Society works to improve health with tradition

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Traditional ways are often considered to be healing ways. Sharing those traditional ways is the focus of the folks who make up the Sc'wexmx Community Health Services Society, who draw from the wisdom of Elders and the serenity of the outdoors to promote health and wellness in First Nations communities around Merritt.

The society, which provides services to the communities of Nooaitch, Shackan and Coldwater, operates three programs that deal with the spectrum of health issues with help from traditional support workers, a community health nurse and community health associates, as well as youth/recreation workers.

"We follow medical services guidelines and try to promote a holistic approach to healing. We're trying to bring back the traditional ways of healing," explained Sc'wexmx administrator Larry Ormandy.

The society works to promote, support and enhance good health; to ensure that primary care is central in the delivery and provision of health care services; to educate and evaluate levels of awareness of health issues in First Nations communities; and to promote and develope awareness and access to traditional healing and health methods.

"Ultimately, what we hope to be able to do is have a totally holistic approach to healing, and focus on prevention," Ormandy said. "A big part of our budget right now is promotion in the communities. We use a lot of visual items to help educate on health issues."

Traditional support workers Sharon Antoine and Joanne Lafferty spend much of their time working with community members and providing hands-on experience with the healing ways of their forefathers.

"We usually do a lot of sweats, and we spend a lot of time in nature gathering foods and doing other things. It helps bring people back to a connectedness with nature," explained Antoine. "There are a lot of stories shared, especially by the Elders, who share the things that they remember from when they were younger, which gives us insight and inspiration. I find I'm able to go out and share that knowledge with the people who are interested in learning it. Being out in the back hills, I find people are much more open to sharing the things they need to share."

For community health nurse Jackie Robinson and health associates Kathie Jumbo and Marilyn Parker, the focus is on health education and prevention, ranging from drug and alcohol concerns to healthy lifestyles for both the young and old.

"We work closely with the traditional support workers and the youth workers, coordinating our efforts and sharing information," explained Parker.

Programs operated by the community health team include pre-and post-natal education, including looking at the effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome with hopes of keeping women from drinking during pregnancy. They also operate alcohol and drug programs, education sessions on nutrition and lifestyles for health, and work with the Head Start program to get messages about nutrition and dental health to young school children. Other programs run all the way up to Grade 12 in the band's schools, Parker explained.

Immunization clinics are also coordinated by the community health program, providing needed immunizations for the young, as well as flu shots and the Pneumovaccine to protect against pneumonias for the elderly. Diabetes screening is also available.

For youth and recreation workers Vicki Moses and Lucille Henry, the job is to follow the lead of the community health associates and promote health in the younger set while providing them with good role models.

The two run various education and recreation programs, introducing the young members of the communities to traditional games and more contemporary activities, making use of facilities in band schools and around the area.

All the workers spend most of their time actually working in the communities, Ormandy said, which brings them closer to the people they serve.

In the next year, the society is likely to be adding a Home and Community Care program tht will add another four to six people to their staff, serving clients requiring nursing and after-surgery care in their homes, Ormandy noted.

"It's always growing. It has to if we want to meet the needs of the community," he said.