Supporting all who care for elders
Think of these scenarios: George was a great husband and father. He took his boys to innumerable hockey practices and provided for his family. He and his wife went out dancing and the family enjoyed many vacations together. He was a great dad and husband. Now George is elderly. He describes the working of his mind […]
Finding A Sense of Purpose Read More »
She’s poised on the high bar, her toes pointed, She moves her body gracefully and slowly unfolds to stand on the narrow piece of wood. Walking its length, she bends, grabs the bar and swings her body to the ground. Her white hair glistens as she lands. Wait, what? That’s right, this gymnast is 82
Have We Got Ageing Wrong? Read More »
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“She’s dehydrated.” The hospital nurse’s tone spoke volumes and her message was clear. The resident we sent to the hospital was suffering from dehydration on our watch, so obviously we gave terrible care. The judgement was in her voice, the look on her face and the stance of her body. I wanted to punch her.
Care Partner Wednesday–“But I Don’t Drink Water!” Read More »
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