Prevention Services for the South Island
by Hilary Planden
Prevention Services staff provide speech, hearing, nutrition, dental and nursing programs to individuals, families and communities. These programs help families and individuals to stay healthy and are available free of charge.
Dental Services
The Dental Program offers a range of services to support oral health. Services vary depending on the community but can include education and skill building for groups and individuals; resources for professionals working with children, youth and their families; oral health counseling and preventive services for clients referred by public health nurses; and screening of kindergarten children for tooth decay. The Dental Program has created teaching kits, which are available for loan to schools, preschools and parenting groups. Also, Prevention Services offers dental hygienist services to adults and children with developmental disabilities.
Hearing Services
The Hearing Program offers services to children from birth to 19 years of age, people with developmental disabilities and adults who receive social assistance from the B.C. Government. The Hearing Program has a variety of programs to support healthy hearing. Audiologists perform sedated hearing tests at Victoria General Hospital, work together with schools and preschools to offer direct student support, and answer general questions on hearing and hearing services. Audiology technicians screen all newborns’ hearing as well as all kindergarten children’s hearing.
Nursing Support Services
The Nursing Support Services (NSS) program assists parents and caregivers to help children from birth to 19 years of age with special health care needs to lead active, healthy lives in their communities. Service is provided in homes, childcare facilities, preschools and schools. Children who require specialized health care such as gastrostomy tube feeding, catheterization, administration of oxygen, blood glucose monitoring and tracheostomy care can be referred to NSS.
Nutrition Services
Community nutritionists are registered dietitians who work with other health professionals, schools and community partners with the goal of creating healthy communities where all people have access to nutrition information and services. Through the Nutrition Program these community nutritionists also provide expert nutrition advice to health professionals and community members, develop programs and resources for community groups and educators and can arrange referrals for people needing one-to-one nutrition counseling.
Public Health Nursing Services
Public Health Nursing offers services to women, children and families to support healthy growth and development. To provide these services, public health nurses work closely with health units, schools and community agencies to provide services such as immunizations to the public.
Public health nurses immunize infants and children through Child Health clinics in every health unit. They also arrange immunization clinics in the school to immunize Grade 6 and 9 students in keeping with provincial standards. Grade 6 students are immunized in school with Hepatitis B, Meningococcal C and Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccines. Grade 9 students are immunized in school with Adacel (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) vaccine.
Pre and postnatal care and education are another significant part of the services offered by Public Health Nursing. Nurses work closely with local community facilities to offer prenatal programs and classes. These nurses will also contact all parents with new babies to provide education and information on infant care, growth and development, breastfeeding, and postpartum depression. Also, drop-in parenting programs such as Baby Talk and Toddler Talk are offered at most health units. Many health units also offer breastfeeding support clinics.
Speech Services
Speech services are available for children before they reach kindergarten age. Assessment for speech and language problems, treatment for children with speech and/or language delay or disorders and courses for parents about early language stimulation are offered. Children diagnosed with multiple disabilities and/or developmental delay may be referred to Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health for speech services.
Vancouver Island is well supported by Prevention Services programs similar to these South Island programs. If you live in the Central or North Island regions, please call your local Health Unit for local information, hours of service or to make an appointment. Call 388-2200 (Victoria Unit) for contact information.
Hilary Planden is a Clinical Coordinator in Prevention Services for the Victoria and Esquimalt Health Units.
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