COLUMN / CHRONIQUE

Consumer Health

Compiled by Dorothy McLachlan

Working in conjunction with national health obser-
vances just makes sense! For medical libraries or public
libraries with consumer health specialists, bringing parti-
cular attention to specific conditions, diseases, and syn-
dromes is win-win; consumers gain a better understanding
and libraries get more patrons.

For a complete listing of special days and health
observances in Canada, please see the list at https://
charityvillage.com/directories/special-awareness-days.aspx.
There are several organizations that compile such lists,
including Health Canada although it is somewhat limited
in scope.

Below is a listing of resources related to national health observances in the coming months, and also to the seasonal health concerns that clients often have around the New Year.

New Year's Resolutions

It's that time of year again where so many of us make resolutions to eat better, get more sleep, exercise more, and aim for more balance between work and home. A surefire way to get attention this month is to offer resources, both physical and virtual, on helpful tips to reach those goals that seem to recur each year.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation offers several bro-
chures and tools for bulk ordering. Titles that are always
popular are:

* Health, Weight, and Active Living;

* Fitness Wheel;

* Taking Control of your Blood Pressure; and

* Coping with Stress.

PDFs and ordering information for these resources can be
viewed at http://www.heartandstroke.com.

The Public Health Agency of Canada publishes physical activity guides for adults, older adults, youth, and children (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/hl-mvs/pa-ap/index-eng.php).

Health Canada offers the Canada Food Guide in 10 languages. Download it or order it at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php.

It also includes an interactive tool to assist individuals in
creating their own food guides.

To aid a smoker to quit visit http://www.quitnow.ca/

This interactive site is sponsored by Healthy Families BC and the BC Lung Association.

January is Alzheimer Awareness Month

Books

Mace, N.L. and Rabins, P.V. *The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss*. 5th ed. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press; 2011. ISBN-13: 978-1455521159.

Newly released, this book promises to be a practical guide for caregivers and families who are caring for a patient with Alzheimer's.

Web Sites

Start here at http://www.alzheimer.ca/ and choose your
Province or Territory.

If you are a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's,
there is a site for you. Start your search at http://www.
onmemory.ca/en/home/.

The Government of Canada and Search and Rescue have teamed up to offer “Safely Home”, a program to assist those living with Alzheimer’s and their families. It can be found at http://www.safelyhome.ca/en/.

February is Heart and Stroke Month

Books

If your library is looking to fill out a hardcopy collection on heart disease here are some suggestions to consider.

Lorig K., Holman H., Laurent D., Gonzalez V., Minor M. *Living a healthy life with chronic conditions*. 3rd ed. Boulder (CO): Bull Publishing Company; 2012. ISBN-13:978-1933503363.

This book for patients offers tips on how to live an active healthy life while managing chronic conditions like heart disease. (The 4th edition is scheduled for release in April 2013.)

Lilly LS, editor. *Pathophysiology of heart disease*. 5th ed. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2010. 496 p. ISBN-13:978-1605477237.

This book for clinicians is an updated version of a text written by Harvard Medical School Faculty and select students. With the newer additions of detailed line drawings in 2-colour designs, these illustrations could be used as teaching aids with patients.
### Web sites

Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation
www.heartandstroke.com

The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation Web site can be exceptionally helpful in the prevention and management of heart disease and stroke. The site includes a separate section for keeping kids heart healthy as well as sections with healthy recipes and a healthy weight Action Plan, an interactive tool to assist anyone in achieving a weight loss goal.

American Heart Association
http://www.heart.org

The American Heart Association Web site offers additional resources to the ones found on Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada Web site.

## Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week, 7–14 February

Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance
http://www.cchaforlife.org/

Over 180 000 Canadians have congenital heart defects. The Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance's Web site provides resources and education for patients and their families.

## February is also Psychology Month

### Books

Collin C. The psychology book: big ideas simply explained. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2012. ISBN-13: 978-0756689704.

Looking for a quick answer to some of those harder questions that librarians are often called upon to resolve? This book purports to “demystify hard-to-grasp concepts and shows how these have shaped our knowledge of the human mind”.

### Web Sites

Canadian Psychological Association Fact Sheets
http://cpa.ca/psychologyfactsheets/

CPA offers plain-language fact sheets on a number of psychological topics. Mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, and bipolar disorder are covered, but there are also fact sheets on mental health issues in physical illnesses such as chronic pain, diabetes, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Canadian Mental Health Association – Mental Health Information
http://www.cmha.ca/mental-health/

Here you can find information on mental illnesses, mental health issues, and resources for help if you think you may be experiencing a mental health problem or illness.

Top Documentary Films: Psychology
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/category/psychology/

Here you can find an extensive library of free online documentaries on a variety of psychology-related topics from “Unmasking the Dark Knight” to “Secrets of Body Language” and everything in between.