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The May Edition | May 11, 2017

What you'll find in this issue:


1. Message from the President
2. 10 Symptoms of Caregiver Stress
3. Recipe of the Month: Mocha Chia Energizing Smoothie
4. Video: Grade 6 Students & the Respect Challenge
5. 5 Ways to Prevent Elder Abuse
6. Joke of the Month
Katherine Peters
President & CEO

Message from the President

Greetings friend, and welcome to the May Comfort Connection! 
I am continually amazed by the creativity of my staff and how we care for the seniors we serve. If I could only use one character to describe the extent of what we do, I would have to point to Gumbie!
We were asked to set up care for one client while her private caregiver was going on holidays. But this client would in no way accept care from a "stranger." Since the private caregiver regularly brought her client to the Reh-Fit Centre, we had one of our caregivers meet them there.
The two caregivers pretended to be friends from way back. The private caregiver was able to ask our caregiver in front of the client if she would help out with her client while she was away, and the pass-off worked out perfectly.
With another client, she again is unwilling to accept care. Right now, my caregiver is posing as a friend from church who stops in here and there. She is still resistant, but at least we are able to provide some care.
My favourite story is one of our female caregivers caring for a male client. He needed a lot of personal care due to his condition of dementia. In spite of his condition, he was still quite frisky! He often requested a personal service that goes far beyond our scope of care! But this caregiver was a quick one. When he made his request, she replied with, "Oh, we did that already!" 
I have amazing staff! We stretch and bend and make it work. We take on just about any challenge and do it with a smile! If you know someone who is a little difficult, or resistant to receiving help of any kind, give us a call at 204-949-3234. We can help you figure out a plan that will take the load off you and give you peace of mind!

Blessings,
Katherine

Katherine Peters
President & CEO
Comforts of Home – Care

10 Symptoms of Caregiver Stress
Unfortunately, caregivers experience symptoms of stress more frequently than the general public.
It's important for caregivers to understand the impact of stress on their bodies, their relationships and their emotions: once you understand that you are at risk for negative impact to stress, you can actively work towards understanding and managing your stress!
You might recognize some of these symptoms of stress in yourself or in someone you love:
  1. Denial about what is happening to a loved one.
  2. Anger at the person being cared for (expecting more and rising frustration).
  3. Social withdrawal from friends and activities that were once enjoyable.
  4. Anxiety and worry about what will happen in the future.
  5. Depression that feels like a dark heavy curtain that keeps persisting.
  6. Exhaustion that makes it hard to get through the day, completing even the minimum of tasks.
  7. Sleeplessness caused by worry, concerns and constant anxiety.
  8. Irritability that leads to mood swings, angry outbursts, or negative relationships.
  9. Lack of concentration that results in results in forgetting appointments, tasks, or lack of focus.
  10. Health problems that persist both physically and mentally.
Click here to learn how to manage stress

Recipe of the Month: Mocha Chia Energizing Smoothie
Need a morning pick-me-up? Try this mocha and chia seed smoothie. It has iron-rich cacao, omega-3 goodness from black chia, fibre-dense bananas, plant-based protein, and energizing organic coffee.
Smoothies are a wonderful way to get plenty of nutrients first thing in the morning and start the day off right. You can even add a handful of dark leafy greens to your smoothie for an added boost! Spinach in particular breaks down easily in most blenders, without leaving a "green" taste to your beverage. 

Video: Grade 6 Students & the Respect Challenge
Together, we can prevent the abuse of older Manitobans. This year, take the Respect Challenge!
WEAAD Manitoba hosts this fantastic challenge for all generations to partake in preventing elder abuse and raising awareness about the importance of respecting older adults. To take the Respect Challenge, simply show or tell what respect means to you and share on social media using the hashtag #RespectChallengeMB.
Get inspired by this video a grade 6 class put together for last year's Respect Challenge:

Click here to watch the video now

5 Ways to Prevent Elder Abuse
Want to learn more about elder abuse, and what you can do to prevent it?
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day takes place next month on June 15. You might be wondering what you as an individual can do to prevent elder abuse... so with that in mind, here are 5 elder abuse prevention strategies from Prevent Elder Abuse Manitoba:
  1. Listen to older Manitobans and their caregivers to understand the stress and needs of our aging population.
  2. Intervene when mistreatment or neglect is suspected. Reporting needs to be accepted as the only option in abuse.
  3. Educate others on how to recognize and report abuse. This includes all Manitobans and begins with older adults, their families, caregivers, health care providers, law enforcement, and the population at large.
  4. Build a critical mass of opposition to any form of abuse against our older citizens.
  5. Have family discussions to talk about the current situation and plan for future needs. Two important questions you can ask include: a) What does the older adult want? and b) What can they do on their own with support?
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) takes place on June 15, and we encourage everyone to get involved. Wear purple that day, talk to your local media, have a conversation with friends and family, host a purple potluck at your office, and register your event in support of WEAAD. Every step you take makes a big difference to preventing abuse of our elders.

Click here to learn more about World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Joke of the Month
A young child walked up to her mother and stared at her hair. As her mother scrubbed the dishes, the girl cleared her throat and sweetly asked, "Why do you have some grey strands in your hair?"
The mother paused and looked at her daughter. "Every time you disobey, I get one strand of grey hair. If you want me to look young and keep my hair colour, you better obey."
Her mother quickly returned to her task of washing dishes. The little girl stood there thinking. She cleared her throat and sweetly asked again, "Mother?"
"Yes?" Her mother replied.
"Why is Grandma's hair all grey?"
Comforts of Home - Care
P: 204.949.3234 | F: 204.949.9049 | E: info@cohcinc.com | W: ComfortsOfHomeCare.ca
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