peachmanstewart

Since I was a little girl, the words “respect your elders” were drummed into myconsciousness. To this day, when I call some elders by their first name, I see a vision of my mother’s eyebrows raised with the look. It’s a sign of respect to use older people’s proper names. There were clearer rules when I […]

Anxiety produces a great Scrabble score, but not much else positive. Two daughters faced a care partner’s nightmare. They had to move their exceedingly reluctant mother from her condo to a room where she could get more care. They shuddered when they remembered how they had moved her a few years ago, and this was

It’s a question there is no one answer to. Care partners have different roles, depending on who they are and who they are partnering in care with. For the next several weeks, we are going to be looking at care partners and their roles, by looking at each letter in their name. C-A-R-E  P-A-R-T-N-E-R, who

Once upon a time, many years ago, you had an uncomfortable conversation with your mom. “Will you be my power of attorney?” she said. “Your brother isn’t into that kind of thing and your sister lives out of town.” Talking about things like this took you far outside your comfort zone, so you made a

People don’t age at the same rate. That’s not rocket science, right? But what if they are married? One usually begins caring for the other. Years may pass, but eventually a day comes when one needs to move to a place where they can get more care. How do couples survive? I’ve observed many over

Yesterday, an ice storm pounded our area. Freezing rain and wind swirled in the streets outside, and the bushes near the window became coated with ice. “Aren’t they pretty?” said a resident as she walked by. Yeah. Pretty. From the inside. When 4:00 o’clock came, I checked the window again, frowning. It wasn’t letting up,

“Maybe I should give up the idea of the puppy.” As these words ran through my head, I experienced an overwhelming sadness. The thought made my face crumple and tears course down my cheeks. No. I’d been saving for months. But the reality on the computer screen couldn’t be denied. It was a luxury I

I can’t remember how the topic came up. I suspect it was one of the many times in the summer when I sat with a group of ladies on our patio, admiring the multiple colours of the flowers and turning our faces to the sun. Someone asked the question, “What is your favourite food?” Without

“Medical treatment should be the servant of genuine human caring, never its master.” 1 A powerful and radical statement. What does this look like? Mr. G. has become increasingly aggressive when care partners try to care for him. Although they can understand that he wants to be independent, and he doesn’t want a woman caring

The world is divided into two categories: the keeper and the non-keeper. I am not a keeper. I remember when my children would ask where a certain treasure was—a picture they drew, a one-armed clay figure they constructed, a half-eaten sucker from two weeks ago. I would look puzzled and reply, “I’m not sure.” The