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The December Edition | December 6, 2018
Katherine Peters
President & CEO

Message from the President

Greetings friend, and welcome to the December Comfort Connection! 
I am a mother of three, wife and home care owner of a significant company. That qualifies me as both a personal and professional caregiver! 

But on October 25th, 2018, in a matter of minutes, everything changed! In an attempt to light my wood stove and using alcohol to get some wet wood going, the flames jumped out of the stove, and came at me instead. After what felt like an eternity of enduring flames licking at my face and hands, my son drove me to St. B Emergency, barefoot and burned himself. Anxious family members, friends and employees waited many hours while the hospital staff attended to me. I woke up in HSC SICU with many bandages, a breathing tube, and drugged to the max. I had suffered horrid burns to 10% of my body - my face, chest, hands and right wrist. Thankfully, later they determined my lungs were okay.

I stayed in the hospital for the next 12 days. I was dependent on others for almost EVERYTHING. Because my hands were wrapped in bulky bandages and pretty painful, there was very little I could do for myself. This was truly a turn of events. I went from a full life with too many "irons in the fire," to not even being able to respond to texts. I was mentally, physically and emotionally not just exhausted but traumatized. Usually fearlessly forging ahead, I was truly shaken to my core. 

Perhaps because I was truly "undone," it made accepting help much easier. I had no pride, no preferences for male or female, only grateful humility for people who cared for and about me. I was happy to be alive. I knew I would be okay when my adult son declared he was quitting his seasonal work early to be my full-time caregiver. What a blessing he has been!

I was told I could leave the hospital if I had home care nurses in three times a week for dressing changes. I have to say, I was pretty apprehensive. My worst fear is that they wouldn’t show up. Not only have they not missed one day, they phone me ahead to let me know what time they can come. This gives me a chance to slowly remove my own dressings, and soak my hands without rushing. I have no complaints!

I know it's hard to accept help and care by someone else. That is the ongoing mantra we hear in the office. Many of our clients do not want "help." I get it. I had to shift my whole mindset.

I have truly had a chance to re-evaluate what matters and what’s important. I can’t "do" much. But I have discovered I can "love" much - my family, my friends, my employees (who truly deserve a gold star for all they have done), and my Lord Jesus – who protected me from what could have been much, much worse. 

I hope you can take some time to be still and reflect about what is important even in this busy month. I pray this month will bring you both peace and joy. 
Blessings, 

Katherine Peters
President & CEO

Comforts of Home – Care 

Caregiver of the Season

Our latest Caregiver of the Season is Dorcas A.!
Dorcas immensely enjoys working for us at Comforts of Home - Care. She loves elderly people and spending her time caring for others: it's an important part of who she is!
Dorcas adores making people happy, and she has a true knack for it. She has been with us since July 2016 and is beloved by those she cares for.
When Dorcas isn't working as a caregiver, she loves cooking and doing domestic work at home. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids, and every now and then she'll indulge in some shopping when she has the spare time.
Thank you, Dorcas, for all that you do!

Recipe of the Month: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts

Did you know that Brussels sprouts are a great source of vitamin C? 
This recipe will make for a beautiful (and good-for-you!) side dish to any meal this holiday season. You'll love the flavour combination and texture!

Click here for the recipe

Video: I Don't Feel Like an Old Person

You don't have to wait until January 1 to start living healthier!
In this video, 75-year-old Nan talks about how moving her body with Zumba helped her to feel 30+ years younger than she is... 

Click here to watch the video now

Caring Companionship When Family Can't Be There

When Evelyn was diagnosed with dementia, her adult children knew she needed some additional assistance.
Although she was living at a facility, they wanted to make sure their mom had someone they could trust to accompany her on walks, take her out for coffee, and spend quality time with her.

And that’s exactly what happened when they hired Comforts of Home – Care to help out!

Click here to continue reading Evelyn's story

Joke of the Month

Where does Santa go when he's sick?
To the elf centre!
Comforts of Home - Care
P: 204.949.3234 | F: 204.949.9049 | E: info@cohcinc.com | W: ComfortsOfHomeCare.ca
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