Family Caregivers BC

Family Caregiver Resources

A Caregiver’s Story of Perspective, Patience and Timing

By BKN, A Family Caregiver Me at the window: “It’s nice and sunny today.” My husband looks and says: “Bullsh*t! That’s fog.” In 2014, my husband had a hemorrhagic stroke. Today, mostly recovered, he is physically able and retains important skills such as speech, walking, eating, and self-hygiene. However, his mild dementia includes confusion, vision […]

What You Need to Know About Powers of Attorney

By Amy-Alexandra Jaworsky Power of Attorney Notice required! If you change or revoke your enduring power of attorney, you must give written notice to the persons you appointed as your attorney(s) for the change or revocation to be effective. POA terminated! If a person becomes a “patient” under the Patients Property Act (for example, if […]

The Power of Many

By Barb MacLean, Executive Director, Family Caregivers of BC ~This is a tribute to each and every family and friend caregiver, the beautiful, giving human beings who care, who love and who do their best. Our whole team at FCBC wants you to know that we have heard your voices, your impactful stories and that […]

Processing Anticipatory Grief

Written by Wendy Johnstone When I was in my 30s, my grandmother died. Her last five years were punctuated by the effects of dementia, including a move into long-term care. Thirty-six weeks pregnant, I was unable to make the trip back east for her funeral. Her death was a mix of emotions — sadness, relief, […]

The Embrace of a Caring Circle

By Jim LaMorte, Friend Caregiver I care about a caregiver, and I am not alone. There are a lot of us, and last year we all faced the same problem of how to help. Here is our story about the Caring Circle that grew around two friends in pain. Let’s call them Art and Grace. […]

Online Supports for Caregivers

By Janet McLean One of the most common pieces of advice you will receive as a caregiver is – ask for and accept help. It sounds easy but when you are bogged down with multiple demands on your time it feels like one more thing to do – it is easier to just keep doing […]

Healing Post-Caregiving Grief

Written by Wendy Johnstone “All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” ~Havelock Ellis What does life look for a caregiver when they are no longer a caregiver? Michael’s wife, Shelley, died after three years with cancer that spread to her liver and spine, causing pain that […]

Grief is a Universal Experience

Grief is a universal experience that makes us human. The role of caregiving can be all encompassing and when a care recipient passes away it can lead to deep feelings of loneliness, emptiness, and loss. It is often an extremely emotional and uncertain time following the death of a care recipient and because grief is […]

How to Begin a Formal Mindfulness Practice

Written by Kate Landreth It is one of the most powerful practices and rituals in my life, and also the most challenging. It requires dedication, consistency, patience and curiosity. It is a practice of paying attention {to breath, or a concentration point}, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally. It is simple, but not […]

Family and Friend Caregivers on the Front Lines of COVID-19

Written by Janet McLean, Evaluation and Quality Improvement Lead with Family Caregivers of BC In December 2020, Family Caregivers of BC (FCBC) conducted a province-wide survey of unpaid family/friend caregivers. The goal of the survey was to understand how COVID-19 has impacted caregivers in BC, no matter where they live, where their care recipient lives or […]

Mind-Body Connections For Caregivers

Written by Wendy Johnstone, originally published in Senior Living Magazine Caregivers providing care and support encounter a multitude of physical and psychological stressors. While caregiving is considered rewarding by most caregivers, it often creates significant stress. And research shows that too much stress negatively impacts one’s physical and psychological health, including depression, anxiety, and a […]

The Grief Response

By Janet McLean, Education and Engagement Lead for Family Caregivers of BC Tom Attig was a panelist in our “Coach Caregiver” webinar on Loss & Grief held in February 2017. This webinar was If you missed the webinar you can watch the recording on our website by going here: https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/video/coach-caregiver-loss-grief/ Tom has written several books […]

A Beginner’s Guide to Podcasts

Podcasts may have emerged onto the Internet scene in 2004 but for some this form of media still sounds like some sort of sci-fi reference. Once an obscure means by which to spread audio information, podcasting is now a recognized medium for broadcasting a growing variety of content including narrated slideshows, audiobooks, and even videos […]

Being a Personal Representative When Someone Passes Away

Written by Amy-Alexandra Jaworsky, Victoria lawyer So, you have been asked to act as an executor or perhaps someone has passed away without appointing one and you have been asked to take on the responsibility of administering their estate.When a person appoints a personal representative to act for them in their Will, they are referred […]

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 […]

The Resilience Battery: Why it’s Important to Keep Yours Charged

By, Nikita Paddock, PHN, BScN, RYT Resilience is often recognized after an event or situation that has pushed an individual, community, or group out of their comfort zone, or through trauma. Resilience can be better understood by comparing it to something we depend on: our smartphone battery. If you take a look at the upper […]