Where to start when you're new to caregiving

3 minutes

Becoming a caregiver can creep up on you. Maybe it starts with dropping by your mom’s house to do her laundry or taking your dad to a doctor’s appointment or delivering groceries to your friend. Maybe you call your adult daughter every day to check in because she suffers from depression. Gradually, you find yourself doing more and more as the person you are caring for needs more support. You may not even realize it; you are making a commitment to care for someone else.

Struggling to quit smoking? Read Marcel's story

3 minutes

I first experimented with tobacco as a kid. My mom and step-dad smoked at home all the time, so it felt like a natural thing. I hated it at the time, but as I got a bit older I discovered Indonesian clove cigarettes. My friends and I liked their smell and sweet taste and they became our "party cigarettes". 

Over time I switched to regular cigarettes because they were cheaper. And by the time I was 16 I was smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

 

Outreach Urban Health: Making a difference for vulnerable people

3 minutes

Within the non-descript walls of a clinic in downtown Kelowna, a health-care team is doing amazing things.  

The Outreach Urban Health clinic includes family doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and social workers. They collaborate with mental health and substance use clinicians who are all working at the same location, to support a range of people, including those who are homeless, those dealing with mental illness, people with problematic substance use, as well as people without access to traditional health-care services, such as new immigrants. 

We are IH: Dr. Amanda Wilmer

3 minutes

Dr. Amanda Wilmer is no stranger to the B.C. Interior. While she was born in Vancouver, Amanda grew up living in Squamish, Williams Lake, Kamloops and Grand Forks, all before the age of 18. Amanda moved back to Vancouver to complete her formal education at UBC, but was delighted to have the opportunity to return to the Interior after finishing her training – having family in the area makes it feel like home.