Filtered tag: Navigating the Health Care System

Join me and the fantastic Jodie McDonald, Executive Director for the Cowichan Valley Caregivers Support Society, for our final live Coach Caregiver session of the year, next Thursday, Dec. 15th at 6:30pm. Wearing my Family Caregivers of BC hat, Jodie and I will answer your caregiving questions drawing on tips learned from recent webinars –… Read more…

Mr. Jones is an 83-year-old widower living in his own home. When asked, he’ll tell you he is doing “fair to middling.” He’ll go on to tell you his legs are tired and wobbly and he doesn’t get out as much as he’d used to. He has a scooter, which gets him to town and… Read more…

I am really excited to announce Keystone Eldercare Solutions’ new website! Click HERE to go right through to the site OR watch the video below and I will give you a quick tour of the new site.     If you have any comments, feedback OR find errors, please connect with me – my team… Read more…

I met with Mr.D, a 59 year-old who suffered a pretty serious stroke a few months ago.  He has two kids, both out of town.  Mr. D is doing quite well considering his brain injury.  He needs some support in organizing his day to day activities and needs some help with reminders. When I arrived,… Read more…

I’ve had the honour of hearing Isobel Mackenzie, our Seniors Advocate for the Province of British Columbia speak on seniors’ issues. Isobel weaves the personal stories she hears from seniors and families to bring life to the gaps in subsidized supports and programs needed to not only keep seniors living as independent as possible but… Read more…

When my mother had stomach cancer, I flew back to Toronto to give my siblings a reprieve and support my mom post-surgery. The procedure to remove her tumour was long and very painful. Post-discharge, my mom experienced severe stomach pains, difficulty sleeping and digestive problems.  Heavily medicated (not me, her!) to reduce the pain, I… Read more…

Are you confused or unsure about what kind of help you or your aging loved one is eligible for in the community? Congratulations! You are among the many Canadians who find navigating the healthcare system overwhelming and even a little scary. Many caregivers find the co-ordination role (similar to that of a case manager) the… Read more…

Mr. Jones is an 83-year-old widower living in his own home. When asked, he’ll tell you he is doing “fair to middling.” He’ll go on to tell you his legs are tired and wobbly and he doesn’t get out as much as he’d used to. He has a scooter, which gets him to town and… Read more…

In my line of work as a private geriatric case manager, there are few days that go by where I’m not reminded of the consequences of “not having one’s affairs in order.” In my last column, I spoke first-hand about my family’s personal experience with having to make difficult end-of-life decisions when my Dad was… Read more…

The Patient as Partners – Working Dialogue Group held its two-day conference in Vancouver last week. The BC Ministry of Health recently identified patient-centered care as one of their priorities and the purpose of this conference was to receive input from stakeholder on what patient-centered care should look like in BC. I was lucky enough… Read more…