How to shovel snow safely & prevent injury this winter

2 minutes

After a mild winter throughout the B.C. Interior, the snow we’ve been anticipating has finally arrived. 

It’s an exciting time for ski and snowboard enthusiasts. It’s also a time when we pull out the shovels to clear our driveways, although hopefully not too often. 

Shovelling snow can be an inconvenience, but may also cause injury, mainly to your back and shoulders.

However, injuries can be prevented with the right approach.

How dementia is diagnosed and what to expect

5 minutes

If you find yourself forgetting names, misplacing keys or not remembering your granddaughter's birthday, it's natural to feel worried it could be a sign of dementia. As we explored in our previous story, memory loss and difficulties often come with age, but don't always mean you're developing dementia. 

In this story, we explore how dementia is diagnosed, and what happens after a diagnosis, both for the individual with dementia and their family.

Interior Health statement on COVID-19 testing

2 minutes

Interior Health would like to clarify an internal memo related to COVID-19 testing changes that is circulating on social media.

Rapid antigen tests (RAT) detect infections in more than 70 to 80 per cent of patients with COVID-19 and are a great tool within the community to help inform members of the public if they could be infected with COVID-19 to help them prevent spread of the virus to others.

Learn about the region’s first pharmacy offering drug checking

2 minutes

When you first walk into the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in Vernon, it’s like any neighbourhood pharmacy: it has your over-the-counter drugs for cold and flu season, your daily essential vitamins and prescription drugs.

But behind the counter is something unique: a drug checking service for anyone to use. It's the first service of its kind offered at a pharmacy in the B.C. Interior. 

Why dementia is not a normal part of aging and what you can do

4 minutes

Misplaced keys. A forgotten name or password. Forgetting a special occasion like a birthday.

As we age, many of us start to worry memory loss means we are getting dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. It’s normal for us to be concerned.

According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, almost 40 per cent of us will experience some form of memory loss after we turn 65 years old. It’s a natural part of aging.