Alberta Health Services staff have hosted Healthier Together health and wellness fairs every Tuesday since last May. Together, with the City of Edmonton and other community agencies, the goal is to expand access to healthcare services for people experiencing houselessness in Edmonton. The fairs offer wound care, dental care, health assessments as well as some testing. Visitors are also offered drinks and snacks. Photo by Evan Isbister.
Maylynn Diggs, a member of Edmonton Zone’s Vulnerable Populations team, makes sure that Shawn Bremner’s leg is doing well and that there aren’t any wound-care concerns. These kinds of assessments are a part of the Healthier Together health and wellness fairs hosted weekly by AHS and the City of Edmonton. Photo by Evan Isbister.
Community collaboration improves healthcare for houseless in Edmonton
Story by Kirsten Goruk | Photos & video by Evan Isbister
EDMONTON — Since a health scare in 2018 left him without a job, Shawn Bremner has experienced periods of houselessness and a level of uncertainty in his life.
“I worked in the oil patch for 45 years. It was perfect because I had an interesting job, but then the next thing you know, I had a heart attack and my journey in the oil patch was done,” he recalls.
“I got evicted after my heart attack. I couldn’t pay my rent.” Since then, Bremner has been learning how to navigate a new normal and, more recently, since a part of his lower leg was amputated last year, how to access regular healthcare services including wound care.
When he heard about a new weekly health and wellness fair at Butler Memorial Park happening every Tuesday, he was grateful for the help.
The health and wellness fairs are a partnership between Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the City of Edmonton, with other community agencies providing support as they’re able. This work is part of a larger, provincial initiative called Healthier Together, which aims to foster a unified approach to increasing the health of our overall population.
Each AHS zone has chosen a specific focus for this work. In Edmonton Zone, the work centres around supporting the healthcare needs of people who are experiencing houselessness in Edmonton.
“It’s about coming together to support the community,” says Almas Rashid, an AHS health promotion facilitator. “We connect and engage to understand their needs. Then we look at the problems and how we can solve them.
“When we looked at problems facing our houseless populations, we saw there are barriers to accessing healthcare services.”
One major priority they identified is consistent wound care — and the idea of a regular health and wellness fair was born. As the weeks went on, additional services were added. Clients can now also access dental supplies and referrals, health assessments, blood pressure, sugar level and STI testing, as well as talk about stress management.
Bremner has become a regular who visits almost every Tuesday to chat with the staff and get his leg checked out. He likes that, in addition to offering healthcare services, they also hand out things such as dietitian-approved snacks, water or juice. Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference.
“I’ve had issues with my stump. At one point or another, I’ve had nothing but bandages on it. I heard about the health fairs — and they’ve been working on my leg. There’s been a lot of pain and suffering, but the staff are amazing. They’re a step above,” he says.
More than 900 people have visited to date. Due to demand and positive response, AHS and the City are exploring ways to keep the fairs going into the fall.
Rashid is thrilled about the extension, as she feels this work is meeting a need for a vulnerable population that might otherwise not seek care or support.
“They come to us without fear of stigma, without fear of prejudice. We’re here to provide accessible services in a respectful way.”