The Age-Friendly Society is hosting a three-part presentation at the Creekside Seniors Centre on Cedar Avenue on Oct. 25 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. The main attraction is a presentation from a local paramedic and how to prepare for emergencies.
“I think it’s a topic that interests people because, particularly in rural settings, I think it is helpful for folks to see how you can most quickly get an emergency response and what can help the paramedics so we can get the best outcome,” said Lea Smirfitt, the South Cariboo Age-Friendly executive director.
The paramedic is Mike Winkel, and he will not only be talking about what people need to know about emergency preparation but also how to call an ambulance, what paramedics will need and something called the ‘vial of life.’
The vial of life is a package of information that is available in someone’s home so the paramedics responding can assist faster and more easily.
Afterwards, there is a demonstration on defibrillators (AED).
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The second part of the presentation will be from Laura Dewar, the wellness manager for United Way TNC, who will be talking about stress and anxiety.
“The main topic will be strategies for self-care,” said Dewar. “When people are still suffering from the after-effects of the wildfires, there is just a fair amount of anxiety in a lot of people, including seniors. I think it’s just a matter of trying to help people realize what they are going through is really quite a normal thing to happen. Like the fires were pretty significant, they were scary and there will be a certain amount of anxiety with it.”
She said she also will, if appropriate to do so, talk about when and where to ask for help when anxiety gets too heavy for self-care methods to rely on.
One program she mentioned is the Canadian’s Mental Health Association British Columbia Division’s program called Talk in Tough Times.
The program was started in response to the 2017 wildfires and invites people who are struggling or have a loved one who is to call them at 1-877-427-4884.
The responder will connect the caller to local resources and tools to help them get through their stress and anxiety.
After Dewar, Brianna Clark will be giving some information on the fire mitigation project.
brendan.jure@100milefreepress.net
