May is also Physiotherapy Month

May is also Physiotherapy Month

Speech and Physio Posters-02

PHYSIOTHERAPY – What is it? How does it help?

Physiotherapists have specialized training in physical function, movement, and mobility. They are the movement experts of the health field and can help people manage pain, injury, or disability.

A pediatric physiotherapist works with kids under the age of 21 (even infants!) and is capable of helping in a variety of situations:

  • Physical development concerns in newborns (ex. flat head, tight neck, not rolling or crawling on time, walking on tip toes). 
  • Disabilities that can have an impact on physical function (ex. Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Autism, brain injury).
  • Equipment fitting such as wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches. 
  • Anatomical disorders that cause pain and/or loss of function (ex. hip dysplasia, scoliosis).
  • General pain and injury (ex. ankle sprain, back pain).
  • Healthy lifestyle promotion and getting kids active!

Like all health professionals, physiotherapists care about you and your well-being and will work together with other members of your health team to ensure that you are getting the best care possible. A good physiotherapist will make sure that you and your family understand your condition so that you are able to better help yourself and keep moving for life! 

Our local physio from Renfrew Educational Services, Trevor, is here to help support kids and families of the Stoney Nakoda Nation. All treatments are free of charge, and you do not need a doctor referral to see a physio! You can message us on Facebook with any questions you might have, or you can call/text our team cell phone at (403) 701-4181.

May is Speech and Language Month

May is Speech Therapy Month

To mark Speech Therapy Month, we introduce some of the faces behind our partners in health, Renfrew Educational Services Stoney Team. 

Meet the team. Shabnam is the speech-language pathologist and Erika, the resident speech-language pathology assistant. Together, they support families and children in developing their speech and language skills. 

What is speech and language therapy? How does it work, you ask? Great questions! A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) is someone who works with all things communication! SLPs support the development of speech, language, and communication skills. In striving to create the best environment for a child’s health and well-being, they recognize no two children and families are alike. Speech-language pathologists collaborate with families, using a play-based approach, to provide services that are inclusive and meaningful. As a pediatric speech team, they work with kids up to 21 years old and offer all services free of charge and no referral is necessary. In fact, walk-ins are welcome! 

Pediatric SLP’s can support areas such as: 

  • Speech Sounds – Producing sounds clearly to help your child be understood when they communicate their message.
  •  Language and grammar skills – Increasing vocabulary, putting words together and using language in a socially appropriate way.
  • Understanding language – Helping children understand and process language in their environment. Learn skills like understanding basic concepts and following simple/complex direction.
  • Literacy Skills – foundational skills to encourage fluent reading.
  • Fluency/ Stuttering- Provide strategies and coaching to manage stuttering and disfluencies.
  • Speech and language assessments to help identify a child’s unique skills and abilities.
  • Provide support using alternative communication (communication devices, visuals)
  • Provide hearing screenings
  • Assist with feeding and swallowing concerns.
  • Developing play and social communication skills. 

The Renfrew team is available to support kids and families of the Stoney Nakoda Nation. Visit the 2nd floor of the Bearspaw Youth Centre, message them on Facebook, main line (403)-881-2775, or call/text the team cellphone at (403) 701-4181.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics

Stoney First Nations Vaccine Clinics

Getting vaccinated in one of the best and most effective ways of preventing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting our community’s most vulnerable. Many people shared their own personal reasons for getting vaccinated – some shared similar stories, while others had travel, connecting with family and getting back to normal at the top of mind. Check out this vaccine video series! 

Stoney Health Services hosted several vaccine clinics throughout April welcoming eligible community members to get first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Chiniki Councillor Jordie Mark

September Daniels

Deanna Goodstoney

Lionel Crowspreadhiswings

Shylance Twoyoungmen

Stoney Education Authority's Cherith Mark

Donna Eddison

Stoney Health Service's Wendy Thatcher

Virtual Round Dance: Honouring our Youth

Virtual Round Dance: Honouring our Youth

Enjoy a fun night of traditional drumming, singing, elder teaching & storytelling from the comfort of your home!

Broadcast live on YouTube, Facebook and Siktoge Ja-Radio 88.5FM

Featuring: Conlin P - Chiniki Lake, Rod H. - Eya Hey Nakoda, Grieves B - Stoney Park and more!

MC Johnny Powderface and Virtual Stickman Gabriel Young

April 1, 2021 at 6 pm Call, text or email to sing or more info : Gabriel Young (gyoung@stoneyhealth.com or 403-862-7789)

March 21-27: National Poison Prevention Week

Poison Prevention...It's in your Hands.

March 21-27, 2021, is National Poison Prevention Week. The Injury Prevention Centre (IPC), the Poison and Drug Information Service (PADIS), Alberta Health Services, and community partners from across Alberta are encouraging Albertans to take action to prevent poisonings from disinfectant, hand sanitizer, and household cleaner use which has increased due to COVID.

Key facts: 

  • In 2020, there was a 73% increase in calls to Alberta’s poison centre concerning disinfectants, hand sanitizers, and bleach.  And a 200% increase in calls concerning hand sanitizers. If you have a poisoning emergency, call PADIS at 1-800-332-1414. 

Spring is Almost Sprung: Chicken Coops on their Way

Chicken Coop Construction Kicks into Gear

Signs of Spring are in the air and with them the promise of a new growing season. 

Building on last year’s successful Project Thichachan, construction of this year’s chicken coops was well underway when the Nutrition team dropped by recently to take a peak, cut a few planks and hammer a few nails. In total, eight coops are slated for construction, adding to 13 built and tended to by families around the Stoney Nakoda community.

The coops will be delivered along with a flock of 5-9 chickens later this Spring. Families will learn some chicken farming basics and be able to collect the eggs to eat or sell. These are important first steps towards supplying food locally within the community. 

These eight coops are already spoken for by local families but there are still ways to get involved. Check out the details below.

Stoney Health Nutrition team stops for a quick photo while they are building one of the chicken coops.
Nutrition team takes a moment to watch as the chicken coop building takes place.
Chicken coop construction underway. Measure twice, cut once, right?
Close to final product.

Interested in learning more, or finding out how you can get involved?

Volunteers are needed to assist with our greenhouse and food forest, which will be growing a number of fresh vegetables and fruit this year.

Reach out to Paige Thomsen, Stoney Health Service’s dietitian (pthomsen@stoneyhealth.com or 409-881-3920) to find out more and get involved.

Green thumb not required. Volunteers needed to help with our greenhouse and food forest.

Indigenous Services Canada message to Stoney FN community – March 5, 2021

March 8, 2021

Dear Stoney Community Members,

This notice is to advise community members that if you’ve attended any gatherings in the past 10 days you may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus. Indigenous Services Canada, Alberta Region (ISC-AB) is working closely with Stoney Health Services to ensure contact tracing can continue and testing is available to all of those at risk.

Indigienous Services Canada - letter to Stoney Nakoda FN, March 8, 2021

If you are experiencing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 such as a fever, cough, shortness of breath, nasal symptoms, loss of smell or taste, or are feeling unwell or unusually tired, please visit the Stoney Car Wash between 11:00am and 3:30pm, Monday through to Friday, to get tested. For a complete list of COVID-19 symptoms please visit www.albertahealthservices.ca/covid-19 or call Health Link at 811. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms related to COVID-19 you MUST get tested and self-isolate for 10 days after the onset of symptoms, and until your symptoms are resolved (whichever is longer). Under no circumstances should you leave your property during self-isolation.

In order to limit the spread of COVID-19 we ask that all members please:

    1. Cooperate with the health professionals conducting case management and contact tracing efforts to ensure timely and effective communicable disease control measures;
    2. Immediately self-isolate and contact the health centre if you have any symptoms of COVID-19;
    3. Wear a mask and practice good hand hygiene; and
    4. Continue to avoid non-essential travel, limit contacts to your immediate household and do not attend any gatherings (indoor or outdoor).

We understand that this is a difficult time but continued adherence to all public health guidelines is important in limiting the spread of COVID-19. Full information on all current public health measures can be found on the Alberta Health website here: https://www.alberta.ca/enhancedpublic- health-measures.aspx.

The health and safety of Morley community members remains our top priority. We remain committed to working with leadership during this very difficult time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Wadieh Yacoub, Senior Medical Officer of Health, ISC-AB

Nutrition Month – Good for You

Nutrition Month 2021 - Good for You

March is Nutrition Month! This year, dietitians want you to know that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to healthy eating – let us help YOU find YOUR healthy!

Our nutrition is influenced by a number of factors that can impact our health. Dietitians aim to bring you closer to what YOU define as health. Whether it’s managing a condition, learning cooking skills, incorporating traditional foods, buying a supplement, or meal planning and budgeting, the Stoney Health Nutrition Team wants to provide personalized support.

Throughout the pandemic, the Stoney Health Services’ nutrition team of dietitians and health promoters have become very resourceful in finding ways to connect with the community virtually. Nutrition Month will features videos that highlight nutrition and how it overlaps with so many aspects of personal health and wellbeing and taps into many of our services and programs.

For nutrition advice, reach out to Stoney Health Services (adults, call 403-881-3920) and/or Renfrew Educational Services Stoney Health Team (children) to book an appointment with a registered dietitian.

All Nutrition Month videos will be shared on the Stoney Health Services YouTube channel (subscribe to stay up-to-date) or available upon release from this blog post. Scroll down to view the video collection.

#NutritionMonth Week 4: Family Nutrition

Lindsay MacCharles, Renfrew Education Service's dietitian, shares how parents can prevent the dreaded, "restaurant in your own home".
Like any first-time parent, health promoter Japeth Kaquitts is concerned as a provider for his family's nutrition.
Well Baby nurse Ritche Holm discusses some of the physical, emotional and social reasons why breastfeeding is so important.

#NutritionMonth Week 3: Sports Nutrition

Renfrew Education Services dietitian Lindsay MacCharles offers advice when planning your nutritional choices for your sports training or workout.
Health promoter Mel BigStony shares his personal journey as a competitive athlete and learning to balance nutrition for optimizing his sports performance.
Renfrew Education Services physiotherapist Trevor Anderson offers a few solid tips to improve your sports performance through nutrition
The Stoney Health's Nutrition Team tackles some common sports nutrition myths as part of Nutrition Month.

#NutritionMonth Week 2: Nutrition and Mental Health

Watch as health promoter Kiana Daniels shares her personal struggle with anxiety and it's impact on her health and the food choices she made.
Substance use counsellor TJ Powder discusses the connection between addition and poor nutritional health.
Dietitian Paige Thomsen offers advice on key questions - When? How? What? - to ask when considering your nutrition and eating choices.

Ótáp Ímisskaan | Indigenous Youth Leadership Program

Ótáp Ímisskaan | Indigenous Youth Leadership

Ótáp Ímisskaan | Indigenous Youth Leadership
Ages 13-30
This training will focus on defining leadership with self, team development, problem solving and community building.

Starting: February 19, 2021
10 am -12:30 pm
Online

Call, text or email to register:
Cory Beaver: 403-554-0413 or cbeaver@stoneyhealth.com

Brought to you by the Îyârhe Nakoda Youth Program in partnership with the Ótáp Ímisskaan Leadership Training Program from the University of Calgary.

Ótáp Ímisskaan | Indigenous Youth Leadership Program starts February 19, 2021