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Stay Ready, Stay Safe: Emergency Preparedness Tips and Resources

Emergency Preparedness Week is a national event supported by Public Safety Canada, working closely with provincial and territorial emergency management organizations, Indigenous organizations, non-governmental organizations, and private sector organizations who support activities at the local level to encourage Canadians to take three simple steps to become better prepared to face a range of emergencies.

  1. Know the Risks: Understand the types of emergencies that could occur in your region
  2. Make a Plan: Develop an emergency plan for your family.
  3. Get an Emergency Kit: Assemble a kit with essential supplies that can sustain you and your family for at least 72 hours.

Emergency Preparedness Week 2024 was May 5 to 11. Even though Emergency Preparedness Week has passed, it’s never too late to make sure you are prepared to protect yourself, your family and your community during an emergency. iCON recently held a webinar about Chronic Disease Management during Extreme Environmental Conditions and Wildfires in Cantonese.

 

In this webinar, you will learn about:

  • The health risks associated with exposure to wildfire smoke and the resulting impact on chronic diseases. (revised based on MoH’s comment)
  • The strategies for protecting respiratory health.
  • The medication management and lifestyle modifications for coping with extreme environmental conditions.
  • The importance of staying informed and seeking support.

Feel free to view event page here to learn more about the event. You can also check out the resources below for more

information.

Resources

Emergency Preparedness Week Toolkit 

Build an Emergency Kit

Make an Emergency Plan

Emergency Preparedness Guide

Emergencies can happen anytime anywhere

Community resources

Updated Public Health Measures – Medical Masks Wearing Requirement Effective Oct 3, 2023

On Thursday, September 28, the Government of B.C. announced updated public health measures in health-care facilities to protect patients, residents in long-term care facilities, health-care workers and people during respiratory illness season.

To increase protections in health-care facilities in B.C., medical mask wearing will be required by all health-care workers, volunteers, contractors and visitors in patient care areas (including UBC faculty, staff and learners who operate in the mentioned areas) starting October 3.

Click here to learn more

iCON WhatsApp group – South Asian

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of a brand new iCON WhatsApp group – a space to share insights, upcoming event announcements, practical tips and resources to manage your health better.
 
1. Click the link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/JH3sD1b8QhO6c5ldXxbYVK
2. Or scan the QR code on the image
3. Read the group description
4. Welcome to the group

Additional Resources for South Asian Community: Mental Wellness

Additional Resources for South Asian Community: Mental Wellness

Websites:

Support Groups:

Consulting Services:

Self-Management:

Prepare Yourself for Extreme Heat

Heat events, also referred to as heatwaves, encompass consecutive days of temperatures exceeding the usual range for a specific region. With the ongoing climate changes, British Columbia can anticipate an increase in the frequency, duration, and intensity of heat events.

 

While heat events can impact the health of individuals, extreme heat poses a significantly higher risk of severe illness, particularly for those lacking access to a cool indoor setting. As outdoor temperatures escalate each day, the heat can accumulate indoors, creating a potentially perilous situation. The longer the duration of the heat event, the greater the danger it presents.

Resource

Find out what to do before, during and after an extreme heat event.

Extreme Heat Preparedness Guide (May 2023)

More information from Province of British Columbia

Get to Know Monkeypox 齊來認識猴痘

The “Get to Know Monkeypox” webinar presented by Dr. Kendall Ho was held on July 25, 2022.
Delivered in Cantonese.

In this session, participants learned:

• New updates on Monkeypox
• Symptoms, high-risk groups, ways of transmission
• Misconception about Monkeypox
• Prevention methods and medical treatment

Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/7GtlvMmVvuc

 

免費網上講座 – 齊來認識猴痘(粵語)/ Monkeypox workshop (Cantonese)
日期: 2022年7月25日(星期一)
講者: 何建韜醫生 (急救科醫生和「安康」健康網絡執行董事)
語言: 廣東話

內容:

  • 了解猴痘的最新現況
  • 認識猴痘的病徵、高風險族群及傳染途徑
  • 拆解大眾對猴痘的誤解
  • 預防猴痘的方法及藥物治療

觀看錄影片段: https://youtu.be/7GtlvMmVvuc

 

English-Chinese Medical Vocabulary for Better Practitioner-Patient Encounters

Language barriers can create challenges for healthcare professionals, caregivers and patients alike, and can decrease the quality of healthcare delivery and patient safety.

Knowing the appropriate terms and translations for body parts, symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments, as well as general medical language can help improve practitioner-patient encounters by ensuring clarity and effective communication.

Below are a list of resources in English and Chinese that contain common medical terms, terms for arthritis and osteoporosis, body parts, and more.

These resources can be used by clinicians when meeting with Chinese speaking patients, as well as Chinese patients and caregivers when speaking with health care providers.

Resources

Click the title of each resource to be directed to the document or website.

  1. Chinese-English Common Dementia Terms: Document with a list of common dementia terms including organs and structures, signs and symptoms, and treatment and medication.
  2. Chinese-English Regularly Used Medical Terms for Body Parts and Organs: Document with a list of body parts and organs.
  3. Medical Vocabulary A (Traditional Chinese): Document with medical vocabulary.
  4. Medical Vocabulary B (Traditional Chinese): Document with more medical vocabulary.
  5. Medical terminology (Simplified Chinese): Document with additional medical vocabulary.
  6. Commonly used medical vocabulary in Chinese and English (Traditional Chinese): Document with medical vocabulary related to infectious diseases and vaccines, chronic diseases, women’s health, men’s health, nutrition and mental health.
  7. Chinese-English Phrasebook for Medical Encounters: Document with common medical terms and phrases used during a physician-patient encounter.
  8. Medical Interview Questions: Document with common medical questions asked during a doctor’s visit.
  9. Booklet of Medical Terms (Traditional Chinese): Document with more common medical terms and phrases used during a physician-patient encounter.
  10. Chinese-English medical vocabulary: Arthritis and Osteoporosis: Document with medical vocabulary related to arthritis and osteoporosis.
  11. Chinese-English Phrase Workbook: Website for healthcare providers, patients, and/or caregivers to learn medical Mandarin.

8 Easy Ways to Prevent Falling

8 Easy Ways to Prevent Falling

  1. Take all your prescribed medications regularly. If your medications are making you feel unwell, talk to your doctor.
  2. Get an eye exam by an eye doctor every two years.
  3. Drink water. Dehydration can lead to dizziness and falls.
  4. Keep physically active to prevent stiff joints. Consult a physiotherapist about an exercise plan. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise regime.
  5. Get enough sleep at night so you can remain alert during the day.
  6. Use night lights, especially for the path from the bedroom to the bathroom.
  7. Keep your environment clean and clutter free. Prevent falls in the bathroom by ensuring your floors are kept dry and by installing mats in the shower stall.
  8. Limit your alcohol intake and DO NOT mix alcohol with medications.

6 Tips for Managing Your Medication

With today’s advancements in the medical field, humans live longer than they did 30 years ago. This is largely thanks to the scientists who have invented medications used to treat different disease states to maintain health. However, in order for these medications to show their effects, they need to be taken correctly. As consumers of these medications, we can do our part in the following ways:

  • Pay attention and follow the instructions on the prescription vial or box. Some medications need to be taken regularly while some only need to be taken as needed. Therefore, it is important to follow the regimen. Do not skip doses or adjust the dose on your own without discussing with your doctor.
  • Do not use expired medications. Some medications can lose their efficacy after their expiry date while some medications can turn into toxic metabolites that can harm the body.
  • It is always a good idea to know the names of your medications and their indications. This can make discussion of your medications with your doctor/pharmacist way easier.
  • Report any adverse drug reactions that you experience to your doctor or pharmacist immediately. The same medication can have different effects on different people.
  • If your medication regimen is complicated, explore different options to make taking your medications easier. Most pharmacies offer blister pack services and help pre-packing your medications so you don’t need to worry about forgetting to take certain pills. Other options are using a pill organizer, or even using a smartphone app as a reminder.
  • Book an appointment with your pharmacist to review your medications every year. Sometimes, your medication regimen needs to be reviewed according to your current health state. Pharmacists can also review your immunization history to see if you require certain vaccines (such as influenza, shingles, pneumonia) to maintain your health