., Anna Marie D'Angelo

News Reporter
‘ dangelo@nsnews.com

THE North Shore
Health Region has been
given $446,253 by the
provincial government
towards mental health
care this year.

The money is part of S10
million promised tor 1998-99
by the Ministry of Health, The
money will go to improve ser-
vices available for people with
mental’ illnesses inthe
provinee.

Ted Bruce, North Shore
Health Regional dircetor. for
planning and ‘policy develop.
ment, said the money is part of
“a seven-year plan to. improve
" mental health care services.

“For ‘a number of years

there has’ been. concern’ that

the ministry had said they want:

to. doa lor more in’ mental

“health and hasn't,” said Bruce.
“We were all hoping that ~

“they would release the money

"and now. they have released

_ this year’s mone\y.., We are

: ~ aiipating more funding r next |

- year,” said Bruce,

Bruce. said. there

wer ¢

1 900.-new. referrals each year
for’ community mental health -

services: in: the® North Shore
» Health Region.
S-~ Bruce .« said

: that | the”

$446, 253 to be used this year.

on the North Shore will go to:
increasé* housing, for eight
people.” in. the community.
Currently: there are: about ‘83
residential : Spaces 5 i ,

DO: you lose urine when
ou ‘cough, sneeze or:

How bout when sake
lifting groceries,: or trying’ to
nlock the. door? Does a. great

joke mean_a ‘quick trip to’the’ ,
nearest ‘bathroor, hopefully

before it’s too late?
If you answer yes to ‘any of
© these”. questions, you're - not

alone..Reseatch shows that 1.5:
million ' Canadians. — 83% of:
whom. are. women:.— ‘suffer’. ’
from incontinence; involuntary ’

neontrollable - release of

at’ the: wrong: time.

and/or place.: But possibly you
are suffering needlessly.

caenine to Piet ee

Columbia’s : Women” s Hospital ‘
and: Health ‘Centre, inconti-:.
nence is not a disease. Contrary
to popular belief, it’s not a nor-’..

Paging.”

a ‘symptom of

“something else going on in the’.

mal! pai OF

Because. of the embarrass-

t caused. by urine leakage,,

inost: people: hesitate: to’ men- |

to their: doctors, thus
causing themse

Sunday, January 31, 1999 — North Shore News - 23

NEWS phato Paul McGrath:

MICHELLE Gibson (lett), community mental health residential program coordinator and Terry Wrobleski,
- Grouseview Care Home manager, stand in front of the Grouseview in North Van. Grouseview has six residents,

is
Ra four: space transition unit
so that people with mental ill-
nesses can be discharged carlier
us acute’ care “in-patients at

~ Lions Gate Hospital.

a unnecessary. ” discomfort,”
“Wilson. says. “Or worse, they
~ begin’ avoiding certain activities

‘ror outings “because they” re’

:Worried : they'll have an‘ acci-
ident.” a

» Many people wait five to 10
“years before secking help. By

“that time; they have complete-

« ly altered their lives and given
‘up. activitics: they. love.
Incontinence can almost always

* be either cured, treated or suc- ©:

“cessfully managed. - Wilson
encourages doctors to ask their

urine leakage.

“The annual pelvic exam is
a perfect time for physicians to
ask . the question,” q
- declares. re:

» Symptoms of urinary incon...

“'tinence “include: leakage* of
~ urine, frequent urinating, noc-
turia (urinating more than one
or two times per-night,).bed-
wetting and urgency.
Causes of urinary: inconti-
fnence inchide- weakened pelvic
floor muscles (‘often as a result
of. -: childbirth) . hormonal
changes - (particularly: in
“menopausal women,}” side
effects: of medications, , pelvic:
injuries or ‘pelvic'surgery, neu-
rological ‘problems - such’ as
stroke or multiple sclerosis, or

for, men; after, prostate surgery.»
Other contributing: factors

‘patients if they're experiencing

Wilson:

Bi intensive case management,

which means providing staff to
work with people with mental
iNnesses living in the ‘commu-

- nity. The staff are to help peo-

include poor bladder bi
developed over the years: dash-

; ing to the bathroom too often,

“just in case,” or the opposite,
not going. often enough —

holding it for too many hours’

during the day.
According to Wilson, it is
normal’ to void every, three to

‘four hours.’ Wilson also con-,

firms that everyone needs to
drink cight cups of fluid a day.
“Water is best.”

Since’ there are so many
possible causes. of inconti-
nence, it should.be diagnosed
by a’ physician’: in” order ‘to

- ensure that the incontinence is

nota symptom of ‘another
problem, and that the correct
treatment ‘options can be dis-
cussed and selected.

The types of.adult inconti-
hence include:

» Stress Incontinence _-

Affecting women more than
men, symptoms include, loss of
‘urine. during ‘coughing, sneez-

“cing, laughing lifting or exercis-

ing. With ‘stress: incontinence;

“the pelvic floor, muscles. have
become weak, the urethra and
“bladder have shifted or slipped,
and the muscles can no Jonger "J...
tube .to stop urine a noe

close. the
from escaping.

Urge Incontinence ~

+ See Urine, page 25 :

ple with mental iNnesses man-
age day-to-day — problems
which include making sure
some pcople take their medica-

tions. Bruce said there was a |

trial program in case manage-
ment that has been ‘successful’
in helping people who. were

“high! users. of health care ser-_

vices, including emergency

iness

room visits and short hospital
stays. The case management
program has allowed some of
these people to fiinetion better
in the community without
needing expensive hospital vis-
its;

a dual diagnosis treatment
program for people with men-
tal illness and substance abuse
problems.. The — program
includes counselling and sup-
port services.

Dr. Werner Pankeaty, chief’,
of psychiatry ar Lions Gate
Hospital, said this extra money
will be primarily directed
towards seriously and persis-
tently mentally ill people
including people. diagnosed”
with schizophrenia.

He estimates about 1,000
residents on the North Shore

shave. or will develop schizo-

phrenia.

He said other serious and
persistent ~ mental. ness
include depression, which
interferes with a person's abil
ty to function,

“These are people who, as a
result Of that illness, ... (are)
not eating’ properly, sl nine
properly, have lost interest in
life,” satel Pankratz.

Pankrataz said the number
of people with a mental disor:
der is higher than the pubic
probably realizes.

Meanwhile, Bruce said
there were approximately 50
people with mental illnesses in
the health region who ar: ona
waiting list for housing. ..

Bruce said that next year’s
money would be used for more
housing, and in child and ado-"."’
lescent mental health a areas,

effective e February 1 1, , 1999
Now patents melcome” |

"Wonday .

fo
ale

‘Tuesday - on 8:0

ouriday - 6:30am -

“Saturday - 9 00am -

8:30 - 5:00pm