Care -Giving
and -Receiving

Hot Tip for Caregiving!

Caring for Aging Parents: Ruth & Erica 
A free YouTube TV series (13 episodes) called Ruth & Erica is a realistic story about the struggles, fears, and sacrifices that family caregivers often face.    DailyCaring.com

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Care Readiness 

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Care Receiving Resources

• Kinless Seniors in Canada CTV article
• Self-Management coping with chronic conditions between medical appointments
• Self-Management resource links
• Self-Management support programs -BC
• Driving checkup​
  • Is it time to stop driving?
  • Planning to Retire from Driving
  • When to stop driving​
• When to stop driving?
• Maintaining mobility - e-lessons
  • Preventing falls​
• Planning for your care - Mt. Sinai Hospital
• Going Home from Hospital - guide for patients and caregivers (Ontario)​​​​
• But You Don't Look Sick - dealing with invisible illness and disability
  • The "Spoon Theory" to explain  chronic illness or disability

Be Ready for Emergencies​

• Medical Info Summary sheet (sample as pdf, doc, rtf )
  • post on fridge for 911 calls
  • purse/wallet 
• Be ready to leave - have some cash on hand, fuel in car, cell phone charged,  to-go kit ready.
• Be ready to stay - Emergency supplies for home (BC list, CA list)

​Seniors' Health Resources 

• Self-Care Assessment form
• BC Gov. info for seniors
• Safety at Home BC
• CRA tax deductions for safety upgrades
• BC Seniors Guide (download)
• NIA-Ryerson - Seniors' resources-download 
• Seniors' Guide to Cancer

• NYT Aging Well
• What Seniors Need to Know  booklet
• Help Age Canada info, grants
• ' Find-it' tags for keys & wallet, eg. Tile  or AirTag
• MedicAlert bracelet 
• Music and Health​

Personal care equipment suppliers

• Red Cross (NVHC)​ loaners at local hospital​
• ​Halo Healthcare.com​
• AgeComfort.com
• BathDepot.com
• ​Wellwise.ca (bath lift)​
• Stair lift or elevator
• TB Vets 

​Finding practical help  (Merritt):

•  Gift ideas for Seniors
• Laundry:
  • Merritt Dry Cleaning & Coin Laundry pick-up/deliver laundry service
• Garden Work
  • Littlesteps Landscaping Services
  • JPV Enterprises 
•  Carpet cleaning service
• Tuktu.ca - personal care on call - a brilliant idea but not available in Merritt yet 

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Caregiver Resources

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Be Ready for Emergencies​

• How to Prepare for Natural Disasters and Evacuation (seniors or anyone!)
• Red Cross publications: Emergency Preparedness for Older Adults  and Quick Guide
• Get Prepared - Canada.ca resources
• Drug interactions checker
• No CPR form for 911 calls (signed by doctor)

Local resources for Nicola Valley

• Interior Health info - Home Care services
• Interior Health info - Help with Living at Home
• Merritt Diabetes Clinic - 250-378-3236
• ​50+ Living Experience - online listing of regional resources and programs
• Interior Health - Home and Community Care, Merritt office (250) 378-3408 
• long term care / assisted living
  • Gillis House
  • Nicola Meadows
  • The Florentine
  • Phelan House
• Merritt Mental Health Clubhouse

​​Caregiving Resources 

• Family Caregivers of BC support line, info, videos, resources
• Young Caregivers Knowledge Centre for caregivers who are 5-25 and their families​
• Interior Health - Caregivers Info
• Daily Caring information website
• VeryWellHealth information website
• How to be Health Advocate for a Senior
• A Bridge Between the Gap -free membership, great resources for organizing caregiving, eg. 
  • Protecting Seniors Online 
• McMaster U. Optimal Aging
• Canadian Virtual Hospice - Caregiving
• National Institute on Ageing Ryerson U.
• Advanced Care Planning forms
• Family Caregiver Alliance (USA, but useful info resources)
• Senior Safety Advice (USA, but useful info)
• Managing mobility issues
  • Why the shuffling walk?
  • Preventing falls 
  • Mobility Problems - HealthInAging.org 
• ​Managing Dementia care
  • SAGE at-home dementia test
  • 12 tips for dementia caregivers
  • DailyCaring.com
    • Seniors and Bathing
  • Assisted Care Facility Checklist 
  • Dementia Care Facility Checklist
  • Sundowning
  • Activity Ideas for Seniors in care​​
• Best gifts for seniors
• National Gallery art program for caregivers and dementia

Health Info Sources​

• NIA Covid Risk calculator​
• Mayo Clinic health info
• National Institute of Health (US medical research)
• Medline Plus health info
• Health Canada
• McMaster Optimal Ageing portal
• BC Cancer cancer info, services
• Alzheimer Society of Canada - caring for someone with dementia
• Women's Health
• ​​Women's Health and dangerous products
• Medication issues UBC Pharmacy info video
• Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation

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Caregiver Resilience 

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Caring for the Caregiver 

• How are you?
• Self-Care Assessment form
• Caregiver Stress Assessment checklist
• Family Caregivers of BC 
  • Caregiver Coaching 1-to1
  • Caregiver Learning Centre
  • ​11 Commandments of Stress Management
• 22 Secrets for Caregivers to know 
• WebMD - Parkinson's caregivers​
• Caregiver Action Network (USA)
  • Family Caregiver Toolbox
• Caregiver Burnout article 
• Alzheimer Society of Canada
  • Looking After Yourself
  • Caregiver Stress Assessment checklist
• Stretched Too Thin? - what to do
• Not Going It Alone - worksheet for identifying circles of support
• Alongside Caregiver Consulting (Comox):
  • links to online resources
  • podcasts, video, articles
• The Six Caregiving Stages articles
• booklist for caregivers 
• Planning for Ageing, not just Retirement
• Employment Insurance while caregiving
• Juggling Work and Caregiving 
• The Caregiver Connection newsletter
• Caregiver resources (USA site)

End of LIfe Issues

• Living Will/Advance Directive form for BC - LawDepot.ca
• Nidus - Personal Planning Resource Centre
• Death's Apprentice -
  • end of life resources and info 
• End of Life Plan Checklist from Cake (US based business)
• End of Life medical decisions
  • When the body outlasts the mind
  • palliate or resuscitate decision
• Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)
  • Interior Health - MAiD process
  • MAiD Assessment Guide 
  • Dying With Dignity Canada
  • Death With Dignity Canada (political action)
• Hospice
  • ​Merritt Hospice Society​
  • Hospice isn't Just for the Dying
  • Canadian Virtual Hospice - many resources
• What if you have no close relatives for end-of Life care?  WP article
• Funeral planning from Usurns (US based business)

After Death Issues

• Dealing with Grief
• Grief and Children
• Grief and Youth
• book:  "Begin Here: Helping Survivors Manage" by Kat Reed (2009) 

​NOTE - Be Careful about commercial online services that want  to help you through the paperwork of grief and funerals. Their online resources often have helpful tips, however they may not aware of Canadian laws and requirements regarding wills and estates.