Ontario Community Newspapers

Whitby Free Press, 3 Oct 1979, p. 9

The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

1RenrtS Park ~ By GEORGE ASHE, MPP Ç (PC,- Durham West) Public health, nurses are the be'st Tis s m"Lrngs aefor ',Life Week" "Lunes are for Life Week" (October 1-7) wilI be busy on for Durhamn Region Lung Association and otheb, lung associations across Canada, as they alert Canadians to the importAce of keeping their lungi healthy. Local programs sponsored by these Christmas Seal organizations are challenging and en- couraging aduits and teenagers to become aware Of lung diseases and their causes. This yea rs theme, "The Joggers" has been chosen to emphasize the necessity of a healthy life style - a lfestyle that Includes exercise end precludes smoking. Recent statistics show that respiratory diseases such as asthma', em- physema and chronic bron- chitis are on the increase, and that 28 per cent of aduit *Canadians have Some lung deficiency. Major causes cited for this'increase are smoking and air pollution. "Seventy-nine per cent of heavy sniokers develop lung. cancer, -and virtuaily .al Show signs of chronic bron- chitis or emphysema"' says a spokesman for Durham Region Lung Association, I"so jogging and smoking definately don't mix 1 The Durham Region Lung Association will be con- tinuing its family asthma program in Whitby and bet- ter breathing course for aduits in Oshawa during the week, and wil also be con- ducting free fitness tests at the Oshawa 'Centre from 2: 00 p.m. on Friday, October 5th. Special materials wil be distributed through the school system and school visita by Cecil the Sensible Seal will be in full swing. For people who decide to join the health generation and quit smoking during the week, the Association is making available free copies of the "Do-it-Yourself Quit Smoking Course". For a copy of this publication, or for more information on other free Christmias Seal programs and services, cail Durham *Region 'Lung Association at 723-3151. Last week, September 24 to 29, was "Nurses Week" in Durham Region, and during this time a concentrated effort was made to educate and inform the general public of the many services provided to the community by the nursing profession.,Most of us tend to think of a nurse as someone who wears a white-unfiform ànd works in a hospital. While this is partly true, nurses really offer rûany other*services to'the community. One particular aspect of nursing that ties right in with the provincial government's thrust towards preventive medicine is ofered hy the public health nurses. These nurses work under the direction of the Durham Region Health Unit, and àre extremely, well-trained for their, duties. Each one takes.special courses at university aftér their basic RN training. Their major responsibilities are in the prevèntion field, with- particular emphasis being placed upon watching for contagiousdiseases and giving immunization shots.ý A public health nurse wears mnany hats. As a school nurse, she counsels students about their stress-related problems such as neck-pain,. lack of, sleep and feeling "ý'up-tight".. As a pre-natal teacher, she prepares expectant mothers and fathers frchildbirth and family 111e. She can give advice about many 'catching' diseases, and advise parents about what, needies *their, children. need, and when and where to get them. As a visitor to the home, she is qualified to counsel, a family who may-be heading for physical or emotional'probl ems, whether that has to do with diet, drugs, sexor, illness'. Public health nurses work pretty mucih on their own, although a lot of their work, is done in conjunction,'With other community services such as the Children's Aid, home care or Meals on!Wheèls. They also wo rk in local hospitals and doctors offices too, and pass along abservations and recommendations to their own health team back at the Durham Region Health Unit, about the ýneed to follow up on a patient. Most of the work of public health nurses cormes through referrals from other agencies of the friends or relatives of a family with health problemps. Each nurse'hanidles an ywhere from 20 to 60 cases, whîch may consist of a selection of people from, al age -groups, with unique problems that affect his or her own life, and/or'the lives.of others. > Public health nurses approacheach facet of their duties in detail. For instance, in the schools they serve in a consultant capacity, making their services available to both parents and teachersà in an effort'to maintain or improve the, health of each pupil. Tfie nurses, through the health'unit, 'are presently cooperating with the Board of Education in and early identification program, by offering complee health assess- ments for students. Health teaching. and counselling is available to persons recently discharged.fromn hospital. Public health nurses ini Durhami Region are involved in-staffing prenatal groups, VD clinics, early cliildhô'od screening clinics, family planning clinics,' chest clinics- and geriatric clinics. Public health nurses have traditionally kept a v«ery low profile in the, community., because. they do not usually wear a uniform, comfbined with a pleasant, easy-going hianner, they can corne and go practically unnoticed, like a friend dropping by. Any person whose health is at a risk, for whatever reason, may receive the services of the public health nurse through a referral fromf their family. doctor, or by calling the health unit hemselves. In Whitby, the number to cali is 723-8521. Not only are public health nurses extremely good at their jobs, but a significant amount of tax dollars could be saved if everyone used this service to its fullest potential. This would help prevent the serious'ilînesses that require the use «~ costly medical and hospital services. PHONE 666«1819 900m' HOEN ,et BURNWHITIY B T r!iIIw1 MI) i capture it on filme Un KODACOLOR C135 FILM 35mm 24 exp. *1899 SU1PERSMO VIEFILM (KMA4S4P) 50,FEET 6.69 I.DiA. COLOR PRINT FILM 0110 or '126 12.exp. 89* SYLVANIA MAGICUBES 3-s 12 FLA SHES $2.29 SYLVANIA FLASHBAR l183.39 partLy favoarite savîngse a PLANTERS Dry Roastd PEANUTS, 450g *1.49 PLANTERS MIXED NUTS 350 g 1.89 ROWNTREE 'AFTER EIGHT' MINTS 200g *1.39 RDWNTREE HALLOWEEN BARS <Types as Available> LOWNEY LOLLYPOPS With SheII:out Safety.Sticker EVEREADY DISPOSABLE FLASHLUGHT Easy to ha ndie for ail ages.* 17 MEN'S fi LADIES" TELESCOPINO UMBRELLAS Assorted, Attractive and Colourf ul Patterns. So Don't Let the Ramn Spoil Your Funil > 5.99 * CANADA SAFETY COUNCIL RECOMM ENDS THAT CHILOREN, SHOULD CARRY A FLASHLIGHT WHILE TRICK OR TREATING 20" X 24" POSTER tî&SUZE ~COLOUR PRINTS' From Your Colour Negatives or Slides 0f fe expires Satud1ay Nov.17/79, Effective Until October 13t1î. COU RTICE ALLuN PHARMACY 117 Brock St. N. WHITBY 668-2394ý mUtoVA tOt atI LLMLGIMe AvAnAmfAI44twiC»%e MA U 9»M M, IwS AuLM4VAXUAI Mt? * tocAtflU e e. "WeII Worth Looking For' BAI LEY IDA PHARMACY SHORTS IDA PHARMACY 362 Brock St. S 65 Baldwin St. WJHITBY 668-2100I BROOKLIN 655-3301 16's *1-69 5360 *1.49 FULL COCLOUR ENLARG EM ENTS, 1From Your Favourite Colour Negatives or Slides. Mount- I ed in a deluxe Studio Mount. l Regular$ 95 ifs I 64.95a 2 EOCOUPON' Offer expres Satu'day Nov.17/79 ID i t'

Powered by / Alimenté par VITA Toolkit
Privacy Policy