Assistive Devices Program The objective of the Assistive Devices Program (ADP) is to provide consumer centered support and funding to Ontario residents who have long-term physical disabilities and to provide access to personalized assistive devices appropriate for the individual’s basic needs. Devices covered by the program are intended to enable people with physical disabilities to […]

Starting August 1, 2016, more than 170,000 seniors will be newly eligible for the low-income Seniors Co-Payment program under the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Program. You might be eligible to enroll in the Seniors Co-Payment Program if you are: • A single senior with an income of less than or equal to $19,300; or • […]

Surgical and Diagnostic Imaging Wait Times Ontario’s Wait Time Strategy was developed to improve access to five key health services by reducing wait times for cancer surgery, cardiac procedures, cataract surgery, hip and knee replacement and MRI and CT scans. Reporting Ontario’s surgical, MRI and CT wait times is an important part of the government’s […]

Through Ontario’s Wait Time Strategy, the government has sought to implement new initiatives to improve the Emergency Room processes and create a system of accountability via transparent reporting of wait times for Hospitals across the province. Emergency Room length of stay Reporting the time patients spend in the ER is part of Ontario’s commitment to […]

Cardiovascular disease or heart disease is the number one killer in Canada. It is also the most costly disease in Canada, putting the greatest burden on our national health care system. A number of factors, individually or in combination, can lead to heart disease: • Smoking • Diets rich in saturated fat • Physical inactivity […]

We’re now into the best time of year to enjoy the great outdoors here in Ontario, whether that means cottaging, camping, canoe tripping or just going for a nice walk in the woods. But while you’re enjoying those best parts of summer, it’s very important to bear in mind the potential risks of Lyme disease […]

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease? Symptoms of Lyme disease can be different from person to person. You may not have any symptoms at all, while others may suffer severe symptoms. Symptoms of Lyme disease can include any of the following: • skin rash • headache • fever or chills • fatigue (tiredness) • […]

You can remove a tick that has latched onto you. The tick will embed its mouthparts into your skin. If you are not comfortable with removing a tick, visit your health care provider as soon as possible. Otherwise, follow these steps to remove a tick: 1. Using clean tweezers, carefully grasp the tick as close […]

An in-depth female nutrition guide has been released for the first time in Canada. The 65-page document — titled the Canadian Consensus on Female Nutrition: Adolescence, Reproduction, Menopause and Beyond — includes 40 recommendations which took dozens of dietitians, researchers and experts in woman’s health four years to compile. The hope is that health-care professionals […]

Experts unveil new sleep guidelines for children ‘Most parents don’t really know how much sleep children should be getting’ The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, with the help of a panel of experts, has released its first ever official recommendations for how much shut-eye children need. UBC sleep specialist and nursing professor Wendy Hall, the […]