Supporting all who care for elders
Millie’s family had just been through some horrendous months with her care. She was in heart failure, and it led to so many problems. Her legs swelled and leaked, her mood was all over the map, and she was seeing things that weren’t there. Sometimes she was short of breath and needed oxygen. She wasn’t […]
Dealing With Change Read More »
This is it. From the time you became a care partner, you knew this day would come. You thought about it logically, had difficult conversations, and made impossible decisions leading up to it. You knew it was coming. You saw the signs. But your heart refused to see what your head knew. Until today. Today,
What Does “Keep Comfortable” Mean? Read More »
Your loved one lives in a long-term care home of some kind. They have been stable medically for a while, and you are thrilled to see them involved in the life of the home. Then one day, it happens. They develop pneumonia that doesn’t respond to treatment or a condition that requires intravenous antibiotics. Perhaps the
5 Reasons Not to Send Your Elder to Hospital Read More »
Every care partner knows the end will come someday. Maybe they dread it. Maybe they welcome it. Maybe it depends on the day. Whatever your feelings, it’s likely that you have questions. Like the entire care partner journey, end-of-life is full of difficult decisions. There is no manual that helps you make the right one,
What Does End-of-Life Look Like? Read More »
Why is it so hard to look after ourselves? We all know we should. We can hear our mother’s voices expounding the litany of advice we loved to ignore. “Eat your vegetables. Dress warmly when you go out in the winter. Get enough sleep. Don’t eat junk food. Exercise.” And if our mothers didn’t tell
The Tricky Business of Self-Care Read More »
How is this day unlike any other day? Those famous words were applicable to us as we celebrated Shrove Tuesday in our neighbourhood. The menu at lunch was, of course, pancakes, with sausage, bacon, peach and/or strawberry sauce and maple syrup. Resident’s eyes widened as this amazing plateful of goodies was brought to them. If
How to Offer Maximum Choice and Why Read More »
No, do more than hug. Give them the gift of your time. Today began with falling snow and baking muffins and joy. Somewhere around noon, it all fell apart. One of my residents was unresponsive and I worried that I was seeing stroke symptoms. Another with serious heart issues was unwell. We were trying to
Hug A Care Partner Today Read More »
“I should be able to do this.” What this well-dressed, beautiful senior lady was referring to was moving herself and her husband from the home they had lived in for most of their married years. The initial decision to move was one she had to make alone. He was no longer able to participate. All
Care Partners: The Magic of Not Trying to Do It All Read More »
Back in the mid-1950s, they were both in high school and she experienced heart palpitations whenever he passed her in the hall. He was three years older, and she doubted he even noticed her. But he did. One day he caught up with her and walked her home. She sat in the old swing out
When a Wife Becomes A Care Partner Read More »
On Monday of this week, we started something completely new. We’ve been planning for weeks and months–years, really. Two smaller neighbourhoods joined and the new neighbourhood of Cedarvale Park was born. It’s happening in stages. On Monday, the new staffing model began. By next Monday, we should have a laundry room, and the following Monday
Culture Change is Hard Read More »