Trust. Integrity. Reputation.
Healing Trail promotes diabetes awareness
Healing Trail
promotes diabetes awareness
Cheryl Petten,
Windspeaker Staff Writer,
Dryden Ontario
The Healing Trail program has been up and running for less
than a year, but has already met and exceeded many of its goals.
The program, a three-year pilot project funded through Health
Canada, was launched in June. The program is aimed at Aboriginal
and Métis people in the Dryden area, but everything being
done through the program is designed to be adopted and adapted
by other communities.
Each project is developed, then run in the Dryden area and, if
it's deemed successful,
it's made available to other communities to use.
"Our philosophy is not to reinvent wheels. Too much of that
has been happening, and its leaving us with no resources,"
said Vicki Scherban, community liaison with The Healing Trail
program.
"The project is well on its way. It's actually exceeded
its goals and objectives in six months, so it's going very, very
well," Scherban said.
"It started with a very unique partnership with the Ontario
Métis Aboriginal Association, the Dryden Native Friendship
Centre, and the
Dryden Regional Health Centre, which is the hospital that serves
the district, and the Dryden Diabetes Centre. And the four organizations
grouped together to develop a promotion/prevention program, which
is funded by Health Canada, under their Mohawk program."
One of the goals of the program is to increase awareness about
diabetes among the Aboriginal community. This has been done through
a poster campaign, a radio campaign, articles in local newspapers,
and through participation in community trade shows.
The program has also recently opened an office, which is open
three days a week.
The Healing Trail has had a lot of success in reaching its target
audience, and getting its message out.
"We've reached over 110 individuals just through community
workshops. We had over 3,500 visit our booth at a trade show.
Just in this area, this small region. We're optimistic that the
word is getting out there. We have phone calls coming in continuously,"
Scherban said.
A number of different projects have been launched through The
Healing Trail, many done in partnership with community organizations,
or corporations.
"We're in the process of launching, in partnership with
Lifescan Canada, which is the Johnson and Johnson company, another
partnership in providing meters to urban Aboriginals and Métis.
And in doing that, we receive dollars back from registering them
and monitoring them, from Lifescan, to develop more resources.
Because resources are far and few between. A lot of one-time
printings, and then the resource dies off. So we're trying to
develop some sort of partnerships where we have some revenue
to continue to develop our materials," Scherban said.
One of those resource materials being developed is a "how-to"
community manual.
"It's going to consist of eight workshops for nutrition,
and eight workshops in the prevention of diabetes and the understanding
of Type II diabetes. And so there'll be 16 community workshops.
And it's being developed and ready for market by March, we're
hoping, for other communities or organizations to implement in
their communities. We've tested them in ours, and they've gone
well. They consist of a lot of Aboriginal content. So that's
what we're trying to do. Because there's very little of that.
There's lots of Type II diabetes information, but with respect
to Aboriginal and incorporating the thrifty gene, etc., you know,
we're doing all of those things," Scherban said.
Another initiative launched through The Healing Trail is an Aboriginal
diabetes outreach worker program, being offered through the local
hospital. The first offering of the program has seven participants,
representing a number of Aboriginal organizations, including
the Ontario
Métis Aboriginal Association, the Métis Nation
of Ontario, the Dryden Native Friendship Centre, and the Red
Lake Ontario Métis Aboriginal Association.
"We are training outreach workers that work for urban Aboriginal
organizations in their current positions, in either long term
care or community health outreach. And it started in September.
It runs through until March, and it will provide them with a
really solid foundation in diabetes education. And The Healing
Trail felt that was probably one of the key areas to address,
because those organizations then can take some ownership in ongoing
prevention programs."
If the first offering of the outreach training program is successful,
it could form the basis of an apprenticeship program for use
in communities across the province, Scherban said.
"We have had preliminary discussions with the Ministry of
Education and Trade regarding an apprenticeship program. We would
like to proceed in that area once we have tried this trial. We
are creating a new curriculum that is Aboriginal-sensitive and
culturally appropriate. So again, we are going to have another
model that can again be mirrored in other communities by simply
obtaining an RN or RD, a Registered Nurse or a Registered Dietitian,
and an Elder to deliver the program.
"Our reserves are very close to our communities. We have
about six communities we're focusing on here. And then the reserves
are minutes apart from these, and we have four reserves in this
area, directly. And this is just a small urban project. What
we would like to do is partner with them to do an assessment
across the board, to come up with some hard, fast numbers so
we know where to start directing our attention.
"Sandy Lake's not far from here, so we know that if the
statistics are 29 per cent or more in Sandy Lake, those numbers
are probably not far off most of the Aboriginals residing in
northwestern Ontario, this far anyway. But we really would like
to do an assessment, and they agree that that would probably
be a good area to go towards, to focus on," she said.
"We're walking before we run. We want to complete our first
year pilot. But to date, we've totally exceeded expectations,
both of our community and Health Canada," Scherban said.
As for the long term, she'd like to see the program create a
number of resources that will continue to be available once the
pilot project has ended.
"I think the long term goal would be to have raised enough
awareness that we have changed the way that we're eating in our
communities, and our activity levels. But most importantly, is
that we've developed the resources that could be accessible,
and be able to market those resources to become self-sustainable
to continue to provide these services. Because they have to be
ongoing. We just can't do a news flash. It just doesn't work.
And I mean, we're diagnosing them as young as five out here.
So we have a serious epidemic facing us. So I think it has to
be an ongoing process. And that's why we've always directed our
resources at developing items that could be either marketed or
renewed easily and cost effectively."
For more information about The Healing Trail program, visit the
program Web site at www.diabeteshealingtrail.ca or call 807-223-8238.
"So we're trying to, in the same time, look to our neighboring
communities that have not created a program yet. All of these
programs will be set up so that they can be utilized in other
communities," Scherban said.
Another project being launched by The Healing Trail is aimed
at getting diabetes information out to Aboriginal youth. The
new pilot project is being launched at Wabigoon school. The urban
school is located in Wabigoon, a community about 15 minutes east
of Dryden that has a high Aboriginal population.
"We will be attempting to screen the children there, in
partnership with the Dryden Diabetes Centre. And we will also
be providing workshops toward adopting healthy lunch programs.
And we will also have materials and programs implemented into
their class curriculum that are Aboriginal appropriate again,
and culturally appropriate," Scherban said.
Scherban indicated there is no statistical information available
regarding the prevalence of diabetes among the area's Aboriginal
community. That, she said, was another thing the program hoped
to address.
"We know the statistics are high. We don't have any data.
I had just had a discussion with Health Canada with respect to,
in our last three or four months, accessing some sort of resources
to do an assessment off-reserve and on-reserve.
"Our reserves are very close to our communities. We have
about six communities we're focusing on here. And then the reserves
are minutes apart from these, and we have four reserves in this
area, directly. And this is just a small urban project. What
we would like to do is partner with them to do an assessment
across the board, to come up with some hard, fast numbers so
we know where to start directing our attention.
"Sandy Lake's not far from here, so we know that if the
statistics are 29 per cent or more in Sandy Lake, those numbers
are probably not far off most of the Aboriginals residing in
northwestern Ontario, this far anyway. But we really would like
to do an assessment, and they agree that that would probably
be a good area to go towards, to focus on," she said.
"We're walking before we run. We want to complete our first
year pilot. But to date, we've totally exceeded expectations,
both of our community and Health Canada," Scherban said.
As for the long term, she'd like to see the program create a
number of resources that will continue to be available once the
pilot project has ended.
"I think the long term goal would be to have raised enough
awareness that we have changed the way that we're eating in our
communities, and our activity levels. But most importantly, is
that we've developed the resources that could be accessible,
and be able to market those resources to become self-sustainable
to continue to provide these services. Because they have to be
ongoing. We just can't do a news flash. It just doesn't work.
And I mean, we're diagnosing them as young as five out here.
So we have a serious epidemic facing us. So I think it has to
be an ongoing process. And that's why we've always directed our
resources at developing items that could be either marketed or
renewed easily and cost effectively."
For more information about The Healing Trail program, visit the
program Web site at www.diabeteshealingtrail.ca
or call 807-223-8238.
Nation takes
a healthy approach to fighing diabetes
Inna Dansereau,
Windspeaker Contributor,
Paul First Nation Alberta
Eighteen four-person teams came out to golf for a good cause
despite the cold, windy weather on Sept. 7 -the second annual
diabetes awareness golf scramble at the Paul First Nation.
The money goes to the Three Feathers Research Foundation, which
is an extension of the Arnold J. Brant Scramble for Diabetes
Golf Tournament organized by members of the Tyendinaga Mohawk
Territory.
The mission of the foundation is to find and support research
of clinical projects directly related to health issues affecting
Aboriginal people.
"A Mohawk guy lost his brother to diabetes, and he started
the foundation," said Henry Arcand, one of the organizers
of the Paul First Nation tourney. In February, the foundation
will be requesting proposals from different institutions, including
the University of Alberta, for projects trying to stop the increasing
diabetes problem in Aboriginal communities.
Assembly of First Nations vice-chief Wilson Bearhead was another
organizer at the tournament at the Ironhead Golf Club, located
west of Edmonton.
"For too long we've relied on the government to save us.
From now and in the future we have to work together. We have
to insure that those who have diabetes overcome it, and that
our young people who don't have it now don't get it." Bearhead
is diabetic.
"We came here (to the tournament) to support the foundation
to fight this disease," he said. Victor Buffalo from Samson
First Nation said the tournament was a very good initiative.
"My brother died in May of a heart attack; he was diabetic,
so am I," he said.
According to the National Aboriginal Diabetes Association, the
risk of diabetes among Aboriginal people is three times greater
than among the general population. About two-thirds of the First
Nations people with diabetes are women.
Recently, children aged five to eight have been diagnosed with
Type II diabetes in central Canada. Diabetes occurs when the
body can't control its blood sugar level. Symptoms of the disease
include unusual thirst, frequent urination, unusual weight loss,
lack of energy, blurred vision, frequent infections, numbness
in hands or feet, and slow healing of cuts and bruises.
Sometimes, people don't show the symptoms. If left untreated,
high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels in the body,
causing heart problems, high blood pressure, strokes, kidney
disease, blindness, and limb amputations.
A healthy diet, weight control, exercise and stress reduction
are prevention measures. Medications may be needed to assist
the body in using insulin, which ensures energy needs are met.
Conference planned for New Year
Communities Taking Action will be the theme of the Second Annual
Conference on Diabetes and Aboriginal Peoples being planned for
Jan.
24 to 27, 2002 in Quebec City.
The conference will be co-hosted by the National Aboriginal Diabetes
Association, and the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health
and Social Services Commission.
Among the highlights of the conference will be sharing circles,
exhibits, and workshops, as well as plenary sessions.
The conference is aimed at people affected by diabetes, as well
as their families and their communities. Health care providers,
people involved in diabetes research, community development workers,
school teachers, and community, regional and national leaders
are also encouraged to attend.
For more information about the conference, call Francine Vincent
at 418-842-1540, or e-mail her at fvincent@cssspnql.com.
Conference
highlights broader approach
Cheryl Petten,
Windspeaker Staff Writer,
Saskatoon
Preventing diabetes by creating healthier communities will
be the focus of a conference being held in Saskatoon from Feb.
12 to 14, 2002.
Building Better Tomorrows-Work Together on the Determinants of
Health is a conference being organized by the Prairie Region
Health Promotion Research Centre, funded jointly by Health Canada
and Saskatchewan Health.
The conference is being held to increase people's understanding
of population health promotion approaches, with a specific emphasis
on how such approaches can help in the prevention of diabetes.
Colleen Zubkow is c-oordinator of the conference. She explained
that, with the population health promotion approach, all the
factors that affect the health of all the members of a community
are considered when coming up with means of promoting health.
"We're really trying to learn about the conditions that
support health. And to learn about that in terms of what communities
are doing to prevent diabetes. And these are the types of things
that could involve participation of the whole population,"
she said.
"That would involve focusing on projects that are taking
action on what they call 'the determinants of health', the sort
of underlying things that affect people's health. It's an approach
that involves what they call 'multi-sector collaboration'. In
other words, it's not just health looking at the prevention of
diabetes; it involves education and social services, many sectors
in the community. So there's a lot of different groups that are
involved. And some of the projects are looking at ways, you know,
how do you provide a supportive environment to reduce some of
the inequalities and some of the barriers to everyone being healthy
in the community?
"So more than just focusing on lifestyle changes-like you
as an individual, what you do to prevent diabetes. What kinds
of things can the community do so everyone is healthier? And
it prevents diabetes for everyone in the community. And again,
that's sort of focusing on the health of the population, not
just the individual."
As well as taking a broader approach to health promotion, the
population health promotion approach also stresses taking a more
proactive approach, dealing with health problems before they
actually become problems.
"So that if you were looking at an example like preventing
diabetes, you would also be working with children, not just with
people who are being diagnosed with diabetes or who are older.
The earlier you can sort of influence and work with people-take
action earlier-then that's also part of prevention," Zubkow
said.
To illustrate the population health promotion approach, Zubkow
described an approach being tried in some schools, where policies
are changed to only allow healthy snacks in the schools.
"There wouldn't be junk food. And then that helps all children.
It's not just trying to teach children not to drink a lot of
sugar pop and eat a lot of junk food. It's actually making it
so it's an easier choice for everybody, because the school only
offers in their machines and their snacks, healthier food choices.
But to do that, you have to work with the schools and the boards
and all their policies around what they do in the schools, and
that takes a lot of community work."
The first day of the conference will feature a panel discussion
on what population health promotion is, while the second day
will feature presentations by two organizations that have been
involved in population health promotion in the area of diabetes
for a number of year -the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention
Project in Kahnawake, Que., and the Food For All Coalition in
northeastern Saskatchewan. The conference will wrap up on the
third day with an interactive session.
Opportunities have also been built in to the conference schedule
to allow both presenters and participants to share their ideas
and experiences.
Zubkow hopes people attending the conference will come away with
"a clearer understanding of what the population health promotion
approach is."
"A lot of people are approaching health in their communities
this way already. They just don't call it population health promotion
. . . people are doing it all the time, and that's actually now
what some of the literature is saying, this is the best way to
work in communities and prevent, in this case, Type II diabetes.
"Yes, you do need the individual counseling and the healthy
lifestyle things for individuals, and you certainly need the
treatment based. But this conference is basically saying we also
need to look at how to prevent it in other ways, and this is
what this approach is talking about-starting earlier, and working
broader in the community."
The conference registration fee is $100 per person, and includes
two breakfasts, two luncheons, two evening diners, refreshment
breaks and all conference materials. The deadline for conference
registration is Jan. 25, 2002.
For more information call Colleen Zubkow at 1-800-667-7913 or
306-466-2074.