“I believe December 2024 took the prize for the most demoralizing reports of neglect, abuse and reprisal in the Ontario long-term care sector. All made me wonder: What is it going to take to sort it all out? Some argue that resolving this mess would …
Lise Cloutier-Steele, a member of Concerned Friends, is an Ottawa writer and the author of There’s No Place Like Home: A guide to help caregivers manage the long-term care experience which is available at www.ottawacaregiver.com. I am 71 years old, and like many seniors in my age group, I …
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf. Why Focus on Nutrition? Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining a strong and healthy body. It provides energy, aids in weight management, and enhances resistance to illness. Additionally, …
“6.3 million people in Canada will develop, live with and/or ultimately die with dementia between 2020 and 2050.” – Alzheimer Society of Canada This staggering statistic suggests that within the next thirty years, you will likely know someone who is either showing symptoms or diagnosed with a …
At a recent family council meeting for my mom’s long term care home, we were told that a man had inadvertently caused an outbreak by visiting his loved one while he had the flu. Yes, he had symptoms. Yes, he wore a mask during the …
Being a caregiver is one of the hardest, most emotionally and physically draining support role an individual will have to do in their lifetime. Sometimes you may have to do it more than once in your lifetime. Sometimes the role will look completely different each …
Last weekend, while I was at my mom’s long term care home, I witnessed first hand the challenge (from both sides) of speaking a non-English language in that environment. In this scenario, the resident was in his wheelchair in the middle of a hallway. A …
As humans, we all need varying degrees of meaningful human interaction and connectedness to function and not feel like we are alone. This need became very apparent during the pandemic–introverts joked that they had been training for social isolation all their lives, while some extroverts …
Long-term care homes with their routines, protocols, and busy staff can make family members feel like Dorothy in Oz. Add in a loved one with dementia, and family members truly find themselves in a whole new universe. Here are a few tips for navigating this …
There are many diseases that result in a gradual cognitive decline that eventually becomes so significant and highly debilitating, it severely impacts the way an individual goes about their daily life and interacts with the world. Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe the symptoms and …
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