Education
Recovering from a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack can involve important lifestyle changes. One of the goals of the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Program is to help you make those changes. Education is crucial to that goal. The more you know about your condition, your treatments, the medications you’re taking, and your risk factors, the easier it will be for you to take control of your heart health. Education may be offered in person, virtually, or a combination of the two. We will provide you with more information once you have been accepted into the program.
What to Expect
- Orientation – During this session, we’ll give you a basic overview of our education program and what we want to help you accomplish.
- Group Education Sessions – Every person’s journey is different, but most follow similar paths. Group sessions provide good general information by focusing on all topics of healthy living. They are also a great way to meet and connect with others who know what you are experiencing.
- Individualized Counselling – You’ll have the opportunity to meet with members of your rehabilitation team one-on-one to discuss your condition and medications, SMART Goals and treatment plan in more detail. These individualized counselling sessions are separate from your case management appointments with our registered kinesiologists, and are currently offered by our programs registered dietitian, registered social worker, and registered nurses. You can contact our program receptionist directly at (807) 684-6780 to book your appointments.
- Virtual Rehabilitation – Your sessions may also involve virtual education and counselling sessions including by telephone, by videoconferencing through the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN), and through the Cisco Webex platform. Our team members will discuss these with you in more detail.
These sessions will help you understand:
- Your own personal risk factors
- How to reduce the risk of a future heart event
- Your treatment plan including rehabilitation and medications
We recommend that you write down any questions you have as you think of them. Then, bring those questions to your orientation session or your one-on-one sessions. If your question is urgent, you can discuss it with your specialist or primary care provider such as your physician or nurse practitioner.
Education Videos
All About Cholesterol: How Nutrition & Lifestyle Can Help with Management
Meal Planning and Smart Shopping for a Healthy Heart
Cisco Webex Meetings Tutorial
Exercise as a Lifestyle
Introduction to Cardiac Medications
Heart Healthy Eating – The Basics
How to Read a Nutrition Label
