Community

Edmonton community members explore using the Emergency Room as an entry point to transitional housing

Published

6 months ago

(Re-published)

Is there a better way than simply releasing a person experiencing homelessness from the hospital back onto the street? It creates an endless cycle of emergency room visits and escalating costs, not to mention the challenges the patients face in having a successful recovery.

As we continue to look for solutions to homelessness in our city, a group of community members from different fields and backgrounds met recently to brainstorm and discuss alternatives to the practice of releasing patients into a state of homelessness.

That’s a long way of saying that if someone experiencing homelessness comes to an emergency room with a need for medical aid, the only alternative once treated is to release the patient back onto the street. The chances of recovery are greatly diminished, while the probability of return visits increases. The costs are severe, both to the person experiencing homelessness and to our ever-more expensive health care system.

Spearheading the initiative is Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti, a veteran emergency room physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and a Professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta.

Watch this short video to hear from some of those involved and to better understand the concept and learn why there is a growing groundswell of support for this idea.

There are many ways that people can get involved with this initiative. It’s common sense that housing and health are interconnected. Finding solutions to chronic homelessness and easing pressure on our health care system is something we can all get behind.

Please contact Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti directly to learn more about the project and how you can help:

Phone 780.932-7187

lfrances@ualberta.ca

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Business News

Downtown Business Spotlight: Sunworks Living features high-quality products and expert customer service

Published

14 hours ago

February 28, 2020

Red Deer DBA

For this week’s Business Spotlight, we popped into Sunworks Living, located at #110, 4913 Gaetz Ave in the heart of Downtown Red Deer. Visitors to this unique shop are treated to a shopping experience like no other in Red Deer. The selection of high-quality products and expert customer service allow Sunworks to stand out, and why people keep coming back. We sat down with Kathryn Harris of Sunworks to learn more about this exceptional downtown business.

What is your business?

We are Sunworks Living, quality gifts and local art gallery, we offer a unique shopping experience.

When did your business open?

The business opened May 10^th, 1996.

What makes your business unique?

Our focus is on local products, so we try and bring in unique, local but very curated pieces. Some of our works in the store are from a few neighborhoods away, others are from as far away as Quebec. We try to stay as Canadian as we can. We do have an emphasis on staying environmentally friendly so some of our products do come from away, but they are a little more sustainable.

What are some products/services that you offer?

Local is one of the key things for the business. We showcase local art, we build special order pieces with local materials based on customer-specific requests, we are very particular as to what we bring into the store, it must be of a certain quality, not found anywhere else. In-store, we carry housewares, handmade natural soy candles, greeting cards, books, kitchenware, a little bit of everything.

Why did you choose Downtown Red Deer as the location for your business?

When Paul and Terry started Sunworks, Downtown Red Deer was a desolate wasteland. Paul grew up in Calgary and it was very important to him that the downtown be the beating heart of the city. At the time you could virtually hear the slamming of the wooden outhouse door and tumbleweed rolling across the street, but downtown is where they always wanted to put their business. I’ve heard Paul say to Terry,’ we need to do something about the downtown or we need to move’ so, they felt compelled to get involved and felt a call for change. The community has always been very important.

What do you think makes Downtown vibrant?

The people that work here. I can stand outside in front of the store in the sun on a Tuesday afternoon and can greet people as they walk by. I will see businesses across the street, and we give each other ‘the nod’ in greeting. You must acknowledge the people that are here.

Finish this sentence: I love Downtown Red Deer because…

It’s where I work, where I play and it’s close to home. It’s close to pretty much all homes in Red Deer because it’s the heart of the city. You must go through the downtown to get anywhere anyway so why wouldn’t you stop?

The charm and relaxed atmosphere of this quaint shop make it a pleasure to be in. The perfect gift is easily found with the help of the friendly and highly knowledgeable staff, as the possibilities are endless. Give yourself time to browse, there is a lot to discover!

Make sure to follow Sunworks Living:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/sunworks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunworks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sunworksreddeer

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Community

A life changer – a student’s story

Published

14 hours ago

February 28, 2020

Primary Care Network

A student presented to the disability department at Red Deer College (RDC), in a bad way. She was from out of province, feeling far from home. She had no money or resources. She was very vulnerable, pale, listless, sad, lonely and in despair. She had tried to get help in a few different ways but had struck out. The counsellor at the college called the RDPCN Street Clinic to arrange some help.

The receptionist there was very helpful. By giving her name and telling the student she would lead her through the clinic, a contact was established and she gave the student hope and the courage to come there.

The RDC counsellor, worried and wondered for a few months what had happened to the student. Then one day the student popped into her office. She was bright, smiling, and carried herself so differently from their first meeting. She had found resources to help her through and to meet her needs, she was moving forward with joy.

The counsellor, a nurse, remarked, “This is a nursing experience that I will never forget. This is how it is supposed to work. The Street Clinic was there for her, and they helped her tremendously.”

About the Red Deer Primary Care Network:

We (RDPCN) are a partnership between Family Doctors and Alberta Health Services. Health professionals such as psychologists, social workers, nurses and pharmacist work in clinics alongside family doctors.

In addition, programs and groups are offered at the RDPCN central location. This improves access to care, health promotion, chronic disease management and coordination of care. RDPCN is proud of the patient care offered, the effective programs it has designed and the work it does with partners in health care and the community.

I Did Everything the Family Nurse suggested and it Worked like Magic!

Achieving Mental Health is an Everyday Task

february, 2020

sun12jan(jan 12)2:00 pmsun22mar(mar 22)5:00 pmAnne Frank: A History for Today opening at Red Deer MAG(january 12) 2:00 pm - (march 22) 5:00 pm mst Red Deer Museum & Art Gallery Address: 4525 - 47A Avenue, Red Deer

From Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery (MAG)

The travelling exhibition Anne Frank – A History for Today, a travelling exhibition from the Anne Frank House (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), will be on display at the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery (MAG) January 12 to March 22, 2020. This exhibit aims to bring Anne’s life story to the attention of people all over the world to encourage them to reflect on the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism and discrimination and the importance of freedom, equal rights and democracy. As part of this exhibit the MAG will be showing artworks created by Red Deer high school students in response to the Anne Frank story. This exhibition tells the story of Anne Frank set against the background of the Holocaust. The exhibition makes use of images from the Frank family and quotations from the Diary of Anne Frank. Each panel displays information about the most important developments of that time: the rise of National Socialism, the Second World War and the persecution of the Jews. This exhibition has three artefacts that visitors will be able to see: a replica of the Diary of Anne Frank, a Yellow Star of David, a 3D model of the Anne Frank House and a Nazi program from 1935-1936. “We are pleased to present this exhibition during the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Holland from Nazi occupation,” says Lorna Johnson, Executive Director. “The Diary of Anne Frank continues to be a moving testament to the optimism of youth in the most trying situations. The Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam has made a commitment to work with youth all over the world to eliminate racism and discrimination. We are pleased to bring their message to Red Deer and we would like to thank the teachers and students of Red Deer’s high schools who have embraced the project and created artworks for display, and who have volunteered to be tour guides in the exhibition.” Opening Reception: Join the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery at 2pm on Sunday, January 26, 2020 for the joint opening reception of Anne Frank: A History for Today and the MAG’s in-house exhibit Sacrifice, Hope, Friendship: Canada and the Liberation of Holland.