protect youth from the dangers of vaping."
According to the most recent Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 23 per cent of students in Grades 7-12 have tried a vaping product, many of which contain nicotine.
There is a lack of awareness and understanding among youth about the addictive nature of nicotine and the potential negative health effects. There is evidence that youth who use vaping devices are more likely to smoke tobacco later in life.
The OMA has long advocated for robust smoking cessation programs. Vaping products have helped some people stop smoking, although the evidence on their effectiveness is inconclusive.
About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000 plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.
SOURCE Ontario Medical Association
How to Handle Your Indoor Winter Workouts Without Going Stir Crazy
Winter. That magical time of year when even your best outdoor plans tend to get ruined. This includes your regularly planned workouts, leaving you with a difficult decision: do you take your workouts inside and risk going stir crazy, or do you chance a miserable workout outside? Fortunately, you don’t have to make this difficult decision. With a few small adjustments, you can make your indoor workouts enjoyable, allowing you to keep your body (and mind) fit all winter long.
Invite a Friend
All workouts are more enjoyable with a friend, but especially those workouts that find you stuck inside. With a workout partner, you’ll have someone to keep you accountable and motivated, help share the misery of being cooped up inside, and to enjoy good conversation with once the workout is done. What’s more, your friend can help suggest tips to help make your workout better, resulting in increased fitness for both of you.
Keep the Temperature Right
One of the most difficult parts of working out indoors is properly regulating your body temperature. Since it’s the winter, you’ll likely have the heat on in your home. However, once you get into the heart of your workout, you may quickly find that what’s comfortable when you’re resting is miserable when you’re exerting yourself. Therefore, you must be prepared to turn on your air conditioner, even when the temperature outside might dictate otherwise. Just be sure your system is in good working order by having a local professional, like Robison Air, give it a thorough inspection.
Plan an Escape
A great way to motivate yourself for indoor winter workouts is to reward yourself after your workouts more than you normally would. For example, you may not normally reward yourself with a bubble bath after a run outside. However, to push yourself during that indoor workout, you can set aside time afterward for a juicy reward that will keep your eyes on the goal. Whatever you do, though, it’s important to avoid too many food rewards, as that could reverse the progress you make during your workout.
Set the Mood
It’s difficult to exercise inside during the winter, especially when what you’d rather be doing is running on the beach of a secluded tropical island. If you have space, though, you can bring the island to you instead of having to bring yourself to an island. You can include tropical plants in your workout space and even find videos of various tropical locations to play during your workouts. While it won’t be a substitute for the feeling of the sand between your toes, it will help tide you over until you’re able to get outside again.Keep Moving Forward
Acorn Biolabs partners with Executive Health Centre to become first clinic in North America to offer non-invasive stem cell collection
TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2019 /CNW/ - Acorn Biolabs, a pioneer in non-invasive stem cell collection, today announced a strategic partnership with Toronto-based Executive Health Centre, a medical wellness centre and leader in precision and personalized medicine. Under the agreement, Executive Health Centre will become the first clinic in North America to offer its patients the ability to have their stem cells banked through a method that involves simply plucking a few hair follicles from a person's head.
Acorn's innovative method allows for full genome collection without the need for surgery or other painful and invasive procedures, making stem cell collection significantly more affordable and accessible for everyone.
"Our partnership with Acorn is tremendously exciting for the future of healthcare," says Dr. Elaine Chin, founder of Executive Health Centre. "Stem cells play a critical role in predictive analytics and will allow us to identify and prevent diseases before they happen, in addition to creating the possibility for an array of personalized regenerative treatments in the future."
Once stem cells are collected, Acorn uses a proprietary method of keeping cells viable during transport and storage, turning collected hair follicles into a highly valuable and accessible resource for regenerative medicine and genetics. Not only are these stem cells securely stored for future use, but the company's scientists can also extract critical genetic information that will unlock valuable data about a person's health that has never been available before. With this partnership, Executive Health Centre patients will also have access to Acorn's genetic age reports that provide insights into a person's aging process.
"Dr. Chin has been a trailblazer in using biometric and monitoring technology with her patients, and has established herself as an eminent thought leader in this space. For Acorn to combine our technology with her clinic's expertise is a major win not just for patients, but also for the broader industry as a whole," says Dr. Drew Taylor, co-founder and CEO of Acorn. "Both Executive Health Centre and Acorn strongly believe that our cells are the future of healthcare, and we're thrilled to be working together in making regenerative medicine accessible to more and more people."
Media Availability Time: 4:00 p.m. Location: Executive Health Centre, 4120 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON Dr. Drew Taylor and Dr. Elaine Chin are available for interviews.
About Acorn Biolabs, Inc. Founded in 2017 by Steven ten Holder, Patrick Pumputis and Dr. Drew Taylor and borne out of years of research, Acorn is a healthcare technology company. Based at Johnson & Johnson INNOVATION JLABS in Toronto, Acorn is focused on giving every human being the best chance to experience more healthy years with its easy, affordable and non-invasive live-cell collection, analysis and cryopreservation service. Acorn helps you live a longer, healthier tomorrow by freezing the clock on your cells today. Visit www.acorn.me.
About Executive Health Centre The Executive Health Centre is recognized for its visionary work in personalized, preventative healthcare. Dr. Elaine Chin, founder of the Executive Health Centre, established North America's first physician and naturopathic doctor-integrated health clinic in 1997 at the Mississauga Hospital (now Trillium Health Partners). Today, the combined expertise of this innovative model is unmatched in North America and provides its patients the best in seamless integrative medicine and rejuvenation therapies. Dr. Chin is also the author of "Lifelines – Unlocking the Secrets of Your Telomeres for a Longer, Healthier Life," on The Globe and Mail's Top 10 Bestseller List. Visit: www.executivehealthcentre.com.
SOURCE Acorn Biolabs
Walmart offering free health screenings at Wellness Day events
Walmart pharmacists on-hand to meet customers and offer services
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Oct. 23, 2019 /CNW/ - With 60 per cent of all households in Canada living within a 10-minute drive of a Walmart store, Walmart pharmacists can be one of the most accessible healthcare providers, offering expert advice and compassion on healthcare issues.
This coming Saturday, Canadians in communities across the country can meet one of the more than 1,150 licensed pharmacists, like Cecile San Jose (Brampton, Ontario) offering healthcare services at Walmart.
As part of the annual Wellness Day (October 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), customers will receive complimentary healthcare services including, glucose checks, blood pressure checks, flu vaccinations, and consultations with their local pharmacist about any health concerns.
San Jose has been a pharmacist for nearly a decade and has spent more than half of her career at Walmart. She recognizes the important role that pharmacists play in helping Canadians make their health a priority and sees Walmart's Wellness Day as a valuable opportunity to promote good health.
"At Walmart, part of our mission is to help Canadians live better. As a pharmacist that means helping people live healthier lives," said San Jose. "Our free Wellness Day screenings can help Canadians discover underlying issues like high blood pressure and diabetes, which they can then manage. Not only do we want Canadians to live better, we want them to stay well."
Walmart Canada launched its first Wellness Day in last spring and provided more than 11,000 free health screenings.
One-stop health shop
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Canadians are supported by Walmart pharmacists. These important services are one part of Walmart's health and wellness offering, which also includes vision centres (in select stores), medical clinics (in select stores) and access to affordable products that support good health.
"Whether customers are embarking on a new path to wellness or continuing on their journey, Walmart's licensed pharmacists can help," said Shelly Kiroff, senior vice president, health and wellness at Walmart Canada. "At a time when new health trends are constantly emerging, our pharmacists can help Canadians understand what's best for them."
About Walmart Canada Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving more than 1.2 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 750,000 customers daily. With more than 85,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $400 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada.
Women living with metastatic breast cancer in British Columbia now have public access to KISQALI®
DORVAL, QC, Oct. 23, 2019 /CNW/ - Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. (Novartis) is pleased to announce that British Columbia will now reimburse KISQALI® (ribociclib) for eligible patients in combination with an aromatase inhibitor (letrozole) under its provincial public drug program (complete British Columbia reimbursement criteria can be accessed here).1
For women living with metastatic breast cancer, also known as Stage IV breast cancer, the cancer has spread beyond the breast to other areas of the body, such as the lungs, liver, bones or brain.2 It may happen before or after treatment, or it may develop from reoccurring breast cancer.3 Although there have been advancements in early detection and treatment, there is still no cure for metastatic breast cancer.4 While overall 5-year survival rates for female breast cancer are relatively high, at 87%, women with advanced breast cancer face a 22% survival rate over 5 years.5
"The reimbursement of ribociclib (KISQALI®) in British Columbia and certain other parts of Canada provides women living with advanced breast cancer with more treatment options that may potentially delay the progression of breast cancer and improve the duration and quality of their survival," said Dr. Karen Gelmon, Professor of Medicine, UBC and Medical Oncologist, BC Cancer.
"We are pleased that British Columbia has joined certain other Canadian provinces in providing women living with metastatic breast cancer with much needed treatment options that can help improve their quality of life," said Cathy Ammendolea, Chair of the Board of Directors, Canadian Breast Cancer Network.
KISQALI® belongs to a family of medications called protein kinase inhibitors. These medications work by stopping cancer cells from dividing and growing.KISQALI® received Health Canada approval for use with letrozole on March 2, 2018, for the treatment of postmenopausal women with HR-positive, HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer as first-line endocrine-based therapy based on findings from the pivotal MONALEESA-2 trial. When given together with letrozole, KISQALI® may help slow down the growth and spread of breast cancer cells.6
"Our work in this therapeutic area has helped to improve the well-being of Canadians living with breast cancer," said Daniel Hébert, Country Medical Head Oncology, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. "The addition of KISQALI® to the public drug plan in British Columbia is a promising milestone for women living with metastatic breast cancer and the entire breast cancer community in Canada. As a leader in the healthcare field, we will continue to work with the remaining provinces and territories to ensure all Canadians living with metastatic breast cancer and their healthcare providers have public access to KISQALI®."
About KISQALI®(ribociclib) KISQALI® is a selective cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, a class of drugs that help slow the progression of cancer by inhibiting two proteins called cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6). These proteins, when over-activated, can enable cancer cells to grow and divide too quickly. Targeting CDK4/6 may play a role in ensuring that cancer cells do not continue to replicate uncontrollably. KISQALI® was developed by the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) under a research collaboration with Astex Pharmaceuticals.
About Novartis in Advanced Breast Cancer Novartis tackles breast cancer with advanced science, collaboration and a passion for transforming patient care. We've taken a bold approach to our research by including patient populations often neglected in clinical trials, identifying new pathways or mutations that may play a role in disease progression and developing therapies that not only maintain, but also improve, quality of life for patients. Our priority over the past 30 years and today is to deliver treatments proven to improve and extend lives for those diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.
About Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., a leader in the healthcare field, is committed to the discovery, development and marketing of innovative products to improve the well-being of all Canadians. In 2018, the company invested $52 million in research and development in Canada. Located in Dorval, Quebec, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. employs approximately 1,000 people in Canada and is an affiliate of Novartis AG, which provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. For further information, please consult www.novartis.ca.
5 Canadian Cancer Society. Canadian Cancer Statistics, a 2018 special report on cancer incidence by stage. Available at: www.cancer.ca/Canadian-Cancer-Statistics-2018-EN. Accessed on October 2, 2019.
ChristianaCare Vaccinates 8,035 Employees in 4 States in 100 Locations from the Flu through #HitMeWithYourFluShot
Nearly Two-Thirds of Workforce Vaccinated during Single-Day Event (WILMINGTON, Del. – Oct. 23, 2019) Downloadable:PHOTOSVIDEO For the second year in a row, ChristianaCare vaccinated the majority of its 12,000 caregivers from the flu in a single day in a fun-filled event called #HitMeWithYourFluShot. The event is designed to support ChristianaCare’s voluntary employee vaccination campaign that annually tops 90% of all employees vaccinated. The single-day event also doubles as an emergency preparedness drill, simulating the logistical challenges that would need to be managed if the health system ever needed to rapidly mobilize to vaccinate all of its employees in an emergency.In a one-day blitz that spanned 100 locations in four states, from 3 a.m. to 9 p.m., ChristianaCare vaccinated 8,035 caregivers, beating its target and eclipsing last year’s record of 7,868.“Our #HitMeWithYourFluShot campaign is a shining example of how we serve together, guided by our values of Love and Excellence,” said Marci Drees, M.D., MS, FACP, DTMH, FSHEA, chief infection prevention officer and hospital epidemiologist. “By vaccinating so many of our caregivers in a single day, we protect our employees, our patients and our community from influenza. We also lead by example, demonstrating the importance that everyone get an annual flu vaccination.”During the event, flu vaccination stations operated for 18 consecutive hours at ChristianaCare’s two hospital campuses—Newark and Wilmington. At ChristanaCare’s satellite sites in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey—nearly 100 locations — roving teams dropped off vaccination kits or administered vaccines so caregivers could quickly and easily get vaccinated. Those sites include primary care, specialty care, medical aid units, imaging, laboratory, rehabilitation services and non-clinical sites.Enhancing the drill this year was the option of a drive-through vaccination station at ChristianaCare’s Newark campus. Employees who were not working that day could get vaccinated against the flu without ever departing their car. Many employees who used the drive-through location were able to cruise through while running their errands for the day, sometimes with the kids or family dog in the car.Employees were encouraged to pre-register for their flu shot using paperless forms in the weeks leading up to the drill, which improved the efficiency of the actual event.Between 36,400 and 61,200 Americans died from the flu last year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, the flu hospitalized more than 500,000 people and sickened 40 million Americans.Employees who were not vaccinated during the event will have other opportunities to get vaccinated this year.About ChristianaCare Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of outpatient services, home health care, medical aid units, two hospitals (1,227 beds), a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute and was rated by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is a not-for-profit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. We are continually ranked by US News & World Report as a Best Hospital. With our unique, data-powered care coordination service and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care. Learn how we deliver greater quality and value at https://christianacare.org.####
Face up to rosacea: Galderma launches online support to empower and equip rosacea sufferers to discuss the true burden of their disease with their physician
New 'Face up to rosacea' campaign comprising of online content and a downloadable, personalized patient appointment guide, encourages people living with the distressing skin disease to seek expert support from a family physician, and potentially a referral to a dermatologist, to help break the cycle of rosacea and aim for long-term treatment success
THORNHILL, ON, Oct. 23, 2019 /CNW/ -Launched in Canada today, Galderma's new Face up to rosacea campaign aims to help close the communication gap between people living with rosacea, family physicians and dermatologists. A one-stop shop for online rosacea support, the campaign website – www.faceuptorosacea.com – enables people that have been diagnosed with rosacea to create and download a personalized appointment guide, helping them open up about the physical and emotional burden rosacea can cause and drive conversations about long-term treatment success.
Rosacea is a disease which is estimated to affect around 415 million people worldwide.1 It's a visible condition often characterized by symptoms such as facial flushing, persistent erythema (redness), and inflammatory lesions (spots). Galderma's global research revealed that rosacea has a significant impact on people's quality of life with 86% of sufferers substantially modifying their behaviour and daily lives to avoid triggering flare-ups. However, reluctance to discuss the true burden means that physicians can overestimate the impact of symptoms typically associated with rosacea but underestimate less visible or well-known symptoms such as stinging, burning, itching and pain.2
"During your next appointment with a family physician, help them fully understand what is bothering you specifically about your rosacea, both physically and emotionally", says Dr. Jerry Tan, Adjunct Professor, Western University, Windsor, Ontario. "Every patient is unique and going through a different rosacea journey; by sharing your story, with the help of your personalized appointment guide, your family physician can understand how rosacea affects your daily life and can consider referring you to a dermatologist to help you get the results you want."
The Face up to rosacea website guides the user through a series of questions relating to their individual signs and symptoms, how their rosacea makes them feel and what treatments they have used in the past, before creating a personalized appointment guide for the user to take to their next family physician consultation and dermatology referral.
Recognizing the importance of transparency between people with rosacea and their healthcare professionals, Face up to rosacea aims to give people the confidence to speak out about the true impact of their disease, enabling family physicians and dermatologists to better understand individual needs. "Galderma is committed to advancing rosacea patient care. By listening to the views of rosacea sufferers and healthcare professionals from around the World, we identified an opportunity to support dialogue between patients and doctors in a really tangible way. The new personalized appointment guide has the potential to truly revolutionize future rosacea appointments, leading to better outcomes," says Kamel Chaouche, Head of Global Medical Affairs, Prescription, Galderma.
"Don't let past experiences hold you back, make an appointment with your family physician and discuss how your rosacea affects you and ask to see a dermatologist," says Dr. Melinda Gooderham, Medical Director at the SKiN Centre for Dermatology, Peterborough, Ontario. "Great consultations start when you as the patient come to the visit with a list of signs, symptoms and triggers that bother you and what treatments you've tried before that have or haven't worked. With this information, we can really customize your treatment plan to you and only you and ultimately help you break the cycle of rosacea."
Visit www.faceuptorosacea.com to create and download your personalized appointment guide to take to your next family physician appointment and dermatology referral.
About Rosacea Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin disease that presents variable clinical characteristics, of which the most common are flushing, persistent erythema, and inflammatory lesions. It mainly affects the central areas of the face, such as the cheeks and nose. The disease can affect both adult men and women, usually after the age of 30. Additionally, symptoms such as stinging, burning and increased sensitivity of the skin are common. The eyes are often affected, and might present as red, dry or itchy.
Although the cause of the disease is still under debate, various trigger factors are known, including spicy foods, alcohol, emotional stress, sun/UV-exposure, hot baths and hot beverages. Demodex, generally harmless mites, can also be found in the skin in an elevated quantity in people with rosacea.
Rosacea may worsen over time if left untreated. People that suspect they suffer from rosacea should visit their dermatologist or healthcare provider for diagnosis and discuss what treatment is right for them. Because rosacea is a highly visible disease, it is known to cause embarrassment and anxiety in some patients, which in turn may cause frustration and have a negative impact on their social life.
About Face up to rosacea
Face up to rosacea is an awareness campaign, launched in Canada in October 2019 by Galderma. The campaign aims to close the communication gap between people with rosacea and physicians. By encouraging meaningful conversations between the two parties, rosacea sufferers will become increasingly aware of the advancement of treatment options now available from their healthcare practitioners to help them break free from the negative cycle of rosacea.
About Galderma Galderma, the world's largest independent global dermatology company, was created in 1981 and is now present in over 100 countries with an extensive product portfolio to treat a range of dermatological conditions. The company partners with health care practitioners around the world to meet the skin health needs of people throughout their lifetime. Galderma is a leader in research and development of scientifically defined and medically proven innovative solutions for the skin. For more information, please visit www.galderma.com.
SOURCE Galderma Canada
How to Treat and Prevent Hand and Arm Injuries that Often Occur While Working Out
Working out with the intention of building strength, increasing endurance or losing weight has numerous health benefits, but can present a few hazards as well. Hand and arm injuries are among the most common for fitness enthusiasts, especially those that use free weights or weighted machines frequently. There are a few tips that all workout enthusiasts should follow, including the need to rest and recover following any kind of exercise injury.
Always Follow Form
Any exercise that involves weight, even if it’s just your own body, should be executed in good form every single time. You should always carefully research the posture and execution for each exercise, starting with little to no weight and building from there. A gym membership or personal training sessions can be invaluable for getting a direct education in how to navigate a new fitness routine. Using proper form also increases the value of the exercise for fitness or body-building purposes.
Address Bone and Joint Damage
Bones and joints don’t grow bigger to increase strength like muscles do, but they can still strengthen or weaken over time. People who use their hands and arms for various exercises, including those targeting other muscle groups, should consider wearing wrist braces or other protective gear to better distribute the weight. Damage to bone and joints also takes a lot longer to heal than injury to other tissue, so it can take several weeks or months to get back to normal. Serious injuries or developing conditions warrant a trip to an orthopedic hand specialistto minimize the potential for long-term complications.
Stretch and Warm-Up
Many people who are just starting on their fitness journey don’t fully appreciate the importance of a stretch and warm-up routine before exercise. Stretching helps strengthen muscles all on its own and greatly reduces the chances of an injury during a workout. Some fitness routines incorporate stretching throughout the session, while others prioritize it at the beginning and end of the workout.
Fuel Yourself for Success
Diet may not play a direct role in causing a hand or army injury, but it does impact the chance of it occurring and ability to recover. Calcium is just one of many vitamins and nutrients that directly affect bone health. Various vitamins, amino acids and ample water are all also important for encouraging repair of muscle fibers throughout the body. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can reduce the overall chance of injury and improve recovery rate.
Few things are as frustrating as hand or arm damage when you are trying to achieve fitness goals. Giving these injuries time to heal can slow down some of your workout goals, but ignoring them and allowing them to degenerate can cause life-long problems. Don’t hesitate to seek professional or medical assistance for any kind of serious injury.
New communications platform aims to prevent social isolation by connecting older adults with family and friends
MONCTON, NB, Oct. 23, 2019 /CNW/ - A new Canadian-designed messaging platform offers older adults with little to no computer experience or with sensory loss an easier way to stay in contact with family and friends.
"Our goal is to break down walls and re-engage older adults who are not online and may have vision, hearing, motor skills or language barriers that isolate them from family and friends," says Robert Arn, co-founder and chief technology officer at Famli.net Communications Inc., developers of the new platform.
Called FamliNet, the platform makes it easy to send voice, text or video messages and photographs.
A public beta version that can be used by seniors and their families wherever they live was released this week at the AGE-WELL Annual Conference in Moncton, New Brunswick. AGE-WELL, Canada's Technology and Aging Network, has supported the development of FamliNet.
"Staying connected to meaningful relationships is one of the leading determinants of health and quality of life," says Dr. Arn. "This service is specifically designed to help seniors preserve those relationships and to prevent social isolation, which is all too common among older adults."
Until now, FamliNet has been used by residents at several retirement and long-term care facilities in Canada.
For Richard Ratcliffe, 91, who lives at Sunnybrook Veterans Centre in Toronto, Ontario, the platform has "opened up a whole new world." Life had become lonely for the war veteran and career naval officer because of profound hearing loss from "being a little too close to gunfire in Korea."
Things changed when Ratcliffe began using FamliNet. He now shares pictures, videos, audio and text messages with family and friends on a daily basis.
Says daughter Steph Gagne: "FamliNet has opened up horizons for my dad. It has brightened his world."
For multilingual families or groups, the program automatically translates everyone's messages into each person's preferred language in both text and voice. The initial version supports English, French and Mandarin Chinese, with 30 more languages to follow.
FamliNet requires minimal training to use, even for those with no computer experience, says Dr. Arn. Seniors were involved in testing the platform, which features pictures of the user's contacts and straightforward icons to access the different types of messaging. It also connects users to online services, news and games.
FamliNet works on any device that runs a web browser and will soon be available for iOS mobile devices. It can be accessed at www.famlinet.com and runs without downloads or installation complications. There is no cost until January 2020, when a monthly fee will be introduced.
Dr. Arn says he expects that family members may often be the ones to introduce the platform to the older adult in their family—and to underline "why it is worth a try."
Seniors who have difficulty typing will benefit from FamliNet's ability to record a spoken message, transcribe it into text and deliver it to a relative or friend in both spoken and text form.
Those with poor vision can tap a large icon to hear a text read aloud.
FamliNet was initially developed by TAGlab at the University of Toronto, under the direction of Dr. Ronald Baecker. TAGlab and Famli.nethave deep roots at AGE-WELL as they are funded through the AGE-WELL Core Research Program.
About AGE-WELL:
AGE-WELL NCE Inc. is Canada's Technology and Aging Network. The pan-Canadian network brings together researchers, older adults, caregivers, partner organizations and future leaders to accelerate the delivery of technology-based solutions that make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians. AGE-WELL researchers are producing technologies, services, policies and practices that improve quality of life for older adults and caregivers, and generate social and economic benefits for Canada. AGE-WELL is funded through the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence program. www.agewell-nce.ca.
SOURCE AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE)
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