Filtered tag: Eldercare Assistance

Summer is back, in all its glory. For some it also means an onslaught of heat-related issues, especially for seniors. Lethargy, dehydration, poorer sleeping patterns — just to name a few. We tend to take our body’s ability to regulate itself during hot days for granted, and forget that as we age, we are at… 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…

A big thanks to BC Housing for responding to my column on falls and the elderly by providing details on a new program for low-income seniors to make home modifications for continued independence. Would a new ramp, handrails or walk-in shower help you maintain your independence at home? BC Housing’s new Home Adaptations for Independence… Read more…

I woke up today and realized we are into August! Many of our clients and their families are enjoying summer holidays and I’d be remiss if I didn’t re-run a column on planning a vacation and ensuring your loved one’s care is also being planned and looked after. It isn’t particularly easy for caregivers to… Read more…

  Mrs. Robson is a 92-year-old widow with Alzheimer’s disease. In her younger years, she was a schoolteacher and raised three children. She and her husband married at 20 years old and enjoyed a 60-year marriage. She was an avid hiker, gardener and enjoyed reading. She loves her home, which overlooks a nearby park, and… Read more…

  Drawing on local expertise, the following column is written by Ruth Barry, a qualified psychotherapist. Ruth works with palliative and bereaved individuals and families referred to the Comox Valley Hospice Society in addition to her local private practice. Grief is our normal reaction to loss of any kind. Whatever you are feeling is normal… Read more…

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia can be challenging and, at times, overwhelming. We remind our clients that their feelings of frustration and anger are normal and valid emotional responses to caring for their loved ones. A certain degree of irritation is normal for anyone in a caregiving role… Read more…

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia can be challenging and, at times, overwhelming. We remind our clients that their feelings of frustration and anger are normal and valid emotional responses to caring for their loved ones. A certain degree of irritation is normal for anyone in a caregiving role… Read more…

This, our third and final column on Work and Eldercare, will give you a summary of options to assist in balancing caregiving roles with your work. Many businesses have family-friendly options that can help balance the demands of family caregiving and work. The bulk of major Canadian collective agreements have options designed to increase flexibility… Read more…

You are in a work meeting and your cell phone vibrates. You ignore it. Two minutes later, it vibrates again. You check the number and see it’s your mother calling. Between meetings you call her back and she tells you she needs to go to a doctor’s appointment this afternoon. You wish that she had… Read more…