Supporting all who care for elders
Do you have a hot button? An event, a chance comment, something you hate doing because it pulls a negative trigger inside you? For me, it’s anything that makes me feel stupid. As a little girl, I often missed things. We would drive in the country and my parents would point out cows or horses […]
An Empathetic Peek Inside the Mind With Dementia Read More »
I can’t remember what I had for sale. That’s not important to the story. I posted it on Facebook, saying that my price was firm because I would be using the money to put toward a recumbent bike for my niece. She had what we thought was Parkinson’s, and couldn’t safely walk outside, but this
How Your Caregiver Journey Can Flourish With Excellent Support Read More »
“I have never had a day that didn’t sparkle in some way.” Jennifer Dawn Shearer (1974-2023) Forty-nine years ago, I worked as a teenager among the troubled youth in Ontario housing. I received a call one day that changed my life. It made me grin
The (not so) Small Miracle of Jenn. A Life Well Lived. Read More »
My shoulder is killing me. Tylenol is starting to dull the ache and make it use-able, but my mind is going in 100 anxious directions. As someone with a hip and knee replacement (and the other hip probably pending) I wonder absently how many parts you can replace. Should I look into physio? What about
Important: After research comes action! Read More »
We turned a corner and giant metal flowers caught my eye. I also spied statues of people, but we were caught in the flow of traffic, and although I craned my neck, I saw only enough to know I wanted to return. We did, that night, and I experienced a piece of Ottawa which touched
If Dementia Had a Park, What Would it Look Like? Read More »
Sarah wanted to do something special for her husband, who “walked with dementia.” He’d always been a sports fan, and she decided she would take him to see one of his favourite teams play. He’d always loved live games, and maybe there’d be a moment which would bring back happy memories. It was a lot
Should Grandma Stay Home From the Celebration? Read More »
The general consensus was that we were nuts. “You’re going camping? With elders?” We did. We called it a “camping experience,” in that we stayed in a totally accessible double cabin. We took a nurse, PSWs, and so much staff we were almost one-to-one. The average age of the elders with us was 90. One
Practical Ideas to Bring Your Elder to the Party (Or Bring the Party to Them!) Read More »
I’m planning a wedding for this fall. Yes, my own. (Insert wild applause here.) Amidst the joy (this man is the one I prayed for) the fun (getting in touch with my crafty side) the work (sewing four flower girls’ dresses) and the angst (will my “country-chic” wedding look like a kindergartener put it together?)
Can I Include My Elder in My Summer Celebrations? How? Read More »
“Oh you idiot!” I would never say those words to anyone. Cruel, cutting and attacking character rather than the situation, they are totally unacceptable. Except I said them yesterday. To myself. We are visiting my daughter and her family and living between their home and a motel. Returning to the motel last night, I realized
Practical ways for caregivers to tame the monster in your head Read More »
I used to joke with Mary that I wanted her son to adopt me. Beautiful sweaters and blouses spilled out of the stuffed drawers of her dresser. Although she didn’t walk any more, so she didn’t wear them out, she had shoes for every occasion in her cupboard. She had coats, purses and
Astonishingly Easy Solutions to Avoid or Battle Caregiver Guilt Read More »