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 to show. Three […]
Navigating Healthcare System
Caregivers in Distress – A Growing Problem
Family Caregivers of BC is pleased BC’s Seniors Advocate is once again raising the issue of caregiver distress. In the current report “Caregivers in Distress – A Growing Problem”, she points to a 7% increase in the percentage of Home Support clients who have a primary caregiver in distress, which equates to roughly 1,000 caregivers; […]
Plan Ahead For Your Next Trip To The ER
by Wendy Johnstone As we prepare for our upcoming webinar, Acute Care for Caregivers, I thought it would be handy to blog on a trip to the Emergency Department (ED). I’m reminded of my last visit to the ED. After rupturing my Achilles tendon in a squash tournament, I was taken to our local hospital […]
Caregiving: Unexpected Changes
My Dad is 95 years old and honestly, some days I can’t believe he is still alive. I’m his only daughter and caregiver. I’ve been looking after him for 4 years now. In those years, we’ve had pneumonia, a broken hip and a stroke. What I’ve really learned is there are always unexpected challenges. I […]
Advance Care Planning—A Work in Progress
By Rachel Carter For many of us, picking out a birthday gift for a loved one is a difficult task if we don’t know what they want. Imagine trying to make decisions on their behalf about their healthcare needs. The concept of Advance Care Planning resonated with me as soon as I heard about it. […]
The ins and outs of hiring private care
In the past few months, Family Caregivers of BC received numerous calls from individuals asking about how to hire private care, through an agency or an independent care provider. Most cases we come across involve care for the elderly. Hiring private care is sometimes an option in other cases involving other disease specific illnesses or […]
Advance Care Planning is for All of Us
“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit This quote reminds me of my mom. No, she wasn’t a dragon. Not in the literal sense anyway (I am in so much trouble when she reads this!). She did, however, drill the importance […]
Navigating the health care system is far from smooth sailing
Mr. Jones is an 83-year-old widower living in his own home. When asked, he’ll tell you he is doing “fair to middling”. He’ll go on to tell you his legs are tired and wobbly and he doesn’t get out as much as he used to.