Community

The One Where We Lost Someone, And Christmas Came Anyway

Care Partners, Celebration, Christmas, Community, Elderhood, End of Life, Family and Care, Grief, Love, Stress /

The answer to today’s Wordle puzzle was “ninja.” Immediately, tears pricked my eyes and a thousand memories flooded my brain.  I miss my favourite ninja. You may have read about the passing of my lovely niece, Jenn, this last August. https://smallmiracles.online/the-not-so-small-miracle-of-jenn-a-life-well-lived/  As a marathon runner, she would get up before sunrise during Manitoba winters to […]

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The Value of Good Choices in Your Elder’s Journey

Care Partners, Community, Elderhood, Family and Care, Independence/Choice, Interventions, Love /

Do you remember the excitement when the Eaton’s catalogue used to arrive?  I could ask for one present. I’d always receive more than that, and my stocking contained all kinds of small treasures, but the one I asked for would be the “desire of my heart” present. The thing I couldn’t live without (or so

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Dementia Has a Name, But It’s Not Your Elder’s.

2 Comments / Alzheimer's Disease, Care Partners, Community, Dementia, Family and Care, Long-Term-Care, Purpose, Respect /

Something about this quiet, gentle man intrigued me. I saw unconventional in his grey pony tail, I saw intelligence in his perceptive questions, but my overwhelming impression was a penetrating sadness. His wife of many years had moved to our floor because her dementia meant it wasn’t safe for her to live alone with him.

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Practical Ideas to Bring Your Elder to the Party (Or Bring the Party to Them!)

Care Partners, Celebration, Community, Family and Care, Independence/Choice, Reciprocal Care, Respect, Technology /

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

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Can I Include My Elder in My Summer Celebrations? How?

Care Partners, Celebration, Community, Elderhood, Family and Care, Love /

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?)

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How Betty Showed a Young Man How To Care

Care Partners, Community, Elderhood, Family and Care, Reciprocal Care, Respect, Support /

It was time to say good-bye. The activation students had been with us two days a week for several months and on their last day, we took them out to lunch. These two young men had grown, matured and learned so much over the weeks. As we chatted together, my supervisor asked them, “What was the

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Finding Your Support in the Caregiving Journey

Alzheimer's Disease, Care Partners, Community, Dementia, Elderhood, Family and Care /

   “I’ll deal with that later. There’s too much to make sense of right now.”      If you are new to the role of caregiver, it’s tempting to take this attitude about getting support. Your elder needs assistance, but probably you’ve already started the process of getting medical backup for them. After all, you

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How to Help Your Elder Find Meaningful Acts of Service

Care Partners, Community, Family and Care, Independence/Choice, Love, Reciprocal Care, Respect /

     Lizzie loved to help others. When she lived in her apartment, she would trundle up the hill to the local grocery store to get groceries for her neighbour. She ran a tea party in the long-term-care section on Saturdays, and assisted with meals for people who couldn’t feed themselves. She handed out hymn

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How to Speak Words of Affirmation to Reach Your Elder’s Soul

Care Partners, Community, Purpose, Respect, Support /

    Who doesn’t appreciate a huge bouquet of flowers?      Me.      That’s not exactly true. I appreciated that the person who gave them spent a lot of money, and wanted to make me feel special on my birthday. I thanked them profusely, and they had no idea that their gift didn’t

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How to Find Creative Ways to Give Quality Time

Care Partners, Celebration, Community, Elderhood, Family and Care, Loneliness, Support /

      We came together to celebrate my Dad’s birthday and to spend a few precious moments  before my parents went to visit my sister and her family out west for a few weeks. My husband and I, my parents and my two little girls visited over a meal, and of course, cake. I

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