WHJTBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1990, PAGE 15 .N .........E. Safeguard your best years (NC)-The theme for this year's National Senior Safety Week, November 12-18 is "Safeguard Your Best Years". The Canada Safety Council and the Ca- nadian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association are co-sponsoring the week, which will focus on medi- cation awareness. The Se- niors Secretariat of Health and Welfare Canada and the National. Advisory Council on Aging are co- operating on publicizing this year's theme, particu- larly with respect to medi- cation awareness. Statistics indicate that seniors are in the high user category for prescription and over-the-counter medi- cines. At the same time, studies show that older people tend to be more sen- sitive to certain kinds of drugs. Aging causes peo- ple's bodies to change. Some drugs stay active longer in the body of an older adult. In some cases, less medication is needed to treat a problem. Some combinations of drugs can cause unpleasant or dan- gerous side effects. Certain illnesses can also change the effects of drugs on the body. Confusion, dizziness and drowsiness can result from taking too 'many médications. He 'p PROMPAGE 14 illustrates, olderworkers offen liave -aliarder than average timie finding new jobs. Despite all tleir skill and experience, a minority of older workers experience barriers to reemployment, and once displaced, they stay unemployed longer. Compared to their younger counterparts, older workers experience 50 per cent higher unemployment over six months, and about 80 per cent higher unemployment over a year. Employment and Immi- gration Canada (EIC) offers programs under CJS to .help older workers find jobs. The Job Development program, for example, provides training and work experience for people like Joe Johnson who have been out of work six months or more. Another major program is Job Entry. Its Re-Entry option offers women who have been homemakers the opportunity to get training and work experience so tley can re-enter the workforce. graduate of a Job Re-Entry At one time both the general public and the medical profession held the view that almost every- thing was treatable with a pill.This philosophy of health care grew out of a period when many of our "wonder" drugs were being developed. Drugs such as penicillin had brought under control many killer diseases. People had tre- mendous faith in the power of medicines to heal. Everyone still recognizes the benefits that can come from medicines-properly prescribed and properly taken. But a growing num ber of seniors organi- zations, medical and health care professionals, pharma- cists and pharmaceutical firms are urging a more cautious and informed approach to taking medi- cation. Eighteen national or- ganizations have joined recently to form the Cana- dian Coalition on Medica- tion Use and the Elderly. The Coalition, which re- ceives funding from the Seniors Independence Program of Health and Welfare Canada, hopes to coordinate the work of many national organi- zations and agencies con- cerned about the medication practices of older adults. This year's National Senior Safety Week is intended to help seniors and the general public to become better in- formed on -this topic and to encourage physicians and pharmacists to discuss with seniors the pros and cons of taking different kinds of medication. A number of provincial and local programs like- wise are beginning to de- velop medication aware- ness projects. A "Brown Bag Clinic Program for Seniors" in British Colum- bia is urging seniors to take all their medication to pharmacists to be checked for possible problem com- binations. - Health professionals at Dalhousie University are surveying 1500 Nova Scotia seniors to get de- tailed information on medication use patterns. The university researchers are also interviewing doctors on this same subject. They want to develop resource packages and program ma- terials for use by seniors, their caregivers and health professionals. A medication awareness project, sponsored by the Council on Aging of Ot- tawa-Carleton, is being funded by the Seniors In- dependence Program of Health and Welfare Canada. The project involves not only informing seniors on the subject, but also train- ing a group of seniors to act as resource persons for other seniors in the commu- nity. Seniors themselves are becoming maware of the need to take active charge of their own health. A re- cent survey indicated that the number of, able-bodied seniors who exercise regu- larly increased from 50 per cent to 60 per cent between 1976 and 1981, the largest increase in any age group. Other studies show that there are smäller percentages of older adults who smoke and drink alcohol than younger adults. When they do drink, they consume less alcohol than younger for workers in Truro, N.S., said, 'he course gave me confidence and the opportunity to 'pdate my skifls by working on new office equipment." She has been hired on a casual basis.as a receptionist for a downtown Truro firm where she was placed on her work term. In addition to offering CJS assistance, the federal 50rnment has allocated 00,00 to establish Job Finding Clubs in 16 urban centres Gearing workers the goal most in groups. a-dults. Health and Welfare Canada statistics show that, between 1977 and 1982, older adults were less likely than any other age group to be illicit narcotic users. It is the respônsibility of everyone-seniors, their physicians, health care workers, family 'and fri- ends-to ensure that older adults have the information they need to adopt healthy drug use patterns. Education is the most effective anti- dote to abuse of drugs. An active and involved life- style is the best guarantee of a long healthy life. Join the Canada Safety Council and the Canadian Pharma- ceutical Manufacturers As- sociation in offering com- munity support to medica- tion awareness programs that will help Canada's seniors to "safeguard their best years". ;etty's Fashions ' SENIORS'SPECIAL 10% off on a $20 or more regulaly price'd item • Kates • Tan Jay • Alla petite & regular size Charles Canoil dresses Hours: 9:30 - 6:00 Mon. to Fri. 9:30 - 5:00 Saturday 112 Brock St. N, Whitby 668-4141 t stlfcinG nt across Canada. clubs to older wiIl help realize of helping those need in ail age' These clubs organize daily meetings in which, under a counsellor's supervision, 10 to 15 u.nemployed people pool their efforts in a support group so they can reach their employment goals. ,vfV A0AIK ......... eo se "In, a wor, oeryone sam5e-. we mnN veNM e#*hpP0f' The War Amps b st h a responsibilit warn younger generation~s about the true horrors ofwar. 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