Resources

Why won’t my Mother accept help?” “My father won’t stop driving and he has had numerous accidents this year. What should I do?” “My Great Aunt denies needing any help despite evidence of missed meals and unwashed hair. Can you get her to accept help?” Sound familiar? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to these… Read more…

When my father had his first of three strokes, a defining moment in how he was cared for is forever etched in my memory. We were having a family dinner and, wanting to be helpful, I took the liberty to cut Dad’s meat in small pieces so that he wouldn’t have to struggle with one… Read more…

  “Let me show you how I get into my shower,” said Mrs. Johnson. Before I could explain that it wasn’t necessary, Mrs. Johnson (fully clothed) “jumped” into the shower. Mr. Johnson just looked at me as if to say, “Don’t bother trying to stop her.” Let me back up and explain a few things.… Read more…

Last night, I was reading a book to my daughter about a little rabbit who insisted that the other rabbits could have a piece of her carrot cake only if they met certain criteria. Of course, the criterion established by the rabbit was ridiculous, i.e., be all brown with a white tail, be able to… Read more…

Do you face challenges with your sight, speech or hearing? Is getting yourself dressed, eating and getting around feel harder each day? Have you noticed changes with your bladder and bowel function? While you might be painfully aware of the physical and cognitive changes you or a loved one is facing, you may not be… Read more…

  One of best decisions I made last year was to have a professional prepare my income tax. I was recently reminded of the stress income tax time created for me and those within arm’s length during a consult with an 85-year-old widow last week. She called me initially to discuss her increasing need for… Read more…

I returned from holidays to learn we had several new clients, many of which were initiated by out-of-town family caregivers. Statistically, 22 per cent of family caregivers provide care to aging loved ones long distance. Many out-of-town adult children are taken aback to see how much a parent has declined mentally, physically or emotionally from… Read more…

Last week, my dear friend Melissa from Toronto called me with some distressing news about her parents. Her Mom, who is but 70 years old, is showing early signs of dementia. Her Dad, who is 10 years older, is facing some major mobility issues due to chronic back pain. Needless to say, Melissa is, as… Read more…

  There is an undeniable excitement in the air at the Johnstone-Ram household. It starts first thing in the morning when my six-year-old, upon waking, flies to the living room with two things on her mind. One is the Lego Advent Calendar, which shamelessly I purchased primarily for my inner child. My daughter picked up… Read more…

I was in a little gift shop on Fifth Street this weekend and, as I am often noted for, was speaking out loud to no one in particular and said, “Wow, this holiday season has really snuck up on me this year.” In a shocking turn of events, someone actually answered, “I wish I could… Read more…