cookies - Capital Health

The Family Pipes: Siblings get screened for colorectal cancer 

FREE May/June 2007 

Capital Health’s magazine for living well 

Time to Talk 

When should junior 

speak up? 

Schizophrenia 

Stigma 

Get beyond a 

dismaying 

diagnosis 

Senior 

Solutions 

Stay healthy, 

active and 

independent 

Ditch 

the Car 

Grab life by the handlebars 

PLUS: Discover commuting options 

Return undeliverable mail to: Circulation Department, 10259 - 105 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3. Publications Mail Agreement #40020055 

Make 

peabutter 

cookies

The Family Pipes: Siblings get screened for colorectal cancer 

FREE May/June 2007 

Capital Health’s magazine for living well 

Time to Talk 

When should junior 

speak up? 

Schizophrenia 

Stigma 

Get beyond a 

dismaying 

diagnosis 

Senior 

Solutions 

Stay healthy, 

active and 

independent 

Ditch 

the Car 

Grab life by the handlebars 

PLUS: Discover commuting options 

Return undeliverable mail to: Circulation Department, 10259 - 105 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3. Publications Mail Agreement #40020055 

Make 

peabutter 

cookies

20 

32 

ON THE COVER 

The Sander/Grobe Family 

photography by curtis trent 

6 

Contents 

May/June 2007 

Features 

23 Family Series Part 3: 

What’s Normal Anyway? 

Your child’s speech development is as 

individual as he is. Can parents assess 

milestones and delays? 

By Cait Wills 

28 The Schizophrenia Stigma 

A schizophrenia diagnosis is terrifying, but it no 

longer means a lifetime in the psychiatric ward 

By Debby Waldman 

32 Cover Story: 

Life Without Car Keys 

Tune in, turn on and drop out of car culture. 

Get around town on your own steam 

By Katherine Fawcett 

38 Love Your Lungs 

With careful management, some people with 

lung disease can live symptom-free. Read our 

rundown of some common lung ailments 

By Rick Overwater 

42 Senior Solutions 

Find out about some of the services that keep 

Capital Health area seniors healthy, active 

and independent 

By David DiCenzo 

Departments 

6 Health First 

Make peabutter cookies; The time 

is right for CPR; Read our health 

calendar; Resolve your kidney 

conundrums; What do you know 

about H 2 0? Ask the experts 

14 The Fitness Edge 

There’s more to fitness than lung 

capacity and bulging biceps. Try 

balancing on a BOSU ball 

16 Weight Wise 

Spring is here and you’re ready to 

get fit. Sign up for a fun community 

run/walk event 

17 Frontiers of Medicine 

SCOPE hopes to reduce deaths 

due to colorectal cancer 

20 A Day in the Life 

Vive la difference! A rural women’s 

clinic gives special treatment 

46 Champion for Life 

23 

19 

Your Health – Capital Health’s magazine for living well 

May/June 2007

May/June 2007 • Volume 3, No. 7 

publisher 

Ruth Kelly 

rkelly@venturepublishing.ca 

Executive Editor 

Cyndy De Giusti 

cyndy.degiusti@capitalhealth.ca 

Managing Editor 

Mifi Purvis 

mpurvis@venturepublishing.ca 

associate Editor 

Noémi LoPinto 

nlopinto@venturepublishing.ca 

editorial intern 

Lindsey Norris 

lnorris@venturepublishing.ca 

editorial advisors 

Dr. Gerry Predy 

Marianne Stewart 

Mark Dixon 

Ronna Bremer 

Sandra Hucalak 

Art Director 

Charles Burke 

cburke@venturepublishing.ca 

ASSistant Art Director 

Catherine Lizotte 

clizotte@venturepublishing.ca 

Production technician 

Gunnar Blodgett 

production@venturepublishing.ca 

Advertising Representative 

Tara Kochan 

tkochan@venturepublishing.ca 

Contributing writers 

Cait Wills 

Debby Waldman 

Katherine Fawcett 

David DiCenzo 

Rick Overwater 

Jacqueline Schimpf 

Pam Brandt 

Lisa Ricciotti 

Daneda Russ 

Contributing Photographers 

and Illustrators 

Bluefish/Christy 

Sylvie Bourbonnière 

Dustin Delfs 

Heff O’Reilly 

Curtis Trent 

Your Health is published by Venture 

Publishing Inc. for Capital Health. 

Venture Publishing Inc. 

10259-105 Street 

Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3 

Tel: 780-990-0839 

Fax: 780-425-4921 

Toll-free: 1-866-227-4276 

One year subscription: $12.00 (plus GST) 

Two year subscription: $24.00 (plus GST) 

E-mail subscription requests and address 

changes to yhcirculation@venturepublishing.ca 

Call toll-free 1-866-227-4276 ext. 237 

The information in this publication is not meant to be 

a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek 

advice from your physician or other qualified health 

provider regarding any medical condition or treatment. 

Printed in Canada by Quebecor World Canadian 

Publications Agreement #40020055 

Contents copyright 2007 by Capital Health. Content 

may not be reprinted or reproduced without permission 

from Capital Health. Your Health is printed on paper 

with recycled content. 

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Food Focus 

An Itchy Problem 

Food allergies are only a problem for a 

small percentage of people. But for some, 

they can be a big problem 

By Daneda Russ 

For people with food allergies, careful 

planning leads to happy eating. 

And fortunately, true food allergies are 

rare. Only two people in 100 have one. More 

often, sufferers have a food intolerance. This is 

where the body lacks the ability to process certain 

substances. People with lactose intolerance, 

for example, lack the enzyme to digest milk 

products. The symptoms include gas, stomach 

cramps and diarrhea. 

An allergy is an abnormal immunological 

reaction. The body releases antibodies when 

it comes in contact with a certain substance. 

Reactions can range from watery eyes, hives, 

swelling in and around the mouth to anaphylactic 

shock, which can result in death within minutes. 

Dairy products, eggs, nuts, peanuts, soy, 

wheat, fish and shellfish are the most common 

causes of food allergies. Anyone who suspects 

allergy should consult a trained allergist. 

Registered dietician Terrena Holomis, who 

deals with food allergies in her practices in St. 

Albert, Stony Plain and Evansburg, has suggestions 

for menu planning. Start by reading labels. 

If you have a milk-related allergy, you’re going 

to need to know that milk products can be 

found in everything from margarine to chewing 

gum and multi-vitamins. In Canada, there are 

nine priority allergens, said to account for over 

90% of severe allergic reactions, which must be 

declared on labels. 

Next, replace nutrients normally provided by 

trigger foods. “Depending on the allergy, it can 

interfere with a lot of required nutrients,” says 

Holomis. Choose homemade over packaged 

foods. “You still have to look at each single ingredient 

that goes into the recipe, but you can use 

products and brands that you know are good.” 

Try some new cookbooks to help replace recipes, 

she suggests. “Or try online sources like www. 

foodallergy.org or www.allergyfoundation.ca.” 

In the cases of fatal allergies, most families 

abstain from eating the danger food, even away 

from home. That’s because some people’s allergies 

are so severe that even residue found on 

clothes can trigger a deadly reaction. But even 

those who don’t require such drastic measures 

should take the issue seriously. Use safe kitchen 

practices that eliminate cross-contamination. 

That may mean a separate cupboard for the 

allergy-sufferer’s foods and kitchenware. 

Newly-diagnosed allergy sufferers often feel 

overwhelmed by the task of learning to eat again. 

“Sometimes people avoid eating,” says Holomis. 

“That’s why I urge education on safe eating practices. 

Being confident in the things they can 

choose is important.” 

Luckily, interesting 

choices abound. 

Craving peanut 

butter? Products 

like NoNuts Golden 

Peabutter, made 

in Legal, AB, are 

a great substitute. 

This spread is nut 

and gluten-free and 

provides a good dose of 

protein. 

Have a wheat or gluten 

allergy? Look for a selection 

of yummy rice pasta 

and breads and crackers 

made of rice, millet and 

corn. Replace dairy 

with rice milk, potato 

milk or even soymilk 

that’s fortified with 

vitamins A and D. 

“There’s a silver 

lining with food allergies,” 

says Holomis. 

“It opens your eyes to 

different products.” 

Grandma’s favourite 

peabutter cookies 

1/2 cup (125 mL) cup margarine 

or butter 

1/2 cup (125 mL) peabutter 

1/2 cup (125 mL) white sugar 

1/2 (125 mL) cup brown sugar 

1 egg 

1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla 

1 1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour 

1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda 

Cream together the margarine or butter, 

peabutter and sugars. Add the egg, vanilla, 

flour and baking soda and mix well until 

smooth. Shape into balls and place on a 

greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet, 

pressing each flat with a fork. Bake in a 

350ºF oven for 10 to 12 minutes. 

Courtesy of Mountain Meadows Food 

Processing (2004) Ltd. 

A healthier start? 

Lack of compelling evidence that 

the delayed introduction of certain 

foods to infants can reduce the 

development of food allergies 

recently led Capital Health to 

change its infant feeding guidelines. 

“Parents can relax more 

and focus on specific nutritional 

requirements for babies, like 

getting enough iron,” explains 

registered dietician, Terrena 

Holomis. Remember that a few 

basic rules still apply when introducing 

new foods to your baby: 

• Exclusively breastfeed up to the 

age of six months 

• Introduce one new food at a time 

to identify possible allergies 

• Keep track of the day a new food 

is introduced 

• Wait two to three days in between 

new foods 

May/June 2007 

Your Health – Capital Health’s magazine for living well

Canada’s Food Guide, on a Diet 

H 

For more information, or to create your 

own food guide, visit Health Canada’s 

website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca 

ave you ever wondered why fat is 

bad for you, but high-fat avocados 

and nuts are beneficial because they 

contain “healthy fats?” Or ever looked at the 

back of a fruit juice container and wondered why 

there are so many calories? Or maybe, despite all 

your research, you still can’t decide whether margarine 

or butter is the healthier choice. 

Most people know that fast food isn’t the 

healthiest option. But beyond the basics, there’s 

still a lot of confusion about which foods are good 

for us and which foods we should avoid. Foods 

contain ingredients such as fructose, trans fats and 

maltol. Grocery stores have become labyrinths. 

Until recently, the Canada Food Guide 

wasn’t much help in navigating the maze. The 

last edition was published 15 years ago, when 

Canadians were slimmer and portions were 

smaller. But the Canada Food Guide has gone 

on a diet, and now the new “Eating Well with 

Canada’s Food Guide” has information better 

suited to today’s diverse population, with more 

information on whole grains, healthy fats and 

exercise. 

And while critics are still finding holes (some 

feel the guide doesn’t take a strong enough stance 

on junk food; others wonder why people should 

only eat whole grains “at least half of the time”), 

for the first time in its 65-year history, the guide 

provides recommendations on processed foods. 

It also discusses the benefits of healthy fats, such 

as olive and canola oils, and includes lifestyle 

suggestions about eating with friends and family 

and taking the time savour your food. 

Water, Baby 

You know you should drink eight to 12 

glasses a day, but what else do you know 

about this essential element? 

1. If you’re travelling, the safest type 

of water to drink is: 

a. bottled 

b. carbonated 

c. tap, if your hotel says its safe 

d. a & b 

2. Which of the following will hydrate 

your body? 

a. fruit juice 

b. energy drinks 

c. green tea 

d. none of the above 

3. You should drink filtered water 

when: 

a. Your water source is a well 

b. Your water is contaminated 

c. You don’t like the taste of your water 

d. None of the above 

4. How often should you replace 

your water filter? 

a. Every other month 

b. After you go on vacation 

c. It depends on the filter 

d. It doesn’t really matter 

5. You can safely reuse plastic 

disposable water bottles: 

a. Multiple times, if you clean 

them properly 

b. Never; the plastic leaches 

chemicals 

c. once 

d. no one really knows 

6. You may be dehydrated if 

you experience the following 

symptoms: 

a. Headache and irritability 

b. Rapid heartbeat 

c. Dark-coloured urine 

d. No symptoms 

Answers on page 12 


May/June 2007

Behind the Myths 

Kidney Conundrums 

The kidneys are the master chemists 

of the human body. Get the facts 

on these hard-working organs 

By Noémi LoPinto 

Kidneys are small but vital organs necessary 

to human life. Located just under 

the ribs in the middle of the back, 

these fist-sized organs are often called the body’s 

“master chemists” because of all the functions 

they perform. On a daily basis, the kidneys filter 

more than two litres of water and waste and 

clean more than 225 litres of blood. Though the 

kidneys remove toxins, regulate hormones and 

control chemicals, few of us even know what 

they do. Here are some common myths about 

these bean-shaped beauties. 

Myth: You only need one kidney. 

Fact: You use both, but you can live with one, 

says Dr. Ernst Schuster, medical director of 

Primary Care for Capital Health. “One kidney 

has enough capacity to keep you healthy, but 

both kidneys are working equally, though usually 

not at full capacity.” As we age our kidneys 

don’t work as well. By the time you hit your 80s 

you’re probably doing better if you have both, 

because each one will not be doing a full job. 

Myth: Coffee and alcohol can destroy 

your kidneys. 

Fact: An alcoholic and caffeine freak can have a 

very healthy pair of kidneys. Renal failure is not 

a complication of alcoholism, Dr. Schuster says. 

“What it does is make the kidneys secrete more 

water. Quite simply, alcohol and caffeine will 

make you pee more. Part of the dehydration of 

a hangover comes from getting rid of too much 

fluid and that’s why you are dry after a drinking 

binge.” In other words, your kidneys will 

stay healthy as long as they have enough water 

to process. Your liver is another story. 

Myth: Kidney stones lead to cancer. 

Fact: There is no increase or link to cancer with 

renal stones. “Kidney stones are usually due to a 

genetic disposition, or medical illnesses like too 

much calcium in the blood,” says Dr. Schuster. 

Myth: Kidneys take all the toxins out of 

your system. 

Fact: They do some of the work, but not 

all of it. Your kidneys typically get rid of the 

water-soluble stuff. They control the body’s salt 

balance, potassium phosphate and uric acid, 

among others. “The list is too numerous,” says 

Dr. Schuster. “Some medications go through 

the kidneys, some through the liver. That’s why 

when you take pills you have to take them every 

day. Even antibiotics are all excreted through the 

kidneys. They are basically a filter.” 

Myth: There is no way to take care of your 

kidneys. 

Fact: Other than drinking a lot of water, there 

isn’t much you can do to help your kidneys 

do their job. The only way to know for sure 

if your kidneys are functioning well is at the 

laboratory. Generally, if you feel fine, your kidneys 

are probably working well. Signs of kidney 

disease include difficulty urinating, swelling 

and puffiness in your extremities, fatigue and 

malaise from a build up of toxins in your blood. 

If you are experiencing these symptoms, consult 

your doctor. 

Myth: High protein diets are bad for 

kidneys. 

Fact: Diet has very little to do with it. A highprotein 

diet is fine if your kidneys function 

well, but it can create too much creatinine, a 

substance the kidneys work to get rid of. An 

accumulation of creatinine is not good if your 

kidneys are unhealthy. It’s a toxin that can build 

up in the body. However, “the short answer is 

no,” says Dr. Schuster. 

Myth: Dark yellow pee is a sign your kidneys 

are working well. 

Fact: Dark yellow urine can occur for several 

reasons. If you exercise vigorously and sweat 

a lot, your kidneys will only have a minimal 

amount of water to get rid of toxins with. The 

urine will be more concentrated because you are 

dehydrated. When the kidneys are using more 

water the toxins are less highly concentrated, 

producing light yellow or clear urine. However, 

dark brown pee can be a sign of hepatitis or liver 

failure. “It really depends on dilution factor,” 

says Dr. Schuster. If you are concerned, consult 

your family physician. 

May/June 2007 


CHECKLIST 

Don’t Leave Home 

Without Them 

Spring has sprung, and that means people have traded 

toques for hiking shoes. Before you hit the trails and 

picnic grounds, here are five items that should make 

the time you spend outdoors safer and more enjoyable: 

Bugs bite 

Mosquitoes can quickly ruin any outdoor activity. 

But they aren’t just a nuisance; they can also 

transmit viruses such as West Nile. DEET, a common 

ingredient in insect repellents, is safe and 

effective if you use it according to the manufacturer’s 

recommendations. Health Canada 

recommends that adults use a product with no 

more than a 30% concentration of DEET, and 

children no more than 10%. 

Umbrella in a tube 

Liberally apply a broad spectrum sunscreen 

rated at SPF-30 half an hour before sun exposure. 

Make sure that your sunscreen protects 

against UVA rays as well as UVB (the SPF rating 

refers only to UVB rays). Reapply after swimming 

or perspiring heavily, even if the label says 

it’s waterproof. 

Shades of meaning 

Wear sunglasses that protect completely against 

UVA and UVB rays. Sunglasses that don’t can 

actually harm your eyes because the pupil of 

your eye will dilate behind the dark lenses, allowing 

more of the sun’s harmful rays in than usual. 

Wipe away your cares 

Alcohol-based travel wipes come in handy when 

soap and water isn’t available. You’ll be happy to 

have them at the outhouse or the picnic grounds. 

Unlike antibacterial wipes, these wipes won’t 

promote drug-resistant bacteria. 

A cold call 

Bacteria that cause food poisoning have a field 

day on food that isn’t kept hot or cold enough. 

Use frozen milk containers instead of small ice 

cubes; large chunks of ice do a better job keeping 

coolers colder. 

Respect Your 

Liver 

F 

or the sake of your liver, you 

know you should avoid 

drinking too much alcohol 

on a regular basis. But did you 

know your liver also loathes 

greasy hamburgers? 

Eating too many high-fat foods 

can do as much damage to your 

liver as alcohol. In fact, fatty liver 

disease linked to obesity is now the 

most common form of liver disease in 

Canada. 

That’s why the Canadian Liver Foundation 

are asking people to “please eat responsibly.” 

Many people have only heard of one type of 

liver disease, cirrhosis, which is usually caused 

by alcohol. In fact, there are over 100 forms of 

liver disease, and alcohol is only one cause. 

The liver metabolizes fat. If the amount of 

fat consumed exceeds the body’s requirements, 

it can accumulate in the liver. 

Excess fat in the liver increases the risk of 

liver inflammation, fibrosis and cirrhosis. 

Fatty liver disease can also be caused 

by malnutrition, intestinal bypass surgery, 

certain drugs and rapid weight loss. 

Currently, there is no medication proven to 

treat fatty liver disease. 

For more information on liver health, 

call 1-800-563-5483 or visit www.liver.ca 


May/June 2007

Capital Health Calendar 

Capital Health offers a wide range of seminars and learning opportunities. Here is a listing of what’s 

happening this May and June. For more information on these sessions, visit www.capitalhealth.ca 

Weight Wise Adult Education 

Learn how to make healthier choices by 

attending a Weight Wise workshop. Capital 

Health offers two-part information workshops 

to help you create your own plan or 

support your family in weight management. 

Register by calling 401-BOOK (2665). 

May 2 & 9, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

West Jasper Place Public Health Centre 

9720-182 St, Edmonton 

May 7 & 14, 1 to 3 p.m. 

Dow Centennial Centre 

8700-84 St, Fort Saskatchewan 

May 8 & 15, 6 to 8 p.m. 

Northeast Community Health Centre 


May 16 & 23, 6 to 8 p.m. 

Edmonton General, Continuing Care Centre 

11111 Jasper Ave, Edmonton 

May 22 & 29, 6 to 8 p.m. 

St. Albert Public Health Centre 

25 Sir Winston Churchill Ave, St. Albert 

May 28 & June 4, 1 to 3 p.m. 

Leduc Public Health Centre 

4219-50 St, Leduc 

June 4 & 11, 1 to 3 p.m. 

Bonnie Doon Public Heath Centre 

8314-88 Ave, Edmonton 

June 5 & 12, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

Strathcona County Health Centre 

2 Brower Drive, Sherwood Park 

June 6 & 13, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 


25 Sir Winston Churchill Ave, St. Albert 

June 7 & 14, 6 to 8 p.m. 

Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre 


June 18 & 25, 1 to 3 p.m. 

Eastwood Public Health Centre 


June 19 & 26, 6 to 8 p.m. 

West Jasper Place Public Health Centre 


June 20 & 27, 6 to 8 p.m. 

Mill Woods Public Health Centre 


June 21 & 28, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. 

Westview Health Centre 

4405 South Park Drive, Stony Plain 

Boosting Your Memory 

This memory enhancement program is for adults, 

age 50 and over, who are interested in addressing 

some of their concerns around memory in relation 

to normal aging. Classes are held once a week for 

six weeks. There is a $10 registration fee. 

For more information, call (780) 413-7609. 

May 3 to June 7, 10 to 12 p.m. 

Mount Zion Lutheran Church 


Contact Julie at 451-5742 or 413-7609 

May 8 to June 19, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. 

St. Albert Senior Citizen’s Centre 

7 Tache Ave, St. Albert 

Contact 459-0433 

May 23 to June 27, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. 

Edmonton Seniors Centre 



June 14 to July 19, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

Jewish Drop In Centre 



Oct 17 to Nov 21, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

Community Outreach Programs 


Contact Jennifer O’Brien at 

482 - 8421 

Child Safety Seat 

Inspection Clinics 

These inspections guide parents 

in choosing a child safety seat appropriate to 

a child’s age, height and weight and advise on 

how to correctly install the seat and secure the 

child. Clinics take place throughout May and 

June in Spruce Grove, Edmonton, St. Albert 

Beaumont, Sherwood Park and Leduc. Call 

your local fire hall or Public Health Unit for 

an up-to-date schedule of 

clinics in the Capital Health area. 

Steady As You Go 

This is a falls-prevention program for adults 

who have risk factors for falls. Handbooks 

and exercise videos are available. 

For more information contact: 

408-LINK (5465). 

May 7, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

Duggan Public Health Centre 

May 14, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

Duggan Public Health Centre 

May 9, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 


May 30, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 


June 13, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 


June 20, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 


June 4, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

Bonnie Doon Public Health Centre 

June 11, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

Bonnie Doon Public Health Centre 

Answers to the Water Quiz (from page 9) 

1. a Carbonated water is the safest bet when 

you’re travelling because many countries have 

different standards for bottled water. Another 

option is disinfected bottled water (check 

the label). You should avoid water from local 

sources, including the hotel’s tap water. 

2. d Green tea, energy drinks and sodas 

often contain caffeine, which can cause 

dehydration. Fruit juice won’t dehydrate, but 

the fructose (sugar) in juice will reduce the 

speed that your body can absorb the liquid. 

But dilute the fruit juice by half with water, 

and you have a homemade sports drink. 

3. c Most household water filters can only 

improve aesthetic qualities like taste and 

colour, so should only be used with water 

that is already safe to drink. If your water 

is contaminated, you need to boil it for five 

minutes or switch to bottled water until 

the contamination is resolved. If your water 

supply is from a private source, like a well, 

you should conduct periodic tests. 

4. b and c Most households have activated 

carbon filters, which can become 

saturated with both bacteria and chemical 

contaminants. These contaminants are then 

released into the filtered water, sometimes 

in higher concentrations than found in water 

straight from the tap. Most manufacturers 

recommend flushing the filter daily with cold 

water to avoid bacteria build up, so if it sits 

in your fridge for two weeks while you’re on 

vacation, think about replacing it. Otherwise, 

follow the manufacturer’s replacement 

schedule. 

5. a Plastic water bottles can be reused,but 

they should be thoroughly washed with hot, 

soapy water and dried between uses, as 

should any other container, to eliminate bacteria. 

Look for bottles with wide openings 

that allow for easier cleaning. 

6. a, b, c, and d In the early stages of dehydration 

you may not experience any symptoms. 

Dizziness, headaches, dry mouth and dark 

urine can accompany early dehydration. 

Symptoms of moderate to severe dehydration 

include rapid heartbeat, a bloated stomach 

and fainting. 

10 May/June 2007 


CPR Facelift 

First aiders used to have to assess on the 

spot whether a casualty needed air or 

help with blood circulation to the heart. 

Now, thanks to new protocols implemented 

across Canada, first aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary 

resuscitation) training are taught together. 

“Whether you are at the scene of an accident 

or binding a bleeding finger, once you have these 

skills, you’ll be amazed how quickly they come 

in handy,” says St. John Ambulance manager of 

training and client services Kolby Walters. 

Volunteers are now trained to do artificial respiration 

combined with chest compression every 

time, reducing precious time spent on guesswork. 

The number of pumps on the chest to mouth-tomouth 

breaths has been standardized at 30:2 for 

all casualties, making it easier to remember. The 

new protocols are also easier to teach, according 

to Walters. 

Unfortunately, only 10% of Albertans have 

taken a first aid and CPR course. The reasons 

vary. Some people are nervous about performing 

CPR on a stranger. Others are pressed to find the 

time for a course. The fact is, says Walters, most 

first aiders will end up helping a friend or relative. 

And when they do, they’ll be glad they found the 

time to learn first aid. 

It’s worth bumping up that 10%; down the 

road the life saved might be your own or that of a 

loved one. “Too many people sign up for first aid 

training after a tragic event,” says Walters. 

Heat 

‘n’ Eat 

Frozen Meals 

Wholesome 

homemade soups, 

entrees, and desserts 

for delivery or pickup 

Entrees from $4.00 each 

Meals are diabetic friendly, 

and based on Canada’s 

Food Guide 

Free delivery on orders 

over $40.00 

for information and delivery 

Call 429-2020 

11111 - 103 Avenue 

Stretch Your Limits 

I 

t might not seem like it, but sitting at a desk 

all day is hard on your body. Many people 

who sit for a living have poor posture: their 

shoulders collapse, their chin juts forward, and 

the lower back humps. It can add up to strain, 

fatigue and chronic back and neck pain. 

This stretch can help reduce some of the tightness 

that develops in the chest and back after 

long periods of sitting, and will also remind you 

to sit straight. 

You’ll need a flat, vertical surface, such as a 

wall or doorway. Stand approximately 30 centimetres 

(one foot) away from the wall with your 

feet positioned parallel to the wall. Raise the arm 

that is closest to the wall and place your palm flat 

with your fingers pointing up and your elbow 

level with your shoulder at a 90 o angle. Your forearm 

from elbow to fingertips should be touching 

the wall. 

Very slowly, lean forward until you feel a 

stretch in the front of your shoulder and chest. 

If you don’t feel a stretch, turn your toes slightly 

away from the wall. 

NOTE: The “no pain, no gain” myth doesn’t apply to 

stretching. You should feel a small pulling sensation; 

if you feel pain, you’ve pushed too hard. 

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Ask the Expert 

Painful poops, inflamed 

Achilles, undescended 

testicles, ear eczema 

photography by Dustin Delfs 

Question: My ears are sore and itchy. My 

doctor says they aren’t infected, but that I 

have eczema in my ear canals. What can I 

do about it? 

Dr. Shirley Schipper, family physician, 

answers: 

Ear pain can be caused by many things including 

infection, injury, pressure changes, earwax 

build-up or foreign bodies. It can also be caused 

by a rash called eczema. 

Eczema, sometimes called dermatitis, is an 

inflammation of the skin characterized by dryness, 

itching, tenderness, redness and flaking. It 

can occur on almost any part of the body but is 

typically found on the fronts of the elbows, backs 

of the legs, fingers and face. It can even occur in 

the ear canals. 

No one knows the real cause of eczema, but 

flare-ups can be caused by a dry environment, 

allergies, excessive bathing (particularly in very 

hot water), and temperature or humidity changes. 

It can also be made worse by some soaps and 

skin products. 

Mild eczema doesn’t always need treatment 

unless the symptoms are really bothersome. 

Treatments can control the itchiness and irritation 

temporarily, but symptoms often return. 

Treatments include moisturizers, prescription 

or non-prescription creams or ointments, and 

antihistamines. Talk to your family doctor about 

these options. 

You can do things that may help. Rinse the 

soap or shampoo well from your ears after each 

shower or bath. Consider using a non-soap 

cleanser. If you swim, try using ear plugs and 

rinsing your ears in clean water after swimming. 

Don’t scratch your ears as you could 

cause more irritation and possibly infections. 

If you are sensitive to soaps and detergents, try 

washing your clothes with a milder detergent 

and rinsing twice. 

Question: My son was born with undescended 

testicles. What can I do? 

Dr. Peter Metcalfe, pediatric urologist, 

answers: 

Undescended testicle (cryptorchidsm) means 

that one or both testicles is not in its usual place 

in the scrotum (the sac that hangs behind the 

Dr. Shirley Schipper 

Director 

Grey Nuns Family Medicine 

Centre Academic Teaching Unit 

base of the penis). The condition occurs in about 

1% of six-month-old boys. 

Men’s bodies normally produce sperm in the 

cooler environment of the scrotum, a degree or 

two lower than the temperature inside the body 

(35˚C versus 37˚C). If testicles remain at body 

temperature for a long time it can cause infertility. 

Before treating the condition, a specialist or 

experienced doctor takes a detailed history and 

performs a physical exam. 

There are several types of undescended testicles: 

retractile, ectopic, palpable and non-palpable. 

If your son’s doctor can feel and easily move 

the testicle into the scrotum, it’s likely retractile 

and probably won’t need surgery. If the doctor 

can feel a testicle just outside the normal place 

it’s called ectopic. If he can feel the testicle in the 

groin or upper scrotum, it’s called palpable; if he 

can’t feel it at all, it’s non-palpable. 

Treatment for true undescended testicles is 

usually a surgical procedure (orchiopexy) best 

performed between six and 12 months of age. 

Depending on the type undescended testicle, 

the operation may include a small incision (surgical 

cut) in his scrotum or incisions in his groin 

and scrotum. The surgery to move the testicle 

into the scrotum is usually laparoscopic, done 

through a small tube inserted in the incision. 

Occasionally, a testicle will have died during 

development and surgery isn’t needed. 

Ninety per cent of men with just one palpable 



Dr. Peter Metcalfe, FRCSC 

Pediatric Urologist 

Stollery Children’s Hospital 

Dr. Ernst Schuster 

Medical Director of Primary Care 

Capital Health 

Ronald Lehmann 

pharmacy resident 

Regional Drug Information Centre 

undescended testicle are still able to father children. 

These men are at a slightly higher, but still 

very low (1 in 2,500), risk of cancer of the testicle. 

Surgery makes self-examination easier. 

Question: I’m a runner and I had to take 

time off due to painful Achilles tendons. 

Does it have to do with the antibiotics I 

was taking? 

Ronald Lehmann, pharmacy resident, 

answers: 

Achilles tendonitis is a painful inflammation of 

the cord-like tendon at the back of your heel. 

Usually, tendonitis is the result of strain or overuse 

with exercise, injury, and changes in physical 

activity or footwear. But one class of antibiotics, 

fluoroquinolones, has been associated with the 

Achilles tendonitis. Fluoroquinolones include: 

ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, norfloxacin 

and ofloxacin. Partly because of this 

potential side effect, doctors don’t prescribe these 

drugs to children. 

For unknown reasons, tendonitis occurs in a 

small percentage (much less than 1%) of healthy 

adults taking these antibiotics. Symptoms may 

include pain, tenderness, stiffness, swelling 

and occasionally tendon rupture. Although the 

Achilles tendon is most commonly involved, 

other tendons may also be affected. Tendonitis 

symptoms generally occur nine to 18 days after 

taking the antibiotic, but they may appear earlier 

or up to six months afterwards. Recovery takes 

an average of 60 days. 

Certain factors can increase the risk of antibiotic-associated 

tendonitis: advanced age, kidney 

conditions, diabetes, hyperparathyroidism, 

rheumatic conditions, gout, participation in 

sports activities and use of other medications 

such as steroids. Treatment of Achilles tendonitis 

usually includes pain relievers, rest from 

running, ice, compression and elevation. More 

rarely, treatment may also mean stopping the 

antibiotic (in consultation with your doctor), 

physical therapy or surgery. 

It’s not always easy to determine if a symptom 

is a side effect of medication. If you have 

any concerns about symptoms you think may 

be related to your medication, check with your 

physician or pharmacist. 

Question: My child complains that it 

hurts when he has a bowel movement. 

What could it be? 

Dr. Ernst Schuster, family physician, 

answers: 

Constipation – difficulty pooping – is quite 

common in children. They are experiencing 

pain because their stool (poop) is very big and 

hard. Straining to squeeze it out can rip the skin 

in the anus and cause an anal fissure. It’s very 

painful; each time the child tries to go to the 

bathroom it splits and can even cause bleeding. 

What can sometimes help is to distract him a bit 

while he’s on the toilet by playing a game, reading 

a book and waiting. It might hurt anyway 

but that stool has to come out. If it’s really bad, 

use an over-the-counter glycerin suppository. 

When children get constipated it’s almost 

always due to a lack of dietary fibre. In most 

cases dietary change will do the trick. Integrate 

a high-fibre cereal into the morning routine. 

Most commercial Os-type cereals don’t qualify. 

Read labels on cereal boxes and see what has 

high fibre. Brands high in bran, psyllium and 

flax seeds are good. 

Nature’s laxatives, such as prunes and dried 

apricots, usually work within 12 hours. Include 

high fibre cereals, more grains, fruits and vegetables 

in your family’s meals and snacks. 

If your child has an anal fissure keep the stool 

soft through diet and intake of liquids and it will 

usually heal quickly. Consult with a family physician 

before giving your child a laxative; there 

are some that children should avoid. 

Ask the Expert is a regular section in which medical and 

other health professionals answer your questions on a 

variety of health-related topics. Send your questions to 

yourhealth@venturepublishing.ca or mail them to Your 

Health, Venture Publishing Inc., 10259-105 St., Edmonton, 

AB, T5J 1E3. For general health advice or specific 

concerns, please call Capital Health Link at 408-LINK 

(408-5465). Outside the local calling area, phone 

1-866-408-LINK. 


May/June 2007 13

A Balancing Act 

There’s more to fitness 

than lung capacity 

and muscular strength. 

Sometimes, it’s about 

being able to stay on 

your feet 

By Lindsey Norris 

At the Jamie Platz YMCA in Edmonton’s 

west end, there’s laughter coming from 

the aerobics studio. Inside, it looks as 

though a dozen stability balls have been sliced 

in half, stuck to rubber platforms and scattered 

around the hardwood. Atop the blue half-balls, 

called BOSUs, two dozen people are wobbling, 

swaying and waving their arms as they attempt 

to channel their inner flamingo and stand onelegged 

on the squishy, uneven surface. This is an 

introductory BOSU workshop and participants 

are mainly first-timers. Some never venture far 

from the comfort of the solid wall. 

One participant laughs as she attempts a leg 

abduction exercise, lifting one leg from the hip 

out to the side. She wavers and hastily places 

her foot back on solid ground. But she recovers, 

tries again, and smiles when she finally finds her 

“sweet spot.” 

These people, of all ages and fitness levels, 

have come to this workshop at the YM-YWCA 

for various reasons. One participant walks with 

a cane and wants to know how the BOSU can 

help improve her balance. Another is bored with 

his regular routine. A few have heard that the 

BOSU is good for core strength, meaning the 

back and abdominal muscles, and they wonder 

if it will help them achieve the ever-elusive rockhard 

abs. 

The BOSU is a lot harder to stand on than it 

looks. Instructor Brad Kuchinka explains that 

keeping your ankles straight, feet flat and core 

muscles activated is key to gaining the benefits 

of the BOSU. 

“People in yoga say pull your belly button to 

your spine,” says Kuchinka. “In Pilates they call 

it your powerhouse. I like to say, ‘pretend you 

have a tight pair of pants on,’ because we all 

know what it feels like to suck in your stomach 

in order to pull on a tight pair of pants.” 

BOSU is an acronym for “both sides up,” 

because the ball can be used with the dome side 

up or down, offering dozens of exercises ranging 

from easy to circus-performance difficult. 

It’s a popular tool among high level athletes and 

seniors, Kuchinka says, because it helps athletes 

gain an edge, and seniors use it because balance 

training can help prevent falls. But it is slowly 

gaining popularity as people become more 

aware of the importance of core strength and 

balance and their affect on day-to-day life. 

Steady on Your Feet 

Peggy Mak regularly attends yoga, step and kickboxing 

classes and uses the cardio equipment at 

her gym. But it wasn’t until Mak tried the BOSU 

that she realized that her routine wasn’t targeting 

a pivotal aspect of fitness – balance. “I have definitely 

noticed a difference,” Mak says. “It’s really 

improved my strength and my balance. When I 

first started, I could really feel it in the sides of 

my ankles.” 

Barb Tardif, another BOSU convert, first tried 

it in February as part of the YMCA’s fitness challenge. 

She has stuck with it because the BOSU 

offers different challenges than her normal activities. 

“It’s a challenge to the mind as much as the 

body, because you think, ‘I can do that,’ and then 

you start falling off,” Tardif says. “I’ve noticed a 

huge difference in my coordination and balance. 

If I slip on the ice, I can pull myself back up.” 

The BOSU is often considered part of “functional” 

training because it helps people in their 

day-to-day activities, making it as valuable a tool 

in the physical therapist’s office as it is in the fitness 

centre. Vickie Buttar is a physical therapist 

at the Syncrude Centre for Motion and Balance 

in the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. She 

uses an exercise-based approach to help people 

improve their balance by using the BOSU as 

one in a series of balance tools, which may also 

include a piece of foam and a trampoline. The 

continual challenge brings more benefits. 

“There are three sensory systems that give 

information to the brain about where we are in 

space,” Buttar says. “We get information from 

our eyes, our feet, and the vestibular system in 

the inner ear. They all work together to keep us 

from falling over.” 

Problems can arise when people begin to lose 

their eyesight or feeling in their feet, a common 

complication of diabetes. The BOSU can 

be used as part of an obstacle course, exposing 

patients to a series of different support surfaces 

that they must negotiate. 

“Seniors need to work at a medium to high 

degree of difficulty to gain benefits of this type 

of training,” Buttar says. The Syncrude Centre 



Brad Kuchinka demonstrates the proper 

technique for performing a lunge on a 

BOSU. He recommends attending a class 

or seeking advice from a fitness trainer 

to ensure that you’re performing the 

exercise safely and effectively 

has developed a program for seniors’ balance 

training that provides one-to-one supervision. 

With this type of program the patients can 

practice at higher degrees of difficultly in a safe 

environment. 

Despite all of the benefits of balance training, 

the BOSU hasn’t yet become wildly popular. 

Kuchinka believes it’s because the BOSU 

challenges the interior stabilizer muscles, rather 

than the “mover” muscles of your arms and legs, 

where it’s easier to feel fatigue and see visual 

changes. 

“With balance training, you don’t get the burn 

because you aren’t isolating one muscle, and people 

seem to associate working out with feeling 

exhausted,” Kuchinka says. “If they don’t, they 

think they’ve wasted their time, and I think that’s 

why it’s not more popular than it is. But if you 

challenge and strengthen the stabilizer muscles, 

they will be able to help the mover muscles.” 

And sometimes the deeper muscles can provide 

the strength needed to push past a plateau. 

The good news is the BOSU is easy to work into 

an existing routine at a gym. “You can do normal 

exercises on a BOSU, like a push up, but it 

will work your chest and triceps far more than 

if you did it on the floor,” Kuchinka says. “Try 

a lunge, a squat with dome side up or dome side 

down. As long as it’s not wobbling around a lot, 

it’s a safe exercise that will utilize more of your 

muscle fibres.” 

And because you can do so many different 

exercises on it, it may be a worthwhile tool to 

have at home: one that you’ll actually use. 

“I’ve run into a lot of people who don’t like 

exercise because it’s boring, and the BOSU 

makes it fun,” Kuchinka says. “The best way to 

ensure you keep exercising is to make sure you’re 

having fun.” 

Getting Started 

Start by acclimatizing yourself to the uneven 

surface by stepping on and off, and from front to 

back and side to side. Once you’re comfortable, 

it’s easy to add a few BOSU exercises into your 

routine. Try doing crunches on it, or put your 

hands on it when you do a push-up. Instead of 

standing on the floor to do a shoulder press, 

stand on the BOSU; instead of doing a lunge on 

the floor, place one foot on the BOSU. 

Ask your local fitness centre if they offer 

BOSU classes. BOSU balls are available at fitness 

equipment stores for about $160 and you 

can order online from www.bosu.com. 

For more information, Buttar recommends 

you visit www.BalanceandMobility.com, a 

resource for people with balance and mobility 

disorders. 

Health benefits 

The BOSU is used by everyone from seniors to 

high-level athletes because it improves balance 

and coordination while strengthening the 

core and stabilizer muscles. Kuchinka explains 

that you can do hundreds of exercises on it that 

will challenge your balance, stability, strength 

and cardiovascular system. 

“Quite frankly, I think everybody will find 

this useful,” Kuchinka says. “People don’t realize 

how much of their day they spend on one 

leg. Many people think balance training is only 

for rehabilitation. I’ve known a lot of people 

who have sprained their ankle and don’t realize 

how their balance is affected. You’ve probably 

heard about people who’ve had a minor 

sprain and ‘walked it off.’ Shortly after, they’ve 

had a major sprain.” 

Vickie Buttar stresses that regular exercise 

will help seniors maintain their mobility, balance 

and endurance. “If you’re noticing that 

you’re unsteady on your feet, don’t consider it 

a normal part of aging,” Buttar says. “Exercise 

can make a huge difference to your life.” 

The Fitness Edge is a regular column that profiles a 

unique or unconventional fitness activity that people 

in the Capital Health region can try. 


May/June 2007 15

It’s All Fun and Games 

Nobody said going from 

zero to fit would be quick. 

But at least it can be fun 

By Pam Brandt 

Spring is here and you’re ready to do whatever 

it takes to get fit. One way to motivate 

yourself is to participate in a fun 

community run/walk event. 

Every year people set fitness goals that sound 

great but are unrealistic, says Tom Keogh, event 

director of the Little Big Run, which takes 

place in Edmonton for the first time this year. 

“Most people reach too high, too fast,” he says. 

“The best way to stay motivated is to be realistic 

and ease into a program gradually.” Instead 

of launching into a running program, first try 

walking briskly every day. When you enjoy 

something you’re more likely to stick with it. 

Enjoyment is what the Little Big Run is all 

about. The event, open to all ages, is a celebration 

of health and wellness through active living. 

It’s not just another race and it’s more than 

a run, says Keogh. “We want to turn more people 

on to health and wellness. It’s about having a 

good time, no matter your age or fitness level.” 

Participants don’t have to find sponsors and they 

don’t have to compete. The goal is to be active 

and enjoy yourself. 

There are three parts to the Little Big Run. 

The school portion combines Athletics Canada’s 

Run, Jump and Throw Program with a one- or 

two-km walk/run for elementary to senior high 

school students at Laurier Park the afternoon of 

June 1. Families and adults can run or walk in 

the five- or 10-km distance that begins at City 

Hall at 8 a.m. on June 3. From June 1 to 3, 

there’s a health fair and expo at City Hall and in 

Churchill Square. 

If you can’t wait until June, go to Edmonton’s 

16th annual Great Human Race in May, 

which attracted some 200 community groups 

and 2,500 people last year. The event, which 

injected $218,000 into the not-for-profit sector 

last year, is a community initiative of United 

Way and YMCA Edmonton. The United Way’s 

Melanie Popowich is race director for the event, 

which consists of a five-km walk, a 10-km run 

and a 10-km timed run. She describes the Great 

Human Race as a community event designed to 

strengthen the non-profit sector. “Most races are 

affiliated with one cause,” she says. The event 

supports hundreds of non-profit organizations 

that might not otherwise manage the expense and 

complexity of organizing a fundraising race. “We 

provide the infrastructure – advertising, logistics, 

promotion, administration and receipts – 

so they can focus on attracting participants and 

raising pledges,” she says. 

And the race is just plain fun. “It’s like a mini 

Olympics,” Popowich says. “There are blind 

people with their guide dogs, preschool classes, 

cadet groups and families dressed in the colours 

of the organization they’re supporting, waving 

banners and balloons. There’s so much energy 

and the spirit is wonderful.” 

Kim Wheaton agrees that the positive energy 

has a motivational effect. Wheaton is a parent 

and member of the school council for Old 

Strathcona High School. For the past four years, 

the Great Human Race has been the school’s 

main fundraiser. “The whole school gets behind 

the event either by participating or pledging,” 

she says. “The United Way makes it easy for people 

to participate.” 

You can jumpstart your fitness program by 

checking out some of these community events. 

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or new to lacing 

up your runners, take that first step. Just taking 

part can help keep you on track with your 

fitness goals. You’ll look and feel better, and the 

camaraderie and energy will motivate you. 

“Everybody’s there for the good of the community 

and it’s hard not to share in the energy 

and spirit of the day,” says Popowich. “Events 

like this are a great way to get active.” 

Runs around town 

The Little Big Run (www.littlebigrun.ca) was initiated 

by the University of Alberta and Capital 

Health to generate community awareness 

for wellness through active living. Proceeds 

go to programs that promote healthier living. 

Sponsors include the Edmonton Journal, the 

City of Edmonton and the Running Room. Date: 

June 1 to 3, 2007. 

The Great Human Race (www.greathumanrace.com) 

is a community initiative of United 

Way and YMCA Edmonton and is sponsored 

by Capital Health, DevStudios, EPCOR and 

Eveready. Date: May 5, 2007. 



Whether you call it 

your bum, rump roast, 

keister, bucket, derriere, 

tush, backyard, end zone 

or wazoo, physicians at 

Capital Health want to 

take a closer look at yours. 

They’ve already seen mine 

Scope 

aRope on 

By Mifi Purvis 

It’s mid-afternoon on a Tuesday and I’m 

walking through the day ward of the 

University of Alberta Hospital, where 

patients rest after minor surgical procedures. 

Most of them will be back to work or 

school tomorrow. I glance quickly into curtained 

rooms as I pass. In the third, I find my 

sister propped up in a bed. Apart from the blue 

hospital gown and paper bracelet, she looks fine. 

She knocks back the dregs of her cup of juice and 

asks me if I can find her some more; it’s the first 

she’s had to drink all day. I oblige, and she gets 

dressed while we wait for the doctor to come and 

discuss the results of her colonoscopy. 

It’s her first such procedure, but Dr. Eoin 

Lalor, her – our – gastroenterologist is now 

familiar with the insides of all of our colons. 

(My brother has been here, too.) My sis jokes 

that we are the poster family for Capital 

Health’s SCOPE, an acronym for the health 

region’s initiative to Stop Colorectal Cancer 

through Prevention and Education. 

Gastroenterologists such as Dr. Lalor, Associate 

Clinical Professor and Director of Endoscopy, 

and Dr. Richard Fedorak, Professor of 

Gastroenterology and clinical leader for 

SCOPE, have long been frustrated by the high 

number of colorectal cancer deaths in the province. 

The second leading cause of cancer deaths 

after lung cancer, this disease will kill about 

500 people in Alberta this year. “At least 90% 

of these deaths could be avoided in the future,” 

Dr. Lalor says. 


May/June 2007 17

Pardon me, 90%? It sounds like there’s been a 

medical breakthrough and a revolutionary new 

diagnostic tool is now available. “No, there’s no 

major breakthrough,” Dr. Lalor says. Though 

the tests are a little more sensitive today, the 

tools to screen and diagnose patients in at-risk 

populations (people over 

age 50 and younger people, 

like me, with a family 

history of colorectal cancer) 

have been around for 

a long time. 

The least invasive line 

of detection is the fecal 

occult blood test (FOBT), 

an easy test that anyone 

can do at home. It entails getting a tiny stool 

sample from successive bowel movements and 

taking it to the lab. If technicians find blood 

cells in the samples, your family doctor will 

send you to see a specialist for a colonoscopy. 

FOBT has been proven to reduce deaths by 

colorectal cancer. Drs. Lalor and Fedorak estimate 

that if Albertans were to undertake FOBT 

as part of their yearly physical exam, much like a 

pap smear or prostate exam, cancers and polyps 

would be discovered earlier and the number of 

deaths by colorectal cancer would quickly fall 

as much as 90%. But FOBT only detects the 

presence of blood, and many polyps don’t bleed. 

Those that bleed might not do so every day. 

“Colonoscopy is the gold standard for detecting 

colorectal cancer and its precursor, polyps,” 

say Dr. Lalor. Colonoscopy is a little less 

convenient and happens in a clinical setting. 

A gastroenterologist inserts a thin and flexible 

(one hopes) plastic tube into a patient’s bum 

and threads it through the intestine. The scope, 

equipped with a lens, lets the doctor check out 

your interior on a monitor. It gives a whole new 

dimension to the term “YouTube.” 

“This test has been around since the 1970s,” 

Dr. Lalor explains, discussing the procedure. 

The breakthrough Drs. Fedorak, Lalor and 

their colleagues are talking about lies in the new 

approach to colon cancer screening. SCOPE 

models itself on Capital Health’s successes in 

chronic disease management, particularly diabetes. 

The project aims to take existing technologies 

and make the most of them. Consistent 

application of screening is the key to the anticipated 

major plunge in the number of colon cancer 

deaths in the Capital Health region. 

It’s our family history and the concerted effort to 

meet our own grandchildren that has led my two 

siblings and me to the day ward at the U of A 

Hospital, five times now among the three of us, 

to have the family plumbing checked out. 

SCOPE will be rolled out in two phases. 

Phase one dictates that all Capital Health residents 

over age 50 should be encouraged to 

undergo FOBT as a yearly measure. SCOPE’s 

ultimate goal – phase two – is to screen everyone 

over 50 with a colonoscopy. There’s no timeline 

assigned to this yet. In both phases, people with a 

first degree relative (sibling, parent or child) with 

colorectal cancer should undergo a colonoscopy 

from age 40. That’s me, my sister and brother. 

My father, Stuart, was diagnosed with colon 

cancer at 63. In 1986, when he was 67, he was 

one of more than 400 Albertans to die of the 

disease. I was 21. He died before I went to university, 

before he met any of his kids’ (current) 

spouses, before he knew any of his five grandchildren. 

He died before he retired, for Pete’s sake. 

It’s our family history and a concerted effort 

to meet our own grandchildren that has led us 

all to the day ward at the U of A Hospital, five 

times among the three of us, to have the family 

plumbing checked out. 

“We anticipate that screening rates will go 

up with SCOPE,” says Dr. Lalor. But he knows 

that there are some people for whom even the 

thought of colon cancer screening is mortifying. 

These are the people the Colorectal Cancer 

Screening Initiative Foundation is targeting 

with their cheeky ad campaigns: “Don’t die of 

embarrassment.” 

My brother doesn’t embarrass easily. “Honestly,” 

he snorts, “it’s just not that big a deal.” 

He’s looking forward to retiring one day. And 

he’s right, the test itself isn’t scary. It means 

a day off work and takes about half an hour, a 

little more if they find any polyps, the mushroom-like 

non-cancerous growths that if left 

untended can eventually 

turn into cancer. 

Doctors remove these on 

the spot with instruments 

they operate through the 

scope. And before the procedure, 

you get some nice, 

relaxing drugs that render 

you semiconscious and 

blissfully forgetful of the 

whole event. It’s the part before the procedure 

that’s most unpleasant. 

“Don’t go on about how bad the bowel prep 

is,” Dr. Lalor tells me. “You’ll scare them away.” 

OK, I won’t. I’ll just say that for the procedure’s 

success, you need a whistle-clean colon, 

more or less achieved through a day of not eating 

and a couple of hours of “cleansing,” achieved 

by drinking a foul-tasting liquid. (The jug I 

downed was labelled “flavoured!” but didn’t go 

out on a limb to identify the particular flavour.) 

It basically gives your nearly two-metre long 

intestine a thorough flushing. You’ll want to do 

this at home, with the path between you and the 

bathroom cleared of any obstacles. Keep a stack 

of magazines or your iPod handy. Again, there 

are far worse things. 

I had a colonoscopy a few months ago, at 41, 

close to the time Capital Health introduced 

SCOPE. The fact that they found a polyp in my 

colon was both scary and reassuring. I’d rather 

it hadn’t been there, but I’m delighted they 

found it when it was small, symptom-free, easily 

removable and most importantly – not cancerous. 

It has given me a clearer reason to get more 

exercise and eat right, as if my two kids weren’t 

reason enough. My dad was in his mid-40s 

when I was born. Even then, he almost certainly 

had the polyps in his colon that would eventually 

be his undoing. But widespread screening 

wasn’t available then. 



The freedom to take control 

of your health coverage 

Back in the day ward on this particular Tuesday, 

my sister gets a gold star. Dr. Lalor’s assistant, 

Patricia, comes to report that my sister’s colon is 

perfectly fine and that she’ll have to come back 

for a repeat performance in five years. Without 

the family history, she likely wouldn’t have to 

come back for 10 years. And the colonoscopy 

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• Colorectal Cancer Screening Initiative: 

www.screencolons.ca 

• Canadian Cancer Society: Choose from 

the site’s drop-down menu for more 

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www.cancer.ca 

• Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada: 

www.ccac-accc.ca 

• Colon Cancer Canada 

www.coloncancercanada.ca 

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000.AMA_2-3V_nBL.indd 1 4/9/07 15:20:22

All About 

Accessibility 

A Stony Plain team is improving women’s health care 

in rural Alberta. And nobody’s embarrassed 

By Lisa Ricciotti | photography by bluefish/christy 

Ask Dr. Melanie Currie if you can observe 

a day in her life and you’ll get a surprising 

response. “Which life?” she 

laughs. “I have so many!” 

The petite, 36-year-old physician does wear a 

number of medical hats. She shares a busy family 

practice in Spruce Grove with another doctor 

and delivers as many as 120 babies a year, 

mostly at Edmonton’s Misericordia Community 

Hospital. She also helps deliver babies at Stony 

Plain’s WestView Health Centre – where she 

works in emergency and is part of that hospital’s 

Shared Care Maternity Program and After 

Hours Clinic. 

Today, however, is Wednesday. Dr. Currie 

is scheduled for patient care at the WestView 

Women’s Health Clinic. As with the babies she’s 

delivered, Dr. Currie played a big part in the 

beginnings of the Women’s Clinic as well. She 

and registered nurse Sarah Dlin started the clinic 

with the support of the WestView Primary Care 

Network in 2005 to focus on women’s special 

health needs. 

The idea of a women’s health clinic first took 

root in her mind more than 10 years ago. After 

graduating in 1996, Dr. Currie first practiced in 

Lac La Biche, where she regularly encountered 

women so uncomfortable with seeing male doctors 

for counselling on sexual and reproductive 

health issues that they hadn’t had cervical or 

breast exams for years. 

“One woman came in and it had been 18 

years since she’d had a pap smear,” says Dr. 

Currie. “Being from a small town, they were 

always afraid they’d see their doctor in the grocery 

store.” It’s an attitude she says persists in 

her current setting in Parkland County. She also 

found another troubling issue: “I was seeing a 

lot of young women come in to emergency for 

morning-after pills or birth control prescriptions. 

Or they were already pregnant,” she says. 

(Morning-after pills are taken after unprotected 

intercourse to prevent pregnancy.) 

“Patients weren’t taking advantage of services 

through their family doctors because they were 

too embarrassed.” When Dlin and Dr. Currie 

first talked about a clinic, they imagined one 

with a combination of services generally offered 

at women’s health clinics in larger centres. “Our 

idea was, since we’re a smaller community, let’s 

put it all in one. It’s all about accessibility.” 

Now it’s time for action. Dr. Currie’s first patient, 

Brenda (not her real name) is a 53-year-old with 

a long list of concerns: asthma, a heart condition, 

fibromyalgia, high blood pressure and 

a persistent cough. Brenda has thoughtfully 

brought along a sheet listing her current medications. 

Although she normally sees a male doctor, 

Brenda wants a second opinion from a woman 



Dr. Melanie Currie (left) keeps copious notes on her 

laptop as she tends to her patients. 

Nurse Lindsay Mathis (above) goes over breast 

examination techniques with a patient. 

physician. After having no menstrual cycles for 

a year, Brenda explains she recently had a period, 

quite soon after her angioplasty (a procedure 

used to widen narrowed arteries in the heart.) 

She feels the two incidents are related. What 

does Dr. Currie think? 

Dr. Currie moves from her seated 

position where she had been typing 

Brenda’s responses into her laptop to 

stand closer to her patient. Speaking 

quickly but clearly, Dr. Currie reassures 

Brenda that her recent bleeding 

and heart surgery were most 

likely related. The blood-thinners 

required for the operation, along with physical 

and emotional stress, could certainly have had 

that effect. 

As the conversation continues, Brenda reveals 

another concern: “I don’t know if I’m really in 

menopause,” she says timidly. “It would have 

been nice if I could have talked to my mother 

about it and what she went through. But she 

died before I was 40. I just don’t know how I’m 

supposed to feel.” 

Brenda’s confusion stems from her lack of the 

symptoms many other women describe. “If you 

“It had been 18 years since she’d had a 

pap smear,” says Dr. Currie. “Being from 

a small town, women were afraid they’d 

see their doctor in the grocery store.” 

don’t have horrible hot flashes, count yourself as 

lucky,” Dr. Currie tells her. The remainder of the 

appointment is filled with more information on 

menopause, including the importance of taking 

calcium and a recommendation not to use hormone 

replacement therapy because of her heart 

condition. Nevertheless, Dr. Currie patiently 

discusses a list of medications. She listens to 

Brenda’s lungs with a stethoscope and reminds 

her to book a mammogram appointment before 

the year’s end. Brenda leaves saying she plans to 

come back to this clinic instead of her regular 

doctor for her next pap smear, looking 

happier and more assured. 

“A key element of the Women’s 

Health Clinic is its nursing staff,” 

says Dr. Currie. “I really enjoy the 

extra step of having public health 

nursing; I feel it allows for complete 

care. Too often, a doctor has a set 

number of patients to get through in a day and 

may not have time to spend 10 minutes discussing 

calcium supplementation with a patient. But 

our nurses do have the time and go into things I 

might not. It’s awesome.” 

Lindsay Mathis is one of those public health 


May/June 2007 21

Mathis (above) briefs Dr. Currie on a patient’s history. 

With more time available to talk with patients, the 

nurses are key to the clinic’s complete care policy. 

Dr. Currie (right) records her patient’s responses 

on a laptop, which will be combined with Mathis’ 

initial report. 

nurses and she’s on duty at the clinic today. 

Watching her interact with the next patient 

proves Dr. Currie’s point. In a cheerful, matterof-fact 

manner, Mathis takes a patient’s history, 

also typing it into a laptop. 

“I do apologize for the computer,” she tells a 

pretty 35-year-old patient. “We nurses would 

rather just chat, but this is the way of the future.” 

Her patient has come in for a routine pap smear, 

but in the course of the conversation Mathis 

learns her patient is considering a second pregnancy. 

Mathis promptly gives her advice and 

handouts on the importance of folic acid, calcium 

and vitamin D, as well as the new Canada 

Food Guide. Her patient enthusiastically accepts 

the information, and asks for a brush-up on the 

proper technique for breast self-examinations. 

Mathis obliges with another handout, plus a personal 

demonstration. 

“I’m a visual person, and I like to demonstrate,” 

Mathis explains. Armed with knowledge, 

the patient is ready for Dr. Currie, who performs 

her cervical examination. The afternoon continues 

in a lively rhythm of teamwork between the 

two. Mathis sees patients first, then breaks for 

a quick consult with Dr. Currie, to brief her on 

their concerns. Thanks to the clinic’s computer 

usage, these sessions are accompanied by a printout 

of Mathis initial report. (When one patient 

interview goes into overtime, Dr. Currie playfully 

nudges Mathis via instant message: “Time’s WestView by the numbers 

up!”) Following the summaries, Dr. Currie delivers 

medical procedures. 

doctors have a male doctor. 

Later in the day, a young woman comes to 

the clinic for a renewal of her birth control prescription 

and a pap smear. She hasn’t had a cervical 

exam for years. Dr. Currie quickly puts her 

at ease, performing the procedure without fuss. 

The pair even share laughter: “I use a plastic 

speculum, so it’s not as cold,” says Dr. Currie. 

“And it has a light that goes up through its centre and the other 75.” 

so I can practically see your tonsils!” 

The afternoon ends with a quick conference. 

It’s the first time the two have worked 

directly together (seven women physicians rotate counselling. 

through the clinic’s once-weekly schedule) and 

Dr. Currie compliments Mathis on her skills. 

Mathis offers suggestions for smoother workflow 

and both discuss the ongoing problem of noshows 

– there were three this afternoon alone. *Point of contact 

Finally, laptop in hand, Dr. Currie heads for WestView Health Centre 

home. In the evenings, Dr. Currie takes on the (780) 968-3680 

roles of wife and mother. Her two children are 4405 – South Park Drive 

waiting for piano lessons; her husband is waiting 

to discuss their options in kitchen counter- 

Stony Plain, AB T7Z 2M7 

tops for their on-going home renovations. Until 

tomorrow morning – or possibly an emergency 

call – Dr. Currie’s life becomes her own. 

• 85% of the clinic’s patients with regular 

• Results of all lab work and tests are automatically 

sent to a patient’s family doctor. 

“We’re not here to steal patients,” explains 

Dr. Currie. “We’re here to collaborate.” 

• Women of all ages attend. “At my first clinic 

I had two girls, one 15 and the other 16,” 

says Dr. Currie. “And two women – one 72, 

• Among the services provided are mammograms, 

bone density exams, lab work, pap 

smears, pregnancy tests and reproductive 



What’s 

anyway? 

Some kids start talking earlier, and 

more clearly, than others. Parents 

can spot problems early and learn 

how to work past them 

By Cait Wills 

There’s a classic moment in the Mel Brooks 

1974 hit film, Young Frankenstein, when 

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene 

Wilder) instructs his eager laboratory 

assistant, Igor (Marty Feldman), to fetch 

him a brain. Upon Igor’s return to the lab, 

the good doctor seeks reassurance that the 

genius’ brain he requested for the monster 

is in fact the one Igor has retrieved. Igor 

admits there was an accident with the 

original brain but reassures Frankenstein 

that this brain is as good as the original. 

The doctor asks whose brain it is: 

“Um …Abby someone,” Igor says. 

“Abby someone?” Frankenstein 

repeats. 

“Yes! Abby Normal.” 


May/June 2007 23

The Family Series 

The hope for an offspring’s normal development 

is never far from a parent’s mind. There 

are, of course, differing opinions on what 

is normal, but there are language and 

speech development milestones that 

a child is expected to reach by a certain 

age. And without effective 

communication skills, life can get 

pretty tough for both the parent 

and the child. 

Take preschooler Blake Rennie. 

He’s a gorgeous, funny, smart little 

boy who is looking forward to starting 

kindergarten in September. His mother 

Tanis Rennie says that had it not been for 

the speech therapy he’s been receiving for the 

last 18 months, the first year of school could 

have been a very negative experience that could 

potentially affect the rest of his academic career. 

It all started when he was two, when his 

parents realized that no one could understand 

him. “Sometimes even I couldn’t,” says Tanis. 

“He was saying a significant amount, and 

his comprehension was unbelievable, but he 

just wasn’t clear.” Because of his history of ear 

infections – almost two dozen before turning 

three – Rennie and her husband took Blake to 

his pediatrician to discuss their concerns. The 

pediatrician advised the couple to enroll their 

son in a play-school environment for a year; 

being around other kids might help improve his 

language abilities. In 12 months, Blake would 

be reassessed. 

“After a year he went in for his assessment 

and the speech pathologist said that there was 

a definite language delay,” Rennie says. There 

Ask about it 

For more information, parents can call Capital 

Health’s Preschool Speech and Language 

booking line at (780) 408-8793. 

For more information about everyday ideas 

and activities for creating language-rich 

environments and what to expect in speech 

development visit the Talk Box website at 

www.parentlinkalberta.ca/publish/920.htm 

had been a bit of an improvement, but not 

enough. His comprehension was on track, but 

his ability to express himself wasn’t. He started 

visiting a speech pathologist once a week. The 

couple began to do exercises with their son. “It 

involved a lot of repetition – repeating back sentences 

– and a lot of flashcards,” says Rennie. 

“A speech pathologist works with clients and 

their families to obtain the best possible communication 

potential,” says Judy Meintzer, 

a speech-language 

pathologist and clinical 

team leader for Capital 

Health. Children can 

be referred for either 

speech therapy or 

speech and language 

therapy. “If the client is 

under three,” says Meintzer, “they will look at 

whether there is more than one area of delay. If 

there is, then the Early Intervention Program 

(EIP) will usually be involved. But if there is 

only one type of delay, the client will stay with 

the speech and language services team.” 

There are several types of delays speech 

pathologists work on, says Meintzer. For 

instance, the speech/sound delay is very common, 

especially in younger children. A delay 

in speech/sound development can range from 

a six-month-old who coos but does not say 

‘bababa’ to a seven-year-old with a lisp. From 

There are several types of delays 

speech pathologists work on, 

says Meintzer. For instance, 

the speech/sound delay is 

very common, especially in 

younger children. 

babyhood to elementary school, speech sounds 

gradually develop to become more consistent; 

as that happens they become easier to understand. 

An 18-month-old might be understood 

a quarter of the time, a two-year-old half of the 

time, and by the age of four the child might still 

lisp and make mistakes, but parents and friends 

should be able to understand them completely, 

says Meintzer. 

But by the time they are in school, some 

children are still missing sounds. For example, 

kids may say “thun” instead of “sun,” or 

“weally” instead of “really.” A child may also 

insert inappropriate consonants or leave out 

entire syllables. They might say “poon” for 

“spoon” or “boo” for “boot,” or “effant” for 

elephant. When the child has difficulty saying 

specific sounds, they have articulation difficul- 



Possible signs of hearing loss 

Kathy Packford, team leader in audiology, at 

Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, suggests 

that if your child is not doing the following by 

the recommended age, talk to your pediatrician 

about arranging for a hearing test. 

By three months a child should: 

• Startle at loud sounds 

• Turn towards sounds 

• Make sounds 

• Focus on whomever is making noise 

• Respond when noises are made 

By six months a child should: 

• Make sounds 

• Respond when noises are made 

• Follow visual cues 

ties. When a child has a pattern of errors, such 

as those above, it is called a phonological pattern. 

In their assessment, professionals look at 

the quality of the voice, the structure and function 

of the mouth and whether it is appropriate 

to the age and sex of the child. Last, they look at 

fluency, or whether the child stutters. 

“Basically, we look at understanding language, 

which is comprehension and how a 

child responds from infancy to preschool,” says 

Meintzer. “We look at expressive language; how 

a child communicates, from crying as a baby to 

telling long, involved stories at school age. All 

of these are keys to properly assessing a child’s 

speech and language development.” 

Aside from speech and language, there are 

other types of developmental delay a child can 

experience. Carrie Pattison is a children’s service 

coordinator for the Robin Hood Association 

in Sherwood Park. The Association runs the 

Capital Health-funded Early Intervention 

Program in outlying areas, including Strathcona 

county, Leduc county and Sturgeon county. 

According to Pattison, if a parent or caregiver 

has concerns, an initial screening can be done 

using the Diagnostic Inventory for Screening 

Children, or DISC system. It is a standardized, 

play-based screening method that uses specific 

tasks to analyze language development. 

“We look at eight areas,” says Pattison, “and 

check to see if there are possible delays, probable 

delays, or if the child is in the average range 

based on percentile rankings.” She says the 

DISC system is fairly widely used throughout 

the Capital Health region and provides a general 

basis for analyzing children. The eight areas of 

development they assess are: fine-motor, grossmotor, 

expressive language, receptive language, 

By nine months a child should: 

• Respond to his or her name 

• Make more than one-syllable sounds 

• Turn towards voices 

• Understand ‘no’ 

By 12 months a child should: 

• Follow verbal directions 

• Use corresponding sounds and actions 

“If a parent or caregiver is 

concerned about a child’s 

hearing, they have to make 

sure that they get the 

follow-up they need,” 

says Packford. 


May/June 2007 25

The Family Series 

auditory attention and memory, visual attention 

and memory, self-help and social skills. “If 

the child is assessed as having two possible or 

probable delays,” she says, “they 

are referred to the EIP for playgroups, 

support groups and 

one-on-one in-home visits if 

necessary.” 

A parent who has questions 

or concerns about whether 

developmental assessment is 

required should first consult 

with their pediatrician or other health care professional. 

The first step is often to check a child’s 

hearing, says Kathy Packford, team leader 

of audiology at the Glenrose Rehabilitation 

Hospital. She says the long-term ramifications 

of a hearing impairment can be very serious if it 

goes undetected. 

“There is no such thing as ‘too young’ to test 

or evaluate for hearing,” says Packford. “We 

have an objective measure that doesn’t require 

infant response, so we’re able to test hearing at 

any age, which is key to assessing any concerns 

as early in life as possible.” 

The most common cause of hearing loss is 

fluid in the middle ear, either due to allergies or 

infections. This can be resolved through medication 

or surgery. Hearing aids, says Packford, 

are the first line of defense. A child with a mild 

to profound hearing loss will be fitted with 

amplification. “We do see a lot of cases of middle 

ear problems,” says Packford. “Those usually 

can be treated. If fluid in the middle ear is 

persistent they can have surgery; tiny ventilating 

tubes are placed inside the eardrum. The 

eardrum heals itself over time and the tubes fall 

out on their own.” When hearing aids and other 

treatments are not successful, in the case of severe 

to profound hearing loss, parents can consider 

other alternatives, such as a cochlear implant. 

Packford says implant can be surgically inserted 

in infants at about 12 months of age. 

When there is a problem in the cochlea 

(located in the inner ear) that affects hearing, it is 

called “sensorineural hearing loss.” Sound vibrations 

usually pass through the middle ear to the 

pea-sized cochlea, where they become electronic 

signals sent to auditory nerves in the brain. 

Damage to parts of the cochlea make sound 

both harder to hear and distorted. This affects a 

child’s ability to understand speech. A cochlear 

implant bypasses the damaged area with a small 

wire and electrodes that can help the recipient 

understand speech. There’s national debate 

about using cochlear implants in children, so 

it’s wise to do some research and determine 

which course of action is best. 

An audiologist will assess children 

through their responses to sounds. 

For example, audiologists will 

engage a child between two and 

three in a task, such as prompting 

him to put a toy into a bucket when 

he hears a sound. Based on the child’s 

responses, audiologists measure his 

hearing at different frequencies. 

They can also measure sound 

from inside the child’s auditory 

system; if the child has 

a greater than mild hearing 

loss they will do more testing, 

such as an auditory 

brain stem response evaluation, 

which sometimes 

requires mild sedation. 

Parents don’t need a 

physician’s referral to 

have a child’s hearing 

tested in the region; some 

of the regional audiology 

facilities accept calls from parents. 

“If a parent or caregiver is concerned 

about a child’s hearing, they have to make 

sure that they get the follow-up they 

need,” says Packford. “The person who 

spends the most time with 

that child knows them 

best and should follow 

their instincts if they feel something is wrong.” 

Tanis Rennie had that mother’s sense that 

something was amiss with Blake’s language 

development and she spoke to his pediatrician 

about it. That started the ball rolling on 

his journey from having a language delay to 

working towards being on par with the kids in 

his kindergarten class. Blake graduated from 

the Early Intervention Program (the program 

is available for children up to age three and a 

half) and is now enrolled in Capital Health’s 

Parents Instructing Children to Learn Sounds 

(PICLS) program. The program pairs children 

with their parents; they play games and work in 

teams with the speech pathologist directly on 

their area of need. Speech 



Talk it up 

The best way for a child to learn is through interaction. 

By having a responsive parent, says 

Judy Meintzer, speech language pathologist for 

Capital Health, most kids develop the skills they 

need to learn to communicate. There are several 

popular methods of involving a child in language 

and speech development through play. 

Play with sounds 

“Wheeee!” “uh-oh!” “ssshhh!” are little children’s 

favourite sounds; they are onomatopoeic 

(words that imitate the sound they describe), 

and because children play with sounds when 

they’re alone, working with sounds on the playground 

or during everyday activities will help 

them establish sounds later. 

Model words 

As a child’s ability to imitate improves, they’ll 

begin to model an adult’s speech. If a child says, 

“ba” for ball, respond by saying, “yes, that’s the 

ball,” without correcting the mispronunciation. 

Repeating the correct word will help reinforce it 

to the child. 

Sing and read aloud 

A child starts to learn that different words have 

similar patterns through singing songs and reading 

stories. That awareness can help not only 

with developing their speech, but also when they 

enter school. Research shows that children who 

are not exposed to this awareness of sound patterns 

at a young age are at a real disadvantage 

when it comes time to learn to read. 

pathologists assist the parents in developing the 

proper technique to help their child. 

“There are about 10 kids and three or four 

therapists in our program,” says Rennie. “We go 

once a week and Blake really enjoys it. We also 

work at home on his language development. 

We make it fun for him. When we go for walks 

we’ll have him find ‘three red leaves,’ and while 

we’re discussing the leaves, he’ll have to repeat 

the phrase back.” 

Before she worked with the speech pathologist, 

Rennie says she would focus too much on 

repetition. Sometimes Blake would become 

so frustrated he’d cry. “I believe that my son 

would definitely be more delayed without these 

resources,” Rennie says of her family’s experience. 

“The program assists the parents in developing 

the proper technique to help their child.” 

And knowing the proper approach has been 

invaluable. 

“My daughter Jordan had various delays, but 

she outgrew them,” says Rennie. “If it hadn’t 

been for the speech language assessment that 

was done on Blake and all the follow-up work, I 

would have assumed he would do the same. He 

wouldn’t have outgrown his delay alone and we 

would have ended up with a child sitting in the 

classroom, suffering.” 

Milestones for development 

While every child is different, there are generally • Say more sounds like “ba ba, na na, ma ma” 

accepted developmental milestones Canadian • Sing along or imitate others 

health practitioners use as benchmarks. By the 

time your child reaches a certain age, he or she By 18 months: 

should be able to do most of the following. If • Understand simple questions like “where is 

you have any concerns, address them with your your nose?” 

health care practitioner. 

• Make gestures or ask for “more” or “again” 

• Babble strings of sounds in short 

By three months: 

“sentences” 

• Make lots of noises (coos and gurgles) 

• React to loud noises or new sounds 

By age two: 

• Be soothed by calm, gentle voices 

• Understand more words than he/she can say 

• Use two-word sentences like “what’s that?” 

By six months: 

• Understand simple directions like “go get 

• Watch a parent’s face and make noise 

your coat” 

when the parent talks 

• Coo and squeal for attention 

By ages two to three: 

• Cry differently when hungry 

• Ask questions and use short sentences 

• Babble “ba ba” and “ma ma” 

• Use 200 or more words 

• Listen to stories and answer simple 

By 12 months: 

questions 

• Understand their own name and other Information supplied by the Canadian 

common words when used with gestures, Association of Speech Language Pathologists 

like “bye-bye” 

and Audiologists 


May/June 2007 27

stock image 



The 

Schizophrenia 

Stigma 

People with schizophrenia are proving 

that this diagnosis doesn’t mean a 

lifetime in the psychiatric ward 

By Debby Waldman 

Shortly after returning from an overseas 

trip 14 years ago, Austin Mardon’s life 

began to fall apart. He failed his PhD 

exam. His girlfriend turned down his 

marriage proposal. For weeks, he wandered the 

streets of Edmonton in an incoherent haze. He 

thought he was telepathic. He thought he was a 

werewolf. He thought some people were special, 

like him, that they, too, were werewolves. When 

he spoke, he made no sense. 

Rejection is hard on anyone, but Mardon’s 

reaction was extreme, and when he was finally 

admitted to a hospital psychiatric ward, the diagnosis 

came swiftly: at age 30, Mardon was told 

that he had schizophrenia. 

“I started crying uncontrollably when they 

brought me in, even though I was completely 

out of it from my psychosis,” he says. “I knew 

enough to know what it meant. I thought ‘my 

life is over because I’m in a psych ward.’” 

Most patients and their families have a similar 

reaction when they hear a diagnosis of schizophrenia. 

“It terrifies people,” says Dr. Pierre 

Chue, a psychiatrist who treats many patients 

who have the illness. “It conjures up the image 

of a street person shouting to himself, in his 

own world, and schizophrenia patients don’t see 

themselves like that. As far as they’re concerned, 

their symptoms are real.” 

Schizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating mental 

illness caused by impaired connections in the 

brain. It has nothing to do with multiple personalities. 

Until the early 20th century, the illness 

was known as dementia praecox, or premature 

dementia. 

Symptoms can be described as positive and 

negative. Positive symptoms include delusions, 

disordered thinking, paranoia and hallucinations 

that can involve any of the five senses. A person 

with schizophrenia may see things, feel things or 

taste things that don’t exist. The most common 

hallucinations are auditory – hearing voices. 

Negative symptoms describe qualities that are 

lost or diminished. Patients can lack motivation, 

interest and the ability to experience pleasure. 

Antipsychotic drugs, including Clozaril, 

Risperdal, Zyprexa and Seroquel, are used to 

treat positive symptoms. There are different 

degrees of schizophrenia and everyone responds 

individually to medication. Some patients 

must try different medications before finding 

one that works. In some people, antipsychotic 

medications will decrease or eradicate the positive 

symptoms, but that doesn’t mean drugs 

are a cure. Schizophrenia is a chronic illness. 

Treatment means an ongoing combination of 

medication and non-pharmaceutical therapies 

and programs. 

One of the biggest challenges facing doctors 

who treat people with schizophrenia is convincing 

them that they need to start and continue 

medical care and therapy. 

“To them, [positive symptoms are] completely 

real,” says Dr. Chue. He recalls a patient 

who was convinced that his parents were cutting 

off parts of his body while he was sleeping, and 

then putting them in his food so that when he 

ate, he was actually eating himself. Horrified, he 

couldn’t understand how his parents could do 

such a thing. Eventually he was admitted to a 

psychiatric ward for treatment. 

The psychotic break that led to Mardon’s diagnosis 

was triggered by stress. And while stress can 

trigger an episode, it’s important to understand 

that it doesn’t cause schizophrenia. 

The cause is unknown. There is what Dr. 

Chue calls a “genetic vulnerability” – if someone 

in your family has the illness, your risk increases. 

Other possible risk factors include viruses, malnutrition 

in the womb or birth trauma. And 

while drugs don’t cause schizophrenia, using 

street drugs increases the risk about five-fold. 

The connections in the brain that are compromised 

by schizophrenia are made in utero and 

adjusted by the body up to and during puberty. 

If the brain is exposed to drugs between ages 

12 and 20, when it’s finalizing the connections, 

anything that interferes with it can contribute to 

schizophrenia. “Even drugs that are considered 

innocuous, like cannabis,” says Chue. The risk 

is between two and 10 times greater for cannabis 

(pot) users. 

Schizophrenia is typically diagnosed in males 

between the ages of 15 and 25. Mardon’s diagnosis 

came relatively late, although he says he 

had emotional problems earlier in life, among 

them difficulty socializing and interpreting body 

language. 

In females, the diagnosis usually comes 

between the ages of 25 and 35. The illness is 

more common in males and, according to Chue, 

is easier to diagnose because men don’t have as 

many affective or mood disorders as women. 

Cathy Reaney-Liddle’s daughter, Lori, was 

diagnosed 18 years ago with bipolar disorder. 

She was 23 at the time and her father had just 

died. An honours student and talented writer, 

she was living on her own. Reaney-Liddle didn’t 

see Lori every day, and attributed her personality 

change – she’d stopped taking care of herself, 

stopped paying her bills – to grief. 

“The last thing you think of is mental illness 

when a person has been fine all their life, 

and very smart, and doing all kinds of things,” 


May/June 2007 29

The Schizophrenia Stigma 

Reaney-Liddle says. “You think it’s a stage.” 

Several years later, doctors changed Lori’s 

diagnosis to schizophrenia. She had become 

paranoid. She said Reaney-Liddle wasn’t her 

mother. Because Lori didn’t realize she was sick, 

Reaney-Liddle sought a court order to have her 

hospitalized. 

Lori was in hospital for six months. On her 

release, she moved into a group home. Now 

41, she lives with her boyfriend, 

who also has schizophrenia. Both 

women have become active in the 

Schizophrenia Society of Alberta. 

Reaney-Liddle is the coordinator 

of partnership and support programs 

and Lori does occasional 

presentations. 

“I felt like a terrible mother 

when I went to court to get her put into the hospital. 

But because she was so sick it was the best 

thing that could have happened,” Reaney-Liddle 

recalls. “It’s like sending someone to the oncology 

ward when they have cancer.” 

Treatment is crucial, and the earlier it starts 

the better. In addition to taking anti-psychotics, 

people with schizophrenia may need to take 

medication to counter side effects and control 

anxiety or depression. Patients also need psychosocial, 

academic and vocational support and 

family therapy. Coping with stress is crucial, as 

is making sure patients get addiction therapy, if 

necessary, to keep them away from alcohol and 

street drugs. 

“It’s an ongoing, tailored education that 

teaches families and patients how to manage the 

illness and how to get the best out of their treatment, 

and it all has to be combined,” Chue says. 

“Meds on their own aren’t going to work.” 

Schizophrenia is isolating in part because 

those who suffer from it are often afraid to go out 

in public, and because the public may be afraid 

of them. Until the Academy Award-winning 

2001 film A Beautiful Mind told the true story of 

Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash, 

the general pop culture perception was that all 

individuals with schizophrenia were knife-wielding 

maniacs with multiple personalities. 

“The average person with schizophrenia 

would make the most boring movie subject 

you could ever imagine. Hollywood prefers to 

find the extremely rare circumstance where an 

individual may do something horrible,” says 

Jill Kelland, Capital Health’s manager of Social 

and Vocational Programs for Regional Mental 

Health. 

One reason schizophrenia is so debilitating is 

that it’s usually diagnosed at a time in life when 

young people are developing the skills they need 

He thought he was telepathic. 

He thought he was a werewolf. 

He thought some people were special, 

like him, that they, too, were werewolves. 

When he spoke, he made no sense. 

to become independent adults. The hallucinations, 

delusions, and paranoia that mark the illness 

make it difficult to study, hold down jobs 

or maintain relationships. People with schizophrenia 

may retreat to their parents’ basements 

or have repeated stays in hospitals. Some become 

homeless. 

“We find that clients referred to our programs 

and services may be 30 to 35 and have their first 

boyfriend, girlfriend or first job,” Kelland says. 

“All those things are put on hold until they’re 

okay mentally.” 

It’s a long process. But family members 

and those with schizophrenia can turn to the 

Schizophrenia Society of Alberta for help. The 

society provides information, support and advocacy 

for families and patients living with schizophrenia 

and other severe mental illnesses. They 

can help with issues including housing, access to 

complimentary treatments and therapists. They 

also run support groups. 

“What we try to do is make the lives of the 

family members a little less difficult and a little 

less confusing,” says Giri Puligandla, executive 

director of the society’s Edmonton chapter. “A 

key principle is mutual aid or, as we call it, peer 

support.” 

That support starts with the person who answers 

the society’s phones: Cathy Reaney-Liddle. 

“She can give callers practical advice,” Puligandla 

says. “We believe that people who’ve been 

through the experience are the best for families 

just starting the journey to talk to and we believe 

the same thing about people living with mental 

illness. You can have a million psychiatrists and 

family members telling someone they need to 

stay on meds and take it a day at a time, but it 

really takes just one peer to do the same.” 

Or one very convincing family member, as 

Mardon learned when he was diagnosed and 

didn’t want to take his medication. (“I 

thought it was poisonous,” he says.) 

His father came to Edmonton from 

Lethbridge to convince him. Once 

Mardon agreed to the medication, he 

became that rarest of individuals with 

schizophrenia: one of the 5% who is 

compliant. He’s missed his meds 14 

times during the past 14 years, and 

only then because he’s fallen asleep and woken 

up too late to take the dose. 

In addition to an anti-psychotic drug, Mardon 

takes medication for depression and for his thyroid, 

which his doctors suspect was damaged by 

the different medications. The anti-psychotic 

drugs have slowed his metabolism, causing him 

to gain weight, and he takes medication for 

hypertension. 

Many people with schizophrenia take other 

meds to counteract side effects. Some opt not to 

take medications at all. Mardon recalls a woman 

with whom he used to run support groups for 

people with schizophrenia. “She went off her 

meds,” he recalls. “She didn’t want to gain 

weight. Now she’s homeless and wandering the 

streets in a daze.” 

There’s no judgment in his voice when he 

speaks of his friend, only sadness. Mardon, too, 

faced enormous changes when he was diagnosed. 

He was still looking forward to a successful 

academic career. He’d published articles 

in scientific journals, and he and his father were 

collaborating on a book about French politicians 

in Alberta. Going to work full time meant stress, 

which could lead to another psychotic episode. 

Finding work when you have schizophrenia is 

a challenge, which is why programs such as the 

one that Kelland manages for Capital Health are 

an important part of the treatment process. In 

addition to employment specialists, staff mem- 



ers include recreational and occupational therapists 

who are devoted to helping people move 

back into the wider world. 

Recreational therapists help patients figure 

out “what do you do for fun, and how can we 

help you get those things back into your life?” 

says Kelland, a former recreational therapist herself. 

The recreational therapist’s duties are varied, 

and may include helping patients with such basic 

tasks as determining if they 

have the right exercise equipment, 

and then accompanying 

them to the workout facility. 

“Clients might be quite 

intimidated to walk into the 

Kinsman Recreational Centre to work out, but 

if we go with them, it’s a less scary thing to do,” 

Kelland says. 

Occupational therapists help with areas relating 

to work and daily functioning. They will also 

work with the supported employment specialists 

who help the clients to put together a résumé 

and find work. 

Kelland has a list of area employers, among 

them Sobeys and Safeway, who hire people with 

mental illness. “It’s certainly not hard in today’s 

labour market,” she says. “That’s been the glory 

of this booming economy.” 

Employment specialists will accompany workers 

to the job site for a few weeks to help them 

learn how to get along with colleagues, where to 

take coffee breaks and generally ease into the job, 

gradually reducing their influence until they are 

fully independent. 

In the past, job options for people with mental 

illness were limited. Programs such as the 

one that Kelland manages ran primarily sheltered 

workshops, where people did simple work 

and weren’t competitively compensated. That’s 

changed, in part because medications have 

improved and people who might have spent 

much of their time in institutions can function 

better, and in part because society has become 

more aware and accepting. 

“The functioning levels and intellect of our 

clients is truly representative of the entire population,” 

Kelland says, adding that one myth her 

program works hard to overcome is that people 

with schizophrenia can only do front-line, 

entry-level, repetitive work. 

Employers are often pleasantly surprised when 

they hire people from Kelland’s program. “Our 

clients tend to be a stable work force,” she says. 

“If the job is a good fit, they’re going to be solid, 

long-term people. They want to work and be 

there for you. I think the more people we place, 

the more word gets out, and that builds our 

resource base for the community.” 

Employers are often pleasantly surprised when 

they hire people from Kelland’s program. “Our 

clients tend to be a stable work force,” she says. 

Not everyone with schizophrenia takes a 

paying job. Some are constrained by their illness, 

others by the parameters set out by a program 

called Assured Income for the Severely 

Handicapped. Mardon, who had planned a 

career in the high-pressure world of academia, 

opted for the volunteer sector. 

Since he was diagnosed and treated, Mardon 

has made invaluable contributions to the mental 

health community in Edmonton, which he says 

would not have been possible had he not taken 

the crucial first step of accepting his illness. “If 

you don’t, you won’t cooperate with the medications. 

You’re going to continually go into a cycle 

of denial and get sick over and over,” he says. 

Mardon has no illusions that he’s healed. Every 

couple of days he has hallucinations. Sometimes 

he sees things; more often he hears voices. He 

still has trouble with hygiene and reading body 

language. He still says inappropriate things. But 

he’s managed to keep doing research, to keep 

writing – he’s written dozens of books – and to 

get married. 

In March, he celebrated the publication of 

the book that he and his father were working on 

when he was first diagnosed with schizophrenia, 

French Canadians in the Political Life of the 

Province of Alberta (1891-2005). 

He helped start a self-help group for people 

with schizophrenia and one for those with the 

added burden of addictions. He has served on 

the board of directors for both the Edmonton 

and Alberta chapters of the Schizophrenia 

Society of Alberta. For more than 10 years he 

was co-chair of Unsung Heroes, a self-support 

group for people with schizophrenia. 

Among the awards he has won are the Governor 

General’s Caring Canadian Award in 1998, 

the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 

2002 and the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005. 

In February he learned that he had been named 

to the Order of Canada. 

“Whatever their disability, people wish 

to make a contribution, to 

make a difference in society 

in some meaningful way, 

to have a structure to their 

life, whether it’s volunteering 

at a non-profit or having a 

part-time job where they don’t get penalized,” 

Mardon says. “Most people with schizophrenia 

want friends, people who don’t laugh at them 

and aren’t afraid of them. If they had that, they 

could feel like human beings, rather than how 

they usually feel.” 

Resource room 

Many people with schizophrenia rely on funding 

from a provincial program called Assured 

Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH). 

The program is open to anyone whose ability 

to earn a living is substantially limited because 

of a permanent disability. Medical documentation 

is required to support the application. 

The maximum benefit is $1,000 a month 

and is affected by whether the recipient has 

a partner who can earn a living, whether the 

recipient is earning any part-time income and 

the number of assets owned by the recipient 

or his or her partner. 

• Alberta Aids to Daily Living 

Tel: (780) 427-0731 

• Schizophrenia Society of Alberta 

www.ssa-edmonton.com 

Tel: (780) 452-4661 

• Canadian Mental Health Association 

www.cmha-edmonton.ab.ca 

Tel: (780) 414-6300 

• Prosper Place Clubhouse 

Tel: (780) 426-7861 


May/June 2007 31

Life 

Car 

Without 

Keys 

Some bike commuters are 

saying ‘goodbye’ to the car. 

Well, ‘see you later,’ anyway 

By Katherine Fawcett 



In many ways, Barbara Sander is a typical 

Edmonton soccer mom. Her family schedule 

revolves around the lives of her 

three boys: soccer games, swimming lessons, 

birthday parties and field trips. And then 

there are the errands: the post office, the bank, 

the odd trip to Superstore. But unlike other 

mothers, Sander doesn’t worry about car seats. 

Her kids don’t buckle up and bicker in the back 

seat or leave granola bars half eaten in the cup 

holders. Instead, when it’s time to head out, they 

pop their bike helmets on, grab the handlebars 

and start pedalling. 

The Simple Life 

Sander and her husband Matt Grobe are car-less 

in Edmonton. They’ve never owned an automobile 

in Canada and don’t plan to. After immigrating 

from Germany more than a decade ago, 

the couple chose to rely exclusively on alternative 

transportation for environmental reasons. When 

they were ready to buy a home, they chose a central 

neighbourhood based on the ease of getting 

around without a car. 

There were more affordable homes in the 

suburbs but biking, busing and walking from 

place to place would have been more difficult. 

As their family expanded, Grobe and Sander 

discovered many positive side effects of living 

without an automobile. “It de-stresses our lives, 

in a lot of ways,” says Sander, 39. From a woman 

who pulls her six-year-old on a ride-along bike, 

with a Burley trailer stuffed with a three-year 

old attached, and an energetic nine-year-old 

who likes to go over jumps and do wheelies 

beside her, this may be hard to believe. 

“We have a slower pace in life. That’s the 

prime motivation now. It makes us think about 

what we really want to do. We aren’t constantly 

rushing here and there.” Because it takes more 

effort than sliding open the door of a minivan, 

each trip is carefully considered. “Lots of things 

are nearby. If we really want to go somewhere 

a bit farther, we make it happen. We bike, we 

take the bus, we carpool with friends. We prioritize 

things, and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t 

work.” Being the drop-off point for an organic 

food delivery service reduces the number of gro 

Photograph by Curtis Trent 


May/June 2007 33


cery shopping trips they have to make. Sander 

also likes never having to worry about keeping 

in shape. 

“We have kids. Life is busy enough. 

When would I squeeze in an hour in 

the gym? Getting places and getting a 

work out, it’s a double-deal.” The 

kids stay healthy too. Sander says 

they have great endurance, and 

they “know how to get the wiggles 

out of their system.” When 

they arrive somewhere, they aren’t 

fidgety and itching to get out of a car for fresh 

air. “Even in the winter when we use the bus system, 

they’re outside. They’re bundling up and 

running around, they know what they’re doing 

and where we’re going. It’s important.” 

The Joy of Biking 

The main reason Rob Drinkwater gave up his 

car and rides his bike wherever he goes is that 

it puts a smile on his face. “I get grumpy driving 

in a car. On my bike, I’m happy.” The 

36-year-old Edmonton copy editor 

even nicknamed his favorite bike 

“Darling.” It’s an old 12-speed 

that Drinkwater converted 

to an 18-speed with parts 

he picked up from 

K-Mart. Darling has 

even taken Drinkwater 

to California. 

“I love 

that bike…it 

has a soul.” 

Cycling has always been part of Drinkwater’s 

life. He used to enjoy bike commuting as often 

as possible to work downtown from his home 

in Mill Woods. Bad winter weather sometimes 

hindered his efforts, so instead of ditching the 

whole two-wheeled philosophy, he moved closer 

to work and ditched his car. “Cycling is a way of 

life for me,” he says. “Everybody says it’s good 

for the environment, keeps you fit, but really I 

do it ’cause it’s fun.” 

Drinkwater also likes the connections he 

makes with other people on his bike. “You don’t 

meet anybody when you’re sealed up in a car. 

Bike riders say ‘hello’ to each other at stop lights 

and bike racks. Pretty women smile at me.” 

Since Drinkwater donated his old Toyota 

Camry to The Kidney Foundation he hasn’t 

worried about parking tickets. And you could 

sharpen your pencil on his calves. 

The Balancing Act 

Penny Lightfoot is much cheerier after her 

morning commute. And after a few years of 

pedalling to work, she’s fitter too. While other 

downtown office workers grumble about traffic 

delays, rude drivers and parking troubles, 

Lightfoot arrives at work refreshed and invigorated, 

with a clear mind, rosy cheeks and a 

healthy heart. “The decision to give up my 

parking space at work was a work/life balance 

one,” says the 50-year-old director of population 

health for the Capital Health region and 

mother of two sons, 16 and 20. 

“My job is demanding in terms of hours and 

responsibilities. It’s hard to get regular physical 

activity into my day otherwise.” So she gave up 

her parking spot in her building – saving about 

$90 per month – and bought a commuter bike 

for under $500. She changes to winter tires 

when the weather demands it, and rides to work 

almost every day. 

It takes her about 15 minutes to get from 

home, through the River Valley and to her 

office on a good day; up to half an hour through 



snow or heavy wind. As well, Lightfoot goes to 

meetings by bike several times a week. “I think 

I am more productive at work, and I know I’m 

getting faster on the bike.” 

When she first started bike commuting, 

she would carry work clothes along with her 

and change once she arrived. That became too 

complicated to plan, so now she simply wears 

her weather gear over her work outfit. “Having 

a ladies’ bike means I can even ride in a skirt,” 

says Lightfoot, who admits she’s had to change 

the way she wears her hair to deal with helmet 

issues. She straps her briefcase to a carrier on 

the back of her bike, layers up and even puts ski 

goggles on when she really needs to. 

As well as the physical benefits, Lightfoot 

enjoys connecting with nature each day in a way 

drivers don’t. “I occasionally see deer and coyotes 

through the river valley. I watch the river 

freeze up and break up. I love the geese honking 

along the way, seeing hawks fly overhead.” 

The Growing Concern 

Sander, Drinkwater and Lightfoot aren’t 

alone. Giving up a car – or at least leaving it 

in the garage more often – is an idea more 

Edmontonians are grabbing by the handlebars. 

“This community (of cycle-commuters) is 

expanding,” says Drinkwater. “Even when you’re 

out of the main core and it’s snowing quite hard, 

there are lots of cyclists.” 

A 2005 City of Edmonton Household 

Travel Survey says that on a typical fall weekday 

250,000 “trips” were made by bicycle. 

Trips of all modes average about seven kilometres, 

including getting to school, work, recreation, 

and running errands. Bike trips represent 

Sander doesn’t worry about car seats. Instead 

her kids pop their bike helmets on, grab the 

handlebars and start pedalling. 

only 1% of the total number of trips made each 

day, but this is triple the number made by bike 

in 1994. The most recent study of commuters 

who rely on two wheels to get to and from work 

was a 2001 Federal Census called Journey To 

Work. It counted 4,270 Edmonton cycle commuters. 

This represents 1.6% of total commuting 

trips – slightly higher than the national rate 

of 1.2%. 

It’s hard to know exactly how often people 

leave their cars behind and pedal around town 

instead of driving. Some people are fair-weather 

cycle commuters. Others drive to and from 

work, but do all their errands and short trips by 

bike. Sander says she knows at least three other 

families in her neighbourhood who choose not 

to not own cars at all. 

Matters of Safety and Comfort 

We live in a city that grew up around the car. 

Lightfoot still uses a car for big shopping trips 

and some family outings. Drinkwater admits 

he might buy one someday. “I feel guilty for loving 

cars.” 

A car is awfully comfortable and handy. 

Even hard-core cyclists admit Edmonton winters 

seem more suitable for dogsledding than 

cycling. And although there are plenty of trails 

for recreational riders – more than 420 kilometres 

of them in the River Valley alone – few of 

the main commuting corridors are designed 

with the cyclist in mind. 

Biking gear and accessories have evolved to 

make cycling safer and more comfortable yearround. 

Studded tires allow riders to get through 

snow and ice. Blinking LED lights and reflective 

strips on both equipment and clothing allow the 

Other ways to get there 

Some bike commuters who need a car now 

and then belong to the Car-Sharing Co-op of 

Edmonton (www.web.net/~cce/). For a small 

membership fee and a per-trip charge, they 

can borrow one of the co-op’s cars to get their 

hardware-store shopping done, take a trip out 

of town, or have a special night out in a fourwheeled 

machine. 

For anyone who only needs a bike now and 

then, to run a few errands, head to a meeting 

or just go out for a spin, People’s Pedal offers 

a solution. This non-profit group fixes up discarded 

or donated bikes, paints them red, 

and parks them at “hubs” around the city. 

From the hub, members are welcome to take 

a bike, use it for up to four hours, and lock it 

back up at the nearest hub. For more information, 

check out www.peoplespedal.org. 

Fill someone’s passenger seat, have some 

company on the way to work, and share gas 

expenses by joining a carpool. Many people 

find rides (and riders) simply by posting 

a notice either at work or in their neighbourhood 

community centres. Or, check out the 

Edmonton Carpool Centre’s website: www. 

erideshare.com, where drivers with empty 

seats list their origin and destination, daily 

schedule and flexibility. Currently the site features 

about 40 listings of people looking for 

riders to join them. 

Edmonton Transit System routes #1, 4 and 

9 have racks on the fronts of all their buses 

that enable cyclists to combine biking with 

bus-commuting. Each rack holds up to two 

bikes, and are available first-come-first-serve. 

Bikes are also welcome on the LRT, except 

during rush hour. 


May/June 2007 35


rider to be seen, even in dark or drizzly conditions. 

Layers of waterproof, breathable jackets 

and pants, goggles, gloves and a helmet keep riders 

warm and protected from the cold. Cycling 

in a safe and predictable manner, following the 

rules of the road and riding as if you can’t be seen 

(assume you are invisible and ride accordingly) 

will improve your chances of getting to the bike 

rack in one piece. 

When a car clipped Penny Lightfoot’s back 

wheel last year, she realized just 

how vulnerable cyclists are. 

“That experience taught me 

that I have to be extra aware. 

Drivers may not see me, and I 

don’t take any chances.” 

Of course, no bike will 

ever have seat belts, air bags 

and 2,000 pounds of automobile 

protecting its operator. 

“The reality is that if a cyclist and car get 

in an accident, the car will win,” says Michael 

Kalmanovitch, president of Edmonton Bicycle 

Commuters Society, active commuting cyclist 

and owner of Earth’s General Store. In 2005 

there were 221 bicyclists injured and one killed 

in Edmonton. 

But during the same year, 8,006 motorists 

were injured and 27 killed. When looking 

at cyclist vs. motorist statistics and comparing 

the fatality and injury rates it’s important to 

remember that cyclists tend to spend less time 

on the road but their injuries are reported less 

frequently. Also, motorists kill pedestrians 

every year it’s vanishingly rare for a cyclist to kill 

a pedestrian. 

According to Transport Canada, cyclists 

represented 2.2% of road fatalities in 2001, 

motorists accounted for 77%. In Edmonton, 

bikes were used for a little more than 1% of 

“daily trips;” cars were used for 77% of daily 

trips. This indicates that cyclists are more than 

twice as likely to die on the road than motorists. 

However, the health benefits of cycling 

can contribute to long and healthy lives. Fitness 

from cycling can help people avoid heart disease, 

stroke, diabetes, lung disease and have 

increase muscle strength, energy levels and 

mobility. Cycling helps reduce stress, manage 

weight and for some, increases overall happiness. 

These benefits are difficult to measure, 

but a 1992 British Medical Association report 

says that the health benefits of daily cycling outweigh 

the risks of traffic fatality by 20 to 1. 

Fitness from cycling can help people avoid 

chronic disease and increase strength, energy 

and mobility. The benefits of cycling are difficult 

to measure, but on report says they outweigh 

the risks of traffic fatality 20 to 1. 

Cars Eat Money 

The smug grins that cyclists don’t hide very well 

when they whiz past cars stuck in traffic jams 

get even broader when they whiz past cars 

stopped at gas stations. Gas prices are rising and 

car maintenance and repairs don’t come cheap. 

Operating a car has never been more expensive. 

According to the Canadian Automobile Association, 

owning and operating a car in Canada 

in 2005 – they used a Chevy Cavalier Z 24, 

driven 18,000 km/year as an example – costs 

$9,273. This included fuel, maintenance, tires, 

insurance, licence, depreciation and finance 

expenses, but did not include the cost of the car 

itself, parking fees or speeding tickets. “Cars eat 

money…When I ride, I just eat more food,” says 

Drinkwater. 

A bike can be had for anywhere from under 

$100 for a utilitarian unit to $5000 for a snazzy 

top-of-the-line road bike. Kalmanovitch says 

$300 to $500 will get you a decent commuter 

bike. Maintenance on a low-end bike will be 

under $100 per year for oil, a new chain and 

chain ring. Add a bell, lights, fender, some allweather 

clothes, a helmet and a good quality 

lock and you’re ready to raise the kick-stand. 

There are few drivers who are comfortable 

under the hood of a car, but bike repair is fairly 

simple. Cyclists can fix their own, with the 

help of mechanic volunteers at BikeWorks, an 

Edmonton non-profit organization dedicated 

to getting more people on two wheels. As well 

as providing tools, advice and inexpensive parts 

commandeered from donated or discarded 

bikes, BikeWorks sells bikes 

that have been refurbished. For 

more information, check out 

www.bikeworks.com. 

Not only do cycle commuters 

save money – potentially 

thousands of dollars every 

year – they can save time too. 

According to The Canadian 

Commuter Challenge, commutes 

of fewer than 10 kilometres are actually 

faster by bike than by car, door-to-door. Traffic 

jams and crowded parkades don’t slow down 

bike-commuters. Lightfoot says she often beats 

her car-driving co-workers to the water cooler or 

coffee pot each morning. 

Good for Body and Planet 

It’s no secret that regular exercise can help keep 

you healthy and fit, yet 60% of Canadians don’t 

move their bodies enough. Canada’s physical 

activity guidelines of 30 to 60 minutes of exercise 

per day are a no-brainer if you ride to work. 

Being on their bikes virtually every day, Grobe 

and Sander’s kids are pretty much guaranteed 

not to be included in the 26% of Canadian children 

now classified as overweight or obese. “The 

oldest likes the way bike riding makes his legs 

strong for soccer,” says Sander. 

Not only does regular cycling give you a 

healthy glow and make your jeans fit better, it 

will help prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, 

adult-onset diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, 

depression and some forms of cancer. It can also 



improve balance, thus decreasing the chances 

of injuries during other activities. Commute to 

work by bike and you won’t have to worry about 

scheduling extra time for a work out. 

Finally, cycle commuting benefits the environment 

by being a clean form of transportation. 

Motorized passenger transportation 

accounts for 49% of greenhouse gas emissions 

in Canada. As Edmonton grows, rush-hour 

traffic is expected to triple by the year 2020. 

Respiratory problems, global warming, noise 

pollution, loss of green space to make room for 

freeways and parking lots; our love affair with 

cars demands a high price. 

The Sanders, Lightfoots 

and Drinkwaters of the world 

are definitely doing their part. 

“We wanted to be role models 

for our kids,” says Sander. 

“You can’t talk to kids about 

environmental issues without 

taking your step. We’re doing our 

part. The kids don’t understand 

why so many people don’t do their 

part. It’s easy and fun. They take pride in 

their cycling.” 

 

 

 

 

You’re Invited! 

Join us for a complimentary 

lunch and tour. 

Call 497-7737 

to reserve. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 3 nutritious meals every day 

• 24-hour emergency response 

• Weekly housekeeping and linen service 

Included in the monthly rent: 

• Free transportation to medical & shopping 

• Theatre, Chapel, Library 

• 24 Hour Bistro 

• Spiritual and recreational activities 

Call for Free Lunch and Tour 

Glastonbury Blvd. 

199 St 

Caleb 

Manor 

62 Ave. 

Anthony 

Henday 

Drive 

6411 199th Street, Edmonton, AB T5T 6Y4 

780 497-7737 

www.calebgroup.ca 

000.PHP_1-6V_nBL.indd 1 8/14/06 14:40:49 

000.Caleb_1-3S_nBL.indd 1 4/9/07 15:14:45

Illustration by Heff O’Reilly 



Love 

YourLungs 

With careful managment, some people 

with lung disease can live symptom-free 

By Rick Overwater 

Tomorrow morning, Shirley Thomson 

departs for Cuba. She can’t wait to go. 

But unlike most vacationers headed for 

the Edmonton airport, Thomson is 

packing a few extra items to ensure her trip goes 

off without a hitch. 

“I’ve got all my antibiotics with me in case I 

get sick,” says Thomson. “I have a prescription 

on hand that’ll take care of any respiratory infections. 

I have all my inhalers, I have medical insurance 

and I have my doctor’s card and cellphone 

number. So I’m not too worried.” 

Thomson is prepared for a reason: her first 

sun-filled vacation didn’t turn out as she’d hoped. 

“Going down to the Dominican Republic last 

September was a real eye-opener for me because 

in that heat, I ended up catching pneumonia 

right away,” recalls Thomson. 

Fear of pneumonia has forced her to be wary 

of one of her favourite pleasures. “I can’t sit in my 

hot tub in the winter or I’ll catch pneumonia,” 

she says. “But I can sit in it in the summer as long 

as there’s no cool breeze.” 

Coping with COPD 

Thomson has a chronic (long term) lung condition 

called bilateral bronchiectasis. It is one 

of many variations of Chronic Obstructive 

Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a cumbersomely- 

named affliction caused by damaged airways or 

lungs, resulting in laboured breathing. 

It’s a serious condition, but increasing numbers 

of people with COPD are, like Thomson, able 

to enjoy a high quality of life with careful management. 

Others, such as Edna Perks of Grande 

Prairie, are more severely debilitated by the disease. 

“I use (tanked) oxygen all the time now,” 

she says. “There are times when I’m just too tired 

to even cook dinner. But you make adjustments. 

You have to adapt or you’ll drive yourself crazy.” 

COPD will be the world’s third leading cause 

of death in a few years, following heart disease 

and cancer. And unlike heart disease, which has 

seen a 60% drop in mortality rates over the last 

40 to 50 years, the mortality rate for COPD has 

risen by 150%. 

“We attribute [the increase] to the prevalence 

of smoking. While smoking rates are decreasing 

now, it takes smokers 15 or 20 years to develop 

COPD,” says Dr. Warren Ramesh, a consultant 

respirologist at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra 

Hospital. “So what we did 20 years ago is what 

we’re seeing now.” 

As the number of smokers decreases, Ramesh 

says doctors expect the prevalence of COPD to 

decrease with it. COPD is also more likely to 

strike the elderly, a group typically facing the 

most risk for life threatening illnesses. 

If the term “COPD” seems new, it’s maybe 

because people are more familiar with conditions 

that fall under the COPD umbrella, like bronchitis 

and emphysema. 

One sign of COPD is long bouts of coughing 

or throat clearing that occur almost daily for 

a period of months or years and slowly worsen. 

Other symptoms can include shortness of breath 

and excessive production of mucous (phlegm). 

Not all COPD cases will show these symptoms. 

Emphysema, for example, often won’t trigger 

coughing, though the condition causes the 

alveoli (the millions of tiny air sacs in the lungs) 

to become severely damaged. Nor are all COPD 

cases smoking related; bronchitis can be triggered 

by bacterial or viral infections. In Thomson’s 

case, her condition is hereditary. “I was born with 

the problem,” says Thomson. “My mother and 

grandmother had it. They ended up having part 

of their lung removed. I had the same surgery at 

20. My mother died at 56.” 

Fortunately, significant progress on the treatment 

and diagnosis of COPD has been made 

since those days. Thomson’s mother lived in the 

Northwest Territories, where easy access to facilities 

that conduct lung breathing tests, a primary 

method of detection, wasn’t as readily available as 

it is today. 

Medications like bronchodilators, which help 


May/June 2007 39

Love Your Lungs 

“Alberta is probably the second-highest spot in Canada for 

[lung transplants],” says Ramesh. “There are about 40 or 50 

done per year and the most common cause is COPD.” 

open up the body’s breathing tubes, are more 

abundant. Inhaled corticosteroids, which can 

help with inflammation and mucous production, 

now exist. So does a medication called an 

anticholinergic, which helps dry mucous so there 

is less coughing and swelling inside the lungs. 

Caritas offers a six-week Breathe Easy program 

to COPD sufferers to teach them the best ways 

to maximize their oxygen, safe and healthy ways 

to exercise, healthy diets and stress management. 

Another major breakthrough – a lung transplant 

– may seem drastic, but is becoming an increasingly 

common alternative if other treatments 

aren’t helping. 

“Alberta is probably the second-highest spot 

in Canada for [lung transplants],” says Ramesh. 

“There are about 40 or 50 done per year and the 

most common cause is COPD.” 

Edna Perks is currently in Edmonton attending 

a course to prepare her for a lung transplant 

due to her COPD. Referred to the transplant 

program last year, she went through vigorous 

testing to confirm her eligibility. She now spends 

the better part of her days at the University of 

Alberta Hospital training to improve her physical 

fitness to ensure she is in the best shape possible 

for when her turn comes. “It’s hard work,” 

she says. “I only have about 25% of my lung 

function, but I am getting stronger.” 

But the waiting time for transplants is considerable, 

as the recipients greatly outnumber the 

donors. Prevention, as the old adage goes, is still 

the best cure. 

So how can you prevent COPD? 

“The number one way to prevent COPD is 

to stop – and never start – smoking,” answers 

Ramesh. 

Medications like bronchiodialators can keep 

the airways open to prevent further damage. 

Staying up-to-date on vaccinations can also 

make a big difference. 

“When you produce a lot of mucous, the bacteria 

can cause an acute infection in addition to 

conditions like bronchitis,” explains Ramesh, 

“and to prevent that we suggest a pneumonia 

vaccination and also a flu vaccination.” 

Controlling Asthma 

Surprisingly, given its contribution to the 

world’s mortality rate, COPD is not the most 

common lung condition. Asthma holds that 

dubious distinction. 

“It’s estimated that around 10% of the world’s 

population has asthma,” says Ramesh, and that 

number has tripled since 1980. “It’s probably 

because people are more aware and there’s more 

diagnosis. I also think it’s more common because 

asthma is strongly associated with allergies and 

environmental irritants, sometimes called occupational 

irritants.” 

People in certain occupations – including dry 

walling, carpentry and painting – have a higher 

susceptibility to the disease. Asthma can also be 

hereditary. 

Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation 

of the airways with increased swelling 

around the breathing tubes, typically accompanied 

by lots of mucous. As well, the muscles surrounding 

the breathing tubes can go into spasm, 

leading to coughing. There are numerous warning 

signs, including chest tightness, wheezing or 

shortness of breath. 

“If you’re short of breath climbing stairs or 

walking up a hill, or you have a prolonged cough 

that lasts for weeks, it could be a sign of asthma,” 

says Ramesh. “In some people it’s just a nighttime 

symptom; they wake up with a coughing 

episode. And if you get recurrent bronchitis, that 

could be a sign too.” 

Triggers for asthma attacks include exposure 

to cold weather, tobacco smoke and allergens 

such as cats and dust. 

Asthma is manageable and does not threaten 

life expectancy; in fact, studies show that 75% 

of patients can live with normal lung function 

and no visible symptoms. The irony is that 75% 

of asthma cases are not controlled. People tend 

to stop treatment when they feel better, even 

though it’s a chronic illness that requires longterm 

therapy. 

“Patients shortchange themselves, saying ‘if 

I have asthma, I’m going to have symptoms,’” 

says Ramesh. “They go to the emergency room 

maybe once a year and say, ‘That’s normal for 

me.’ It’s not. People think they’ve grown out of 

asthma if they don’t show symptoms. You never 

grow out of asthma.” 

The consequences can be severe. “I’ve seen 

people who’ve never smoked but have had 

asthma for years, and irreversible obstructions 

have formed in the breathing tubes,” Ramesh 

says. “They can barely get their clothes off or take 

a shower because they get too short of breath.” 

Shirley Thomson knows what’s involved in 

the asthma patient’s daily routine. She also takes 

medication daily and carries an inhaler. One of 

her sons has asthma, and she knows too well how 

it goes with kids. 

“They don’t want to carry those inhalers 

for one thing. Whereas me, inhalers are in my 

house, in my car, they’re everywhere,” she says. 

“My son doesn’t want to go to the doctor and he 

doesn’t like carrying his inhaler.” 

Inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators 

are now the primary weapons for combating 

asthma. The arsenal of tools available today is 

considerable, and doctors aim for their patients 

to become completely symptom-free. “There’s a 

myth that the word ‘steroid’ is bad for you,” says 

Ramesh. “It would be if it were an anabolic steroid. 

But the inhaled corticosteroid is very safe.” 

Preventing Pneumonia 

A more well known lung condition, coming in 

third behind asthma and COPD respectively, is 

pneumonia. In some cases, you can catch a fun- 



gal or “atypical” variation of pneumonia, but 

generally it’s considered a viral or bacterial infection 

of the lungs. “Among all the infectious diseases 

– HIV, meningitis, etcetera – pneumonia is 

the number-one killer because it’s so common,” 

says Ramesh. 

Patients with COPD like Thomson and Perks 

are more likely to catch pneumonia than other 

people. It’s also more likely to affect those with 

chronic renal conditions, severe acid reflux, alcoholism 

and compromised immune systems. 

“With my COPD, I catch pneumonia easily 

and I try to be really careful to avoid getting 

sick,” Perks says. “But you can’t live your life in a 

sterile bubble.” 

Ramesh says if you have a cough, large 

amounts of phlegm, fever, chills, chest pain 

“and just feel awful,” you may have pneumonia. 

Doctors usually diagnose the disease by a 

physical examination or chest X-ray and often 

prescribe antibiotics for treatment. Antibioticresistant 

pneumonias, while more common 

than they used to be, are still very rare and new 

drugs are being developed all the time. 

Once again, nothing beats prevention. 

Smoking, a major villain in all things respiratory, 

should be avoided. Vaccinations at regular 

intervals as prescribed by your doctor can also 

be a major factor in the prevention of pneumonia, 

as can breathing exercises. 

Living with Lung Cancer 

Few diseases are as infamous as lung cancer, and 

it probably comes as no surprise that it ranks in 

the top four on the list of common lung afflictions, 

right behind pneumonia. Like COPD, 

smoking is the major culprit, with 80% to 90% 

of all lung cancers related to smoking. And as 

with COPD, the number of occurrences is 

increasing; the spike follows the peak in smoking 

rates of 20 years ago. 

Other factors that contribute to lung cancer 

include family history and occupational exposure 

to cancer-causing materials. “The major 

occupational risk is asbestos exposure,” says 

Ramesh. “Again, we are seeing the results of 

what we did 20 to 30 years ago. Unfortunately, 

workers were not only exposed, their children 

were too. Parents would bring it home on their 

clothes and their kids would inhale it.” 

Most of the time, lung cancer shows few to 

no symptoms until the later stages. “Lungs do 

not have pain fibres, so you can have a tumour 

growing and you won’t feel anything,” cautions 

Ramesh. “By the time we diagnose the cancer 

it’s usually spread.” 

That’s unsettling news, but it’s important to 

note that a smoke-free history is an excellent 

defence, as is regular exercise. If you currently 

smoke or used to smoke, or if there is cancer in 

your family history, Ramesh recommends an 

annual chest X-ray. 

“If it’s caught in the early stages, surgery is a 

potential cure,” he says. 

Today, there are more treatments for lung 

conditions than ever before, and more people 

like Thomson are dealing with it and getting on 

with their lives. 

“I would tell people to just stay positive, seek 

out help, don’t give up, and take your medication,” 

she says. 

If you’re not sure your family doctor or local 

clinic is steering you in the right direction, or if 

you would like more information, ask for a referral 

to a respiratory specialist. “Any medi-center 

will give you a referral if you ask,” Thomson 

says. “Just seek medical attention as soon as you 

get sick and don’t let it go on too long.” 

Ramesh agrees. Thanks to improvements in 

treatment options, prevention and awareness, 

he expects to see significant changes. “If you put 

everything together,” he says, “we are going to 

see the risk of dying from lung disease go down 

just like heart disease.” 

The air in here 

Our society is more fixated on air pollution 

than ever before. However, most people are 

looking outside of their own houses, not in. 

Few realize indoor air pollution can cause 

health problems, especially for people with 

lung diseases. Canadians spend 90% of their 

time indoors, making indoor air quality an 

important health concern. 

The main sources of indoor air pollutants 

are either biological or chemical. Biological 

pollutants originate from living things, or are 

themselves living things. Common sources 

include pets, mattresses, bathrooms, damp 

or flooded basements, appliances such as 

humidifiers, dehumidifiers and air conditioners, 

carpets and furniture. 

Chemical pollutants can be gases, such 

as carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide, or 

particles, such as soot. Common sources 

of chemical pollutants include oil and gas 

appliances, second-hand tobacco smoke, 

paints, scents, pesticides and household 

products, including air cleaners and air 

fresheners. 

Whether you have asthma, COPD, a 

suppressed immune system or are fit and 

healthy, it’s a good idea to review the air 

quality of your home. The Canadian Lung 

Association offers a Healthy Home Audit at 

www.lung.ca/_resources/healthy_home_ 

audit.pdf 

Source: The Canadian Lung Association 

www.lung.ca 

Resources 

The Canadian Lung Association 

www.lung.ca 

The Global Initiative for Chronic 

Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 

www.goldcopd.org 

The Lung Association (Alberta) 

www.ab.lung.ca 

Centre for Lung Health (Edmonton) 

(780) 482-8951 

Northern Alberta Lung Function 

Breathing Tests (780) 421-8495 

Smokers’ Help Line (AADAC) 

Counsellors are available to advise you 

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days a 

week. (866) 332-2322 


May/June 2007 41

Senior 

How a few innovative programs are helping 

Alberta’s seniors grow older and live wisely 

By David DiCenzo 

My dad lives on his own and he 

doesn’t seem to be managing so 

well.” A caller to Capital Health’s 

Community Care Access line 

starts describing some of the challenges her elderly 

father has been facing. A nurse seated at a 

workstation listens intently over her headset and 

asks a series of questions, trying to gain a clearer 

impression of the elderly father’s situation. 

It’s 5 p.m. on a Friday afternoon at the Community 

Care Access line. The nurse is one of 

about 12 on duty. One of her colleagues in the 

12-by-four metre room is speaking to a physician 

who’s calling to refer a patient for a nursing 

home placement assessment. Another takes a call 

from a hospital about a patient who will soon 

be released and whose care needs have changed 

since her recent stroke. Two others confer quietly, 

over the half wall that separates them, about 

a recent call. It’s a different kind of nursing – 

more call centre than clinic – but one that’s proving 

a boon to elderly and other patients in the 

Capital Health area as they strive to stay healthy 

and independent. 

Each month, the Community Care Access 

line gets 12,000 phone calls. Nurses are available 

24 hours a day to set the wheels of assistance 

in motion. The requests of callers (who 

may be patients, care providers or family) range 

from enquiries about support groups to requests 

about assisted living options. The access line 

nurses regularily send out medical personnel for 

a prompt home visit. Rarely, they call for emergency 

services. Approximately 2,800 referrals are 

processed each month. 

Since it was established in 1999, the line has 

been an instrumental tool in the evolving delivery 

of health care for elderly and other residents 

in the province, a system that changes daily. 

“The Community Care Access line allows 

timely access to programs and services, the right 

services at the right place,” says Caroline Clark, 

the senior operating officer for Capital Health 

Community Care Services. “It’s a single point of 

entry for people seeking information about services 

in the community.” 

The importance of this service can’t be understated. 

Of more than 3.2 million Albertans, 10% 

are elderly. The provincial government estimates 

that by 2031, that percentage will double. 

For a variety of reasons, including technological 

advances and prosperity, Albertans are living 

longer. While that’s good news to families who 

can share more time with their relatives, it means 

a potentially greater burden on the health care 

system. Fortunately, a long-term vision of the 

region’s delivery health care has helped mitigate 

the problems of an aging population. It began in 

1997 when the provincial government released 

a report titled Healthy Aging: New Directions for 

Health Care. By 2002, the region followed up 

with the second phase of a 10-year plan designed 

to better serve seniors. 

Clark says the plan was designed to “ensure 

that Capital Health would meet the needs of its 

aging population in a sustainable way and would 

facilitate the shift from institutional to community-based 

services.” And it’s working. 

While some seniors in the region clearly have 

a need for long-term care, a number of convenient 

Capital Health programs have allowed others 

to lead more proactive lives based where they 

are most comfortable: their own homes and 

other residential models of care. Community 

Care Services, a branch of the Community 

Care, Rehabilitation and Geriatrics sector of 

Capital Health, offers programs in three different 

streams: home living, supportive living and 

for those who don’t have the option of being at 

home, facility living. In the first stream, Home 

Care services help more than 11,000 clients 



monthly, accounting for more than 250,000 

hours of contracted service, while Day Programs 

are delivered at 11 different sites in the region. 

In the supportive living stream, there are 23 

Designated Assisted Living sites with 15 contracted 

operators and more than 1,000 spaces. 

“There are quite a number of different models 

of care that allow people to live independently,” 

says Clark. “We’re trying to present options to 

people who might not need the highest level of 

care – not everyone needs a nursing home. We 

want people to be able to age in place and avoid 

moving from one care setting to another as their 

needs change.” 

“Not every senior is frail with critical needs,” 

adds Dr. Kathy Lechelt, head of geriatrics for the 

region and the University of Alberta. 

One of the more unique programs is 

CHOICE (Comprehensive Home Option for 

Integrated Care for the Elderly), an innovative, 

flexible option that’s useful for seniors with varying 

needs. The program, the first of its kind in 

Canada, combines medical management and 

monitoring with day support, personal care and 

facility respite. People in the CHOICE program 

receive all the benefits of a day program, with 

medical and rehabilitation support available at 

day centres. Combining both personal care in 

the home and access to specific facilities enables 

the client to experience coordinated access 

to a broad spectrum of services through one 

program, thereby lessening the burden on the 

families of the participating individual and the 

health care system. Clients are bussed to facilities 

throughout the region, typically a couple times 

a week, to receive medical and personal support 

services, such as a bath or a toenail clip, or social 

activities. 

According to Capital Health’s latest data, 

since the introduction of CHOICE more than 

10 years ago, acute care use has dropped by 

70%, emergency visits have decreased by almost 

63% and ambulance trips have dropped by 52% 

among the population who use the services. 

“To do it by yourself doesn’t cut it,” Dr. 

Lechelt says of overwhelmed families trying to 

take the full responsibility of care for the elderly. 

“You have to work collaboratively or else the 

health care will be fragmented.” 

A sampling of some of the other programs 

offered include McConnell Alzheimer Centres, 

Laurier Homes (a concept involving health and 

personal care services with a home ownership 

feature), Sub-acute and Transition programs and 

Designated Assisted Living units. 

START (Short Term Assessment Rehabilitation 

and Treatment), a program conducted 

at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, was 

10 Tips to stay upright 

• Keep your home well lit 

• Clean up clutter, especially on the stairs 

• If you use a stepstool, make sure it’s firmly 

on the ground and there’s something to 

hold as you step up and down 

• Store things on shelves or in drawers that 

are easy to reach 

• Wear footwear that’s not slippery and 

doesn’t catch on flooring 

• Get rid of throw rugs or use non-slip mats 

under them 

• Use non-slip mats, particularly by your 

bath or entrance 

• Install and use an easy-to-grasp handrail 

in your stairway and bars near your tub 

and toilet 

• Tidy up telephone and electrical cords 

• Get extra telephones so you don’t have 

to hurry to catch a call 


May/June 2007 43

Senior Solutions 

created to help frail seniors who’ve experienced 

loss of function resulting from their medical 

conditions. Its comprehensive interdisciplinary 

approach made the program a success. 

While START is a day program, the Glenrose 

also offers more in-depth rehabilitation for seniors, 

something Connie Nowoselski has seen 

first hand. The 71-year-old Edmontonian spent 

plenty of time at the Glenrose over a recent 

two-month span visiting her husband Bill, 73, 

who became extremely ill from an infection 

that spread throughout his body. After stays at 

the Sturgeon Community Hospital and Royal 

Alexandra Hospital, Bill was eventually transferred 

to the Glenrose where he underwent testing 

before beginning a rehabilitation program. 

“It’s been a hard haul for him,” says Mrs. 

Nowoselski, excited that her husband was about 

to be released after a total of five months in hospital. 

“We asked if there was any place he could 

go; he wasn’t strong enough to come home. 

“They assessed him and saw that he could 

handle some exercise. Now he’s built up to the 

point where he can maneuver on his own.” 

Mrs. Nowoselski, who was at the Glenrose 

herself in the cardiac rehabilitation program after 

suffering a heart attack a year ago, adds that staff 

took great care in assessing both Bill’s physical 

and mental well-being. They established what 

he could and could not handle prior to recommending 

rehab at the Glenrose. Once there, the 

rehab staff played an instrumental role in getting 

him back to good health by providing the 

encouragement and sensitivity required. 

“He’d say, ‘It reminds me of a barnyard – all 

these clucking hens looking after their chicks,’” 

says Mrs. Nowoselski. 

Bill is scheduled to go back to the Glenrose for 

rehab twice a week. His wife is convinced that if 

he hadn’t done the rehab, he would still be struggling, 

with little hope for the future. “Without 

these programs,” she says, “I think a lot of people 

would end up in institutions.” 

The innovations that have helped make 

Capital Health an international leader in geriatric 

care have been possible because of the vision 

of a dedicated group on the administrative side. 

But ongoing development of the care delivery 

system has also been a necessity. 

The Regional Geriatrics Council, for example, 

has established a series of goals to boost the 

already strong system, including better integration 

and coordination of specialized services, 

improved quality of care in emergency units 

and better collaboratation with the academic 

Each month, the Community Care Access line gets 

12,000 phone calls. Nurses are available 24 hours 

a day. For more information call 496-1300. 

community, among others. Collaboration with 

academics has been particularly successful, says 

Dr. Lechelt, who adds, “We’ve been fortunate 

to have a good relationship with the Alberta 

Centre on Aging.” 

Ongoing interdisciplinary research on 

frailty, cognition, patient safety and transition 

in care have also aided in the development of 

successful care models. Ensuring there’s qualified 

staff within the system is another priority 

and Capital Health has been working with 

the University of Alberta through a specialized 

program established in 2006 for leadership in 

continuing care, available to people who run 

facilities throughout the region. 

She adds that in 2006, the provincial government 

released the new Health Service and 

Accommodation Standards for continuing 

care, designed to improve the quality of life 

and health care for Albertans residing in community 

care options. Clark and her Standards 

Implementation team at Capital Health are 

working to implement the new way of doing 

things through staff education sessions and 

training tools. 

Clark feels a great sense of pride in Capital 

Health’s commitment to strengthening the 

health care delivery system for seniors in the 

region. “You need to have everyone around the 

table to advance,” she says. “The people who 

work in this area are very committed.” 

Slips, trips and falls 

Of many threats to seniors, falls are one of 

the most debilitating. According to Dr. Kathy 

Lechelt, only 25% or 30% of seniors who suffer 

a hip fracture from a fall recover fully. More 

disturbing, she says, is that as many as 20% of 

seniors die within a year of a nasty fall. 

Developing awareness of the problem has 

been a challenge. “The first step is for the public 

and health care professionals to recognize 

falls as serious,” says Dr. Lechelt. “The messages 

people do hear is when you link falls 

to cost.” 

And falls do have a staggering impact on 

both individuals and the health care system. 

In Alberta, there are $88 million in annual hospital 

costs associated with falls, a figure projected 

to rise to $230 million by the year 2031. 

The figures don’t include costs incurred outside 

hospital walls. 

Dr. Lechelt would like to address why falls 

happen and how to prevent them. Identifying 

the underlying medical and environmental 

conditions that contribute to them is crucial. 

For example, medications that cause sedation 

or a drop in blood pressure are risk factors, but 

so is improper footwear. 

In 2006, Capital Health released some 

encouraging data from their Steady As You 

Go 2 project, a follow-up to SAYGO 1, a program 

that assessed and addressed risk factors 

for frail seniors still able to walk without 

assistance. In the second component of the 

project, involving approximately 270 seniors 

averaging 81 years of age, staff visited the 

participants in their homes or residential settings 

to ask screening questions and assess 

14 different risk factors for falls. After identifying 

the potential dangers, staff visited again 

three months later. The progress throughout 

the one-year controlled trial was incredible – 

the number of seniors experiencing falls was 

reduced by 30%. 

“These individuals and their health care 

providers are the drivers to put this issue in the 

forefront,” says Dr. Lechelt. “It’s important not 

to brush falls off as just another aspect of aging 

that doesn’t need to be addressed.” 



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4/26/07 3:08:29 PM 

000.POCC_1-3S_nBL.indd 1 10/17/06 17:14:06

Strings Set the TEMPO 

photograph by bluefish/christy 

Richard Caldwell, a long-time Edmonton Symphony Orchestra violinist, noticed long 

ago that there was a bunch of excellent amateur musicians among his acquaintances 

in the medical field. And eight years ago, while visiting the Glenrose Rehabilitation 

Hospital, Caldwell spotted the facility’s nice little auditorium. He thought that 

some of his musician/doctor friends should be using it. Caldwell, who’d conducted 

volunteer groups as a sideline to his career, decided to set up another group. 

That was the genesis of The Edmonton Medical Professionals Orchestra, 

TEMPO. “Many TEMPO members were musicians when they were children,” 

Caldwell says, “and they eventually realized that music was a big part of their lives. 

They’ve jumped at the opportunity to continue playing.” Today, the all-string group’s 

30 members are not all physicians, but their home is still the Glenrose. They stage 

concerts regularly at health care facilities and other venues. TEMPO’s spring concert 

will be held at the Glenrose on May 20. 



prescription 

vision 

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benefits 

dental 

Protect 

your 

health 

Here are four great reasons for you to get an 

Alberta Blue Cross individual health plan today. 

Without coverage from Alberta Blue Cross, 

you could face significant out-of-pocket 

costs for prescription drugs, dental and 

vision care, ambulance trips and much more. 

And without coverage, an accident, medical 

condition or unexpected illness could cost 

you thousands of dollars. 

If you’re without employer sponsored health 

benefits, we’ve got an individual health and 

dental plan to meet your family’s needs... 

and your budget. 

1. Practical benefits you 

can use every day 

Alberta Blue Cross 

individual health plans 

provide practical benefits 

you will use on a regular 

basis, including prescription 

drugs, vision, dental care 

and more. 

2. Family protection 

If you're healthy right now 

and think you don't need a 

plan, you are taking a risk. 

Qualify for a plan today 

with or without medical 

review, and a current or 

future illness, accident, 

medical condition or health 

problem won't leave you and 

your family in a financial 

bind. 

3. Affordable rates 

With sizeable tax savings, a 

plan is a lot more affordable 

than you might think. 

Combine those savings with 

what you'll save on out-ofpocket 

expenses each year, 

and you'll be surprised how 

little an individual health plan 

actually costs. 

4. Peace of mind from 

the name you know 

and trust 

Alberta Blue Cross serves 

the health needs of well 

over a million Albertans.As 

an Alberta-based not-forprofit 

organization, we serve 

your best interests—and 

deliver the value and 

affordability you deserve. 

www.ab.bluecross.ca 

Please call us today for your 

free information package 

Edmonton 498-8008 

Toll- free 1-800-394-1965 

If you’re age 65 or 

over, ask us about 

our affordable 

Seniors Plus plans. 

ABC 82155 (09/2006)

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