Filtered tag: Family Caregivers

“I’ll do it, thank you very much. Just sit down and worry about that precious cargo of yours.” Gulp. What could I, a 36-week pregnant woman say to my 82-year-old widowed family friend, who insists on making me fresh tea, requiring her to wobble up and down the rickety stairs to the backyard patio? With… Read more…

What is Caregier Burnout? At first most caregivers accept their new role as caregiver with a sense of idealism, hope and eagerness to do well. As time goes on fatigue may set in, disappointments and frustrations can and do occur. Caregiver burnout or compassion fatigue is a sense of being completely overwhelmed and unrewarded (Carter,… Read more…

I was going to write about stroke prevention for today’s column. Then I met Ben. Ben is a 44-year-old father, self-made cook and a community support worker. Ben had a stroke in 2008 at age 37; his kids were 12, 9, 6 at the time of his stroke. I met Ben through my work with… Read more…

Make no bones about it, you are more likely to break a bone from osteoporosis than you are to have a heart attack, stroke or be diagnosed with breast cancer. Kim Hamilton is back to “break it” down for us and give great tips on how to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. Kim is… Read more…

  One of greatest challenges of my work is servicing clients who reside in a Residential Care facility, or commonly referred to long term care or a nursing home. It brings up a lot of difficult memories of visiting my grandmother who suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease and spent 4 years in facility care. My grandmother… Read more…

  Unpaid caregivers, which are typically family but also include friends and neighbours remain an invisible pillar in B.C. health care system and yet make up over 25 per cent of our population. Canadian statistics on caregiving paint a very clear picture — “It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when you… Read more…

There are days where being in denial is better than coming face to face with reality. Like when your child is so misbehaved in the grocery store, you actually believe this small evil person is not your next of kin and you start looking for the mother with the rest of the passersby. Or when… Read more…

Are you among the one million family caregivers in B.C.? May 8 to May 14 is Family Caregiver Week this year. Raising awareness of this societal phenomenon is crucial. The latest statistics show that at least one in four Canadians are caring for someone they love. Of those family caregivers, over a third are also… Read more…

  One of my favourite cartoons shows a man lying down on a couch in a therapist’s office. The therapist is taking notes. The man says to the therapist, “I love my Dad but he is really difficult to talk to. By the way, are you going to bill me full price for this session,… Read more…

It’s hard for me to get used to these changing times. I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty.” – George Burns A grandson is excitedly showing his grandfather his new phone and says, “These phones are so cool Grampy; they don’t have any buttons.” The grandfather reminisces and tells his… Read more…