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The February Edition | February 8, 2018

What you'll find in this issue:

1. Message from the President
2. Caregiver of the Season
3. Recipe of the Month: Wild Rice & Kale Salad
4. Video: Your Care Your Way
5. Free Training for Family Caregivers
6. Joke of the Month

Katherine Peters
President & CEO

Message from the President

Greetings friend, and welcome to the February Comfort Connection!

I don’t know about you, but when I gotta go, I gotta go! If I’m at home, it is pretty easy to navigate my way to the bathroom and "make it!" If I’m out and about, I either consciously or subconsciously know where I need to find the next place to relieve myself!

Sorry, maybe this is "too much information" for some. Perhaps the warm Grenada salt air is making me a little too relaxed.

Last month I referred to the Dec 16, 2017 episode of White Coat Black Art. When Dr. Brian Goldman interviewed two spunky women living in a personal care home to ask them what it is really like, they covered this very topic. Both ladies had physical but not cognitive disabilities. Both women needed help to go to the bathroom when they first arrived. Both women sometimes had to wait a long time – 10, 15 or even 20 minutes – until someone would come!

They described feelings of frustration with being so dependent. They were angry because they couldn’t go when they needed to. One lady went to the toilet and an hour later had to go again. When the personal support worker came back, she showed her annoyance: "I just took you!!!" How incredibly humiliating to be that dependent! Yet to be treated in such a degrading, disrespectful way adds insult to injury!

If we were to take this one step further, with less cognitive ability, and even less staff, it becomes easier not to toilet the residents, but to just change the soaker pad on the staff’s schedule. Or what about the resident with dementia who used to know where to find the toilet when at home, but now being in a new place, cannot remember where the bathroom is. Now the resident is labeled as "incontinent." This is truly an atrocity.

I’m not blaming anyone or the facilities that are short-staffed. The system just can’t handle the load. But it still makes me upset. At Comforts of Home – Care, we treat our clients with dignity and respect in every way possible. With one-on-one personalized service, we have the luxury of providing top-notch care. Because when you gotta go, you gotta go!

Blessings from Grenada!

Katherine

Katherine Peters

President & CEO

Comforts of Home – Care

Caregiver of the Season

This month's Caregiver of the Season is Debbie W.!

Debbie has been a caregiver with Comforts of Home – Care for the past two years. Debbie is a beloved caregiver and really goes the extra distance for her clients.

For example, she recently took on a palliative client who was depressed and didn't want to live. Debbie took the time to figure out what her interests were and organized everything in her room. She saw the voids in her client's life and shared that with her client's family – and as a result, the family added more visits so she would have more care.

Not only that, but Debbie was devoted to caring for her client until the end, giving her a sense of purpose!

The family couldn't believe how fortunate their loved one was to have Debbie. She made a huge difference for this client. When Debbie takes on an assignment, she gives it her all and puts the focus fully on her client's well-being! She epitomizes everything we strive to do at Comforts of Home – Care.

Thank you, Debbie, for everything that you do!

Get a devoted caregiver for your loved one, too

Recipe of the Month: Wild Rice & Kale Salad

Who says salad is just for the summer months?

Enjoy this hearty salad any time of the year! Featuring a variety of good-for-you ingredients, t's bursting with flavour and abundant in nutrients.

Make it even more of a well-rounded meal by adding your favorite protein to the mix.

Click here for the recipe

Video: Your Care Your Way

It can be tough, caring for a parent. First of all, the rules have changed: you've got this person who used to care for you, and now you're caring for them. Emotionally and psychologically, it can be really really difficult.

People who are vulnerable need a place like Comforts of Home – Care that they can trust... a second family to care for your loved one.

In this video, we explore how bringing a caring companion into your home can help make everything easier, for you and for your loved ones!

Click here to watch the video now

Free Training for Family Caregivers

When your loved one has dementia or increased care needs, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, both physically and emotionally.

You want to help, but you might not be sure what exactly you can do to make a difference! Luckily, there is hope! Having the right information and training can better equip you as a family caregiver, as well as reduce stress and depression associated with caring for a loved one.

Comforts of Home – Care recognizes the challenges family caregivers face. We lift the burden by providing much needed help through our companion services. But we also want to reach out specifically to the personal well-being of our client’s family members. Understanding what mom or dad are going through and having the appropriate resources and information will really help to lift that caregiver burden.

We provide help and information through our FREE online training courses. A wealth of information is available in over 50 highly visual, engaging and interactive courses!

Learn more and access the courses now

Joke of the Month

The average age of people living in one retirement community is 85. Recently, a neighbour turned 100 years old, and a big birthday party was thrown. Even his son turned up.

“How old are you?” a tenant asked the son.

“I’m 81 years old,” he answered.

The tenant shook her head. “They sure grow up fast, don’t they?!”

Source: https://www.rd.com/jokes/old-age/

Comforts of Home - Care
P: 204.949.3234 | F: 204.949.9049 | E: info@cohcinc.com | W: ComfortsOfHomeCare.ca

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