Supporting all who care for elders
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 […]
The Value of Good Choices in Your Elder’s Journey Read More »
Everyone in the family knew that Grandpa couldn’t hear well. The television roared when he listened to it, and the radio sounded at levels that rivalled his teenage grandchildren. In conversation, he growled about family members “muttering.” Why couldn’t anyone speak up these days? Conversations addressing the problem never went well. Grandpa would go off
How to Have Difficult Conversations With Your Elder 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 »
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 want to be an elder with a cape. You know the ones I mean? The man in his 90s who completed a marathon. The woman in her 80s with the hot, incredible body who moves with grace on the balance beam. She’s more flexible than I was at, well, ever. The nurse who works
Maybe We Don’t Understand Ageing. Are Elders Really Superheroes? Read More »
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
How to Help Your Elder Find Meaningful Acts of Service Read More »
Things aren’t always as they seem. Neither are people. You’d think by this point in my life I’d know that, and I do in theory, but I need to learn certain lessons over and over when they present themselves in a different context. Maybe you’ve found that, too. My job as an advocate mainly involved
What is the Most Important Aspect When Looking for a Caregiver? Read More »
Doesn’t this dog have guilt written all over his face? I can be easily motivated by guilt. “Grandma, we haven’t come over in so long. I miss you.” Immediately, plans are changed or cancelled. How had I let time slip by without seeing my precious girls? “How long since you’ve had your ducts cleaned?” (Ummm,
Are There Practical Weapons to Attack Feelings of Loneliness in Elders? Read More »
Jean would come to lunch each day and order the same thing. Two pieces of egg salad sandwich, milk and tea. Vanilla ice cream for dessert. I had no problem with her order, except she would take one or two nibbles from each of her quarter sandwiches, drink half her milk and a few sips
A Unique Idea to Make Lunch a Fun Adventure Read More »
I stood at the top of the basement stairs, looking at what seemed to be an impossible descent. I’d recently had hip replacement surgery, and my friend washed, dried, folded and returned my laundry each week. So thankful, I knew I had to find a way to get down those stairs and become independent in
How To Find “Out-of-the-Box” Solutions Leading to Independence Read More »