Supporting all who care for elders
When George came to us, he’d spent several months in the hospital. A tall man, he looked severely undernourished. “He’s a small eater,” his wife said. That’s when I discovered his diet in the hospital consisted of sandwiches his family brought in and his favourite chocolate bar. I opened the drawer of his nightstand to […]
“But I Love Chocolate Bars!” Read More »
Do you remember trying to encourage your toddlers to eat broccoli? I dared my son, “I bet you can’t eat a whole tree.” He’d stuff it in his mouth and munch away, and I’d pretend to faint with the wonder of it all. When he got older that ploy didn’t work, and I tried to
“But I Hate Broccoli.” Read More »
I’m doing death better than I used to. When people are dying, it’s seldom pretty. Hollywood has glamorized it to something it’s not. For a newbie (at the time) like me, it was scary and I avoided it. I wasn’t in a position where I was supporting families at that time, and I made myself
“Who’s looking after me tonight?” “Amelia” “I don’t know Amelia. Where’s Tracy?” (her regular care partner) “Tracy’s on vacation, but Amelia has looked after you many times. She knows what to do.” “But I don’t know what to do.” “You don’t have to know. Amelia will look after you. She knows what to do.” “Is it
5 Tips to Retain Your Sanity Read More »
I snuggled in my spot on the couch watching Midsomer Murders on Netflix. This episode involved a suspicious death at a retirement home. The main character’s daughter came to visit an elderly aunt, but yielded to the charm of another resident–a gentleman who might have presented as quite the rapscallion in his youth. As she
Don’t Let our Elders Disappear Read More »
I wandered from room to room this morning, looking for an unused over-the-bed table for a resident moving in next week. In one of the rooms, I stopped, sat on the bed and let the experience wash over me. On the bureau sat a vase of grocery store flowers. Nothing spectacular about that. Propped against it sat a
I watched him travel down the long hallway to our dining room, his halting gait reminiscent of the wedding march. Craig had taken the bus provided to the local grocery story that morning and was now returning to enjoy lunch with his wife. As he drew nearer, I saw a plastic grocery bag in his
Care Partner Essentials Read More »
They started today, all shiny and new. Twelve eager PSW students coming to learn among us. All of them completed their schooling, and now they learn the practical aspects of becoming a care partner. Each of our care partners functions as a preceptor and takes a student under their wing to mentor them. We invest
Becoming a Care Partner Read More »
Many times I’ve remarked that everyone who walks the journey with an elder can be called a care partner. I’ve talked about the roles of professional care partners, those who serve the meals, family members, those who visit occasionally and volunteers. What about the advocate? What’s an advocate? There’s not a question I get asked
Care Partner Wednesday–The Advocate as Care Partner Read More »
“The doctor diagnosed my mom’s dementia. I don’t know what form of the disease she has, but they seem the same to me. He put her on some medication he said might help.” Statements like this make me shudder. Would we say this about any other disease? “The doctor said my mom has cancer. The
Diagnosing Dementia Read More »