According to the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, eating more berries can help fend off Parkinson’s disease.  You might want to start adding more fruit to your diet.

  Read more about the study that followed over 130,000 participants for 20 years…

Did you know that 30-50% of clients ignore medication instructions?  This type of non-compliance to medication can be fatal, if not detrimental to a client’s quality of life.  Equinoxe’s MedSmart medication dispenser can increase medication compliance to 100% preventing long term complications and unnecessary hospitalizations.  Call 514-935-2600 for more information.

Planning for end-of-life care is often a difficult subject to broach.  Being prepared and informed on what to expect in end-of-life care is crucial in ensuring that the right decisions are made.  The CMAJ has produced a series of six articles on end-of-life care ranging from advanced directives to national home care standards designed to educate Canadians on how and when to make decisions, not only for those with terminal conditions but also for those who want to plan for the future early.

The articles can be found below:

Part I: Preparing for the inevitable

Part II: Advance directives: obstacles in preparing for the worst (

Part III: End-of-life planning framework calls for fewer checklists, more conversation

Part IV: Tools help patients tackle tough choices for end-of-life care

Part V: National home care standards urged

Part VI: Access to palliative care varies widely across Canada

The beginning of 2011 saw a sudden increase in emergency room visits in Montreal operating at capacities over 150%.  Since our last post on January 7, 2011, the situations in the ERs haven’t improved.  According to an article in the National Post, emergency rooms have been in crisis for a while mentioning many deaths from prolonged ER wait times since 2010.  With some wait times reaching the three and four day mark,  patients are being overlooked, mistreated or simply ignored leading to more health complications.   The author’s conclusion?  Going to the ER can be fatal, if not detrimental, to your health.  Click here to read more…

With such a shortage on family doctors, it’s no wonder people are flocking to the emergency rooms.  Where else are they supposed to go?  Care Management services and remote monitoring are two ways in which people can remain at home and still receive the care they need.  They help to reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits.  Thus, as hospital trips decrease so too do the risks of catching infectious diseases and undergoing incompatible treatments.

The following Equinoxe blogs can help shed some light on the benefits of Care Management and remote monitoring.

Reducing Hospital Admissions
Why Care Management?
Medication dispenser

Today is World Cancer Day.  Join us in signing in the World Cancer Declaration at www.worldcancerday.org.     By 2020, the World Cancer Declaration aims to achieve:

• effective cancer control programmes
• reduced risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption and obestity 
• universal vaccination programmes
• a better informed public
• improved diagnosis methods
• universally available pain control
• improved training for medical staff
• better survival rates for cancer patients

To reach these targets they will take action to:

• place cancer on the political agenda
• improve cancer prevention and early detection
• enhance access to and treatment for cancer patients

Did you know that close to 1/4 of all nursing home admissions are related to improper self-administration of medications?  Stay at home with Equinoxe’s MedSmart medication dispenser.  MedSmart helps ensure that you get the right medication at the right dose at the right time.  Call 514-935-2600 or email info@equinoxe.ca for more information.

Equinoxe is pleased to announce our collaboration with the 19th International Congress on Palliative Care in Montreal.  Last Friday, Equinoxe attended a meeting with other collaborators to discuss topics for the congress.  In preparation for the event, we will be participating in providing information on how to meet palliative care needs at home.  The congress takes place every 2 years where people from all over the world come together to discuss and share developments in the palliative care industry.

• If you are interested in learning more about the International Congress on Palliative Care, visit their website at www.palliativecare.ca

We would also like to announce that we will be starting Palliative Care courses for caregivers during the month of February as well as in-house French language courses.

• Contact Equinoxe at (514) 935-2600 or email info@equinoxe.ca

Did you know that 30-50% of clients ignore medication instructions?  This type of non-compliance to medication can be fatal, if not detrimental to a client’s quality of life.  Equinoxe’s MedSmart medication dispenser can increase medication compliance to 100% preventing long term complications and unnecessary hospitalizations.  Call 514-935-2600 for more information.