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10 Acton/Georgetown, Friday, June 8, 2007 HEALTH CARE Groups hold upcoming AGMs Literacy North Halton: hosts its volunteer recognition and annual general meeting, Tuesday, June 19, 7-9 p.m. at Maple Avenue Baptist Church. Come help celebrate the achievements of Literacy North Halton, its students, volunteers and the community that supports it. Info: 905-873-2200 or www.literacynh.org United Way of Halton Hills: hosts its annual general meeting on Wednesday, June 20, 7 p.m. at the United Way of Halton Hills' new office, located at St. John's United Church at 11 Guelph St. in Georgetown. The meeting location is fully accessible, refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome. Group tackles the issue of AIDs in Africa ERIC BALKIND Special to The IFP Imagine having buried your daughter this morning and now having to take on the job of raising your grandchildren this afternoon. This is a scenario which we, at best, could barely imagine, yet it is the reality that thousands of African grandmothers confront and cope with daily. The scenario gets even worse. Many of their orphan grandchildren are HIV-positive; retro-viral drugs to treat these kids are in short supply and they are expensive. Moreover, many of these same youngsters go to bed each and every night hungry. It is not surprising that, until recently, hope for the future in many African nations was in short supply. Despite such appalling odds, African grandmothers by the thousand are, day-byday, struggling to give their beloved grandchildren the chance of a better life. That they cope at all is amazing; that they do so well is wonderful, but they could use some help. Enter Grandmother to Grandmothernorth Halton, a group of local grandmas who are rising to the challenge and determined to make a difference in the lives of grandmothers and grandchildren thousands of miles away and light-years removed from our relative comfort. Our own grandmothers group is still relatively small but we are determined to help. ·Informational meetings are already happening in north Halton and, by making just one phone call, you could hold one at your own local church or community centre. · Small fund-raising initiatives are already taking place. i.e. shortly, we will be offering some interesting craft items brought back from Africa by one of our own grannies. · We are co-ordinating with local groups and with grannies as far afield as Vancouver. · We are part of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. · Join us for a special event on June 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity United in Acton; together with `Women Who Sing' we will celebrate those truly great grandmothers of Africa. · More events in the planning stages for Acton, Georgetown and Milton. For more information about how you can become involved in this critical, humanitarian effort please call/contact: Elly Tuitman at 519-853-3896. You don't have to be a grandmother to get involved-- you might even be a grandfather like me. Osteoporosis group to start in town Do you have osteoporosis? Do you want to learn more about managing the disease referred to as "the silent thief"? Osteoporosis Canada is starting an Information and Support Group to meet monthly in Georgetown. The first meeting will be held on Monday, June 18. If you are interested in attending, contact Pam Lowden at 905-702-9276. Region seeks to improve EMS response times When a significant injury or sudden illness occurs, families want to know that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will be arriving on scene quickly. Halton Region's EMS continues to strive to ensure that medical help can be where it is needed, as quickly as possible. `EMS response time' is the time it takes from when the dispatcher notifies an EMS crew of the emergency to the time paramedics arrive on site. Standards for response times are set by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Maintaining and improving response time standards can be difficult, especially in the face of a quickly growing population and new housing in previously undeveloped areas. To ensure that Halton's EMS continues to meet and/or exceed the standards for response times, Halton Region strategically deploys EMS resources to maximize coverage and minimize response times. The number and locations of EMS stations are important components of this strategy. When Halton Region assumed responsibility for EMS in 2000, there were six EMS stations throughout the Region. Today there are 11. Here are some recent changes: The newest EMS station was opened on May 24, in northwest Burlington on Brant Street, just south of Upper Middle Road. The from the new Campbellville station that was opened in 2003. In northeast Oakville, the Georgian Drive station was opened in 2004 and is located adjacent to the Post Inn Village Long-term Care Home. This station will also service future residents in the rapidly growing Dundas Street corridor. Prior to 2000, ambulance response times in Halton failed to meet the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care response time standard of responding to life threatening calls, which is defined as Paramedics arriving on scene within 10 minutes and 32 seconds of being notified by the dispatcher. Since 2001, as a result of service enhancements, Halton Region has been able to maintain response times in accordance with the legislated standard. In its last report, the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative indicated that only four Ontario municipalities-- of which Halton is one--met the response time standards. For more information on Emergency Medical Services in Halton, please call Halton Region at 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-4HALTON (1-866-442-5866), TTY 905-8279833, or visit our website at www.halton.ca. Health Notes is prepared by staff of the Halton Region Health Department. HealthNotes facility will provide a base for one paramedic crew operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, delivering improved service for area residents. In 2005, another new EMS station opened on Corporate Drive in southeast Burlington. This station is unique as it is integrated into the Creekway Village Long-term Care Home. Halton Hills saw a new Acton Station open in 2004. It is located just off of Highway 7 (Queen St.) on the east side of town in the heart of much of Acton's new housing development. To better serve Halton Hills residents, Halton Region's next anticipated project is to relocate the Georgetown Station to a more central location. In 2003, the Milton station was relocated to downtown Milton. Also, residents of rural Milton and north Burlington have benefited Volunteers wanted The Georgetown Hospital has a volunteer opportunity waiting for you. Volunteers are needed for positions such as Coffee Kiosk, Lobby Desk and Lunch Program. For details contact Janice Cowen, co-ordinator of Volunteer Services at 905-873-0111, extension 8153 or e-mail jcowen@haltonhealthcare.on.ca. *** Acclaim Health needs caring men and women to visit seniors for as little as two hours per week. Volunteers are matched on a one-to-one basis. Call 905-827-8800 ext. 2317, or e-mail volunteering@acclaimhealth.ca, or visit website www.acclaimhealth.ca Exercise Your Mind Read The Newpaper Studies show that reading keeps your mind sharp. Give your brain a boost. Read the Independent & Free Press and open your eyes and your mind to a world of information. Carriage Hill Carriage Hill Massage Therapy Clinic Massage Therapy Clinic for for healing.....for relaxation.....for you! healing.....for relaxation.....for you! Get snack smart with your kids · Limit the number of times a day your child eats or drinks sugars · Avoid sugary treats that stay in the mouth for a ong time like hard candy or lollipops · Avoid soft, sticky sweets that get stuck in your child's teeth · Serve sweets for dessert while there is still plenty of saliva in your child's mouth to wash away the sugars · Serve juice and milk during or at the end of mealtime. Drink water between meals · Serve vegetables, cheese, nuts or seeds for snacks · Have your child brush her teeth at least twice a day and before going to bed As part of a healthy lifestyle, practice good oral hygiene and have your child's mouth examined regularly by your dentist. Only your dentist has the training, skill and expertise to identify and address your child's oral health needs. To learn more about your child's oral health, talk to your dentist and visit the Canadian Dental Association website at cda-adc.ca. - News Canada Through the manipulation of soft tissue, therapeutic massage can reduce or prevent many forms of physical dysfunction as well as aid in stress reduction. For a hands on approach to health care contact: Donna McClurg, R.M.T By appointment only (647) 588-0363 (local) Available Evenings and Weekends Baynes Physiotherapy Georgetown Telephone: 905-873-4964 232A Guelph St., Unit 10 (next to Ares Restaurant) Same caring quality treatment since 1988 Dr. Anoop Sayal & Associates Family and Cosmetic Dentistry 877-CARE (2273) Georgetown Market Place Mall www.georgetowndental.com