Why we need quality sex education for our students with developmental disabilities, too
When my sister, who has a developmental disability, and I were growing up in the 1970s and ’80s, neither of us received very much formalized education on sexual health. I eventually learned what I needed to, through friends, the media and books, but she had access to none of that. As a result, she and…
Childhood abuse or neglect can permanently alter an individual’s physiology
In a previous column, I pointed out that nature and nurture should not be regarded as enemies or polar opposites. Rather, they are two intertwined realities that work together to make up the human experience. Nature was designed for nurture. Many studies in recent years have documented the effects that early childhood experience can have…
The organization has always been strongly committed to the growth, development and education of children from all walks of life
If you and your children enjoy watching Sesame Street, the long-running educational children’s television series, here’s some exciting news. SeaWorld Entertainment announced on Oct. 22 that it will be opening a second Sesame Place theme park in San Diego, Calif., in spring 2021. The 17-acre facility will be built adjacent to SeaWorld San Diego and…
We are a long way from identifying definitive biomarkers to illness and personalized gene therapies are likely generations away
By Nicole Letourneau and Suzanne Tough University of Calgary Genetics will save the day – that’s the message you see constantly in the media and even in academic literature. But it's a message that can distract us from providing quality care now. Newspapers herald breakthroughs in finding genetic biomarkers for autism. Magazines trumpet finding a…
It’s never too late for you to improve your mental health. If you don’t know where to start, then these tips will help you to make the right changes. Reduce Stress If you want to help yourself then the first thing that you need to do is reduce stress as much as possible. If you…
How we can help our children be comfortable and happy in their own skin
My five-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter has an eye for fashion. She has her favourite outfits and she is fond of accessories. She likes to wear beads like Granny and my earrings are a source of great interest. It’s all very cute and sweet, but I wonder if I should compliment her less frequently on her attire. I…
Two of the primary risk factors for the disease are obesity and lack of exercise
Diabetes is one of the leading health problems affecting North America today and is rapidly on the rise. It is also well known that this disease can cause serious health complications such as vision loss and amputation as well as life-threatening problems like stroke, heart disease and kidney failure. Indeed, diabetes, which affects the body’s…
Chris Nedelmann of Copeman Healthcare Centre talks about bridging the gap between practitioners and patients with a virtual care app
Chris Nedelmann is CEO of Copeman Healthcare Centre. What is Copeman and its history? Nedelmann: We started in Vancouver 14 years ago. We operate four advanced primary care facilities in Western Canada – two of those are in Vancouver, one on the North Shore and one downtown. We have a new facility in Calgary but the…
The answer to addiction will not be found in the industries of incarceration and prescription
On Oct. 21, pharmaceutical opioid distributors McKesson Corp., AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health, and drug manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed to a US$260-million settlement just hours before opening arguments were scheduled to begin in the first opioid-era federal lawsuit in Ohio. This is the first of hundreds of similar lawsuits filed by cities, counties, Native American tribes…
Research supports the ‘use it or lose it’ theory of mental ability
Just as we need to exercise our bodies to keep them healthy as we age, we must also exercise our minds to keep them from deteriorating. Research shows that people who engage in more activities that stimulate the mind have sharper cognitive functioning as they age than people who do not challenge their brains. In…