Spring 2015 - St. Joseph`s Health Care London

Transcription

VIGOUR
ST. JOSEPH’S HEALTH CARE LONDON – CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY
SPRING 2015
Senior
Class
32
ways to make the
later years your best
PLUS how the show must go
on for actress Judi Dench
despite a serious eye condition
PARKWOOD INSTITUTE
LEADS IN UNRAVELLING
THE BRAIN’S MYSTERIES
Introducing the
new St. Joseph’s
Hospital
MENTAL HEALTH: A
NEW ERA IN CARE AND
RECOVERY BEGINS
Mariel Hemingway shares her famous family’s past at Breakfast of Champions page 33
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ST. JOSEPH’S NOTEBOOK
RAISING AWARENESS
A specialized St. Joseph’s team is recognized
for its work with abused women
In the Top 10
Each year, “Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals
List” shines a spotlight on the country’s most
innovative hospitals. The list ranks hospitals
across Canada based on their research income
for the year. This includes funds received from all
sources, both internal and external, to support
research at the organization. For 2014, Lawson
Health Research Institute—the research arm of
London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s
Health Care London—is ranked eighth in the
country, moving up one notch from last year
with just over $114.5 million in research income
compared with $103 million in 2012.
Protecting Patients
and Residents
From left, nurses Ann Aarts, Kamala Murphy and Ali Rankin-Nash are part
of the team at St. Joseph’s Regional Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Treatment Centre, which received this year’s Shine the Light Award. Not
pictured are team members Linda Fischer, Karen McGaw, Jessie Goldberg,
Robin Smith, Rebecca Jesney, Caitlin Carreau, Jill Shimer and Laurie Loveland.
St. Joseph’s Regional Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment
Centre (SADVTC) has been recognized for “extraordinary work with
abused women” by the London Abused Women’s Centre. The Shine
the Light Recognition Award was presented during the city’s Shine
the Light on Woman Abuse campaign, which raises awareness of
men’s violence against women by turning cities, regions and counties
purple for the month of November. Every year during the campaign,
a community partner is recognized for excellence in care and support. At St. Joseph’s Hospital, the highly specialized SADVTC team
provides care for people who have been assaulted, both at the time
of the assult and in the months
following. Many care options are
available depending on individual
choice, the nature of the assault
and the time since the assault. Visit
sjhc.london.on.ca/sexualassault
for more information.
Getting your influenza (flu) vaccination can both
protect you from getting sick and prevent you
from unknowingly spreading the flu to others.
Influenza is a serious upper respiratory disease
caused by a virus spread easily from person to
person. Across St. Joseph’s Health Care London,
visitors who have not been vaccinated must wear
a mask when within two metres of patients and
residents when influenza is circulating in the
community. If you are ill with respiratory symptoms, please do not visit. Thank you for helping
to protect patients and residents and preventing
influenza from entering our facilities.
Season of
Celebration Success
The spirit of the season lives on at St. Joseph’s
Health Care London because of outstanding support for the 25th annual Season of Celebration
campaign. Through donor support, vital funds
were raised for resident and patient care and
comfort across St. Joseph’s. Items purchased
through the campaign include blanket warmers,
pressure reducing mattresses,
exercise equipment and
more. Thank you for
your support this
past Christmas
season. ■
SPRING 2015
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CONNECTING WITH OUR COMMUNITY
NEW
FRONTIERS
2
VIGOUR
ST. JOSEPH’S
HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION
2014–2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
With the start of 2015 still fresh,
Dr. Gillian Kernaghan, left,
St. Joseph’s is looking forward to a year
and Michelle Campbell
of exciting new opportunities to advance
mental and physical health care. In the fall, St. Joseph’s reached two pivotal
milestones—the launch of the Parkwood Institute and the opening of our new
156-bed Mental Health Care Building.
Parkwood Institute is now the official name of the geographic location that
brings together the programs of the former Parkwood Hospital—now called
Main Building—and the programs of the former Regional Mental Health Care
London, now housed in our new Mental Health Care Building. Pages 34–37
of this issue of Vim & Vigour provide an inside look at the innovative building
and how it’s specially designed to promote recovery from mental illness.
The vision of Parkwood Institute is to create a vibrant academic health
care community where collaboration in care, teaching and research will drive
advances that minimize the effects of injury, disease and disability. Our work
in brain health and cognitive vitality is an exciting example of this collaborative
approach to tackle today’s greatest health care challenges—dementia, stroke,
neurological injury, traumatic brain injury and mental illness. On pages 6–7,
read how we are leading the way and how you can be part of our success.
Elevating the dialogue around mental illness and its impact on families is
the goal of St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation’s Breakfast of Champions on
April 28. The event will feature American actress Mariel Hemingway and her
family’s long and tragic struggle with depression leading to suicide. The foundation will also present London’s premiere of Hemingway’s documentary,
Running from Crazy.
As we head into spring, we prepare for yet another major milestone—the
official opening of the new wing at St. Joseph’s Hospital and the reopening of
our historic 100-year-old chapel, which has been closed throughout the twoyear renovation project. This significant development marks an end to 17 years
of health care restructuring in London and the beginning of a new era for the
hospital. So just what is St. Joseph’s Hospital now? Find out on pages 4–5.
As always, St. Joseph’s is forging ahead to create the next generation of care,
teaching and research. With the support of our community, we will indeed be
leaders in this next frontier of health care.
Dr. Gillian Kernaghan
President and CEO
St. Joseph’s Health Care London
VIM &
Michelle Campbell
President and CEO
St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation
Peter Mastorakos, Chair
John Haasen
Sally Aarssen
Dr. Gillian Kernaghan
Tim Brown
Paul Kiteley
Michelle Campbell, President
Frank Longo
Lesley Cornelius
Joanne McNamara
Michael Dale
Theresa Mikula
Ian Dantzer
Rick Spencer
Dr. Tim Doherty
Tania Testa
Dianne Evans
Keith Trussler
Mark Farrow
Brian Waltham
Stacey Graham
Paul Way
ST. JOSEPH’S HEALTH CARE LONDON
2014–2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Margaret McLaughlin, Chair
Peter Mastorakos
Jonathan Batch
Pat McNally
Brad Beattie
Rev. Terrence McNamara
John Callaghan
Dr. Mohan Merchea
Phil Griffin
Karen Perkin
Darcy Harris
Patricia Pocock
Dr. Sarah Jarmain
Dr. Adam Rahman
Margaret Kellow
Howard Rundle
Dr. Gillian Kernaghan, President
Bruce Smith
Paul Kiteley
Dr. Michael Strong
Ron LeClair
Bill Wilkinson
Brenda Lewis
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kelsi Break, Sonya Gilpin, Amanda Jackman, Laura Janecka,
Anne Kay, Rebecca Milec, Courtney Morgan, Hannah Mosey,
Dahlia Reich, Renee Sweeney
EDITORS IN CHIEF
Kathy Burrill and Michelle Campbell
EDITOR
Dahlia Reich
PRODUCTION
McMURRY/TMG, LLC
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519 646-6085
sjhcfoundation.org
If you prefer not to receive Vim & VigourTM from St. Joseph’s
Health Care Foundation, please call 519 646-6085.
Vim & Vigour™, Spring 2015, Volume 31, Number 1, is published
quarterly by McMURRY/TMG, LLC, 1-888-626-8779. Vim & Vigour™
is published for the purpose of disseminating health-related information for the well-being of the general public and its subscribers.
The information contained in Vim & Vigour™ is not intended for the
purpose of diagnosing or prescribing. Please consult your physician
before undertaking any form of medical treatment and/or adopting
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Contents
SPRING 2015
The New St. Joseph’s Hospital
A legacy of excellence, and a
future of innovation and discovery.
PAGE 4.
FEATURES
6
Boosting
Brain Health
St. Joseph’s Parkwood
Institute leads in caring for
people with brain disorders.
10
The Long View
Despite a serious
eye condition,
actress Judi Dench is determined to do what she loves
at age 80 and beyond.
14
You: Part 2
Life is full of surprises, and they
don’t stop when you’re on
the other side of 50.
22
Going Through
the Motions
Here’s how to
keep your joints in top shape.
28
Your Last
Chapter:
Expressing
End-of-Life Wishes
It’s something that no one
wants to think about, but
everyone needs to.
33
The Sun
also Rises
At the Breakfast
of Champions, Mariel
Hemingway shares her
family’s experience with
mental illness.
34
38
Reclaiming
Wellness
A new era begins
at Parkwood Institute.
Confidence,
Courage and
Community
A mental health patient’s
successful transition to
independent living.
IN EVERY ISSUE
1 St. Joseph’s Notebook
2 Connecting with Our
Community
8 Faces of St. Joseph’s
39 Inspired to Give
41 This Just In
44 The Truth About Allergies
47 Patient Letters
50 Quiz: Freak Out or
Chill Out?
52 At a Glance: Smoke Alarm
54 In the Market: Spinach
56 Health by the Numbers:
Focus on Fertility
40
An Easy Choice
Offering hope
and support
through Bust a Move for
Breast Health™ London.
46
Powerful
Research
Studying healthy
limits for electromagnetic
exposure.
Can too much
gaming cause
osteoarthritis?
PAGE 43
48
An Event
that Eclipsed
All Others
St. Joseph’s Tribute Dinner is
an out-of-this world success.
16
Studies show
that people
often save the
happiest years
for last.
COVER PHOTO BY NEIL TINGLE-ALLSTAR-GLOBE PHOTOS, INC.
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A LEGACY OF
EXCELLENCE,
A FUTURE OF
INNOVATION
AND DISCOVERY
Introducing the new St. Joseph’s Hospital
BY DAHLIA REICH AND KELSI BREAK
This spring, the new wing of St. Joseph’s Hospital at the
corner of Grosvenor and Richmond streets will officially
open and a 17-year odyssey of restructuring at the
hospital will be complete. So what is St. Joseph’s Hospital
now? With an illustrious 126-year legacy of care, the end
of construction means the beginning of a new era for the
renowned hospital. Here, learn what goes on inside the
walls today, and what the future holds.
It was a most humble beginning—a
modest house with 10 beds, a staff of
three Sisters of St. Joseph and four doctors, and a mission to care for the sick
and dying with respect, excellence and
compassion. The year was 1888. Four
years later, an expansion would see the
creation of a small operating room, lit
by a window and gas lamps, where each
day surgeons operated on three or four
patients with ailments such as appendicitis, gallstones, hernias, hemorrhoids
and varicose veins. The patients would
need a two- to six-week stay in hospital
to recover.
Through the decades—and the many
expansions—that followed, St. Joseph’s
Hospital has continually risen to new
challenges to respond to emerging
needs. Still rooted in the values initiated
4
and instilled by the founding Sisters in
the tradition of faith and caring, the
hospital now is uniquely positioned
for the future in health care. No longer a traditional inpatient facility, St.
Joseph’s is redefining what it means to
be a hospital. Today, teams of physicians and staff specialize in minimally
invasive surgery and diagnosis, care,
and research of complex medical conditions and chronic diseases. Except for
some surgery patients who may stay two
to three days, all care is provided on an
outpatient basis.
World Renowned
Surgical Innovation
Home to 10 state-of-the-art operating
suites and equipped with the latest surgical robotic technology, St. Joseph’s has
At the corner of Wellington and Grosvenor
streets, a new, sleek facade gives St. Joseph’s
Hospital a fresh, modern look.
world renowned surgeons who perform
complex procedures to treat patients
for breast cancer, stomach and bowel
disorders, eye disease, urologic and
gynecologic disorders, hand and upper
limb conditions, nerve damage, reconstructive plastic surgery, and ear, nose
and throat disorders. More than 22,000
surgeries are performed each year with
most patients going home the same day.
The unique culture of St. Joseph’s
Hospital has supported its surgeons to
push the boundaries of knowledge and
practice, using research and ingenuity
to develop procedures that have become
the standard of care around the world,
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DID YOU
KNOW …
3 Medical imaging at St. Joseph’s Hospital has
At St. Joseph’s Hospital, the 65,000-square-foot addition at the corner of Richmond and
Grosvenor streets, features an accessible entrance, research space, a pharmacy, a healing
garden, lots of natural light, barrier-free features, and access to the 100-year-old heritage
chapel, which has been carefully preserved during construction. The new addition will officially
open in the spring.
says chief of surgery Dr. Graham King.
“The future is very bright,” says Dr.
King. “Young surgeons and scientists
continue to come to learn with and join
the team at St. Joseph’s, attracted by
the legacy of surgical innovation and
research excellence.”
Chronic Disease Care
and Prevention
In chronic disease management and
prevention, St. Joseph’s leading experts
provide comprehensive assessment,
diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care
for people across Southwestern Ontario
with chronic pain, diabetes, rheumatic
disorders, osteoporosis, lung disease,
allergies, gastrointestinal disorders,
infectious diseases and heart disease.
The hospital sees a staggering 345,000
outpatient visits each year.
In collaboration with Lawson Health
Research Institute, St. Joseph’s specialists are playing a major role in shaping
current clinical practice guidelines for
diagnosis and management to improve
BY THE NUMBERS: 2013-2014
1,950: number of staff, physicians, trainees, students and volunteers at the
St. Joseph’s Hospital site
31: number of beds now at St. Joseph’s Hospital
2,541: number of inpatient admissions
22,712: day and short-stay surgeries performed
20,000: patients seen at the Norton and Lucille Wolf Breast Care Centre for imaging
and surgery services
346,936: outpatient visits to the various chronic disease clinics
33,215: visits to the Urgent Care Centre
120,000: visits to the Ivey Eye Institute
140,000: imaging exams performed
35,000: clinic visits to the Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre
303: number of Lawson Health Research Institute scientists, staff, volunteers and
students based at St. Joseph’s Hospital
been breaking new ground for decades, producing the first magnetic resonance images
(MRI) in Canada, first bone mineral density
measurement for osteoporosis, and receiving the country’s first PET/CT and whole body
PET/MRI scanners.
3 St. Joseph’s Diabetes Education Centre,
which recently marked 40 years, was one of
the first in Canada.
3 St. Joseph’s Regional Sexual Assault and
Domestic Violence Treatment Centre is the
only facility in the area that conducts forensic
examinations associated with an assault.
3 The Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb
Centre, established in 1992, is the largest such
centre in the country.
3 In 2000 the first modular metallic radial head
arthroplasty in the world was implanted at
St. Joseph’s. Developed in the Roth McFarlane
Centre’s Bioengineering Laboratory of the
Lawson Health Research Institute, this implant
continues to be widely used throughout the
world to replace a commonly fractured bone
in the elbow.
3 In 2005 St. Joseph’s obtained its first surgical
robot, the third such machine in Canada, and
upgraded to the latest da Vinci robot in 2012.
3 At any given time, hundreds of research projects to improve care and outcomes are underway through Lawson Health Research Institute.
health outcomes for generations to
come, explains Dr. Rob McFadden, site
chief of medicine.
All programs have a common goal—
to provide and coordinate care in new
ways focused on each person’s multiple,
complex continuing needs and individual priorities, adds Karen Perkin,
vice president, patient care and chief
nurse executive.
“Patients come to St. Joseph’s with
more than one chronic disease that
requires teamwork across programs
and sites, and with our partners in the
community,” explains Perkin. “We have
realigned our programs to allow patients
to have multiple appointments coordinated on the same day during the same
visit to improve access and the patient
journey. We are creating a patient experience not available anywhere else.” ■
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BOOSTING
BRAIN HEALTH
St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute experts are
leading the way in discovery and care for people
with brain disorders BY ANNE KAY AND SONYA GILPIN
W
ith 86 billion neurons
and a dense network of
blood vessels, it’s little
wonder that when the
brain is jostled about in an accident or
assaulted by disease, it can have a devastating impact on our memories, thoughts,
movements and life as we know it.
Taking aim at this fallout is
St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute. Here,
experts are tackling dementia, stroke,
neurological injury, traumatic brain
injury and mental illness with innovative approaches and research to help
predict and improve quality of life.
Highly specialized care providers and
researchers are collaborating in new
ways, making connections across patient
groups, and creating synergies not
found at any other hospital in Ontario.
WEBSITE
Be Part of
the Solution
Your donation can play a key
role in care and discovery in
brain health at St. Joseph’s
Parkwood Institute. Learn
more by visiting St. Joseph’s
Health Care Foundation at
sjhcfoundation.org.
6
Because brain disorders and injury
and mental illness affect so many,
has committed to raising $10 million
toward care and discovery that will
touch thousands of lives in London and
across Southwestern Ontario. The following is a glimpse of this important
work at St. Joseph’s and its research
arm, Lawson Health Research Institute.
Unravelling Mysteries
of the Brain
St. Joseph’s is home to clinicians and
Lawson Health Research Institute
researchers known around the world
for their innovative advances in boosting brain health. Together, they are a
think tank, driving discoveries and playing a key role in unravelling the mysteries of the brain to reduce the toll of
today’s most complex and devastating
conditions. Here is a small sample of
their leading-edge research.
Dr. Amer Burhan
Each part of the brain is responsible for
different functions, like memory or the
senses. The front, outer layers of the
brain help regulate attention and emotion; the left side is involved in rational thinking and awareness, while the
right side and deeper structures are
involved in emotion. In depression, the
rational side becomes less active, allowing negative emotions to take over.
Therapy can help restore balance but it
doesn’t always work, and becomes less
tolerable as we age—especially when
coupled with other complex neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease
and stroke.
Geriatric neuropsychiatrist Dr. Amer
Burhan is using transcranial magnetic
stimulation (TMS) to deliver short,
rapidly changing magnetic pulses to
Dr. Amer Burhan
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LORETTA’S STORY
Loretta Meaker is a teacher, published author,
mother of three and grandmother of two. Married
at 17, she criss-crossed Canada as her husband’s
career took the family to Vancouver, Montreal
and Toronto.
With a degree in English, Loretta trained teachers to teach English as a Second Language. When
her teaching career ended unexpectedly in 2002
due to a bout of encephalitis, she looked for a new
challenge and wrote a training book to help teachers interact with students from diverse cultures.
Four years ago Loretta began tackling a new
challenge—Alzheimer’s disease—a blow that was
difficult to accept. “I teach teachers, so it was a
hard pill to swallow.”
Today 76-year-old Loretta is open and candid
about having dementia. “You’re only as young as
you feel, and I feel like I’m 39.”
When Loretta became depressed in 2013 she
was referred to geriatrician Dr. Michael Borrie and
the Aging Brain and Memory Clinic at Parkwood
Institute. “Just coming here for appointments and
knowing someone is looking after Loretta is a big
plus,” says her husband, Don.
Each month, Don drives Loretta from their
home in Port Rowan to London so she can take
part in an Alzheimer’s clinical trial. The 2,100
Loretta Meaker, with research coordinator
Elsa Mann, is taking part in a major
international Alzheimer’s study to test
an experimental treatment.
participants in this international study receive a
monthly infusion of either an antibody or a placebo. The goal is to see whether the antibody will
prevent the formation of amyloid plaques and spur
their potential decrease. People with Alzheimer’s
disease have more of these plaques in their brains,
which clump together and block the ability of cells
to signal to one another.
“The antibody will not be a cure, but it may slow
the progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” says registered nurse Elsa Mann, who is coordinating the
research study at Parkwood Institute. That’s exactly
what Loretta and Don are hoping for so they can
continue adding new memories to their lives.
Dr. Manuel
Montero-Odasso
stimulate parts of the brain impacted by
depression. By changing brain activity,
he hopes to restore balance and reduce
the effects of cognitive impairment
and depression.
Dr. Michael Borrie
Detecting the earliest changes of
Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms
occur offers the best chance of slowing
or stopping the disease. Geriatrician
Dr. Michael Borrie and his team are
studying the natural course of neurodegeneration, measuring sensitive
indicators or biomarkers using several
neuroimaging techniques. They are
also conducting studies of nonclinical
approaches, such as exercise and diet,
and looking at promising drugs that
have the potential to modify the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition to how we think, the brain
also affects how we move. A number of
different areas work together to plan
and execute our movements, including
timing, direction and balance. When
symptoms of dementia emerge, often
falls and other mobility issues do too.
While these two conditions appear to be
linked, they are rarely treated together.
Geriatrician Dr. Manuel MonteroOdasso is a renowned expert on the link
between the brain and mobility. He is
currently testing a dual approach that
combines exercise and medication to
treat both issues at once. Through more
well-rounded treatment, he hopes to
improve assessment and care.
Dr. Tim Doherty
The brain doesn’t just influence our
movements, but also our muscles. To
make a muscle contract, the brain sends
a signal through special links between
neuron and muscle. Through natural
aging and disorders like ALS and arthritis, these connections break down. This
means muscles are activated less often,
causing them to become weak and
waste away.
Physiatrist Dr. Tim Doherty is an
international leader exploring the link
between brain and muscle performance.
He specializes in developing and refining tests that use electrical impulses to
measure how muscles respond to stimulation. By flagging changes, he hopes to
help identify disease and opportunities to
build strength in surrounding muscles. ■
On page 47, read what
Lawson researcher Alexandre
Legros is discovering about the
impact of electromagnetic fields
on brain activity.
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FACES OF ST. JOSEPH’S
INSPIRED TO LEAD
Jeff Macoun brings his generosity of spirit and expertise to
St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation as campaign chair
With infinite energy and enthusiasm, Jeff Macoun believes in
community. For this Londoner,
that means giving back—tirelessly, with
great leadership and a big heart.
Since moving to London in 1993,
Macoun and his wife, Marjie, have made
a difference to countless lives through
their volunteer leadership and support
of numerous organizations in London.
A recent recipient of the Governor
General’s Caring Canadian Award, the
senior vice-president at Great West Life
revels in his unpaid and busy role of
supporting London’s charitable institutions. Currently serving as St. Joseph’s
Health Care Foundation’s campaign
chair, Macoun is helping to champion
philanthropic support of transformational care and research initiatives that
enable St. Joseph’s to improve lives
across the region and beyond.
An inspiring community leader,
Macoun says he finds inspiration at
St. Joseph’s. Here, he explains why.
Vim & Vigour: You could make
an impact as a volunteer anywhere. What motivates you to lead
St. Joseph’s fundraising campaign?
Jeff Macoun: I am inspired because
St. Joseph’s has a great story to tell,
from the Sisters of St. Joseph and the
organization’s other founders, to its
many medical “firsts” that have added
to excellence in health care. It’s a story
of compassion, innovation and excellence, and a lasting legacy that’s made
an impact on our community.
8
Vim & Vigour: What do you hope
the campaign will do for people in
our region?
Macoun: I hope the campaign will
shine a light on the incredible worldclass facilities we have in London. I
hope people will join me and marvel at
the care St. Joseph’s provides and the
life-changing work being done that has
impact, far-reaching and close to home.
Vim & Vigour: You share
St. Joseph’s quest for stronger,
healthier communities. How do
you see your efforts—and that
of many volunteers—helping to
achieve that mission?
Macoun: I see my role, and the role
of our volunteers, as helping to inspire
others to be part of the St. Joseph’s
story. I have seen first-hand the impact
donations can have on the health and
well-being of people who come to
St. Joseph’s for care. I want our volunteers to share those stories as a way to
continue our mission of making a lasting
difference in the quest to live fully.
Jeff Macoun
Vim & Vigour: How will funds
raised through the campaign make
a difference?
Macoun: Donations enable good health
care to become great health care. With
the help of a giving community we will
be able to support health care innovation and discovery at St. Joseph’s that
would otherwise not be possible.
Vim & Vigour: What is unique about
St. Joseph’s and this campaign
in particular?
Macoun: It’s not what St. Joseph’s does
that I marvel at, it’s how they do it that is
so inspiring. There is something special
about St. Joseph’s, so special that I think
people want to be part of it. ■
WEBSITE
Supporting St. Joseph’s
There are many ways to be part of St. Joseph’s as a volunteer or a
donor. Your generosity of spirit will make a difference for thousands
across the region served by the organization. Visit St. Joseph’s Health
Care Foundation at sjhcfoundation.org for more information.
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“I have seen first-hand the
impact donations have on
the health and wellbeing
of people who come to
St. Joseph’s for care.
I’tom inleaspdired
because donor support
enables investment in
innovation and discovery
that would otherwise
not be possible.”
Jeff Macoun is inspired by the
care providers, volunteers and
donors who make St. Joseph’s
a leading academic health care
organization.
Give today.
Inspire tomorrow.
e inspired to
B
take the next step
BECAUSE WE ALL NEED ST. JOSEPH’S
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Jeff Macoun,
Volunteer Campaign Chair,
St. Joseph's Health Care Foundation,
Sr. Vice President, Group Sales
& Marketing, Great West Life
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THE
LONG
VIEW
PHOTO BY NEIL TINGLE-ALLSTAR-GLOBE PHOTOS, INC.
Despite a serious eye condition, actress
JUDI DENCH is determined to do what she
loves at age 80 and beyond BY AMY SAUNDERS
10
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JUDI DENCH never read
the script for Philomena,
the film that earned
her an Academy Award
nomination in 2013. She
couldn’t see the words.
W
Macular degeneration, an incurable
disease that results in the loss of central
vision, requires that Dench memorize
lines by listening to friends and co-stars
read aloud. These days, as daylight fades
into darkness, she struggles even to distinguish the face of a companion across
the dinner table.
But Dame Judy isn’t just known for
playing commanding women, from
queens of England to James Bond’s
boss. She’s equally determined in her
off-screen life. After turning 80 in
December, she insists on acting for
as long as she can. “I suppose I could
always be wheeled onstage if necessary,”
she told The Guardian
Guardian. She bristles at
the oft-asked question, when is it time
to stop?
“It’s the rudest word in my dictionary,
retire,” she told The Hollywood Reporter
last year. “And old is another one. I don’t
allow that in my house.” >
SPRING 2015
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Hollywood Debut at 61
After all, at the age when many might
be counting down to retirement, Dench
was only beginning her movie career.
In 1995, when she made her
Hollywood debut as M in the James
Bond film GoldenEye, the native of York,
England, had been acting onstage for
nearly four decades, tackling some of
Shakespeare’s greatest roles: Juliet,
Ophelia, Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra.
Dench hadn’t aspired to be on-screen,
preferring the interactivity and improvisation of the stage. And she was told
early in her career that she wasn’t
cut out for the camera—she had
“every single thing wrong” with her
face, she recalled in an interview
with The Guardian.
But at 61, Dench took on the role of
M, which she would reprise for six more
Bond movies. An actress unknown to
most Canadians and Americans was on
the verge of quite the second act.
Between 1997 and 2001, Dench
received four Academy Award nominations, collecting a win in 1998 for playing Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in
Love. She now has seven Oscar nominations to her name, more than any other
60-plus actor in history, according to
imdb.com.
The Action of Acting
Dench hasn’t allowed herself to slow
down. Thanks to a nearly nonstop filming schedule, she has amassed more
than 40 film and TV credits in the past
two decades. This March, she stars in
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2, a sequel
to the 2011 comedy about British retirees moving to India.
She paused only in 2001 when her
husband of 30 years, actor Michael
Williams, died of lung cancer. Even
then, Dench chose to push on through
her grief, beginning her work on The
Shipping News within weeks. “It’s the
best thing I could have done,” she told
The Times of London.
In focusing on her career, Dench has
also challenged herself physically. In
2013, she had knee replacement surgery
less than six weeks before the premiere
of Philomena. “I said to my surgeon, ‘On
October 16, I will walk up a red carpet
unaided,’ and so I did,” she told Britain’s
Daily Mirror. “You set your mind to a
goal and go for it.”
Dr. Saralaine Johnstone of Cleveland
Clinic Canada in Toronto sees multiple
benefits in Dench’s pursuits. “I think any
activity that you are passionate about,
whether it be acting or something else,
can help you to age well,” Dr. Johnstone
explains. “The engagement and connection with others who are like-minded,
along with having a sense of purpose, is
an important part of feeling good about
yourself at any age.”
Following a similar regimen hardly
requires Academy Award-winning
10 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY)
1 She beat out Laurence Olivier and
John Gielgud for greatest stage actor
ever. That’s according to readers of the arts
publication The Stage, who in 2010 voted to
bestow the honour.
2 She can sing, too. In 1968, Dench
played the lead in the original London
production of Cabaret. More recently, she
sang a number in the 2009 film Nine.
3 Her Highness thinks highly of her.
Dench, appointed a Dame in 1988, was
in 2005 named by Queen Elizabeth II a
Companion of Honour—a recognition given
to only 47 Brits at a time.
4 Acting is part of the family business.
Dench’s father was a physician for a theatre
12
company, and her mother served as wardrobe mistress. Her late husband and brother
were actors, as is her daughter.
special horse, with so much still to give,
who deserves the chance to live his new life
to the full,” Dench said in a press release.
5 She initially wanted to be a set
designer. At the Central School of Speech
and Drama, Dench later changed her course
of study to acting.
8 You can hear her voice at Epcot …
Since 2008, Dench’s voice has narrated
the ride inside Spaceship Earth, the famous
“golf ball” at Disney World in Florida.
6 After attending a Quaker boarding
school at 14, she adopted the religion.
“I think it informs everything I do,” she told
the U.K.’s Channel 4 News.
9 … and in cartoons about dancing
mice. For the children’s TV series Angelina
Ballerina, Dench lent her voice to Miss Lilly,
the ballet instructor who teaches Angelina—
voiced by Finty Williams, Dench’s daughter.
7 She co-owned a racehorse, Smokey
Oakey. Last year Dench gifted her beloved
horse, upon his retirement, to an equestrian centre that hosts a riding program
for disabled children. “Smokey is a very
10 She has made needlepoint gifts for
co-stars. But not in a grandmotherly way:
The foul phrases she stitched aren’t suitable
for print.
S P RIN G 2015
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PHOTO COURTSEY THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
DON’T KNOW ABOUT JUDI DENCH
Judi Dench
and Steve
Coogan in
the 2013 film
Philomena.
ambition. Completing a crossword
puzzle gives the mind a workout, while
walking even 15 minutes each day has
been shown to prolong a healthy life.
She encourages patients to incorporate activity into daily routines. Park a
bit farther from your destination, walk
instead of driving whenever possible and
take the stairs. “Maintaining your physical health—strength, balance, agility,
endurance—is very important to aging
well. And anything that gets you up and
moving will contribute,” she says.
Dench has said that she loves quizzes
and trivia for the same reason she loves
acting: the opportunity to learn. Every
role, she has said, presents a challenge
that must be overcome.
“I never want to stop,” she told The
Guardian. “I need to learn every day.”
PHOTO COURTSEY THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
Optimistic Aging
Dench hates to be reminded that she’s
80—nearly twice the age she feels. “I am
about 43, a tall, willowy, blond 43-yearold with long legs,” she joked to the
Daily Mirror last year.
She doesn’t elaborate about how
difficult it must be to memorize lines
she can’t read, or connect with co-stars
she can’t see. She often remarks that
she’d rather listen to the script anyway.
“It is much better having the story
told to you, because ultimately that’s
LEADING IN
CARE AND
RESEARCH
what the job is, telling an audience the
story,” she told the Daily Mirror.
Dench embodies the attitude associated with a long, healthy life, says
Dr. Hilary Tindle, an internist and
the author of Up: How Positive Outlook
Can Transform Our Health and Aging.
In an eight-year study of nearly
100,000 women, Dr. Tindle and her
colleagues found that optimists had a
30 per cent lower risk for death from
heart disease compared with pessimists.
The optimists—generally, people who
expect a positive future—also were less
likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and obesity.
Optimism doesn’t mean denying
or ignoring problems, but embracing
the idea that life can be changed—
a skill, Dr. Tindle says, that can
be learned.
“Positive people, in the true sense
of the word, learn to acknowledge the
adversity that’s around them,” she says.
“They just shift their attention to the
good things that are happening.”
For her part, Dench acknowledged
to The Hollywood Reporter that living
with macular degeneration—unable to
enjoy reading, painting or sewing as
she used to—is “very, very difficult.”
“But these are all of the negatives,”
she said. “I don’t want to really think
about all that. What I can do, I do.” ■
While age-related macular degeneration
(AMD) is the leading cause of severe vision
loss in the developed world—affecting an
estimated one million Canadians—it’s just
one eye disease diagnosed and treated at
St. Joseph’s Hospital in London.
St. Joseph’s world renowned Ivey Eye
Institute has more than 120,000 patient
visits a year for eye diseases and conditions
such as low vision, cataracts, strabismus
(crossed and lazy eyes), retinal conditions
and glaucoma. Ivey Eye is the main referral centre for eye disease in Southwestern
Ontario and a leader in diagnostics,
treatment and research. The institute is
recognized as a premier Canadian centre
for cataract removal and intraocular lens
implantation, and for excellence in foldable implant technology, drug therapy and
clinical trial research.
A dedicated science laboratory within Ivey
Eye conducts full-time cell-based research
to investigate the causes and potential new
treatments for glaucoma and AMD. As an
academic teaching centre, Ivey Eye, in partnership with Western University, provides
learning opportunities for all levels of physician residents, who are taught best practice
in eye care and treatment.
St. Joseph’s Ivey Eye team believes in
caring for the body, mind and spirit of
patients and works to ensure those living
with vision loss are connected with the
community resources they need to live full
productive lives.
EVENT
Run for Retina
Lace up those runners and join
in the Run for Retina on April
12 in support of St. Joseph’s
Ivey Eye Institute. Since 2001,
this event has raised awareness and more than $500,000
for research and equipment
related to macular degeneration. Get involved today by
visiting sjhcfoundation.org.
SPRING 2015
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THE BIG STORY
PHOTO BY GETTY/JOSHUA BLAKE
14
S P RIN G 2015
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1/8/15 10:12 AM
YOU:
PART 2
PHOTO BY GETTY/JOSHUA BLAKE
Life is full of surprises, and they
don’t stop when you’re on the other
side of 50. Here’s what you can expect from
your second act BY BOB PAYNE
SPRING 2015
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FINDING
JOY
Older people tend
to enjoy the present
instead of worrying
about the future.
HAPPY
DAYS
be still ahead.
16
PHOTO BY GETTY/DALY AND NEWTON
Older people, studies
show, are more
content than younger folks
Remember the good ol’ days,
when your biggest worry was
what outfit to wear to school?
Life seemed easier, slower,
more innocent back then. Well,
no need to get too nostalgic,
because for people moving
past 50, the happiest days may
S P RIN G 2015
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“Study after study is showing that
older people are happier than the middleaged, and happier still than younger
people,” says Laura Carstensen, PhD,
author of A Long Bright Future: Happiness,
Health, and Financial Security.
The Paradox of Aging
A REFRESHER COURSE
FOR THE SENIOR YEARS
St. Joseph’s Fully Alive program is billed as a life refresher course for the third
age of life. The program explores ways to improve self-esteem and cope with
change. With joys, sorrows and disappointments all part of the human journey, participants are taught techniques to harness these emotions through
words and laughter, explains Bev Farrell, a therapeutic recreation specialist
with St. Joseph’s Specialized Geriatric Services’ Third Age Outreach program.
Participants also learn to leverage their mental and spiritual strengths by
opening their minds to the power of forgiveness and the delight of daydreaming.
As well, the program explains ways of addressing stress, grief and depression,
and cultivating solitude and new relationships.
With a lifetime of knowledge, participants review lessons learned so far in
their lives, and make plans for the future.
At 21, a serious car accident landed
Carstensen, a professor of psychology
and public policy at Stanford University
and the founding director of the Stanford
Center on Longevity, in a hospital room
with three elderly women who were
showing the ill effects of being unable
to care for themselves. This first inkling
of what it was like to be old set her on a
career that examined aging. Along the
way, she discovered something called
the paradox of aging—that older people
often have a better sense of well-being
than everyone else.
From her work, Carstensen and her
colleagues developed a theory as to why
that might be. Socioemotional selectivity means that as you grow older, and
recognize that you are getting closer
to the end, you focus on what matters
now instead of the long-term goals that
occupy younger people.
“As a result, older people find life
less stressful, they worry less about the
small stuff, they don’t get as angry, they
don’t linger over negative feelings as
much, they are better at reconciliation,
and although they can be sad, they are
better at accepting it,” Carstensen says.
decision with an eye to the long term,
they develop a more positive outlook.
The golden years, of course, are not
all golden, and happiness does not
continue to grow into extreme old age.
As people pass 70 or so, and illness,
infirmity, and, for some, loss of social
status and declining bank accounts,
begin to take their toll, the happiness
curve levels off and then heads down.
“But it never gets back to the level
of younger people,” Carstensen says.
In fact, she says in A Long Bright
Future, in an era of longer life spans,
“despite being flush with youthful
vigour and opportunity, twentysomethings are the most depressed and
stressed out of any age group.”
The Secret: Fewer,
Closer Relationships
Happy Elders = Happy
Society
PHOTO BY GETTY/DALY AND NEWTON
A primary way older people demonstrate
their focus on the now is by replacing
a larger number of casual relationships
with fewer, closer ones. They winnow
out the people they used to think they
had to tolerate, whether they liked them
or not: people, perhaps, who could benefit them careerwise or socially. And
with decreasing pressure to make every
As advances in science and technology
continue to increase life expectancy
and the age of the population (between
2015 and 2021, for the first time in the
history of the Canadian population, the
number of people 65 and older will surpass the number of children younger
than 14), one intriguing aspect of the
happiness of older people is the effect it
CALL
Join In
For information on Fully
Alive and other Third Age
Outreach programs that
promote wellness, personal
development, independence
and improved quality of life
for seniors, call 519 661-1621
or 519 661-1620.
could have on society as a whole.
What if, as Carstensen suggests, that
to help solve problems facing us on a
national or even global scale, our society makes use of an ever-increasing
segment of the population—one with
a lifetime of experience and knowledge, that doesn’t anger easily, doesn’t
stress over the small stuff, and is good
at reconciliation?
The answer, she said, at a presentation she gave in 2011, is that we could
have a better society “than we have
ever known.”
And wouldn’t that make everybody
happy? ■
SPRING 2015
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FINDING
HEALTH
BLUEPRINT FOR
A SECOND ACT
It seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? Eat your
veggies, watch your weight, exercise regularly
and don’t smoke, and you likely will have fewer
health problems and live longer.
But who spends an entire lifetime
following that path? Not baby boomers, it turns out. While living longer,
the generation born in 1946 through
1964 (the first of them turned 65 in
2011) is less healthy than their parents
were at the same stage in life.
Boomer Lifestyle:
Not What You Think
According to the Heart and Stroke
Foundation’s 2013 Report on the Health
of Canadians, baby boomers need to
change their ways if they want to enjoy
their golden years. Canadians are living longer, but there’s a 10-year gap
between how long people live and how
long they live in good health.
That could be due, in part, to some
unhealthy habits. The poll found that
85 per cent of Canadian baby boomers
are not eating enough fruits and vegetables, 40 per cent don’t get enough
18
exercise, 21 per cent smoke, and 11 per
cent are heavy drinkers.
“Baby boomers have an understandable sense of entitlement to good health
and good living, but if we don’t make
some small changes in our everyday
lives, there is a chance they may be the
first generation of people who have a
reduced life expectancy despite modern technology and innovation,” says
Dr. Beth Abramson, a Heart and Stroke
Foundation spokeswoman and the
author of Heart Health for Canadians.
Small Changes,
Big Differences
It’s not too late to make a difference.
Lifestyle modifications related to
diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption can reduce the risk of heart
disease and stroke by up to 80 per cent,
and improve quality of life in the golden
years, Dr. Abramson says.
But that’s easier said than done.
“I think, for many people, walking the
walk and talking the talk are two different things,” Dr. Abramson explains.
“We lead very fast-paced lives and we’re
using our thumbs and our brains on
computers and smartphones, but we’re
not out there and going back to basics.
We’re not walking and we’re not being
active. We’re not eating as healthily
as we should. And I think that has a
large impact.”
Inactivity poses a big threat for
boomers, yet many still lead sedentary
lifestyles. “Being active does not mean
you need to put on spandex and go to
a gym. It does mean you need to incorporate healthy activity and healthy
living into your everyday routine,”
Dr. Abramson says.
Quitting smoking is another way
to turn back the clock. “We’ve made
some strides with smoking, but if
you’re a boomer and you’re smoking, it’s never too late to quit. It will
improve your quality of life and even
potentially your quantity of life, even
at mid-life and beyond.”
S P RIN G 2015
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PHOTO BY CORBIS/ALLOY
Chip-chomping couch potatoes can turn
back the clock, even in middle age
Adopting an exercise routine
and other lifestyle changes can
reduce your risk of heart disease.
A LEAP
FOR GOOD HEALTH
PHOTO BY CORBIS/ALLOY
Never Too Late
Biologically, the tendency for high blood
pressure and high cholesterol levels,
diabetes, coronary heart disease and
stroke increases with age. That’s a fact
boomers need to understand, but it’s
not a reason to throw in the towel on
your health, Dr. Abramson says. “I don’t
think we should take an ‘Oh, it’s going
to happen to me’ approach and ignore it.
I think we should take the approach that
we’re at risk as we age and we want to
enjoy life. Because 70 is the new 60, but
you want to make sure you can enjoy
the retirement years and the rest of
your life in health.”
Ultimately, boomers have the ability to “make health last,” she says.
“It’s understanding our risk and being
proactive that will make a difference.” ■
“You can’t take care of others if you don’t take care of yourself,” says Bev Farrell,
a therapeutic recreation specialist with St. Joseph’s Third Age Outreach program.
“It’s important to do things for yourself to stay healthy.”
Research shows that people who are socially connected and have activities
that are important to them have better resiliency to cope and heal when facing
health problems.
The Leisure Education Awareness
Program (LEAP) at Third Age
CALL
Outreach is designed to help older
adults do just that. Participants learn
about the benefits of a satisfying leisure lifestyle, how to develop leisure
skills and interests, and the leisure
For information on LEAP and
opportunities available in the comother Third Age Outreach
munity. LEAP also helps participants
programs that promote wellbuild confidence, make new friends,
ness, personal development,
and find solutions to personal barindependence and improved
riers, such as a lack of leisure skills,
quality of life for seniors,
resources and social contacts that
please call 519 661-1621 or
are standing in the way of meaning519 661-1620.
ful leisure pursuits.
Access Resources
SPRING 2015
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FINDING
SUPPORT
THE ELEPHANT
IN THE ROOM:
GUILT
5 ways to overcome the selfreproach almost universal
among Alzheimer’s caregivers
GUILT FIX NO. 1:
Be the Decider
“Caring for Alzheimer’s patients can
force the caregiver to make decisions,
20
GUILT FIX NO. 2:
Lower Expectations
A key to avoiding frustration and
anger, Dr. Rabins says, is to accept
that changes in behaviour, as difficult as they may be to deal with,
especially when they involve the loss
of social skills and social graces, are
caused by the disease, and are not
the person’s fault.
PHOTO BY GETTY/BURAZIN
A unique aspect of caring for
Alzheimer’s patients, says dementia
care expert Dr. Peter Rabins, a geriatric psychiatrist and the author of The
36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for
Persons with Alzheimer Disease, Related
Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in
Later Life, is that at some point almost
all caregivers become frustrated, even
angry, which leads to the guilt.
about driving, cooking and finances,
for example, that the person with the
illness would have made for themselves were they well,” Dr. Rabins says.
“This is often upsetting to the person
with the illness and induces guilt in
the caregiver.”
What a caregiver must realize, he
says, is that those sometimes-difficult
substitute decisions, if they protect
the person with the illness and others
from harm, are the right decisions.
S P RIN G 2015
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PHOTO BY GETTY/KONDOROS ÉVA KATALIN
There’s nothing easy about dealing with
Alzheimer’s. But if you are a home caregiver,
one of the biggest challenges is the guilt you
will almost certainly feel.
SEARCHING
FOR SILENT
SIGNS
“You’ve got to have realistic expectations,” he says.
“You’ve got to accept that
what a loved one could do
yesterday they may not
be able to do today, and
what they can do today
they may not be able to
do tomorrow.”
GUILT FIX NO. 3:
It’s OK to Lie
Among specific issues that cause caregiver guilt, a common one is lying in
order to calm a person with Alzheimer’s,
such as saying that a mother is away
for the weekend and will be back on
Monday, when she died many years ago.
“If the person with dementia is clearly
unable to understand the ‘truth,’ and
that is distressing them, then I believe
‘lying’ is justifiable, if other approaches
fail,” Dr. Rabins says.
Other approaches, he says, might
include discussion, redirection or distraction, such as asking the person
what his or her mother’s best quality is.
GUILT FIX NO. 4:
PHOTO BY GETTY/BURAZIN
PHOTO BY GETTY/KONDOROS ÉVA KATALIN
It’s Not OK to Argue
Strategies should not, however,
include arguing. “Argument implies
there is a reasoned discussion. But
if a person has lost that ability due
to dementia, then it is not a useful
approach,” Dr. Rabins says.
Caring for a friend or family member
with Alzheimer’s is, for most people, an
act of love. But as the disease progresses,
the ways that love is recognized, appreciated and expressed are altered, he says.
Many patients, for example, develop
significant impairment in language,
which makes them unable to understand
verbally what is being communicated.
“Touch, tone of voice, and facial
expression (and) body language become
alternate ways to let a person know
they are loved,” Dr. Rabins says.
Give
Nursing Homes a Chance
GUILT FIX NO. 5:
For many families, the previous four
issues pale next to the question of
when is the right time for a person with
Alzheimer’s to go into a nursing home.
“It is an incredibly hard decision
for many people, and there is no one
indicator as to when the time is right,”
Dr. Rabins says.
He has observed that families usually wait longer to make the decision
than they should. There comes a time,
he says, when physical impairment
or needs that can’t be met by a home
caregiver make the move necessary.
A positive note, though, is that people
with Alzheimer’s often do a little better when they go into a long-term care
facility because they are getting physical care they couldn’t at home. Also,
relieved of the responsibility for dayto-day physical care, loved ones often
fi nd they are better able to provide the
personal, loving interaction that is so
important, too.
For anyone newly faced with caring for a family member or friend with
Alzheimer’s, all of this can seem overwhelming. Just remember, Dr. Rabins
says: Make every decision an act of love,
and it will probably be a good one. ■
St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute is
among four clinical research sites
in Canada taking part in a major
international Alzheimer’s study to
see whether an experimental drug
can protect healthy seniors whose
brains harbour silent signs that
they’re at risk of the disease.
Called the Anti-Amyloid
Treatment in Asymptomatic
Alzheimer’s study (the A4 study),
the trial is testing a new investigational treatment called an
amyloid antibody. Amyloid is a
protein normally produced in the
brain that can build up in older
people, forming amyloid plaque
deposits. Scientists believe this
buildup of deposits may play a key
role in the eventual development
of Alzheimer’s disease-related
memory loss.
The goal of the A4 study is to
test whether decreasing amyloid
with antibody investigational
treatment can help slow the memory loss associated with amyloid
buildup in some people.
WEBSITE
Imaging for Clues
For the A4 study, scientists will
enroll 1,000 adults who have
an “elevated” level of amyloid
plaque in their brain. They will
use an imaging test, called a
PET scan, to determine whether
there is evidence of this plaque
buildup. It’s the largest study
to date to scan the brains of
healthy seniors to see if they’re
at risk of dementia through slow
buildup of the so-called “sticky”
protein. More information is
available at a4study.org.
SPRING 2015
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GOING
THROU G
THE
MOTI O
O
a
b
a
H
th
BY
22
S P RIN G 2015
FdVVSP1586_22-27_Joints.indd 22
12/19/14 9:42 AM
U GH
Our joints endure
a lifetime of
bending, twisting
and rotating.
Here’s how to keep
them in top shape
W
ithout your joints,
you wouldn’t be able
to walk, stand or
sit. And you certainly
couldn’t tackle complex tasks
like buttoning a shirt, texting or
busting out a killer dance move
at your granddaughter’s wedding.
More than 200 joints connect
your bones, and despite their usefulness, they’re easy to take for
granted—that is, until they get
stiff or achy.
As you journey through life,
the pressure you put on your
hardworking joints adds up. But
that’s hardly an excuse to plop on
the couch and throw your feet up.
“Life is a marathon. … You just
have to pace yourself properly,”
says Dr. Howard A. Winston, a
sports medicine physician and a member of
the Canadian Academy
of Sports & Exercise
Medicine. So staying active—without
overdoing it—is the
best strategy for
keeping your joints
gliding smoothly.
I ONS
BY KIMBERLY OLSON
SPRING 2015
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Limber Beginnings
24
PREGNANT PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK; BOY PHOTO BY GETTY/PHOTOSINDIA
It’s hard to imagine not having joints, but that’s
how we begin. An embryo’s legs are solid and
unbending. Then, at eight to 12 weeks, those
legs start to indent, gradually forming the knee
and hip joints. Fetal joints go through some
pretty awkward positions in the womb—and
bend even more as the baby travels through the
birth canal—so infants have the sort of flexibility
that would put a Cirque du Soleil performer to
shame. That mobility stays with them through
their toddler years.
As kids leave toddlerhood behind,
many graduate from playtime
to organized sports, ramping up the impact on their
joints. During their growth
spurt, which will continue through their
teens, their joints are the healthiest they’ll
ever be. But that doesn’t mean the younger
set is invincible, even if they are dashing
around the house in a superhero cape. At both
ends of their long bones, kids have growth
plates—areas of growing cartilage—that are
vulnerable to fractures. Pint-sized soccer, basketball and volleyball players may develop a
painful bump below the knee, called OsgoodSchlatter disease. Growth plate injuries are
also common in football, gymnastics, biking
and skateboarding.
3 WHAT YOU CAN DO: “The best way to
prevent injury is to not expose joints to a
running, jumping kind of sport. But that’s not
really fun for the child,” Dr. Winston says.
“So before they expose themselves to repetitive trauma, we try to get the muscles strong.
Cross training is always a good idea.”
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PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK
Getting in
the Game
PREGNANT PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK; BOY PHOTO BY GETTY/PHOTOSINDIA
PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK
Teen Knees
In adolescence, the growth plates become
solid bone. But now, the ligaments—bands
of tissue that connect bones—become the
weak link. “Ligaments are more pliable, but
bones grow faster than ligaments, muscles
and tendons can keep up,” Dr. Winston
says. That puts teens at risk since
ligaments are important for the
stability of a joint. Because of
girls’ wider hips, the thighbone takes a sharper angle
from knee to hip, making the knees especially
vulnerable. It may not
be fair, but female
athletes in jumping or pivoting
sports like basketball are up to 10
times more likely
than males to tear
their anterior cruciate
ligament (ACL), a major
knee component.
3 WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Teens who are physically active
reap the rewards—a boost in the
blood supply to their joints and
greater joint lubrication. Teenage
athletes should also condition
their muscles for better joint
stability. During puberty, muscle
mass around joints doesn’t keep
up with their growth (especially
in girls), so it’s important to do
strength training and take care of
issues right away. “It’s very important that, if they get injured, they are
treated properly so they can heal properly and not have permanent wearing
of the joint,” Dr. Winston says.
STRATEGIES
FOR JOYFUL
JOINTS
Your joints, like any hardware, get worn with
use. But developing a few healthy habits can help
safeguard them.
LIGHTEN THE LOAD If you’re over your ideal
weight, slimming down can make every step that
much gentler. “It’s not fair to say someone who
is overweight is going to create a degenerative
joint, but if someone with a degenerative joint is
overweight, that can be an issue,” says Dr. Howard
A. Winston, a sports medicine physician and a
member of the Canadian Academy of Sports &
Exercise Medicine.
KEEP MOVING Getting regular activity increases
your range of motion and reduces inflammatory
markers in your blood, like c-reactive protein,
which signal unhealthy changes. “Motion in general
is really important,” Dr. Winston says. “A risk factor to developing a degenerative joint is inactivity.
Activity is important for the health of cartilage and
joints, but the question is how much motion and
pounding can a joint take. Use your judgment.” He
adds that smooth gliding motions have less impact
and are much more favourable for the longevity of
a healthy joint.
STAY STRONG Strengthening the muscles around
the joints is important—building your quadriceps
and hamstrings, for example, helps stabilize your
knees. But don’t stop there. Research shows that
it’s also important to develop your overall strength,
which includes working your core, glutes and posterior muscles. “General strengthening, stretching,
flexibility and core strengthening is a winning recipe
at every level. It’s just a matter of to what degree,”
Dr. Winston says.
EAT SMART A growing body of research
shows that a diet high in fruit, vegetables, whole
grains and beans can prevent arthritis or alleviate
its symptoms.
MIND YOUR POSTURE Slumping puts stress
on the spinal and shoulder joints and can damage them, so get into the practice of sitting and
standing up straight. You’ll look better, too!
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26
Staying Fluid After 40
Into our 40s and 50s, the first few steps in the morning may be a bit stiff. And
while degenerative joint disease often makes an appearance now, a healthy
lifestyle can go a long way toward quelling it. As metabolism gets sluggish—
particularly for women, who are undergoing hormonal shifts—it’s important to
be vigilant about staying active without putting too much pressure on the joints.
3 WHAT YOU CAN DO: If you live long enough, you’re probably going
to develop degenerative joint disease, Dr. Winston says. Avoiding injury and
repetitive pounding is the best defense. “Simply standing and walking can
stimulate the cartilage and help it stay healthy,” Dr. Winston advises. “Keep
muscles strong and joints well aligned and try to avoid injury.” If you do
develop arthritis, take heart: Modern treatment options may allow you to
participate in activities that wouldn’t have been possible just 25 years ago.
Watch Your Back
The spine consists of 26 bones that reach from
the base of the skull to the pelvis. As we enter our
50s, the spinal column tends to narrow and put
pressure on nerves in a condition called spinal
stenosis, which causes back and thigh pain and
numbness in the legs or buttocks.
3 WHAT YOU CAN DO: If symptoms are
mild, therapies like acupuncture, physical therapy, modified activity or steroid injections can provide relief
and get you back in the swing
of things. For more severe
cases, your doctor
might recommend
surgery. Many
patients can benefit from minimally invasive
procedures performed through
tiny incisions.
PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK
By our 20th birthday, our joints have
seen plenty of action. We’ve taken
about 35 million steps, the equivalent of crossing Canada six times. In
our 20s and beyond, the blood supply to the joints drops further, and
we continue to lose joint-lubricating
synovial fluid.
In our 30s, our shock-absorbing
cartilage starts to wear down. The
cartilage under the patella (kneecap),
for example, pays the price of years of
squatting, bending, and walking up
and down stairs. “With time, just like
with other parts of the body, cartilage
wears out,” says Dr. Winston, adding
that the wear and tear becomes more
noticeable when people reach their 40s.
“It’s hard to measure or quantify to
what extent. Our most intense athletic
years are in our 20s and then, magically, once you hit 40 or 45, you’re in
a whole different ballpark.”
3 WHAT YOU CAN DO: Keep
moving! It might be tempting to be
sedentary during the week and
then transform into a weekend
warrior—but that’s asking for
trouble. Regular strength
and conditioning training
keeps the joints healthiest. In cases of knee
pain, where pain still
exists despite strong
conservative measure to control it,
a therapy called
viscosupplementation—a viscous
mechanical device
injected into the
knee—can help protect
cartilage and provide
relief long term.
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PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK
Grown-up Joints
Shoulder to Shoulder
Entering the senior years, tears in the rotator cuff—
the group of muscles and tendons around the shoulder joint—become common. The rotator cuff gets less
blood supply as you age, so when even microscopic
injuries happen, the tissue can’t repair itself as it once
did. About 30 per cent of people in their 60s have
some sort of rotator cuff tear, and that number
shoots to 50 to 60 per cent for people in their
80s. These injuries, which might go unnoticed
in the early stages, are especially common in
factory workers and anyone who regularly
pulls down with their arms.
3 WHAT YOU CAN DO: Regular shoulder exercises can help prevent rotator
cuff tears. If a tear happens, it may start
out small and worsen over time, occasionally developing into an irreparable
problem. Surgery is an option but not
always the best one. “The main indication
for surgery is recalcitrant pain, where all
conservative modes of treatment have failed
to control the pain,” Dr. Winston says. “But
it depends on the age, sex, demands and overall health of the individual.”
PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK
PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK
Senior Strength
As you start thinking about retirement, it’s
important to stave off osteoporosis (bone
loss), which can set the scene for fractures around the joint. In Canada,
30,000 hip fractures occur each
year, and 70 to 90 per cent of them
are related to osteoporosis. Years of
exercise, proper nutrition, and habits like
avoiding smoking and going light on alcohol and caffeine will now pay big dividends.
3 WHAT YOU CAN DO: Continue weightbearing activities and muscle strengthening. Your doctor can give you advice about
your diet and whether you might benefit
from calcium and vitamin D supplements.
Men and women 65 and older should get a
bone-density scan, Osteoporosis Canada
says. Keep avoiding smoking and limiting
alcohol and caffeine consumption. ■
LONG LIVE
THE JOINT
Patients undergoing shoulder replacement surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital in
London are given a unique opportunity
to learn how to maximize the life of their
new joint. An education course is available to patients before their procedure.
Over time, normal use will cause
artificial implants to wear. How quickly
implants break down depends on the
surgical placement of the
joint and the age, activity
level and physical condition of the patient. In
patients under 65, shoulder
replacements can last eight
to 10 years, while older
patients may get 10 to
15 years out of a new joint.
“In class we educate our
patients about their procedure, address their concerns,
and coach them to avoid activities that
put excess stress on their joint to maximize the expected life span of their new
shoulder,” says John Syrovy, a physiotherapist at St. Joseph’s Roth
McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb
Centre. “After surgery we provide
customized exercises to increase
their range of motion and strength.”
VIDEO
Innovation to Improve Care
With more than 35,000 clinic visits, 14,000
therapy visits and 4,000 surgical cases each year,
St. Joseph’s Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb
Centre is the largest of its kind in Canada. It’s also
a world leader in joint implant design and surgical
simulation. To view a video about this combined
orthopedic and plastic surgery centre and the
leading-edge care and research underway there,
visit sjhc.london.on.ca/rothmcfarlane.
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YOUR LAST CHAPTER:
EXPRESSING
END-OF-LIFE
WISHES
PHOTO BY GETTY/JAMIE GRILL
28
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It’s
something
that no
one wants
to think
about, but
everyone
needs to:
the end
BY COLLEEN
RINGER
PHOTO BY GETTY/JAMIE GRILL
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Y
ou’ve seen it played out in movies—siblings squabbling over end-of-life decisions for their parent; a
family bickering about what to do after one of their
own has been in a serious accident. Unfortunately,
those scenes aren’t only reserved for the big screen. What
would happen to you if you couldn’t speak for yourself? In
those moments, decisions about your future may fall to the
people who rush to your bedside. Make their job easier and
ensure your wishes are respected by leaving them a road map,
says Virginia Morris, author of How to Care for Aging Parents.
The best way to do that? Advance directives. Here’s how to get
your affairs in order.
What is an advance
directive? Is that
like a living will?
30
Sounds confusing.
Where do I start?
Begin by completing a living
will. “Ask yourself what your goals are,”
Morris says. “To live as many days as
possible, no matter what? Think about
what’s valuable to you and what’s intolerable in terms of quality of life.” You
won’t be able to cover every situation,
but consider, for instance, under what
circumstances and for how long you
PHOTO BY GETTY/TAMARA STAPLES
Advance directives are legal documents
that outline end-of-life requests, and a
living will is a type of advance directive.
In a living will, you clarify the types of
life-prolonging medical treatments you
would or wouldn’t want, such as artificial feeding, resuscitation and mechanical breathing, if, for example, you were
in a coma.
There are two other types of advance
directives: a medical power of attorney,
in which you choose who will make your
health care decisions for you if you can’t
(your substitute decision-maker (SDM)
or health care proxy); and an optional
do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order, in
which you can request that CPR not be
performed if your heart stops or if you
stop breathing. Completing all three
documents—or two if you do want to
be resuscitated—covers the bases.
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would want to be on a ventilator. The
same goes for artificial nutrition and
hydration, meaning nutrients and fluids
are given through an IV or a stomach
tube. Put all of these things into your
living will.
Next, think long and hard about
whom you want to designate as your
health care proxy. “It’s not necessarily
the first person you think of—it might
not be your spouse or sibling,” Morris
says. “You want someone who will step
in and say, ‘Why are we doing this? I
don’t think this is what she wanted.’”
Is there a form
I can fill out?
Yes, each province and territory has specific advance directive documents. If you spend time in more than
one province, complete forms for both.
You can search online for your province’s forms or go to your local library.
You’ll need at least two witnesses or a
notary when you sign documents, but
you won’t need a lawyer. Give a copy to
your health care proxy and to your doctor—and keep the originals somewhere
safe, but not in a safe deposit box where
they might be hard for others to get to
in an emergency.
PHOTO BY GETTY/TAMARA STAPLES
I’m done now,
right?
Technically, yes, but you
shouldn’t stop there. “If you’re just
signing the document and that’s it, it’s
almost like you did nothing,” Morris
says. “What you need to do is have
conversations with people, especially
your health care proxy, about what
you want and don’t want. When your
loved one is standing there and a doctor is saying we can do this or that,
their instincts will kick in and they’ll
say yes—even if it’s not what you would
have wanted.”
Start this tough conversation as early
as possible—ideally, when it’s theoretical and not when you’re in the hospital.
Then, when you’re in a tough situation,
you can pick up the discussion where
you left off.
What if a medical
breakthrough
changes the game?
Whether it’s because a groundbreaking
treatment has been discovered or you’ve
simply changed your views, you can
redo your advance directives at any time
(be sure to destroy the old copies). But
this is also why it’s important to have a
health care proxy. This person can make
decisions based on the situation and
how they know you feel about life, pain,
suffering and death. ■
END-OF-LIFE
WISHES
At St. Joseph’s Health Care
London, patients are cared for
with compassion and dignity.
There also is understanding that
some patients may not wish to
be resuscitated if the need arises,
explains Marleen Van Laethem,
a clinical ethicist at St. Joseph’s.
With patients encouraged to
think about their wishes before
a crisis arises, a meaningful endof-life discussion occurs between
patients and health care professionals. Others may also be
included, such as family, friends,
religious leaders or a member
of the spiritual care team, says
Van Laethem. When a patient
lacks capacity to make a decision
about resuscitation, the substitute
decision maker is contacted.
“Taking this patient-focused
approach incorporates the
patient’s quality-of-life judgments based on benefits, burdens and potential outcomes
of resuscitation intervention.”
CALL
Leaving a Legacy
Once you’ve made decisions about life and death, consider how your
estate will be handled. Legacy giving to support health care is powerful and rewarding. There are many ways to leave a gift for the future.
St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation can help. Call 519 646-6085 or
visit sjhcfoundation.org/ways-give/legacy-giving.
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10
1
2
THE QUICK LIST
TAKEAWAYS FOR
LIFE AFTER 50
7
The number of
Canadians 65 and older
is expected to double
between 2011 and 2036.
Focus on the
present and on
fewer, closer relationships, and you’ll likely
grow happier as you age.
4
85 per cent of
Canadian baby
boomers are
not eating enough fruits
and vegetables, 40 per
cent don’t get enough
exercise, 21 per cent
smoke and 11 per cent
are heavy drinkers.
Healthy habits don’t have to be
complicated. When going for a
coffee or shopping at the mall,
park far from the entrance; use
stairs instead of the elevator.
Write a living
will and choose
a medical
power of attorney now to
help your loved ones understand your wishes later.
8
Stay slim. For every
pound you lose,
you take 4 pounds
of pressure off
your knees.
9
Alzheimer’s caregivers, remember
that difficult decisions help protect
your loved one from harm.
10
In Canada, more than 80 per cent of
all fractures in people 50 and older are
caused by osteoporosis.
WANT MORE HEALTHY IDEAS? Check out our summer issue, focusing on building a healthy mind.
32
PHOTOS BY THINKSTOCK
36
5
Look on the
bright side: The
risk of death from
heart disease is 30 per
cent lower for optimists
than for pessimists.
You really can
turn back the
clock: Four
years after middleaged people adopted
healthy lifestyle
changes, their risk of
mortality dropped
40 per cent.
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THE SUN
ALSO RISES
Actress and author
Mariel Hemingway
shares her family’s
past to build
awareness around
mental illness and
suicide prevention at
the 2015 Breakfast
of Champions
BY LAURA JANECKA
G
rowing up among the picturesque mountains and
streams in Ketchum, Idaho,
would have been an idyllic
childhood for anybody. But for Mariel
Hemingway its peacefulness was often
interrupted by the sounds of shouting
and glass breaking during “wine time”
at the Hemingways’ home.
Once the party adjourned to separate
rooms, a young Hemingway would clean
up the shards of glass, blood and wine,
as though nights like these were ordinary for the iconic American family.
Hemingway, the youngest of three
daughters to Byra Louise and Jack
Hemingway, had an early grasp on two
concepts: fame and mental illness.
Literary Lineage
Her paternal grandfather, Ernest
Hemingway—whom she never got a
chance to meet—was a Nobel Prizelaureate novelist whose writing influenced much of 20th-century fiction.
His unapologetic machismo also brought
him notoriety; he was well-known for
drinking, big-game hunting and a love
for Spanish bullfighting. But beneath
this façade he lived with severe depression and in 1961 took his own life.
Hemingway’s sisters inherited their
grandfather’s spark and his darkness.
Eldest sister Joan (“Muffet”), an avid
tennis player in her youth, has displayed
a spectrum of mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Margaux, a supermodel and actress, dealt
with addiction and depression that eventually led to her suicide nearly 34 years
after that of her grandfather.
In the documentary Running from
Crazy (2013), which Hemingway coproduced with Oprah Winfrey, she
uncovers her family’s history of mental
illness, causing her to feel she’d spent
her entire life “running from crazy.”
Holistic Lifestyle
At 53, Hemingway is still coming to
terms with the blessings and tragedies
Mariel Hemingway,
who just released
her memoir Out
Came the Sun, is the
featured speaker at
the 2015 Breakfast
of Champions.
that shaped who she is today, striving to
overcome a similar fate for herself and
her daughters, Dree and Langley. In the
documentary, she shows how a holistic
and mindful approach to life has had a
positive effect on her overall well-being,
such as clean eating, exercise, meditation and living in the now.
With seven known suicides in her
family, Hemingway is also passionate about raising awareness for suicide
prevention. “Suicide has no rhyme or
reason,” she says in the documentary.
“Some people think about it for years
and plan it. For some people, it’s 20 dark
minutes of their life and they decide to
take their life. … It’s very random, it’s
very frightening.”
Hemingway remains optimistic when
looking back on her past because of
what it has allowed her to accomplish
in life. Despite coming from a family of
extreme talent and tragedy, she notes
“with darkness comes light.” ■
EVENT
Join Breakfast of Champions
What: Presented in partnership by St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation
and the Canadian Mental Health Association, Breakfast of Champions
raises awareness about and funds for mental health programs in
London, Ontario.
When: April 28 at the London Convention Centre
Tickets: To purchase, visit sjhcfoundation.org or call 519 646-6085
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Reclaiming
Wellness
The next era in care, recovery
and rehabilitation was launched
with the opening of St. Joseph’s
Mental Health Care Building at
Parkwood Institute BY RENEE SWEENEY
“This building is designed with the belief that
recovery is possible and, just as importantly, that
even people who do not achieve the level of hopedfor recovery are worthy of the best care possible.
These two elements—recovery focused care and
worthiness, just because they are members of our
community—go a long way to address stigma.”
Those meaningful words were spoken by Cathie Gauthier, a mother who
has lived the journey of mental illness with her son, and who was among
those at the grand opening ceremony
of St. Joseph’s new Mental Health Care
Building in November. The devoted
mom brought tears to eyes when she
shared her family’s personal odyssey in
supporting a child with a mental illness
and what the new facility would mean
to those who will receive care within
its walls.
34
“This new building is aiming for
excellence in care and research.
Families look forward to what research
reveals, but it’s clear there are some
things St. Joseph’s already has right,”
said Gauthier. “Any person who has
loved another who has fallen ill knows
that natural light, fresh air, privacy,
a place to walk and a place to pray,
staff that believe in their patients and
value family as a strong component of
recovery, provides the best chance of
reclaiming wellness.”
The Honourable Deb Matthews, Deputy
Premier, left, Margaret McLaughlin, board
chair, St. Joseph’s Health Care London, and
Dr. Gillian Kernaghan, president and CEO, were
among more than 250 dignitaries, donors,
community members and care providers at
the official opening of the new Mental Health
Care Building.
Decades in the Making
The opening of this innovative building,
dedicated to the treatment, recovery
and rehabilitation of adolescents and
adults experiencing severe and persistent mental illness, is a major milestone
and part of a bold vision for the future.
Located on the grounds of Parkwood
Institute, it replaces the old facility on
Highbury Avenue—the site of mental
health care in London since 1870.
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Each unit within the Mental Health Care Building has access to a large
interior courtyard. Designed for patient use, these outdoor spaces are
landscaped and allow access to fresh air and sunshine. Dining rooms
with floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto the courtyards, which bring
in much natural light. Many of the spaces on the inpatient units, like
the dining rooms, offer great flexibility and can be used for other social
group activities or events.
St. Joseph’s innovative, new Mental Health
Care Building opened on the grounds of
Parkwood Institute in November.
Decades in the making, the new
facility has come together with the programs of the former Parkwood Hospital,
now referred to as the Main Building
at Parkwood Institute. Originally
established by the Women’s Christian
Association more than 120 years ago,
Parkwood has a long legacy of caring
for people requiring complex, specialized geriatric services and rehabilitation, helping them live life to the fullest.
With similar strengths, hopes and possibilities, these two facilities, now in one
location, are erasing the lines between
physical and mental health with a
focus on care, recovery and rehabilitation of the whole person—body, mind
and spirit.
Therapeutic spaces for patients and their care teams include relaxation rooms, kitchens for skills
training and meal preparation, education rooms, observation rooms and group rooms.
Multidisciplinary Care
Across Parkwood Institute, clinical
and research teams are collaborating
in new ways across disciplines and specialties, making it unlike any hospital
Interior courtyards allow for abundance of natural light and for the sun, rain and snow to be
visible through the seasons from inside the core of the facility.
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The chapel and multi-faith prayer
room is open 24 hours a day, seven
days a week to patients, staff,
visitors and volunteers for personal
reflection or prayers. Individuals
may also take meditative walks
through the labyrinths located
inside the prayer room and outside
in the chapel gardens.
As is the St. Joseph’s tradition, Bishop Ronald
Fabbro, with the assistance of St. Joseph’s
mental health care chaplain Chris Baron,
blessed spaces in the new Mental Health
Care Building.
of environments on healing must not
be underestimated.”
Designed to inspire hope and support
a recovery model of care, the new facility offers environments that foster dignity and promote individual growth and
skill development. As patients progress
in their recovery, they journey through
the specially designed facility, where an
abundance of natural light fills rooms
and corridors. Spaces in the “downtown
area” encourage social interaction and a
sense of community while areas in the
“neighbourhood” promote education and
skill building, and the “house” provides
private and comfortable living spaces.
site in Ontario. Patients recovering
from stroke, acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury and amputation, those
with cognitive issues such as dementia
and mental illness, and patients needing specialized geriatric care, palliative
care, and veterans care are all served
at Parkwood Institute.
New Building
With 156 individual patient bedrooms and 460,578 square feet of
contemporary, therapeutic space, the
new Mental Health Care Building
will make a marked difference for
patients, families and care providers,
says St. Joseph’s president and CEO
Dr. Gillian Kernaghan. “Buildings don’t
provide care, people do. But the impact
36
Members of St. Joseph’s mental health care senior leadership team, along with St. Joseph’s
president and CEO Dr. Gillian Kernaghan, pose in front of the new Parkwood Institute landscape.
From left are Sandy Whittall, Dr. Sandra Fisman, Dr. Kernaghan, Dr. Paul Links, Dr. Sarah Jarmain
and Deb Corring.
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WEBSITE
See More Online
For more photos of the new Mental Health
Care Building, to take a virtual tour and to
learn more about Parkwood Institute, visit
sjhc.london.on.ca/parkwood-institute.
All bedrooms in the Mental Health Care
Building are private and include a washroom
with a shower, providing patients with dignity
and respect.
“This is a beautiful building, this is a
respectful building,” remarked Deputy
Premier Deb Matthews at the opening.
“We are celebrating a true transition. …
We are crossing a bridge. All of us are
part of history today because this building represents a new way of caring for
people who have challenges when it
comes to mental health and addictions.”
Bill Wilkerson, co-founder of the
Global Business Economic Roundtable
on Addiction and Mental Health, understands first-hand the need to care for
people, mind, body and spirit.
“This building is a statement and a
philosophy as much as a facility of care,”
he said. “I heard someone say that as
much love was poured into this building
as cement. And like all great places that
is the thing that will keep it alive and
keep it strong.” ■
Members from Belong to Song, a drop-in community music program for those
whose lives are touched by mental illness, provided musical entertainment for the
crowd during the opening celebration.
At the official opening, Bill Wilkerson, executive
chairman of Mental Health International, told
dignitaries, “We must strive to open doors for
those who cannot reach through themselves.”
Tom Tillman, principal, Tillman Ruth Robinson
Architects, left, Brian Waltham, vice president,
EllisDon, and Cameron Shantz, principal,
Parkin Architects Limited, enjoy the fruits of
their labour at the grand opening celebration.
AT A GLANCE
ST. JOSEPH’S NEW MENTAL HEALTH CARE BUILDING AT
PARKWOOD INSTITUTE
• 460,578 square feet of healing, therapeutic space
• 10,000 square feet of new research space
• 156 individual patient bedrooms and bathrooms
Roy Butler, vice president, patient care and
quality for St. Joseph’s, places his thumbprint
on the “tree of community.” This piece of art
will hang in the building as a lasting reminder
of how everyone can touch and are touched by
mental illness.
• Built to facilitate a progressive recovery journey
• More than 100 volunteers
• Gold Level for Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design (LEED)
• More than 700 staff members
• More than 83,500 outpatient and outreach appointments each year
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Richard Barton enjoys the
sunshine outside of his
residence, where he has
successfully lived on his own
for two years after spending
five years in hospital.
HEADLINE
Feature deck style
CONFIDENCE,
COURAGE and
COMMUNITY
team registered nurse. “Knowing him
now, it’s hard to imagine he lived at the
hospital for several years.”
A New Journey Begins
When the time was right, Barton was
confident in his abilities and felt ready
to move into the community. “ACT support made Richard and his family feel
safe to allow him to try living on his
own,” explains Morgan Will, ACT team
occupational therapist
The team worked with Barton’s family
to find him an apartment and furnishings and set him up with a bank, a family physician and a dentist. As this new
journey began for Barton, he was seen
by the ACT team twice daily to ensure
he was on track with his medications
and to provide support.
“In time, Richard began to show us
how capable he really was and now
does practically all of his daily activities
independently,” says Krysa. “He shops
and prepares meals, keeps his apartment clean, gets his medications from a
pharmacy and attends medical appointments. He is very self-reliant.”
The team now only sees Barton,
42, once a week and is talking about
monthly appointments.
After five years in hospital, Richard Barton is
Community Involvement
now living successfully on his own thanks to a
Barton has also made important social
supportive family and his mental health care team connections in the community through
R
ichard Barton was gainfully
employed and had his own
home when he lost both with
a diagnosis of psychosis and
a five-year stay in hospital.
It was a trying time, he says now, but
a remarkably resilient Barton looks back
with no regrets of his time in the mental health care program of St. Joseph’s
Health Care London.
“It was all right. I had people I was
friendly with but nothing is better than
living in your own place.”
After making significant gains in his
recovery Barton transitioned to his own
38
apartment in London with the support
of an Assertive Community Treatment
(ACT) team. ACT teams work in the
community to assist people with mental
illness live independently and achieve
their goals. With expertise in occupational therapy, nursing, psychiatry,
social work, therapeutic recreation and
vocational support, ACT team members ensure proper supports are in place
for patients and connect them to other
community mental health care resources
and continuing care organizations.
“Richard’s progress has really been
quite amazing,” says Erik Krysa, ACT
his involvement with the Canadian
Mental Health Association (CMHA)
where he participates in art programs,
relaxation groups and a walking group.
He also exercises and swims several
times a week at a local health club.
Confidence and courage is paving the
way to Barton’s success in the community, along with the tremendous support
of his family and ongoing care of his
ACT team. Ask him about his progress
and he smiles.
“I feel pretty good about everything.
I am doing really well, I keep busy and I
like to volunteer through CMHA when
I can. I’m very proud of my successes.” ■
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INSPIRED TO GIVE BY LAURA JANECKA
IT TAKES A COMMUNITY
Since receiving care at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute,
Rob Staffen and his family are paying it forward, raising
vital funds for traumatic brain injury and mental health
care in their community
Avid cyclist Rob Staffen
was having the ride of his
life, cruising down mountain terrain in California’s Joshua Tree
National Park on Oct. 22, 2012. It wasn’t
until his son, Matt, sailed past him that
he realized they might be going too fast.
Staffen had enough time to half-jokingly
call out “slow down” to his son when
he was catapulted head first into the
rock-strewn desert.
Staffen doesn’t remember his weeklong stay at the hospital in Palm Springs,
nor the medical jet that took him to
Stratford General Hospital. But he
does remember the rehabilitative care
he received at St. Joseph’s Parkwood
Institute. “Without Parkwood [Institute]
there’s no doubt I wouldn’t have
been able to recover as well as I have,”
he says.
Through the Acquired Brain Injury
(ABI) Outpatient Program, Staffen was
given the information and support he
would need to cope with his traumatic
brain injury. This included learning a
At Joshua Tree National Park, Rob Staffen, left, was enjoying a day of cycling with his son, Matt,
before a disastrous fall left him with a traumatic brain injury.
points system that helped him balance
his busy days as an entrepreneur—he
has several businesses, including the
St. Marys Golf & Country Club—with the
effects of his injury.
What surprised Staffen, however, was
the number of people waiting for ABI
rehabilitation. He wondered if people
in his hometown of St. Marys and surrounding areas knew about the lifechanging care they too could receive.
When he lost a good friend to suicide
just over a year ago, he again thought
about care and services people may be
missing out on.
By marrying two prevalent health
issues—traumatic brain injury and mental health—the Staffen family, including
wife Sharon, son Matt and daughters
Julia and Candra, created the Brain
& Mind Matters Community Fund.
Through the fund, the Staffens hope to
bridge their community’s health needs
to outpatient care through Parkwood
Institute in concert with the Huron Perth
Healthcare Alliance.
Matt came up with the idea for
their first fundraiser—a golf tournament that required participants to
raise $250 to take part. Staffen and
his wife matched the total raised up to
$50,000. When the final numbers came
in the family was blown away with the
community’s generosity.
“The biggest thing we’ve learned
from this [event] is if you reach out to
the community, there are tons of people
who want to help,” says Matt.
The Staffens hope to grow their
community fund over time and have
committed a gift to Parkwood Institute.
“For me, this is just giving back to all
the people who have helped us,” says
Staffen. “All the friends, all the family,
all the doctors, all the psychologists, all
the community people. It’s about paying
it forward.” ■
SPRING 2015
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12/19/14 1:55 PM
An Easy Choice
Joanne Barker helps
Bust a Move for Breast
Health™ London
raise awareness and
support for healthier
breasts for all
BY HANNAH MOSEY
F
40
“We all have the choice of where to
donate our money, what causes to support. For me, it’s an easy one.”
Barker’s dedication to St. Joseph’s
Breast Care Program was also inspired
in part by the generosity of Norton and
Lucille Wolf, who made a significant
grant of $1.1 million to the program.
“They wanted to reach out and help,
here and now, and they have gone so
far beyond that.”
This year’s Bust a Move, presented
by Shoppers Drug Mart, will take place
March 28. Proceeds raised will support
the Breast Care Clinical Research and
Tumour Biobank housed in the Lawson
Joanne Barker (in her green
volunteer t-shirt) joins the Barker
Beauties as they work up a sweat
for healthier breasts for all at
last year’s Bust a Move for Breast
HealthTM London.
Health Research Institute at St. Joseph’s
Hospital. A first for London, the tumour
biobank serves as an important resource
to fast-track discoveries in breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention
from the lab to bedside.
“It’s important we continue to work
together to unlock the secrets behind
cancer,” says Barker, “and this is such a
great way to do it right here, right now.” ■
WEBSITE
Join In
You too can get involved in Bust a Move for Breast Health™ London
on March 28 by registering to take part at bustamove.ca. Rally your
friends, challenge your colleagues and register today for a chance to
make a real difference for those in our community facing breast cancer.
BACKGROUND PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK
or Joanne Barker, there’s no
place that offers hope like
the Breast Care Program
of St. Joseph’s Health Care
London. That’s what makes participating in the annual Bust a Move for Breast
HealthTM London an easy decision, and
the best way she knows to give back.
Barker was diagnosed with cancer
in September 2012 and attributes her
smooth recovery to the coordinated
care and skillful team of the Breast
Care Program located at St. Joseph’s
Hospital. “In just two months, I went
from diagnosis to consult to surgery
and then a follow-up appointment,”
says Barker. “While nothing can take
away the anxiety that comes with a
cancer diagnosis, having everything
take place in such a short period of time
certainly helped make it easier.”
Barker was unable to participate in the
first Bust a Move event in 2013 because
she was undergoing chemotherapy.
Instead she donned a volunteer t-shirt
and has been volunteering ever since.
Through her team “Barker Beauties,”
Barker helps to fundraise and then takes
on the role of team cheerleader throughout event day, which includes six hours
of fun fitness sessions and a common
goal of raising monies to support breast
care at St. Joseph’s.
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THIS JUST IN
GOOD-FOR-YOU NEWS, CUES AND REVIEWS
BAD DOG
MAIN PHOTO BY GETTY/JESSICA PETERSON; DOG PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK
FEMININE
FATALE?
There’s no fury like a woman scorned. And her blood pressure?
Oy vey.
Negative social interactions may cause more than just a
“talk to the hand” type of tension, according to a study in Health
Psychology. They may also cause hypertension, commonly known
as high blood pressure.
In the study, women ages 51 to 64 who reported having too
many demands placed on them or being criticized, disappointed
or aggravated with others were more likely to develop high blood
pressure. The dynamic did not hold true for women 65 and older
or men.
This Mother’s Day, you might ask the kids to swap the flowers
for a home blood pressure monitor.
See Spot run. See Spot jump. See
Spot let you get a good night’s
sleep. Two out of three ain’t bad.
While dogs may encourage
healthy activities such as walking,
they may also be wrecking your
sleep at night. Ten per cent of
sleep center patients reported
sleep disruption caused by pets—
up from 1 per cent in 2002, a
recent study shows.
Top pet disturbances are snoring,
whimpering, wandering, whining
to go outside and medical needs.
APP
Slot Those Shots
Find it hard to keep up with
child and adult immunization schedules? Download the
Immunize Canada app, which
allows you to record, store and
manage vaccination information, at immunize.ca/en/app.
It’s free.
SPRING 2015
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12/19/14 9:43 AM
THIS JUST IN
GOOD-FOR-YOU NEWS, CUES AND REVIEWS
Spring kick-starts months of outdoor
sports and activities. And while lathering on the white stuff is better than
going without, make sure your sunscreen matches your day’s activity.
The Canadian Dermatology
Association recommends using a broadspectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or
higher, and offers sun protection tips to
keep you safe and covered for any sport.
3 GOLF: In addition to sunscreen, use
the shade of a golf umbrella or golf cart,
and stay in shaded, treed areas while
waiting for play.
3 BOATING AND OTHER WATER
SPORTS: Apply and reapply waterresistant sunscreen to feet, face, ears
and neck.
3 RUNNING, CYCLING, TENNIS: Use
a sweat- and water-resistant sunscreen
that won’t run into your eyes.
3 HIKERS: Apply and reapply sunscreen.
Your risk of sun damage increases by
4 per cent with every 300 metres.
Which drink is healthier?
WHOLE ORANGES, HANDS DOWN.
Unless you’re squeezing your own oranges to
make juice, your orange juice is most likely
highly processed, watered down and full of
sugar. According to Dietitians of Canada, a whole
orange has more fiber, less sugar and fewer calories than 100 millilitres of canned orange juice.
WEBSITE
How Clean Is
Your Air?
42
PHOTO BY GETTY/THE IMAGE BANK
Visit ec.gc.ca/cas-aqhi to
check your city’s current
air quality health index,
and to learn ways you can
help to improve it.
S P RIN G 2015
12/19/14 9:43 AM
CLEANING PHOTO BY GETTY/BLEND IMAGES; VIDEO GAME IMAGE BY THINKSTOCK
SUNSCREEN
FOR YOUR
SPORT
ORANGE JUICE
VS. WHOLE
ORANGE
SMOKE-FREE
FACTS
20
SPRINGCLEANING
PHOTO BY GETTY/THE IMAGE BANK
CLEANING PHOTO BY GETTY/BLEND IMAGES; VIDEO GAME IMAGE BY THINKSTOCK
If you know a young mom who’s the queen of
clean, let her know—gently—that she might be
creating a royal mess.
A home that’s too clean may leave infants
vulnerable to a higher incidence of allergies or
asthma later in life, recent research suggests.
The findings support the idea that squeaky-clean
surroundings don’t allow the body to develop
the ability to fight off allergens.
So, while spring-cleaning may be good for the
soul, it also turns out that a little dirt won’t hurt.
TRUE OR FALSE
Video games may cause osteoarthritis
TRUE As if violence, antisocial behavior, fatigue and even
seizures from flashing lights in video games weren’t scary
enough, it appears we can add osteoarthritis to the list of
risks of playing video games.
Excessive gaming may lead to osteoarthritis, particularly in
boys, a recent study shows. One reason? The weight
of and the button placement on game controllers were designed for adult use, thus
a child’s developing joint
structure may be damaged
by the overuse of joints.
MINUTES
after quitting:
Heart rate and
blood pressure drop.
2
WEEKS
to 3 months:
Lung function increases.
1
YEAR:
Additional risk
of heart disease
is half that of
a smoker.
2 5
TO
YEARS:
Stroke risk can
fall to that of a
non-smoker.
Source: Healthy
Canadians
THE BENEFITS OF
COUCH
SURFING
At Lawson Health Research Institute,
a study is underway to see whether
video games can boost physical
activity for patients with spinal cord
injury (SCI). Given their physical
condition, patients with SCI are vulnerable to adopting a sedentary lifestyle and the negative health effects
that come with it. Transportation,
cost and accessibility are all barriers
to exercise. Using a customizable
Nintendo Wii, scientist-trainee Kelly
Ravenek is working with patients to
set up custom workouts they can
do at home.
WEBSITE
Rate Your
Allergies
Are springtime
blooms and pollen
driving you indoors?
Visit lung.ca and
search “my asthma
action plan” to download a form to help
you track and monitor your symptoms.
SPRING 2015
43
12/29/14 12:01 PM
THE TRUTH BY STEPHANIE R. CONNER
Spring is in
the air—and
if you have
allergies,
you’re not
excited.
THE TRUTH
ABOUT
ALLERGIES
44
TRUE OR FALSE:
Allergies last for life.
FALSE. While it’s possible for an
allergy to last for life, that isn’t always
the case, explains Dr. Paul Keith, an
allergist and president of the Canadian
PHOTO BY GETTY/E+
Ah, spring. The season of new
grass, flowering trees—and
watery eyes. Learning fact from
fiction about seasonal allergies
can help relieve the misery.
A tickle in your nose. An
itch in your throat. A cough
here, a sneeze there. Sore,
red, watery eyes. You know the signs. It’s
allergy season.
But seasonal allergies are more than
just an annual nuisance. They occur
when exposure to allergens causes your
immune system to overreact and produce symptoms ranging from minor
(a runny nose) to major (wheezing
and shortness of breath). Think you
know your seasonal allergies? Read on
to find out.
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TRIED, TRUSTED,
BUT TRUE?
Society of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology. “You can outgrow an
allergy or you can grow into one,”
he explains. Many allergies tend to
first appear in childhood, but they’re
more related to genetics and environment than age. That’s why you might
experience allergies for the first time
as an adult.
“For some individuals, when they
move from one part of the country to another,” they’re not used to
that area’s pollen, weeds or grass,”
says Susanne Bennett, a Doctor of
Chiropractic and the author of The
7-Day Allergy Makeover. “And they
can develop allergies.”
Your risk of developing allergies is
greatly increased if both your parents
have allergies, according to the Asthma
Society of Canada. But since you can’t
change your genetic code, the better option is to find out what you’re
allergic to.
“It’s important to get to the root
cause of the problem,” Bennett says.
Then, you can find ways to alter your
environment or discuss treatment
options with your doctor.
TRUE OR FALSE:
Allergies occur only in spring.
PHOTO BY GETTY/E+
FALSE. There’s not any one season
for allergies, Bennett says.
In spring, she says, people have to
contend with pollen, a common allergen.
But for people allergic to grass, summer
is prime allergy season. Meanwhile, fall
brings ragweed, and winter’s dampness
can trigger mould allergies. Depending
on your immune system, you could be
affected by allergies for one season—or
all year.
For people with severe allergies,
an EpiPen has long been trusted
to provide a lifesaving dose of epinephrine, but new research by allergist Dr. Harold Kim has shown that
not everyone can depend on the
auto-injector.
Dr. Kim of St. Joseph’s Hospital
in London found that 30 per cent
of women in his study group of
100 adults with food allergies had
too much fat for commonly used
auto-injectors to reach muscle,
TRUE OR FALSE:
Moving to the desert can
alleviate allergies.
TRUE—AND FALSE. If you’re allergic to pollen, you’ll be allergic to pollen
anywhere. But if you move to the desert,
where there’s less of the stuff in the air,
you’ll likely experience an improvement
in symptoms.
But beware, Bennett says, the desert
has plenty of other allergens that might
affect you.
TRUE OR FALSE:
Lifestyle changes can
relieve allergies.
TRUE. True. Start with environmental changes. Staying inside on
high-pollen-count days and keeping
doors and windows closed make a
huge difference. A number of effective
medications are also available, Dr. Keith
says. And allergen immunotherapy, also
known as allergy shots or, more recently,
allergy tablets, can work as a long-term
solution, gradually allowing your body to
develop a tolerance to the allergen.
where it’s ideal for the drug to be
injected to act quickly. Men generally
have less fat, which is why the needle
was a suitable length for them. Most
of the women that had too much
fat for the EpiPen were not obese,
Dr. Kim noted.
The allergist also studied young
children and found the opposite
problem. In children under 15 kilograms the needle can go straight
through muscle and into bone resulting in unpredictable drug absorption.
VIDEO
Asthma, Explained
Most people know that asthma
impairs breathing. But that’s
not all. The video Living Well
with Severe Asthma from the
Asthma Society of Canada
shows the reality of living with
asthma, and explains how
to control the symptoms.
To watch, visit asthma.ca/
adults/Living_With_Severe_
Asthma_EN.wmv or visit
asthma.ca/adults to order
a DVD.
With the appropriate treatment,
allergies and asthma generally aren’t
life-threatening, but they affect how
people enjoy their lives, he adds. “You
just have to keep being assessed to
determine whether or not you’ve lost
your allergy, and how to best treat it.” ■
SPRING 2015
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12/19/14 10:35 AM
PHOTO COURTESY OF WESTERN NEWS
POWERFUL
HEADLINE
RESEARCH
is exploring healthy limits for
electromagnetic exposure BY SONYA GILPIN
E
lectromagnetic fields are all around
us. From the wiring running into
and through our homes, to the
appliances in our kitchens, to the
mobile phones we carry with us. Even most
public spaces, like libraries and parks, are
now equipped with WiFi networks.
Electromagnetic fields are imperceptible.
We can’t see or feel them and, at the levels
copy used
dropdaily
cap environment,
weBody
experience
in our
they are safe. However, research shows
unnaturally high levels can impact activities in the brain and the functions controlled
by them. This includes movement, thought,
memory and emotion. Even heart rate and
breathing can be affected.
Feature deck style
Updated Studies
46
Measuring Effects
Results show that electromagnetic exposure
30,000 times above average can influence
learning. Participants at this level struggled
to memorize numbers, even with repetition.
Exposure levels 150,000 times above average
can have an instant effect on certain brain
cells. This finding is particularly important
for power line workers who are close to high
levels every day.
Legros is working with international
regulation agencies to inform policy and
guidelines to ensure the highest standard
of safety around the world.
“Our research not only allows us to
establish electromagnetic limits that are
safe for the public and for workers, but also
to understand how high levels of exposure interact with the human brain,” he
says. “This opens entirely new avenues for
potential applications in medicine.” ■
BACKGROUND PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK
In recent years, the safety of electromagnetic fields has raised questions, including
possible links to cancer and chronic disease.
With the growing—almost universal—
presence, understanding healthy limits for
exposure has become a key focus for the
power industry and for regulators, yet most
of the evidence dates back to the 1980s.
Enter Alexandre Legros. A scientist at
Lawson Health Research Institute, Legros
is working with government and industry
to understand the impact of electromagnetic exposure on brain activity and physical behaviour. For example, at which point
does exposure become unsafe? Or, at what
level does exposure cause an immediate
response in the brain?
Funded by the Canadian Institutes
of Health Research, Legros and his team
are testing the impact of different levels
of electromagnetic exposure delivered
at 60 Hz, the frequency used by the electrical grid in North America. The goal is
to identify changes in brain activity and
physical behaviour as the level of exposure
gradually rises.
Study participants complete a series of
cognitive and physical tests, both with exposure and without. This might include tapping
their fingers together in a rhythmic pattern
or memorizing a list of numbers. For one
test, participants are in a dark room with
eyes closed and are asked to indicate when
they perceive a flickering light. Participants
are monitored for their performance in the
tasks and the electrical activity in their
brains, comparing the differences with and
without exposure.
scientist Alexandre Legros
demonstrates one piece of
equipment his lab uses to test the
effects of electromagnetic fields.
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PATIENT LETTERS
WEBSITE
Your Story
If you would like to comment on the care you received
at St. Joseph’s Health Care London, please email Dahlia
Reich at [email protected].
DEPARTMENT
HEADLINE
This is the department deck. It should be grouped with
the headline as you see here.
Dr. Collin Clarke
IN YOUR OWN WORDS
Every day, St. Joseph’s Health Care London receives
words of appreciation and praise from grateful
patients and their families. St. Joseph’s prides itself on
serving with respect, excellence and compassion, which
shows on our patient satisfaction scores—among the
highest in the province. But don’t take our word for it …
Living Life Pain Free
I just wanted to let Dr. Collin Clarke
know how extremely appreciative I am
of what he has done for me. I have been
in agony for years and years because of
a surgery due to cancer. He is the only
one that has been able to banish this
devastating agony I have been living with
for so long. He is extremely caring, very
gentle and beyond smart. He remembers
things from my very first visit with him,
which is incredible to say the least. The
very first visit with Dr. Clarke, his treatment eliminated my pain as if I never had
any. I sat up from the table and started
to cry like a baby. I was in shock that I
could sit up without help, get off of the
table without help and walk down the
hall without help. I cried all of the way
home and cried for hours after.
After my first treatment, I had an
incredible six weeks being almost pain
free. I was a different person. Pain
changes a person and
when you’re in pain
it’s always about you,
never anyone else. You
can’t enjoy anything,
Dr. Dwight
love anyone or do the
Moulin
things you once did. I
have been to very dark places, places with
no hope because of the pain that I endure
every day.
Now there are things to do, people
to see and family to love. Life is about
living, but you can’t live when you hurt.
Dr. Clarke has made this possible. Other
doctors said it was in my head or dismissed it all together. But Dr. Dwight
Moulin—my knight in shining armour
who has treated my pain in various ways
for many years—sent me to Dr. Clarke.
My most recent treatment has so
far given me eight weeks of almost no
pain. People should know about the
amazing things that St. Joseph’s Pain
Management Clinic can offer and especially the relentless efforts of the doctors, nurses and the rest of the team.
Pain is often overlooked and not understood by anyone unless you are suffering
yourself. No one understands how much
energy is taken away when you hurt,
how much of life disappears because of
hurting. The care and compassion of the
doctors and nurses at the pain clinic are
above anything I have experienced in the
past seven years. They understand what
I am going through, they comfort me,
understand the level of pain I am in and,
best of all, can treat my pain.
Tina Rowlands,
London, Ontario ■
SPRING 2015
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Guest speaker Col. Chris Hadfield shares his
out-of-this-world journey into outer space.
AN EVENT
THAT ECLIPSED
ALL OTHERS
Col. Chris Hadfield and an exciting future in
robotic rehabilitation were in the spotlight at
St. Joseph’s Tribute Dinner BY HANNAH MOSEY
T
his year’s Tribute Dinner,
hosted by St. Joseph’s Health
Care Foundation, was a
record-breaking success with
more than 1,200 people turning out
to hear Col. Chris Hadfield share his
out-of-this-world experience in outer
space. From astronauts operating elevators at the London Convention Centre
to space rockets on tables, it was an
event that eclipsed all others and left
guests inspired.
This year, the annual fundraising
event showcased St. Joseph’s Health
Care London’s role in leading-edge
48
rehabilitation for patients recovering from and living with the effects of
chronic disease, aging, acquired brain
injury, spinal cord injury, musculoskeletal disorders, amputation, stroke
or neurological disease. The evening
featured the Locomotor Training
(LT) program at Parkwood Institute,
which helps those who have experienced a spinal cord or acquired brain
injury rebuild strength in their lower
body—and in some cases learn to walk
again. The crowd was treated to a livedemonstration of the next step in LT,
the Ekso Skeleton robotic suit, which
Patient Lee Thilbeault shares a
laugh with Col. Chris Hadfield while
demonstrating the Lokomat in the
Main Building at Parkwood Institute.
had patient Michael Munro leave his
wheelchair to walk across the stage.
Col. Hadfield shared his own story
of rehabilitation—how crucial it was in
readjusting to the “unrelenting oppression of gravity” and getting his space
legs to walk back on Earth.
The event also honoured the family of Don and Joan Smith of London
and celebrated their relationship with
St. Joseph’s, which spans more than
half a century. ■
WEBSITE
Discover More
Visit sjhcfoundation.org
to watch a video about the
LT program and see more
photos from the event.
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Presenting Sponsor Bruce Zubick,
left, of John Zubick Limited, meets
Col. Chris Hadfield.
Speaker Sponsor Dave Moore, right,
of Clintar Landscape Management,
poses with Col. Hadfield in the
photo booth.
Brian Waltham, right, of EllisDon,
and Denise Waltham get a photo
opportunity with the Canadian
astronaut.
Danny Deep, far left, and Ken Yamashita, far
right, from General Dynamics, Premier Sponsor
for Tribute, have the opportunity to meet
Col. Hadfield and his wife, Helene.
Michael Munro surprises the
crowd with a demonstration
of leading-edge technology,
the Ekso Skeleton.
Major sponsors from The Marketing
Department Joe Farina, right, and Patricia
Farina, share a moment with Col. Hadfield.
The family of Don and Joan Smith, who were honoured for their
commitment to St. Joseph’s, gather for a family photo.
John Franklin, left, and Kyle
MacDonald had the winning bid
for the guitar signed and played by
Col. Hadfield during Tribute Dinner.
The auction helped raise $35,000.
Veteran Walter Irwin shows
an autographed photo of
Col. Hadfield during the
astronaut’s special visit to
Parkwood Institute.
SPRING 2015
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QUIZ BY ELLEN RANTA OLSON
Frequent trips
to the bathroom:
a sign of kidney
stones or a
urinary tract
infection?
FREAK OUT OR
CHILL OUT?
50
PHOTO BY GETTY/ THE IMAGE BANK
Take this quiz to learn how savvy you are
about confusing health symptoms
When it comes to understanding health woes, the
Web can be both a great
tool and a source of irrational fear.
We’ve all been there—one minute you’re
Googling symptoms, the next you’ve
diagnosed your condition as a rare and
deadly disease. We’ve collected a handful of symptoms that can cause confusion, and analyzed each. So before you
start panicking about your symptoms,
read on for a dose of reality.
S P RIN G 2015
FdVVSP1586_50-1_Quiz.indd 50
12/19/14 9:43 AM
Q
You’ve noticed in the past couple of
days that you’re making more trips
to the washroom than normal—and
it burns when you urinate. Even though
you feel the urge to go frequently, you
pass only small amounts each time.
IS IT: Kidney stones or a urinary
tract infection?
URINARY TRACT INFECTION (UTI).
While both UTIs and kidney stones can
cause pain during urination, stones are
often accompanied by severe pain in the
back and the ribs, as well as nausea and
vomiting. The more benign UTI typically
causes problems related only to urination. Don’t put off seeing your doctor
if you have UTI symptoms. Short-term
antibiotics usually end the infection
quickly. Recurring or chronic infections
require more tests and treatment.
Q
After a bout of what you thought
was the common cold, your little
one is plagued with a bright red
face and body rash. You aren’t sure
whether she’s allergic to her cold medicine or it’s something viral.
IS IT: An allergic rash or fifth disease?
PHOTO BY GETTY/ THE IMAGE BANK
FIFTH DISEASE. Fifth disease, which
gets its name from its place on the list
of standard rash-causing childhood diseases, is characterized by a low-grade
fever, headache and cold-like symptoms
followed by a bright red rash, particularly on the cheeks (hence the nickname
“slapped cheek disease”). Caused by
human parvovirus B19, the disease
isn’t preventable but isn’t particularly
worrisome either, typically requiring
no treatment.
WEBSITE
Don’t Be an E-Hypochondriac
Sure, it’s great to be informed about your health, but be careful
where you go searching. A good place to start is the Healthy
Canadians website, which features a wealth of trustworthy health
information. Visit healthycanadians.gc.ca.
Q
Spring has sprung, but even with
the sun shining and the flowers
blooming, you can’t muster any
get-up-and-go. Your energy level is low,
you’ve put on a few pounds, and you’re
down in the dumps.
IS IT: Depression or hypothyroidism?
BOTH. Admittedly, this is a bit of a trick
question. Hypothyroidism, a condition
defined by an underactive thyroid, can
cause depression, so if you’re feeling
blue for two weeks or more, talking to
your doctor is the best place to start.
The thyroid gland regulates your body’s
metabolism, so hypothyroidism can
affect mood, weight, energy, skin and
muscles among other things. A blood
draw makes for an easy test, and hypothyroidism is treatable with medication.
Q
Yoga pants are usually your go-to
for weekend attire, but for the past
few days, vaginal itching is making
anything you wear uncomfortable. You
also have abnormal discharge, and intercourse is painful.
IS IT: A yeast infection or cervicitis?
YEAST INFECTION. The combination
of itching, pain and discharge is a classic
sign of a yeast infection. If you’ve never
had one before, it’s best to see a doctor
to rule out anything more serious, but
otherwise, over-the-counter treatments
are usually just fine. Cervicitis, or cervix
inflammation, also is common and might
produce vaginal discharge and painful urination, but itching is not among
the symptoms.
Q
Every day for the last week, you’ve
woken up at 3 A.M. with a sharp
pain on the left side of your head
from your neck to your temple. The pain
lasts for more than an hour.
IS IT: A cluster headache or a
brain aneurysm?
A CLUSTER HEADACHE. Symptoms
of a brain aneurysm are a sudden and
unusually severe headache along with
vision impairment, nausea, vomiting
and loss of consciousness; these are
signals to call 911 immediately. Cluster
headaches typically occur at the same
time every day and affect one side of
the head. While painful, they are not
life threatening. Avoiding triggers such
as alcohol and smoking may help, and
your doctor can prescribe medications
to alleviate the pain. ■
SPRING 2015
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AT A GLANCE
$4.4 billion
is spent on direct health
care costs for tobaccorelated illness in Canada
each year, equal to buying
new homes for 10,972
Canadian families.
$1 billion
$17 billion
SMOKE
ALARM
Almost 20 per cent
of Canadian teenagers smoke cigarettes.
Recent anti-smoking ads by
Health Canada and the Canadian
Cancer Society—“Break it Off ”—
empower teens to “dump smoking,” and provide online support
to prevent them from getting
back together with “the ex.”
Refraining from smoking can
also do wonders for a teenager’s
bottom line over the course of
his or her lifetime. By saving the
money spent on cigarettes, teens
could afford more of the things
they want today, and even some
things they don’t even know
they’ll want a few years down
the road.
Canada’s estimated annual
social cost associated with
tobacco use is $17 billion.
That would buy a Mac Mini
for 21.2 million families.
The combined profits of
Canada’s three biggest
tobacco companies equalled
about $1 billion in 2001. That
would feed each of Canada’s
1 million hungry children
for more than a year.
$421,000
1.1 million smokers quit between
2001 and 2010, representing
$421,000 each in economic benefits
for averted health care costs and
premature deaths. That would send
five students to the University of
Toronto for four years, including
room and board.
ILLUSTRATION BY THINKSTOCK
52
S P RIN G 2015
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12/19/14 9:43 AM
$146,000.
Buy a 34-foot sailboat and say
goodbye to civilization
$73,000.
Make a down payment on a home
$36,500.
Ford Mustang—all cash
$18,250.
$3,650.
$304.
$70.
Tank of gas
Stanley Cup weekend for four, including
hotel, meals and tickets to the game
1 MONTH
15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display
(and an iPhone 6 to go with it)
1 WEEK
10 outfits from Forever 21
1 DAY
$10.
Would you rather smoke
for a year—or take a
10-day Caribbean cruise?
Here’s a look at what
a teen could buy other
than a daily pack of cigs.
7 downloads
on iTunes
THE COST OF SMOKING
1 YEAR
5 YEARS
10 YEARS
20 YEARS
ILLUSTRATION BY THINKSTOCK
40 YEARS
Sources: Canadian Lung Association; Tobacco Use in Canada: Patterns and Trends, 2012; Physicians for a Smoke-free Canada; Tobacco Use in
Canada: Patterns and Trends 2012 (Propel Centre for Population Health Impact); Healthy Canadians; Breakfast for Learning
SPRING 2015
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IN THE MARKET BY LEXI DWYER
3 WAYS TO COOK
SPINACH
Popeye knew a good thing when he saw it: Low in calories but
high in nutrients, this leafy, dark green does a body good
The “prince of vegetables” and the “captain of leafy greens” was how Ibn
al-Awwam, a 12th-century writer and agriculturist, described spinach. And
Andrea D’Ambrosio, a registered dietitian and a spokeswoman for Dietitians of
Canada, agrees. “Spinach has an outstanding nutritional profile rich in vitamins A, C, and K,
folate, calcium, magnesium and iron, along with fibre and antioxidants like lutein. Spinach
also has tremendous versatility,” she says.
One cup of this green contains half our recommended daily allowance of vitamin A,
which helps with vision, and twice the RDA of vitamin K, an aid in blood clotting as well
as building healthy bones and tissue. Other star nutrients include folate, which helps
make new cells and is essential for pregnant women, iron and vitamin C. A mix of raw and
cooked spinach is ideal; heating the leaves can make some components easier to absorb.
Try these three preparations to be sure you’re getting enough:
BLEND A SMOOTHIE
Experiment to find
your favourite combination,
but a good ratio is 1 cup of
raw spinach (or a half-cup
frozen), 1 cup of fruit, 1
cup of milk or juice, and
about a half-cup of ice. Tell
your kids the drink is named
“The Green Monster” and
they’ll slurp it down.
54
2
SAUTÉ IT
Think of sautéing as
the little black dress of
spinach recipes: classic and
effortless. Simply heat olive
oil in a pan on high, add the
leaves and toss with tongs
until they’re bright green.
Season with lemon juice
and your favourite herbs
or spices.
3
MAKE CUPCAKES
Purée 1 cup of
spinach in the blender
or food processor with
a few tablespoons of
water (it should look like
baby food). Add it to
your favourite cake batter,
and other than the green
tint, your kids will be none
the wiser. ■
MAIN PHOTO BY GETTY/MOMENT; SECONDARY PHOTOS BY THINKSTOCK
1
S P RIN G 2015
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SPINACH
SAVANT
FRESH VS. FROZEN
Fresh and frozen spinach are similar nutritionally, though raw leaves typically work
better on sandwiches and wraps and the
frozen variety is easier to work into a baking or smoothie recipe. In late fall or early
winter, when fresh spinach isn’t as widely
available, it’s more economical to buy the
frozen stuff.
WASH IT WELL
Spinach is notoriously sandy. Remove the
stems and run the leaves under the faucet
in small batches or soak them in a large
bowl or basin of water. If soaking, you
may need to change the water and repeat.
Before cooking, taste a leaf to check for
lingering grit and rewash if necessary. If
you’re serving a pre-washed spinach mix
to a child, a pregnant woman or anyone
with a compromised immune system,
wash the leaves in a salad spinner one
final time as an extra precaution against
food-borne illness.
TALKIN’ TEETH
MAIN PHOTO BY GETTY/MOMENT; SECONDARY PHOTOS BY THINKSTOCK
After munching on spinach salad, have you
noticed that your teeth feel as if they have
a coating? Chewing the leaves releases
a harmless compound called oxalic acid,
which is responsible for this sensation.
WEBSITE
Play with Their Food
Send kids to superkidsnutrition.com, a website developed
by Dietitians of Canada and Kellogg’s Canada, where they can
learn about nutrition through fun activities, colouring pages
and interactive games.
SPRING 2015
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HEALTH BY THE NUMBERS
91 %
FOCUS ON FERTILITY
20%
Between 1992 and 2010, infertility
rates among married couples in
which the woman is 18 to 44 years old
nearly doubled—from 8.5% to 16%.
ABOUT 30% of full-term
pregnancies resulting
from fertility treatments
produce multiple births.
One in-vitro fertilization
cycle costs between
$4,500 and $8,150, not includ-
ing medications, consultation fees
and other potential procedures*.
of women
can get
pregnant at
age 30, 77%
at age 35
and 53%
at age 40.
Women
over 35
account for
nearly 20%
of births
in Canada.
COMMON CAUSES
OF INFERTILITY:
• Age (fertility
decreases after age 35)
• Female problems with fallopian
tubes, uterus or ovulation disorders
• Female and male hormonal
imbalances
• Male sperm quality or low
sperm count
• Sexually transmitted
diseases
15%
Couples in
their 30s have
a 15% chance
of conceiving
each month.
*Some costs may be covered by provincial health insurance plans, depending on where
you live and the cause of infertility. Fertility medications are covered by some private and/or employer insurance policies.
Tobacco
use among
men and
women may
have a link
to infertility.
An average
couple with no
fertility issues
requires six to
12 months of
active efforts
before achieving
a pregnancy.
Sources: Government of Canada; Healthy Canadians; American Society of Reproductive Medicine; U.S. National Library of Medicine; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology; Infertility Awareness Association of Canada; C-Health; Statistics Canada; IVF.ca, Human Reproduction
SMALL GLAND, BIG PROBLEMS
At St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, endocrinologist Dr. Stan Van Uum is an expert
in a tiny gland that can cause big problems
when it comes to fertility. Situated at the
base of the brain, the pituitary gland produces hormones that control the thyroid,
ovaries, testes and adrenal glands. Two
common factors that contribute to infertility as a result of a pituitary gland dysfunction are hypopituitarism and prolactinomas.
Hypopituitarism is an inability to
produce sufficient pituitary hormones,
explains Dr. Van Uum. “This is typically
caused by a tumour (pituitary adenoma)
and in women can cause loss of menstrual
56
cycle, infertility, decrease in sex drive and
vaginal dryness.”
In men, the symptoms are loss of sex
drive, erectile dysfunction and lower
sperm count.
Prolactinomas are benign pituitary
tumours that produce increased levels of
prolactin. This affects a woman’s menstrual
cycle as it interferes with the ability for ovaries to produce estrogen, says Dr. Van Uum.
“When estrogen levels are low, women
have absent or irregular menstrual periods.”
Men who suffer from elevations in prolactin levels may have the same symptoms
as hypopituitarism.
WEBSITE
Learn More
Those who suspect
their pituitary gland
isn’t doing what it
should are advised to
see their family doctor
for a possible referral
to an endocrinologist.
For information about
the One-Stop Pituitary
Clinic at St. Joseph’s
Hospital in London, visit
sjhc.london.on.ca/
pituitary.
S P RIN G 2015
FdVVSP1586_56_ByTheNumbers.indd 56
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Benefitting
Breast Care at
St. Joseph’s
Proudly
presented by:
MARCH 28
2015
London
Convention
Centre
It’s a day of movin’, groovin’ and fun.
Grab your friends, register a team and BUST A MOVE!
Donate or Register at bustamove.ca
Renowned for compassionate care, St. Joseph’s is one of the best academic health care organizations in Canada
dedicated to helping people live to their fullest by minimizing the effects of injury, disease and disability through
excellence in care, teaching and research.
Registered Charitable Number: 11918 3390 RR0001
FdVVSP1586_C3_Bust_A_Move_Ad.indd 3
sjhcfoundation.org
12/19/14 1:56 PM
268 Grosvenor Street
London, ON
N6A 4V2
Please return Canadian Addresses to above address
Breakfast of Champions
With
Mariel
Hemingway
Mariel Hemingway is an Academy
Award nominated actor, author,
eco enthusiast, mental health
advocate and much sought after
keynote speaker.
She is well-known for her
celebrated family – which
includes her grandfather,
Ernest Hemingway.
Mariel will touch upon her
family’s past in order to build
awareness around mental illness
and suicide prevention.
For ticket information, April 28, 2015
– 9:30 AM
please contact us at: 7:30
LONDON CONVENTION CENTRE
519 646-6085
sjhcfoundation.org
FdVVSP1586_C4_Celebration.indd 4
LONDON, ONTARIO
Event includes a presentation of the CMHA
Middlesex Champion of Mental Health Awards.
To nominate a local ‘Mental Health Champion’
visit www.cmhamiddlesex.ca
Proudly sponsored by
12/19/14 1:56 PM

Spring 2015 - St. Joseph`s Health Care London

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