Around the Regions

Western

Teen Tobacco and Alcohol Workshop A Success

The Dunfield Park Community Center offered a one-day Teen Tobacco and Alcohol Workshop on July 28, 1999. Fifteen participants ages 14 2 21 years attended. Topics included smoking, alcohol and drugs, their hazards and effeces on health and well being, and ways to deal with peer pressure. A heart healthy lunch was provided. Comments from participants indicated that the workshop was a very worthwhile experience. A special thank-you to the two criminology students from Academy Canada who facilitated this workshop and helped to make it a success.

Cardiac Support Group - Support Each Other . . .

The Corner Brook Cardiac Support Group has been very active since its inception in August, 1998. The group of 32 members are working to create awareness, provide support to people with heart disease and their families and advocate for cardiac services needed in the Western Region.

The members have developed an information card which includes the group's logo, a list of members' names and a contact number for the local public health nurse. It encourages people to attend the Heart to Heart Sessions being offered. The card has been distributed to hospitals, doctors offices and pharmacies.

Look Good, Feel Good Program

The Dunfield Park Community Center and Tenants Association, along with community volunteers, have been successfully running the "Look Food, Feel Good Program". Active membership in this program has grown to 24 women, aged 18 - 67 years. There have been lots of laughs and good times.

In addition to weight control, blood pressure and blood sugar clinics, there have been information sessions on stress management, breast examination, heart disease and smoking cessation. Also, guest speakers have offered beauty tips and yoga. Upcoming talks are planned for the fall on menopause and cervical screening. This program goes a long way to promote feeling good about yourself in every aspect. Keep up the good work!

Seniors Celebrate I.Y.O.P. in Western

Seniors from all over the Western Region came to Corner Brook on June 18th, 1999, to participate in the International Year of the Older Persons festivities. The excitement was electric as approximately three hundred seniors arrived by the bus load. The event was held at the new Canada Games Center in Corner Brook.

Health and Community Services Western took the lead role in coordinating this event through the International Year of the Older Persons Coordinating Committee, which was established to organize events of this nature.

The afternoon sessions in cluded informative talks on Seniors Safety and having a Positive Attitude About Aging. These sessions were geared towards reducing stress levels among seniors and improving mental outlook.

Traditional Newfoundland music brought smiles and delight as some of the seniors moved along the dance floor. The dancing activity worked up a thirst and appetite for some heart healthy snacks.

The afternoon warmed the hearts of all involved. It was plain to see that "it really is the life in your years that counts, not the years in your life".

Mind Your Health . . .

Research shows that if we maintain a lifestyle that includes active living, healthy eating and being smoke-free, we will benefit from better health.

A health promotion program called Mind Your Health is being implemented in the Western Region. This is a pilot program that involves four partners: Bayer Inc.; Memorial University of Newfoundland; Provincial Department of Health and Community Services; and Health and Community Services Western.

The Mind your Health Program is offered through the mail to persons eighteen years and over. To register people for the program, fourteen thousand questionnaires were sent out to homes in the Corner Brook, North and South Shore of the Bay of Islands, Deer Lake and surrounding areas. The questionnaire is designed to assist people in looking at their general health and lifestyle habits.

Upon completion and return of the questionnaire, participants receive a report outlining an assessment of their health status.

They also receive health lifestyle information and strategies on ways to improve their health over the one year pilot period. The program encourages and supports small positive changes to acheive long term improved health.

Once the pilot program has concluded, an evaluation will be conducted by Memorial University to determine if there was an increase in healthy lifestyle behaviors of participants in the Mind Your Health Program.

Dunfield Park Has
Plans For The Fall

The Walking School Bus will continue again this fall. This "Active and Safe Routes to School" project focuses on K to grade 6 school children in the Dunfield Park area and promotes active living and a safe journey to and from school. Through the continuous support and dedication of parents and volunteers, hopes are high for another safe and happy school year for the kids.

A popular six-week Teen Cooking Course will be offered again. Six to eight participants (female and male), aged 15 - 18 years, get together to plan the cooking sessions using Canada's Food Guide.

Everyone takes an active part in cooking low cost healthy meals.

The Dunfield Park Girls Club has been quite successful in promoting healthy living. A social night for girls aged 10 - 14 years, offers a wide variety of activities, including classes in aerobics / dance, cooking and other topics decided by participants.

A delicious healthy snack is offered at each fun-filled evening.