If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or substance use issues, know you’re not alone. Interior Health offers support and helpful resources across the Interior region.  How, when and where you access mental health and substance use services depends on: Your age Where you live Where you are in your mental health and/or substance use journey If you identify as Indigenous, we also have services and supports uniquely tailored to you.

Name: Kim Young (she/her/hers)Job Title: Licenced Practical Nurse Years of Service: 16.5Worksite: Cottonwoods Care Centre and Brookhaven Care CentreCommunity: West KelownaAncestral Territory: Syilx NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Live, laugh, love” and “Be the person people will remember and appreciate” Meet Kim Young, a compassionate licensed practical nurse (LPN) with an impressive 16.5 years of service at Interior Health (IH). Born and raised in Kelowna, which is situated on the ancestral territory of the Syilx Nation, Kim wholeheartedly serves her hometown community through her dedication working with tracheostomy and ventilator-dependent patients at Cottonwoods Care Centre, while also working in dementia care at Brookhaven Care Centre.

Body image refers to how a person sees or perceives their appearance, and the feelings associated with that viewpoint. As humans, we often compare ourselves to those around us and this comparison may affect the way we eat, dress, or treat each other. Our body image is connected to our self-esteem. Self-esteem is how we value and respect ourselves as a person. Self-esteem affects how we take care of ourselves emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It's important to embrace ourselves and our differences to realize the beauty every person has and how uniqueness enhances life experience.  “Positive body image isn’t believing your body LOOKS good. It’s knowing that it IS good, regardless of how it looks.” – Dr. Lindsay Kite

Name: Julie Bodden (she/her/hers)Job Title: Community Integration Care CoordinatorYears of Service: 8Worksite: Vernon Urgent & Primary Care CentreCommunity:  VernonAncestral Territory: SyilxFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “When you make an observation, you have an obligation.” - M. K. Asante Meet Julie Bodden, community integration care coordinator at Vernon Urgent & Primary Care Centre! This adventure-seeking world traveller has visited all seven continents, experienced penguin watching in Antarctica, climbed Kilimanjaro, and has even dove with whale sharks and giant hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos!

In a series of landmark studies, the Alzheimer Society of Canada estimates that by 2050 more than 1.7 million Canadians are expected to be living with dementia. That’s triple the more than 600,000 people who are living with dementia today in Canada. The forecasted increase in diagnoses is expected to have a huge impact on Canada’s health-care system, not to mention the more than one million caregivers who will serve as care partners. According to the first study: “In Canada, most people living with dementia reside at home. In 2015 and 2016, 69% of seniors with dementia under the age of 80, and 58% of those over 80, lived in the community and outside of the long-term care systems (Canadian Institute for Health Information [CIHI], 2018a).” In our previous story, we talked about tips and resources for caring for a loved one with dementia, and your self-care. In this story, we share some of the innovative approaches to care for those with dementia across the Interior Health region. We also highlight resources available from the Alzheimer Society and UBC.

Name: Yvea Zaels (she/her/hers)Job Title: Project Manager, Hospital at Home Program, Kelowna General Hospital (KGH)Years of Service:  3.5 yearsWorksite:  KGH (and home office)Community:  KelownaAncestral Territory: Syilx First Nations Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: "Conquer yourself."   Yvea Zaels is a multi-disciplined project manager who is passionate about helping others and creating an equitable workplace.  When we say multi-disciplined, we mean it! Yvea has a background in project management, electrical engineering, astronomy, marketing, international business, business analysis, adult learning, public speaking and professional editing. She also has extensive experience with connecting people from multiple cultures and is fluent in four languages. In fact, Yvea sponsored the first Russian speaking club in the world and developed a curriculum in collaboration with an experienced accent reduction specialist (speech language pathologist). Yvea’s dedication to creating an equitable workplace ultimately led her to join Interior Health’s Employee Voices, an internal employee advisory group that aims to advise, guide and make recommendations that support Interior Health. Committee members contribute diverse viewpoints in support of creating a respectful, welcoming, culturally safe and inclusive workplace for everyone. Yvea Zaels 

Five teens have been selected as winners for the 2023 Take a Breath: Teen Voices on Tobacco, Cannabis and Vaping poster contest. Youth in grades eight to 12 living in the Interior Health region were invited to participate in the contest. Teen judges on the IH Teen Advisory Council evaluated and scored each poster based on a specific set of criteria. The intent of the poster contest was to spark meaningful conversations about teen tobacco, cannabis and vapour product use, and their impacts on teens’ health, environment and their communities. Teens who identify as Indigenous were also invited to reflect and share on the differences between ceremonial and commercial tobacco use. “It’s exciting to see this level of interest in participating in this contest. We do appreciate the attention that encourages us to work even harder to spread the word about the impacts of smoking and vaping on our health,” says Dr. Fatemeh Sabet, medical health officer at Interior Health. “By collaborating with youth, we continue to learn how to engage younger generations in a more meaningful way in order to minimize the risks of hazards, like vaping, in our communities.”

Since Alcohol Change UK began Dry January sometime around 2013, it has become a global movement. The campaign encourages people to abstain from alcohol for 31 days starting Jan. 1, a time when many of us make New Year’s resolutions. With January almost over, people can have another go at not drinking for a month with the Dry February challenge. But going dry may not be the right goal for everyone, says Dr. Silvina Mema, Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer with Interior Health. “While many people might feel ready and able to not drink for a month, an ‘all or nothing’ approach can be unrealistic for some,” says Dr. Mema. “People who choose to not go dry can still try to lower their alcohol consumption to reduce the adverse health effects of alcohol. Choosing small steps over big ones can give you a higher chance of success of meeting your goals and give you something to celebrate.”   In 2023, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction released new guidelines on alcohol and health. Zero drinks a week has the greatest benefits; at 3 – 6 drinks a week, your risk of developing several types of cancer increases. And seven or more drinks a week can increase your risk of heart disease or stroke significantly. “While there is no safe level of drinking, any reduction in alcohol consumption has health benefits. When it comes to drinking, less is better,” says Dr. Mema. Related: Alcohol and Health in B.C.’s Interior Region

When Erin’s teenage son Sam hurt his wrist at the skatepark, it didn’t seem that serious at first. However, by the evening his wrist was very swollen and painful. Erin started second-guessing her initial assessment and felt they should have her son’s injury checked.   When a family doctor or walk-in clinic isn’t available, or if it’s after hours or the weekend, we often turn to hospital emergency departments for help.  But instead of going to the local emergency department that night, however, Erin took her son to the Penticton Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC). The primary care team’s physician provided a requisition for an X-ray to be done at the hospital, and the team’s physiotherapist wrapped Sam’s wrist and provided a sling. “It all turned out well. It wasn’t broken or fractured,” says Erin. “And it was a relief to get into the clinic that evening and have someone look at Sam’s wrist quickly.”