Family Caregivers BC

Family Caregiver Resources

What You Need to Know About Power 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]