(Supplied: KeepOnMoving.ca)
The City of Kamloops is suggesting it may be interested in expanding its partnership with Interior Health to create more rehab and wellness programs for seniors.
When asked how the city is working to improve access to health care needs, Community Services Director Byron McCorkell says there is an interest in expanding the so-called Strategic Health Alliance programs.
“That sort of concept of providing a community resource, I can’t put words in their (Interior Health’s) mouth, but it is definitely something we would be interested in trying to do.”
The SHA-partnered programs pair the City with Interior Health to create group rehab and wellness programs at civic-run facilities.
“We have nursing staff and doctors who work with our kinesiology team at the TCC, and we put folks through pre and post-op, as well as nutrition, diabetes care, lung health,” explained McCorkell.
Programs through SHA include the Vascular Improvement Program, the On Track Program, the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program, as well as Sensational Survivors.
Vascular Improvement Program: Offers a weekly exercise program at the Tournament Capital Centre, for those with primary prevention, for those with a challenging risk profile with two or more risk factors, or secondary prevention including Post MI, Heart Failure, PAD, Cardio/Vascular condition.
On Track Program: Offers weekly exercise and Educational meetings at the TCC, for those who have no established cardiovascular disease and who are seeking primary prevention to stable hypertension, stable diabetes, dyslipidemia, or metabolic syndrome, or those with mild to moderate depression/anxiety.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program: Offers both in-person and virtual educational and exercise meetings for people suffering from mild-severe COPD, Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis, Bronchiectasis, Chronic Asthma, and Pulmonary Fibrosis. and/or other lung conditions. It takes place in the North Shore Health Sciences Centre.
Sensational Survivors: Offers meetings two times a week, and is suitable for women diagnosed with cancer.
Access to those programs is only through referrals from Interior Health.
“Kinesiology staff that we have working in the TCC are some of the highest trained folks in the province and we definitely have some imagination around the table there, so it’s something we have talked about,” added McCorkell.
The so-called Keep Moving programs are getting back into action after they were forced to shut down due to the pandemic.
More details about the programs, as well as links for the referral forms can be found here.
