Submitted by: Connie Beaudry

Coffee and a Chat had a full set of sessions November 28th in Birch River, November 29th in Benito, November 30th in Swan River. The fall prevention topic was delivered by Debbie Schulz, NP.

Statistics show 1 in 4 people fall. No one plans to have a fall, but we can learn to prevent a fall and how to get up from a fall.
-exercise to keep strong (walking is a weight bearing exercise) very good for everyone, If you are walking outside in the snow or ice, wear ice grips on your shoes, use walking sticks or walk with your feet further apart with your toes pointed outwards and take smaller steps (walk like a penguin). When going indoors, stomp the snow off of your footwear and remove ice grips.
-remove area rugs
-talk to your Dr or pharmacist if you feel your medication is causing you to have balance issues.
-Taking care of your feet and wearing proper footwear are important to help prevent falls, numbness in
your feet can cause stumbles and lead to falls.
-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: www.cdc.gov/steadi

Lisa Cordileone, Community Mental Health Worker with Prairie Mountain Health had a lengthy discussion about how we can be alone but we can also be lonely in a room full of people. Loneliness can increase the risk of mortality by 26%. Loneliness is a state of mind based on perceptions, the good thing about this is that we have some control to change the way we think and feel about it. Practice “Gratitude” keep a journal or notepad to record what you are grateful for, what is going positive in your life? Be thankful of what you have and appreciate the small things. Cure loneliness by sharing your time, call a friend or acquaintance, volunteer. Take the initiative, do not stay home and be “lonely” create a reason to go out, start a book club, find someone to do what you enjoy doing, go for a weekly walk with friends or people from your street, join a coffee club, go back or start going to church. Be mindful of negative self talk, when loneliness becomes depression speak to a professional. Rod Seib CMHA 204-734-2734, Lisa Cordileone PMH 204-734-6600

This time of year with the lack of sunshine and more solitude can sometimes lead us down a dark path, we can improve our attitude simply by enjoying some of our traditional or comfort foods. Bob Lewis reminds us that whatever it is that gives us comfort in food, whether it is perogies, apple pie with no cinnamon, or Aunt Madeleine’s famous meat pie, enjoy it all in moderation. Bob had a nice prayer of grace before we sat down to a lovely potluck meal.

There will be no Coffee and a Chat for December but will resume January 23-25th 2024 for another set of Coffee and A Chat with Budgeting and Income tax and Aging and Acceptance. All venue’s start at 10 am with a break at 11, closing the presentations by 12 noon.