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Program looks educate those at risk of heart conditions before it is too late

Nov 4, 2016 | 5:11 PM

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in Canada and those working with a program in North Battleford designed to help those cope with conditions hope people will sign up before it is too late.

Heart to Heart is a program provided through the Prairie North Health Region (PNHR) designed to help those affected by heart attacks and other heart conditions. The five-week program teaches signs and symptoms, proper diet, prescription drug education, how to handle stress and safe exercise.

Kellie Heidel is a diabetes educator and cardiac teacher for the PNHR. She runs Heart to Heart and wants to expand her clientele to not just those who have already suffered a heart-related medical emergency, but to those who are at risk.

“We are creatures of habit where we don’t fix anything until it is broken,” Heidel said. “A lot of times it’s really hard because you think it’s not going to happen to me. Everyone we get in here was shocked. They thought it was going to be their neighbour. That’s where people struggle going into the classes before something happens.”

Heidel said only 10 per cent of her classes are comprised of people who haven’t suffered a heart situation and the majority of those are people there to support someone who has.

Heidel said when she started in the intensive care unit at the Battlefords Union Hospital over 20 years ago, heart attacks only happened to the elderly. She has now seen people in their 30’s suffer them.

The program includes five classes, one day a week, two hours a day. Last year the program only ran three times and saw roughly four people attend each session. This year Heidel is running seven sessions and so far have eight to 12 people in attendance.

“I can’t stress enough, the ones who say they do not want to come are the ones who say at the end ‘wow this was a great program. I learned so much,’” Heidel said. “There have been a lot of stubborn people and once they come in for that first class, they love it.”

Heidel has tried numerous different ways to try and get those with warning signs to participate. She said if people won’t try it out for their health they should for their bank account. According to Heidel a heart attack can cost someone a lot of money.

“First there is the ambulance fee and it just goes up from there,” Heidel said. “Then you can miss anywhere from three to six months off work. Add on medication and trips to the doctors for tests and it all adds up pretty fast.”

According to Heidel, what separates her program from others like it are individual professionals for each topic. Instead of Heidel teaching every class on her own, she will bring in a professional in the field to help give the course more credibility. For instance, she has a psychiatrist who specializes in stress to come in for that lesson and teach those attending how to identify and deal with stress to help prevent another medical emergency.

 

Greg Higgins is battlefordsNOW’s city municipal affairs and health reporter. He can be reached at ghiggins@jpbg.ca or tweet him @realgreghiggins.