FHTFACTS

Building healthy relationships

By Karen J McRae MSW, RSW, Riverside-FHT The Family Health Team at the Riverside Campus is bringing you a new and exciting group. This group will be facilitated by Karen McRae a social worker on our team. If you have ever wondered what a healthy relationship is or thought about how you can create healthy relationships in your life this group is for you. Our lives are surrounded by relationships some beginning when we are children with siblings, parents, extended family, teachers and friends. As we enter adulthood our relationships change and we tend to form closer relationships with friends, our partners, our family members and co-workers. All through our lives we search for relationships which meet some of our needs, provide support and caring and bring us a sense of wellbeing and satisfaction. This group will explore ways in which you can develop these types of relationships. It is well understood, in the medical field, that having supportive, caring relationships in our lives has a positive effect on both our physical as well as mental health. As humans we are all social beings who need to have close caring connections and attachment with others in order to thrive. The purpose of this group will be the development of skills both to recognize a healthy relationship when we have one and to create further healthy relationships in our lives. Through education and discussion the following skill areas will be addressed in the group. 1. Becoming more self-aware in terms of what we need in a relationship. Expanding our ability to notice the positive aspects of ourselves and others. In the process building our sense of self-confidence and self-worth. Learning more about how relationships work. Learning more about the patterns of communication which can typically develop in relationships. Developing our skill in creating healthy boundaries and limits for ourselves Recognized our need to take care of ourselves in every relationship.

The Ottawa Hospital Academic Family Health Team

Spring 2013

2.

3. 4.

5.

inside this issue

One in four Canadians is living with diabetes Shared Mental Health Care Group update Prescription refills Do I need an annual physical? 2 3 3 4

6.

The group will meet one evening a week for seven weeks. Typically we will meet about 6:30 until 8:00 pm. Please let us know if you are interested in attending the group. Your ideas for the group are always welcome. Please contact me, Karen McRae, at the Riverside Family Health Team if you have any questions.

The Ottawa Hospital Academic Family Health Team

programs and services

Civic Campus Appointments: 613-761-4334 Fax: 613-761-4200 Maurice Grimes Lodge 210 Melrose Ave., Ottawa, ON K1Y 4K7 Hours of operation Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Extended hours (for urgent care only): Monday and Tuesday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Alternate Saturdays, 9 p.m. to 1 p.m. Riverside Campus Appointments: 613-738-8219 Fax: 613-738-8217 1967 Riverside Dr., Ottawa, ON K1H 7W9 Hours of operation Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Extended hours (for urgent care only): Wednesday and Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Being on our email list means that you will get our seasonal Family Health Team newsletter and occasional emails about clinic events and updates. We may also use email to send you reminders about health promotion activities or prevention screening that will benefit you. Your email address will not be shared with anyone else. Just send your email address to: FHT@toh.on.ca

One in four Canadians is living with diabetes

Could it be you?
Here are some sample questions from The Canadian Diabetes Risk Questionnaire CANRISK developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada to help you determine if it could be you. Do you usually do some physical activity such as brisk walking for at least 30 minutes each day? Yes No Have you ever been found to have a high blood sugar either from a blood test, during an illness, or during pregnancy? Yes No Have you ever been told by a doctor or nurse that you have high blood pressure OR have you ever taken high blood pressure pills? Yes No Has anyone in your family ever been diagnosed with diabetes (i.e., mother, father, sister, brother)? Yes No

If you have answered yes to any of these questions and are interested in the full CANRISK questionnaire, you may visit the website at www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cd-mc/diabetes-diabete/canrisk/ index-eng.php or you may request a copy of the questionnaire from our Front Desk Reception staff. The Ottawa Hospital Academic Family Health Team has a Diabetes Team at the Civic and Riverside sites. Each team has a Registered Nurse and a Registered Dietitian. If you are interested in meeting with our Diabetes Team, please call us at 613-798-5555, ext. 13512. No referral is required.

patients corner

Shared Mental Health Care Group update

The Shared Mental Health Care team has been offering groups four or five times per year within the Family Health Team. These groups focus on Depression and Anxiety and are based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) principles. The group is entitled Emotional wellness: Coping Strategies for Depression and Anxiety: a CBT Approach. The group runs for 8 weeks for 1 hr per session. Following completion of this group, participants are invited to attend a monthly drop-in group entitled CBT Maintenance. Also offered is a group that specifically focuses on Social Anxiety. New in 2012 was an innovative pilot project to address gaps in mental health services for youth aged 1624 who are transitioning from child/ adolescent services to adult mental health services. This was a collaboration between Shared Mental Health and the Transitional Mental Health Youth Program, which is a program funded by the Champlain Local Health Integrated Network The Shared Care social worker partnered with the Transitional Mental Health Youth Program social worker to develop and run two groups focused on depression, anxiety and social anxiety, as well as issues of transition to adult-based services. This group format will be used as the basis for future groups to be offered in the wider community. We are currently considering offering more groups for this age group in the future. Shared Mental Health Care groups are funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and open to patients from within the Family Health Team. If you are interested in being referred to one of these groups, please speak to the front desk for more information. Donna Klinck, MSW RSW CCBT Social Worker, Shared Mental Health Care

prevention and health promotion

Prescription refills
Many of our doctors will no longer refill prescriptions by fax or phone. Please make sure you know how many refills you have left on your medications and call for an appointment before you run out. Why arent fax or phone refills a good idea? Treatment with long-term medication needs to be reviewed regularly. Sometimes a medicine will need to be stopped or changed to another one. Sometimes the amount of medication you take will need to be changed. This medication review can only happen in the clinic and not over the phone or fax. How can I keep from running out of medication? Check how many refills are left on your prescription every time you pick up a refill from the pharmacy. If you are not sure how to find this on the label, ask the pharmacy staff to show you. Book an appointment to review your medications as soon as you see that you have no refills left. Bring ALL your medicines to ALL your appointments. This can be a lot of work, but it prevents problems in the future. Ask your doctor how often you need to come to the clinic to review your health. Make sure you have enough refills of all your medication to last until the next planned visit. What if I forget to book an appointment and run out of medication? Call your pharmacy first. In Ontario, most medications can now be temporarily refilled for a few weeks by your pharmacist. Call the Family Health Team and book an appointment. Let the staff know that you are either out of medication completely or that you have only a small refill from the pharmacist.

invest in your health

Do I need an annual physical?

Im a healthy 35 year old guy. Do I really need an annual physical? If youre healthy and do not have any known risk factors at age 35, you do not need to have an annual physical examination but it is recommended that male patients aged 3045 do have a regular check-up every two to three years. A full check-up offers your family doctor an opportunity to talk to you about risk factors in otherwise healthy individuals. Many conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and others can be without symptoms until they become serious. Specifically, your complete check-up may consist of: 1. Discussion of healthy and unhealthy behaviours: Your doctor may ask about smoking, substance use, diet, exercise and other behaviours such as safe driving, helmet and seatbelt use and safe alcohol consumption that can increase or decrease your risk of illness. 2. Counselling for disease prevention: Conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer can potentially be prevented with certain lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking, weight reduction and management of cholesterol, prevention of osteoporosis and blood pressure. 3. Review of your family history 4. Physical examination and investigations: A physical exam may consist of measurement of your blood pressure, weight, visual check and other tests depending on your risk factors. If you have moles, your doctor may inspect your skin to ensure that none are abnormal. Your doctor may also talk to you about recommended tests to help detect diseases that can cause much suffering if left undiagnosed, things like a testicular exam or an examination for sexually transmitted infections. 5. Update your immunizations: Your doctor will review and ensure that you are up-to-date with all your immunizations, including tetanus which is recommended every 10 years. Finally, having a regular checkup gives you the opportunity to develop a trusting relationship with your doctor for your health needs now and for the future. Source: The Globe and Mail [http://m. theglobeandmail.com/life/ health-and-fitness/ask-ahealth-expert/im-a-healthy35-year-old-guy-do-i-reallyneed-an-annual-physical/ article621869/?service=mobile]