Viva Vitality

By Chloe Trautman

Many of us are feeling the stress and burden of increasing prices of groceries, gas, and other necessities due to inflation. Finances are ranked as one of the top four stresses in the lives of Canadians, that is a powerful factor that impacts one’s health. Therefore, income is listed as the number one Social Determinant of Health, which are the non-medical factors that influence our health outcomes (SDOH: Income, Education, Childhood Experiences, Employment, Social Supports, etc.). The Social Determinants of Health like financial strain, contribute to 50% of our overall wellbeing. Those who deal with financial stress are more likely to report poor overall health, to have sleep problems, headaches, and other illnesses, and are more likely to have strained personal relationships. A few examples of life events that influence financial well-being are moving, having children, prolonged illness, changing jobs, and retirement.

The Reducing the Impact of Financial Strain (RIFS) project looks to address financial strain experienced by individuals and families as a barrier to health, particularly through areas of cancer, chronic-disease-management, and prevention. The RIFS project is an innovative collaboration between communities and their Primary Care Networks (PCNs), to strengthen the support needed for individuals dealing with financial strain. Facilitating connections between primary care teams and communities help to support individuals with financial strain in a compassionate, impactful, and sustainable way. A Primary Care team could include: nurses, physicians, mental health workers, medical office assistants, social workers, administrative and managerial staff, executive directors, quality improvement facilitators, service navigators, or community liaisons. Those experiencing poverty is not always apparent, in fact, 8.2% of Albertan families live in poverty. If you are experiencing financial strain and are looking for supports, the following resources below are available:

• Your family physician and team. If you are looking for a family physician, please visit www.albertafindadoctor.ca <http://www.albertafindadoctor.ca/>

• Your local community organizations; one potential starting point is your local Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) office.

• Reach out to 211 Alberta for information on social, community, health, and government services in Alberta or Helpseeker.

“Together, communities strengthen financial wellness. Healthcare providers can play an important role to intervene through health care to reduce the consequences of ill health caused by underlying determinants and must orient healthcare services to reduce health inequities” (Healthier Together, Impact of Financial Strain on Wellness, 2022).

Visit Reducing the Impact of Financial Strain (RIFS) (healthiertogether.ca) to get inspired from stories by communities addressing RIFS and how to take action to improve financial well-being within your community.  

Chloe Trautman is a Health Promotion Facilitator with Alberta Health Services in the South Zone.