Join us in celebrating Family Caregiver Month! Learn more here.

This week in honour of Family Caregiver Month we are bringing awareness to the importance of Caregivers as Essential Partners in Care

Why Caregivers as Essential Partners in Care?

COVID-19 has brought a whole set of restrictions for the health and safety of our communities, and with it changes to caregivers’ abilities to visit loved ones in long-term care, independent living facilities and health spaces. 

That is why this week’s theme is “Caregivers as Essential Partners in Care” because we at FCBC, in partnership with The National Caregiver Awareness Working Group, acknowledge the importance of caregivers’ presence to the wellbeing of their care recipient(s).

Join our Caregivers Connect: Celebration

May 27th from 2:00 - 3:30 pm

Join us for our Caregivers Connect Celebration event on May 27th. You're invited!


Multiple led activities will be take place, including a Time Capsule activity:

As we care for loved ones, we become very attuned to their voices. Yet in meeting the needs of each day, we can lose track of the inner voice that is essential to our own well-being, and our resilience in challenging times. In this journalling exercise, Pamela L. Alexander will lead you through practice to spark questions within yourself like, “What do I need?”, “What is important to express?”, and “What would I like to create in my life?” Through simple self-loving practices in speaking softly, hearing ourselves, and writing by hand, we take time to remember the small, still voice within.

Learn About Our Third Pillar at FCBC

The Caregiver Rx Project

Family Caregivers of BC’s Caregiver RX project helps health care professionals support family caregivers through education, outreach resources, and partnership. Health care professionals are critical to the success of emerging caregivers. The Caregiver RX project helps healthcare providers connect with Family Caregivers of BC with ease. The project also can help health care providers with strategies to build strong partnerships with family caregivers to help expedite evaluation and prevent errors in care. Health Care providers can support and work with unpaid family and friend caregivers by first identifying the caregiver, referring the caregiver to FCBC and engaging with us to follow-up and support the caregiver.

Virtual Caregiver Support Groups

Victoria Virtual Caregiver Group

Our monthly Victoria Virtual Caregiver Group brings caregivers from the Greater Victoria Area together around a mutual experience of caregiving for a family member or friend. This is a time for reassurance, where caregivers can realize they are not alone. This group is facilitated by our experienced volunteer Bonnie Davoren.

Next Session: June 2nd, 1:30-3:00 pm (1st Wednesday of each month).

Registration: You must pre-register to join the session. Register in advance here. You will get a password and instructions to join this Zoom Virtual Group.

Please note that when joining you can choose to share your first and last name or create an anonymous username.

 

Virtual Caregiver Support Groups

For All Caregivers:

Join us June 8th, for the BC Men's Virtual Support Group (2nd Tuesday of every month from 7 - 8:30 pm) for men to come together monthly to connect, receive support and share experiences as caregivers. Our group is led by experienced facilitators. 

As well, join us June 10th, for the Caregivers Connect: BC’s Virtual Support Group (2nd and 4th Thursday of every month from 2 - 3:30 pm).

This group brings people from across the province together around a mutual experience of caregiving for a family member or friend. This is a time for reassurance and connection, where caregivers can realize they are not alone.

You must pre-register to join each session!

Join our Upcoming Webinars, Workshops and Trainings

Upcoming Facebook Live Sessions

On Thursday, May 27th at 9 am, join Wendy Johnstone for a Facebook Live conversation about Caregivers as Essential Partners in Care. We will share our great new resources that will support you with making a personalized caregiver plan!

New to Facebook Live? It is a live recording on the Family Caregivers of BC Facebook Page. You can join during the live time or the recording is saved for you to watch at another time—similar to our webinars! Our Facebook Live sessions are shorter, bite-size learning opportunities for caregivers and our community.

Read the Latest Caregiver Story on our Blog

A Caregiver's Story: Pat

In honour of Family Caregiver Month, we asked our community to share their personal stories about caregiving—the joys, the challenges, insights gained—to share with other caregivers and our larger communities. Here is one such submission…

In this article, drawing upon examples Pat explains the importance of identifying a stroke survivor's abilities as well as disabilities in their recovery therapy. This article is an excerpt from Patricia Smith's book The Caregiver’s Companion.

Essential Partners-Themed Resource

Webinar - More than a Visitor: Care Planning in a Changing Environment

Family caregivers are more than visitors; they are an important part of the care team. In this webinar, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. and Family Caregivers of BC will provide caregivers with tools and resources to enhance their knowledge, skills and confidence to care in our current changing environment.

Grant Organization Spotlight

Ridge Meadows Seniors Society

At Ridge Meadows Seniors Society our mission is to provide services, foster shared experiences, and advance the well-being of adults 55+ in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Our organization supports Caregivers by providing a safe space where they can share common concerns, find balance and receive emotional support, and learn new skills to reduce caregiver distress. The Caregiver Connection & Support Program offers a weekly drop-in support program, one-on-one support, and monthly educational speakers to learn new coping tools and resources. Get in touch by emailing raman@rmssseniors.org, 604-380-0516, or visit www.rmssseniors.org

 

South Vancouver Neighbourhood House

South Vancouver Neighbourhood House is a place where you can connect to programs or services, become a volunteer or find resources. We will always greet you with a smile at our location at 6470 Victoria Drive, Vancouver.

Our organization supports caregivers by providing: Caregiver Support Groups in English and Mandarin, One-on-One Support and Self-Care Planning, Phone Buddy, Information/Resource, and One-to-One Technology/Digital Literacy Support. 

We support family and friend caregivers in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. 

For more details, please contact Ping Chen, Phone: 604-324-6212 ext. 116, Email: ping.chen@southvan.org

 

Terrace Hospice Society

Terrace Hospice Society is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization in Terrace, BC. Our organization supports caregivers through ‘Family & Friend Caregivers of the Northwest,’ for caregivers from Prince Rupert to Houston and Kitimat to Stewart.

We offer individual and group supports, encouraging caregiver self-care, helping to navigate the medical system, and increasing each caregiver’s own social supports.

To access our services, our ‘Caring Team’ can be reached in a variety of ways:

Email: cg.ths@citywest.ca

Phone: 250-635-4811

Website: 

https://caregiversofthenorthwest.org/

 

West Kootenay Boundary Caregiver Support Program

West Kootenay Boundary Caregiver Support operates out of Nelson, BC with staff in Kalso and Grand Forks. We cover remote and rural communities in the West Kootenay and Boundary communities in the Interior Health region. Our organization supports caregivers through 1:1 phone support, coaching, online support group, volunteer visits and referrals. Call us toll free on 1-888-212-2337 or email wkbcsp@gmail.com

Community Events & Resources

Advance Care Planning for the Older Adults and Thier Caregivers

DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society is hosting group information workshops for older adults and their caregivers on Advance Care Planning in English and Punjabi language, in collaboration with Fraser Health.

Caregivers and their older adults from all over the BC are welcome to join in.

Dates: Online Zoom sessions will be held on June 7, 2021 in Punjabi language and June 14, 2021 in English language

Time: Monday, 10 am – 11:30 am   

Link to join/website: email at msodhi@dcrs.ca or call 7785492863 to register.

Event link for Punjabi workshop: https://www.dcrs.ca/event-details/advance-care-planning-workshop-punjabi-online-2/

Event link for English workshop: https://www.dcrs.ca/event-details/advance-care-planning-workshop-online/

 

Spread the Word About How to Register for the COVID-19 Vaccine

Wondering how you can help get your community immunized so that we can hopefully put this pandemic behind us sooner rather than later?

Click here to view a helpful resource from the BC Government.

 

Share Your Home Support Experience with The Seniors Advocate

If you receive home support services or if you are a family members/caregiver of someone who receives home support services... we would like to hear from you!

Your opinion will help us to improve the questions for an upcoming provincial survey about home care support services in BC.

If selected to participate, you will received a $25 gift card in appreciation for your time.

Interested in participating? Contact Megan Muller at info.bcpcm@providencehealth.bc.ca or call 778-628-1249.

View the recruitment poster here.

 

Participate in the Caring Forward Study

Are you a caregiver living in Canada? Do you care for someone with an acquired brain injury? (This person may be a child, a friend, a spouse, a parent, or a relative.)

If you answered yes to both questions, you may be interested in the online Caring Forward study.

The goal of Caring Forward is to learn more about the experience and challenges of caregivers. 

Participants in Caring Forward may be invited to join new programs for caregivers.

Visit our website at www.CaringForward.ca

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The Family Caregivers of BC (FCBC) e-News has been created to share information and resources related to caregiving, in good faith, and from sources believed to be reliable. However, neither FCBC nor its authors guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information published, and we are not responsible for any errors, omissions, or claims for damages arising out of use, inability to use, or with regard to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information contained in the publication.

Questions? Contact us our Caregiver Support Line Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm and Tuesday & Thursday from 8:30 am - 7:00 pm at 1-877-520-3267