Press Releases
"Canada's Best Restrooms Honoured"
The Powder Room Seal Of Approval Awarded Nationwide
Toronto, June 25, 2008 - This past March, the Powder Room - a national program for individuals with overactive bladder - asked Canadians to rate public restrooms via the Cross-Canada Powder Room Map, found at www.powderroom.ca, in search of Canada's best "powder rooms".
Just in time for summer road-trip season, the Powder Room "Seal of Approval" is being awarded to the following establishments:
- Yukon - Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
- British Columbia - Brentwood Town Centre, Brentwood
- Alberta - Aldersyde Petro Canada, Aldersyde
- Saskatchewan - Moxie's Classic Grill, Regina
- Manitoba - Mountain Equipment Co-op, Winnipeg
- Ontario - Yorkdale Shopping Centre, North York
- Quebec - Sears (Carrefour Laval), Laval
- New Brunswick - Lincoln Irving Big Stop, Oromocto
- Prince Edward Island - Boardwalk Medical Centre, Charlottetown
- Nova Scotia - Glooscap Heritage Centre, Truro
In an effort to raise awareness of overactive bladder - a chronic medical condition causing an individual to have the urge to urinate, even when their bladder is not full - the Powder Room encouraged Canadians to rate public restrooms for accessibility, cleanliness and maintenance, facilities, line-ups, location and overall décor. Provincial award recipients were selected based on a five-star rating system and assessment of comments submitted about the rated restrooms.
"The Cross-Canada Powder Room Map is a fantastic tool for anyone - including those with overactive bladder," says Fran Stewart, RN, a Nurse Continence Advisor at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. "As a bonus, the map may also persuade those less than suitable public restrooms to clean up their act."
Canadians planning a road-trip this summer can visit www.powderroom.ca to view over 260 currently-rated restrooms on the map, as well as to add and rate new ones they find along the way.
ABOUT OVERACTIVE BLADDER
Having the sudden "urge" to urinate, even when your bladder is not full, is the primary symptom of overactive bladder (OAB) and not, as some believe, incontinence (urine leakage).1,2
In a person with OAB, the bladder muscle begins to contract while the bladder is filling with urine, rather than when the bladder is full. The individual experiences a sudden need to go to the restroom, which can be difficult to manage and inconvenient, especially when in a business meeting or while traveling.
There are various underlying factors that may contribute to an OAB condition.1,2 Some risk factors are common and may include urinary tract infections, side effects of medications, pregnancy, obesity and menopause. Others are more severe and less common, such as nerve damage caused by spinal cord lesions, neurological disease (i.e. multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, etc.), stroke and a blocked urethra due to an enlarged prostate or prostatic surgery in men.
ABOUT THE POWDER ROOM
The Powder Room is a national and fully bilingual educational program developed in collaboration with Canadian healthcare professionals. The program works to improve the quality of life of individuals with overactive bladder by helping them to understand, manage and treat the condition. More information on the Powder Room can be found at www.powderroom.ca. The Powder Room has been made possible thanks to an educational grant from Astellas Pharma Canada, Inc., a leader in the field of urology.
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For more information and to book interviews contact:
Communications MECA
416-425-9143 or 1-866-337-3362
References:
1. Kelleher C, et al. Improved Quality of Life in Patients with Overactive Bladder Symptoms treated with Solifenacin. BJU International 2005; 95:81-85.
2. Wein A, Rackley, R. Overactive Bladder: A Better Understanding of Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Management. J Urology 2006; 175:S5-S10.
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