Our latest webinar, Services for Patients and Caregivers and Common Interactions Between Medications, Supplements, and Food, is now posted online! If you missed this live webinar, you can now watch the recording at a time that suits you. In this webinar, the UBC Pharmacists Clinic presented on the topic of medication and supplement interactions. They […]
Navigating Healthcare System
Finding and Using Your Voice
Written by Wendy Johnstone, Provincial Program Consultant and Gerontologist with Family Caregivers of BC and originally published in Inspired 55+ Lifestyle Magazine. Alison was enjoying early retirement knowing that her differently-abled adult son, Michael, was living independently in his apartment in another city, supporting himself with a job he had held for many years. Then, […]
The Power of Planning Well
By Dr. Daren Heyland, Founder of Plan Well Guide Worried about what might happen to you or a loved one you are caring for if they were to get seriously ill? With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to forage on, it has left many people feeling overwhelmed and wondering how long both this feeling and the […]
Dear Caregiver Support Line: How Do I Best Plan for Hospital Discharge?
Dear Caregiver Support Line, My husband is being discharged next week and I’m worried about having him come home and not knowing what to do or what to plan for. How do I best plan for hospital discharge? ~ Worried Family Caregiver Dear Worried Family Caregiver, Hospital discharge can feel exciting and stressful for both […]
Visiting Loved Ones in Care Facilities and Long-Term Care Resources
Caregivers are Essential Partners in Care. Wendy discusses strategies and ways you can engage with your care recipient in a care facility. She shares how letting go of one’s own expectations to allow the visit to unfold. For example, Wendy brought an interactive pet to a client and was pleasantly surprised of the connectivity and […]
A Caregiver’s Experience: LifeLabs Mobile Unit to the Rescue
My husband, Ron, had a stroke eight years ago. Initially, he was completely paralyzed on his right side and came home from hospital in a wheelchair. He now walks using a cane or a walker. During his lengthy rehabilitation, he wrote a book about his experience,”The Defiant Mind – Living Inside a Stroke,” published in […]
Keeping Track of Who’s Who on the Care Team
KEEPING TRACK OF WHO’S WHO ON THE CARE TEAM PART 2 IN A 3-PART SERIES By Wendy Johnstone Many services are available in the community. Our health care and social systems have services that are provided both publicly and privately. The difference between publicly and privately funded services is based on the type of service […]
Technology Resources for Caregivers
Although 71 per cent of caregivers are interested in using technology to support their caregiving tasks, only seven per cent are using care-related technology, according to AARP’s 2016 Caregiving and Technology study. Fifty-eight per cent of the caregivers surveyed in a 2018 survey by the Change Foundation said they used the internet for gathering additional […]
Add a Pharmacist to your Care Team
Managing medications including ensuring the accurate use of prescriptions, avoiding adverse reactions, and juggling costs can be daunting for caregivers and individuals with chronic illnesses. In Canada, over 400 types of medicines are dispensed regularly, with another 1,600+ ordered on an as-needed basis. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are the primary reason for nearly two-thirds of […]
Tips for dealing with the health care system
By Wendy Johnstone Mrs. B is 70 years old was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease five years ago. She is on the highest dosage of a “memory pill” and is well supported at home with her spouse. She is very functional and maintains a high level of independence and quality of life. But cracks are starting […]