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Walden Seniors and Pensioners, Pot Luck Dinner Wednesday, April 17^th

All members are encouraged to come along and bring a friend for a ‘fun’ evening of ‘great’ food and fellowship!

Doors open at 4:00 pm

Dinner served at 5:30 pm

Please call the Seniors Centre at 692-5591 or sign the sheet in the Lounge.

Secy, Walden Seniors and Pensioners

Marjorie Collie

Dear Friends of Medicare

We are writing to ask you if your organization will join us in signing onto the attached open letter to the Minister of Health regarding her proposal to formally institute means-testing for home care and to expand means-testing for seniors’ medications. You’ll see that the open letter to the Minister is from Care Watch Toronto, the Older Canadians Network and the Ontario Health Coalition. We are working in partnership on this important issue.

When she released the summary and recommendations for the Seniors’

Strategy, Health Minister Deb Matthews stated that she had not heard much “blow-back” (ie. criticism) from her initial announcement last spring introducing new means-testing and user fees for seniors’ drugs.

Thus, she said, she is now extending means-testing (and thus formal user

fees) into home care and broadening the income categories subject to user fees for seniors’ drugs.

We are extremely concerned about this as a violation of the principles of public medicare in Canada and a direct contradiction to our common push for national public pharmacare.

Further, we have deep concerns with the process. Our parliamentary democracy is based on not making major policy changes without proper hearings, legislative debate and democratic checks and balances.

Certainly, lack of protest should not be deemed by a Health Minister as “carte-blanche” to privatize.

Given the Minister’s comments and approach, it is vital that she hear our feedback this time.

Our goal is to get 100 seniors’ and community organizations to sign onto this letter in endorsement.

We are asking if you would help by doing two things:Can your organization sign onto this letter (ie. endorse it and be listed as a co-signer)?

Do you know other organizations that might want to sign on (everyone is welcome except political parties)?        

If so, could you forward this invitation to those organizations directly, as soon as possible?

We are on a tight timeline as we have to make this letter public well before the provincial budget is finalized. To that end, could you get back to us by Monday, March 18th? You can let us know either by phone

(416) 441-2502 or email at ohc@sympatico.ca (please put “home care letter” in the subject line so we can easily identify your email among the hundreds we get each day!).

Thank you very much for your help on this key issue.

Warmest Regards,

Natalie Mehra

Director

Ontario Health Coalition

Older Canadians Network Care Watch                     

Ontario Health Coalition

Supporting Quality Home & Community Care Quality

universal public healthcare for all                                                

Open Letter

Dear Hon. Deb Matthews:

Recently, you released the summary and recommendations of Ontario’s Seniors’ Strategy. Included in the strategy is a plan to have seniors pay user fees for home care services, based on their incomes. Announced at the same time is a proposal to expand income-based user-fees for seniors’ drugs.

On the face of it these proposals might sound innocuous.  If the wealthy can afford to pay, so the argument goes, then why not have them pay out-of-pocket and relieve pressure on the public system? Private clinics use the same argument to push for all-out hospital privatization.

But there are good reasons to resist this siren’s song.

Universal publicly-funded health care is understood as a fundamental value in Canada. The idea that judge and janitor would share the same hospital ward is cornerstone to our health system.  It ensures that the judges (and the like) in our society share our common interest in quality health services for everyone.

As that health system is changed -- as services are moved from hospitals to home care and other community services– the fundamental equity values that underlie our public health care system should not be abandoned. Otherwise, reform is simply a cover for dismantling public health care.

Moreover, in a context of scarce staff and health professionals, when the well-heeled pay and jump the queue, they take a disproportionate share of the resources first, worsening shortages for everyone else.

Public health care is about taking care of each other. We pay through our taxes for care when we are of working age and healthy --and we share the cost across society -- so that the burden for care is not shouldered by the sick, the elderly and the dying. This is a point of pride for most of us.

In fact across Canada, the progressive public interest organizations that work on health care are pushing for the principles of the Canada Health Act not only to be safeguarded in hospitals and clinics, but also extended to cover home care and drugs in a bid to protect equity and reduce suffering as health care is reformed.

It is distressing to see the Ontario government moving in the opposite direction.

The reality is that universal public coverage for senior’s health care is increasingly eroded, and what was once a slippery slope is threatening to become an avalanche.

Not only has your government introduced the notion of means-testing for home care, but within less than a year, the initial plan for only the richest 5% of seniors to pay user fees for drugs, introduced last spring, has morphed into a proposal to expand user fees and means testing to more, or even all, seniors.

This is two-tier health care

Twenty years ago Ontario had 18,500 more hospital beds than it does now.  Wound care, chronic care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology are all services that used to be publicly-funded and provided in local hospitals.  As these and other services are moved out of hospital they are being moved out from the Canada Health Act’s protection against user fees and extra-billing.

Add them up, and the number of user fees seniors now face is accumulating at a disturbing pace.  An elderly person who gets sick or frail now has to pay for rehab, home care, respite, long-term care homes, travel, drugs, exorbitant parking fees, lab tests, medical supplies and equipment, and the list goes on.

It is a false economy to claim these cuts as savings. Costs for needed care are simply downloaded to the frail and ill who pay disproportionately because they are the population group that requires these services more. Means-tested home care would simply add to the burden of costs for care for the people who need it most.

Home care is a vital service. There are many ways that home care could be improved within the public non-profit health care system. The vision of an integrated home and community care system that enables seniors to age in place is a deeply held priority for many many Ontarians. It should be reflected in our public policy decisions.

That our public services should enhance social cohesion and improve equity is a quintessentially liberal idea. Indeed, universality and the equity principles were written into the Canada Health Act under the Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau and Health Minister Monique Bégin.

They have been upheld by the Liberal Party (and the NDP, and many Conservatives) for generations. They should not be abandoned lightly. Ontario has a legislature with longstanding democratic practices – including public hearings and appropriate opportunities for public input-- that must be respected, especially under a minority government.

Privatization of vital health services and abrogation of fundamental principles are a major policy decisions. They cannot be made by fiat. At the very least, these plans should be subject to fulsome public debate.

Sincerely,

Derrell R. Dular, Managing Director, Older Canadians Network Natalie Mehra, Director, Ontario Health Coalition Sheila Neysmith, Board Member, CareWatch

Challenges of Aging - Final Report - Feb. 2009.pdf

English 4-page Highlight Brochure_Feb 2012_Email version.pdf

Bilingual Testimonials_FINAL_Updated Feb 2012.pdf

Dr. Samir K. Sinha - Living Longer, Living Well.pdf

2012 AFMHS Christmas TLC Thank You Walden Srs Woodworkers.pdf

To Members of the Greater Sudbury Seniors’ Community Network

Hi All

Hope everyone is enjoying our beautiful summer weather. For those of you who are wondering what is happening with the Greater Sudbury Seniors’ Community Network, I just wanted to give you an update:

The Greater Sudbury Seniors Advisory Panel to Council is exploring the possibility of supporting our Network as a sub-working group to the Advisory Panel. In the fall, we will begin a review of the Terms of References of both groups with the hopes of aligning our work. We will look to you for your support and input in this process and will keep you posted on the progress.

Many Network Members have been hoping to keep the momentum of our work moving forward and continue to meet for lunch and learn sessions as well as expand the networking opportunities with agencies providing services to seniors.

More information will be provided to you soon. Meanwhile, enjoy the sun and stay tuned for more to come.

All the best,

Josée Miljours

For the Greater Sudbury Seniors Advisory Panel

SAVE THIS DATE for our Lunch and Launch Friday June 15, 2012

Hi All

As many of you are aware, the Sudbury Elder Abuse Committee has been working on developing a Bilingual Safety and Well Being Guide for Sudbury Seniors. The project is in its final stages and we are very excited to share it with our community.

We hope that you can join us at the Steelworkers Hall on June 15, 2012 at 11 am where we will be distributing the guides and also marking World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2012. A light lunch will be provided.

Seniors and Service Providers are invited to attend. 

Please RSVP by email at onpea@bellnet.ca and let us know how many guides you will need for your agency/clients.

One box holds approximately 90 guides.

Looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you on June 15th!

Josée Miljours
Regional Consultant - North East / Consultante régionale - nord est
Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse /
Réseau ontarien de prévention des mauvais traitements envers les personnes âgées
960 Notre Dame Avenue / 960, avenue Notre Dame
Sudbury, Ontario P3A 2T4
Tel / Tél: (705) 525-0077
Email / Courriel:  onpea@bellnet.ca
Fax / Téléc: (705) 525-2598
Web site / Site Web: www.onpea.org
Seniors Safety Line 1-866-299-1011 Stop Abuse. Restore Respect.
Ligne téléphonique Ainés-Sécurité 1-866-299-1011 Arrêtons les abus. Restaurons le respect.

Walden Seniors and Pensioners News
...From May - September!
The Walden Seniors and Pensioners have had another very busy and eventful year. The Year End BBQ and Potluck (salad or dessert) will be hosted on June 20th from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm for the members at the Seniors Centre. Come out and join in the fun and great food. Help to celebrate another successful year of Walden Seniors sharing enjoyable times together. You can register by calling 692-5591 or stopping by the front desk.
The Bowling League had a successful year and had great fun at their wind up dinner on April 27th. Numerous lovely prizes were donated by local businessmen and awarded at the banquet. Partying to the music of Victor John made for a most enjoyable end to a great year of bowling. Bowling will commence again on September 6th for members of the Walden Seniors Club and takes place every Thursday at 1:00 pm. New bowlers are always welcome.
Ladies' Golf in June. The "Gail Tilson Memorial Award Golf Tournament" will be held on June 14th. The Colonial Golf Club in Chelmsford will host the day with the ladies meeting for tees offs at 9:15. Mark this day on your calendar and come out for a good time. Lunch and prizes following. For more information or to register please call Bev at 692-3975.
Some programs will be continuing during the summer. Cards, both Euchre at 6:30 pm on Thursdays and Bridge at 1:00 pm on Mondays and Fridays will carry on throughout the summer.
Foot Care continues to be an important part of seniors’ lives. Staying active is key to being fit and enjoying activities that are available. Hella is here at the Seniors Centre every 3rd Thursday and provides Special Foot Care. For appointments, please call 692-5946.
There will be a General Membership meeting held after the Potluck Dinner on Wednesday, September 19th at 7:00pm. All members are encouraged to attend this meeting and to provide input, ideas and support for the club.
Have a safe and fun summer.

 

Attention!

The Walden Seniors & Pensioners

April 7^th ‘ Saturday Night Social’

…has been cancelled.

Walden Seniors and Pensioners Update

Seniors activities include the St Patrick's Day dinner held at the Walden Seniors Club. It was a jovial atmosphere for 78 seniors and their friends. A delicious stuffed pork dinner and all the trimmings were a big hit. Thanks to Hans Gramann and his dedicated team for providing the food and St Patrick's Day theme for evening.

May 16^th will be another Special Seniors ‘catered’ Dinner and tickets can be purchased at the Walden Seniors Centre. Tickets are $15.00 and can be purchased at the Seniors Centre The front desk will be open from 9:30 to 12:00 noon on Mondays , Wednesdays and Fridays. Phone number is 692-5591.

Foot Care is provided at the Walden Seniors and Pensioners Club every third Thursday by  Hella  Bennett,RPN and foot care specialist.  "Healthy feet are important for a person's overall ability to be active and stay healthy", says Hella. "It is especially important for those who have diabetes or problems cutting their toe nails to have foot care done for them", she adds. To make an appointment please call 692-5946.

The Seniors Centre is in need of pool cues as the ones that they have are getting worn out. If anyone has good used pool cues that would be willing to donate them to the Seniors please let Bob McNabb know at 692-5738.

Activities such as cards, euchre and bridge, shuffleboard, bowling and Saturday night Seniors Socials are continuing to be great social events. For more information please drop by the Seniors Centre or call 692-5591.

Happy Easter

Marjorie

February 29, 2012

Please distribute the survey to seniors in your area during the month of April 2012to give them a voice in helping us create opportunities to become engaged in learning.

Learning City Initiative Senior SurveyII.doc

Left to right: Richard Bois (Walden Municipal Non-Profit Housing), Mayor Matichuk, Minister Rick Bartolucci and

 Jeff Perry (Perry & Perry Architects).

Below are links to drawings of the Project from Jeff Perry in pdf format:

Development Plan 8.5x11.pdf

SK 1.pdf

SK 2.pdf

SK 3.pdf

1bed.pdf

2bed.pdf

Assisted Living Services for High Risk Seniors Policy pdf

Policy Quesions and Answers pdf

New study shows that seniors who volunteer are making a difference

‘Salute to Senior Service’ will honour senior volunteers across Canada

Sudbury, February 13, 2012 - Canadian seniors are making a difference in their communities by volunteering. According to a national study conducted by the Home Instead Senior Care^® network, 47 per cent of seniors volunteer their time through unpaid community service, and they donate an average of 16.5 hours per month.

The Home Instead Senior Care network interviewed 400 senior volunteers to measure their impact on the local community, and to better understand what motivated them to volunteer. The telephone interviews were conducted with seniors age 65 and older who volunteer their time through unpaid community service. The sampling error is +/- 4.9% at a 95% confidence level.

“Helping others defines life for many local retired seniors,” said Lisette Wirta, owner of the local Home Instead Senior Care office in Sudbury “And what a difference we have observed in seniors’ health, attitude and outlook among those who choose to stay active as they age.”

The Home Instead Senior Care network is a leading provider of non-medical care and companionship services for seniors in their own homes and in care facilities, and has 30 independently owned and operated franchise offices across Canada. Services include meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and incidental transportation for appointments and errands. The services, which are available at home and in care facilities, can range from a few hours per week up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Here are some of the research findings:

·         One in six senior volunteers said they started volunteering at the age of 65 or older.

·         Nearly half of those who responded said they are busier now than when they were working.

·         The seniors’ most common activities are hands-on projects and general labour, visiting people and providing companionship, fundraising, and preparing, collecting or distributing food.

As a result of the study, the Home Instead Senior Care network has launched the Salute to Senior Service^SM program (www.SalutetoSeniorService.com) to honour the many volunteer contributions that older adults make across the country. This program includes a search for the country’s most outstanding senior volunteer in each province (excluding Quebec), and culminates with the selection of a national Salute to Senior Service winner. In addition to showcasing senior volunteers in their communities, the program features important information about the benefits of volunteerism from the Home Instead Senior Care network.

“Another interesting finding from the research is that nearly three out of five senior volunteers say they volunteer more now because the need is greater as a result of the economy,” said Wirta of the local Home Instead Senior Care office. “Seniors are obviously a very giving group. They also do so for their own health.”

According to the survey, 86 per cent of senior volunteers who suffer from chronic health conditions say that staying active through volunteering helps them manage their health problems. Indeed, 93 per cent of those who responded to the survey said that seniors who volunteer are healthier and happier than seniors who don’t volunteer.

“There is an important link between healthy aging and volunteering,” says Jean-Guy Soulière, Chair of the National Seniors Council. “Seniors volunteer more than any other age group. You just can’t put a dollar figure on how much seniors who volunteer contribute to the country. But I can tell you that a lot of organizations would die if not for those volunteers. And let’s not forget that a lot of people who do things like caring for other family members don’t consider that to be volunteering, but it is.”

According to the 2007 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, almost 12.5 million Canadians – or 46 per cent of the population over the age of 15 volunteered in some capacity that year. This translates to more than 2.1 billion volunteer hours, the equivalent of almost 1.1 million full-time jobs. While the likelihood of volunteering tended to decrease with age, the actual number of hours devoted to volunteer work increased with age. That same report showed that seniors 65 and older gave more hours to volunteering than any other age group, with an average of 218 hours a year, compared with 138 hours a year for people aged 15 to 24. Seniors were more likely to be ‘top volunteers’ – described as those who volunteer 171 hours or more every year – than any other group, and make up 25 per cent of all volunteers in this category.

Canadian research has shown that such factors as higher levels of education, attending religious services more frequently, and having a vehicle and driver’s license increase the likelihood for seniors to volunteer.

Seniors are also the recipients of volunteer services, as many of them rely on volunteer programs and services for assistance and support. Approximately 21 per cent of Canadian seniors – more than one in five – received informal help with domestic and outdoor work, and with home maintenance, according to the survey. As well, almost 28 per cent of them received emotional support, and 21 per cent received help with transportation or running errands.

“We know that retiring Baby Boomers are more selective in the volunteering that they do,” says Soulière of the National Seniors Council. “They want to do things that interest them, not necessarily what is most needed. Volunteers over 65, on the other hand, have been doing this kind of thing throughout their life and just want to give back to the community and make a difference. It is also a great way for them to develop social connections.”

“The Salute to Seniors Service award program helps communities redefine aging,” said Wirta of the local Home Instead Senior Care office. “Every day we see seniors who still have so much to give, not only to their communities but to their families and loved ones.”

If you know seniors 65 and older who have made a positive impact on their communities through volunteerism, you can nominate them by submitting their story at www.SalutetoSeniorService.com or by mailing a completed form to Home Instead, Inc., 13323 California Street, Omaha, NE, 68154, USA. Nominations forms are available online or by going to your local Home Instead Senior Care office. Submit your nomination for your outstanding senior volunteer between January 15 and March 15, 2012.

In Canada, there are 30 independently owned and operated Home Instead Senior Care^® franchise offices. There are 19 in Ontario – 10 in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as in Barrie, Ottawa (two), Peterborough, Sudbury, London, Windsor, Waterloo and Kingston. Five are in B.C. – in Kelowna, Port Coquitlam, Vancouver, Victoria and White Rock. There are also locations in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax and Charlottetown. Services include companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and help with errands and shopping. Home Instead CAREGivers^SM provide services at the client’s home or in care facilities from a few hours per week up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Home Instead Senior Care network has been recognized by the Canadian Franchise Association with two awards – one as a Franchisees’ Choice designee and the other as the 2011 CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising Category Silver Winner for “Non-Traditional Franchises – Mature/Established,” which is for franchise systems in business for 11 years or more.

Founded in 1994 in Omaha by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care^® network is the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 950 independently owned and operated franchises providing in excess of 45 million hours of care throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Finland, Austria, Italy,  Puerto Rico and the Netherlands.  Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ more than 65,000 CAREGivers^SM worldwide who provide basic support services – assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, incidental transportation and shopping – which enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while continuing to provide superior quality service that enhances the lives of seniors everywhere.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Lisette Wirta

Owner, Home Instead Senior Care

Tel: 705.523.1600

Email: Lisette.wirta@homeinstead.com

SIDEBAR:

NATIONAL RESOURCES

Recent research conducted by the Home Instead Senior Care^® network shows that for the vast majority of seniors who volunteer, their community service helps define who they are.

If you, or an aging loved one, is looking for more information about volunteering, following are a few key national resources:

Volunteer Canada is the national voice for volunteerism in Canada. It is committed to increasing and supporting volunteerism and civic participation through ongoing programs, special projects and national initiatives, by developing resources and engaging in research and training across the country. Working with volunteer centres, community and national organizations, and businesses, Volunteer Canada leads national dialogues on how volunteerism is related to citizen engagement and civil society, and provides leadership on issues and trends in the Canadian volunteer movement. Call 613-231-4371 or go to: www.volunteer.ca.    

National Seniors Council advises the Government of Canada on all matters related to the well-being and quality of life of seniors. It provides advice to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, the Minister of Health, and the Minister of State (Seniors). In the past few years the NSC has done work on a number of issues, including volunteering among seniors. Go to:  www.seniorscouncil.gc.ca.

The Government of Canada has a Minister of State (Seniors) and the position is currently held by the Honourable Alice Wong. Go to: www.seniors.gc.ca or www.alicewong.ca.

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group operating in 22 countries and territories worldwide and has an initiative that focuses on volunteerism. Go to: www.manulife.com.

The Salute to Senior Service^SM program announced by the Home Instead Senior Care network honours the many volunteer contributions that older adults make to the country. In addition to showcasing senior volunteers in their communities, the program features important information about the benefits of volunteerism from the Home Instead Senior Care network.

Go to: www.SalutetoSeniorService.com.

ATTENTION:  VOLUNTEER LEADERS AND MANAGERS

Attached to this email is a newly produced survey directed towards Sudbury and Manitoulin area volunteer managers in regards to the individuals they support and lead.  The survey was produced by the Alliance of Leaders in Volunteer Management (ALIVE), a project of Year II Strategy Aging @ Home funding and a local group of leaders of volunteers working within the health service sectors of your community. 

If you are a leader (paid or not paid) of volunteers that service the community support service sector and are based out of the City of Greater Sudbury, including its outlying areas and/or Manitoulin Island, you are asked to complete the attached questionnaire.  Completion of the survey should only take a few minutes.

ALIVE hopes to reach as many leaders of volunteers as possible in order to begin the maintenance of a local database of contacts and information.  The survey attached, entitled Sudbury Senior Volunteers Survey focuses on the aging volunteer within our sector, and is geared to defining the duties and responsibilities these volunteers maintain within the Sudbury/Manitoulin area.  We all know the volunteer pool is mostly comprised of the older generations, however, ALIVE would like to determine exactly what it is we are asking of these individuals and how often we call on them.  ALIVE would like to identify trends around senior volunteers in order to create a work plan toward improved volunteer recruitment and retention practices.

Please feel free to forward this email and survey link on to other volunteer leaders not listed in the above address line.  My apologies to those individuals who have received this email in duplicate.    

Please follow the following link to access the Sudbury Senior Volunteers Survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WLRT8F6

News from Walden Seniors and Pensioners

A festive atmosphere was the setting for the Walden Seniors Christmas Dinner on Wednesday December 14. One hundred and twenty people packed the Kinsman Hall and enjoyed a scrumptious roast beef dinner with all the trimmings. A committee headed up by Doug Pappin, Hans Gramman and Loretta Akerman deserve a huge Thank You for the effort put forth to provide delicious food and beautiful decorations. Cocktails were served while the crowd carolled along to the music of Joan Doherty and a choir that has been meeting at the Saturday night socials. Following the diner there was a draw for several lovely draw prizes. Dancing to Victor John rounded out a most enjoyable evening and got everyone in the Christmas spirit.

Continuing in the New Year there will be a dinner, either a pot luck or a Special Dinner on the third Wednesday of every month. For more information about these, please call the Seniors Centre at 692-5591.

Singing, shuffleboard, pool and cards will continue at the Saturday night socials on the first Saturday of the month beginning at 7:00 pm.

The Ladies Auxiliary meet on the 3^rd Monday of the month and are always ready to welcome new members to come out and enjoy doing crafts and baking to raise money to help out charities.

Exercise equipment is available at the Seniors Centre for members to get moving without being out in the cold. You can also register at the library for exercise classes every Monday and Wed. Did you make a New Years resolution to be more active and keep in shape?

Bowling is also in full swing and they are often looking for spares.

Foot care is provided every 3^rd Thursday morning.

Activities such as all kinds of cards shuffleboard, pool, scrabble,knitting and socializing over coffee take place Monday to Friday, so come in and find out what might interest you.

For the month of January the desk at the Seniors Centre will be open Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 9:30 to 12:00 noon, instead of every morning, on a trial basis. For more information on any of these activities please call 705-692-5591.

Marjorie Collie, Secretary

WALDEN SENIOR CITIZENS & PENSIONERS Schedule 2012

THE LOUNGE IS OPEN MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY

9:30 A.M. TO 12:00 NOON. COFFEE IS AVAILABLE

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Exercise Equipment is available in the Craft Room.

Please feel free to join any or all of these activities. Phone 705-692-5591

1

SENIORS STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP WITH RISING COSTS

November 28, 2011 – The Home Instead Senior Care network has launched its annual Be a Santa to a Senior campaign. This year the organization, which is the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care and companionship services for seniors, hopes to collect and distribute gifts to more seniors than ever before. The popular campaign that delivered more than 200 gifts to local seniors last year is being planned at a time when seniors’ gift requests are expected to rise as they struggle to keep pace with the rising cost of living.

The Home Instead Senior Care network, which has 30 locations across Canada, makes Be a Santa to a Senior a reality by partnering with local retailers, nonprofit agencies and volunteers from the community. This year organizations such as Big Brother and Big Sister, meals on wheels and the Park Side are taking part in the program.

Be a Santa to a Senior isn’t only about gifts. The program is designed to give back to deserving seniors, as well as help stimulate human contact and social interaction for older adults who are unlikely to have guests during the holidays.

Here is how the program works: Before the holiday season, the participating nonprofit organizations in local communities will identify isolated and deserving seniors and provide those names to the local Home Instead Senior Care office at 1984 Regent Street, suite 124, Christmas trees will go up in stores and other locations that feature Be a Santa to a Senior paper ornaments with the first names only of the seniors, and their gift requests.

1. Visit the website www.beasantatoasenior.ca. Enter your postal code to find the location of a participating store.

On December 17th the local Home Instead Senior Care office will host a gift-wrapping party involving its staff and volunteers from the community who will prepare gifts for delivery to seniors.

Be a Santa to a Senior has a knack for bringing out the best in people. For example, last year a school selected Be a Santa to a Senior as its charity for the holiday season. The school hosted a kickoff for the program and put up a tree with seniors’ gift request ornaments. Students, teachers and their families fulfilled more than 100 gift wishes for local seniors.

"Be a Santa to a Senior is a way to show our gratitude to an important segment of our community who have contributed so much throughout the years," said Lisette Wirta"We hope to bring gestures of holiday cheer and goodwill to more seniors this year."

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering to help with the gift-wrapping, contact Lisette Wirta at 705.523.1600. Businesses are encouraged to contact the local Home Instead Senior Care office about adopting groups of seniors. For tree locations in your area, or for more information about the program, visit www.beasantatoasenior.ca.

In Canada, there are 30 independently owned Home Instead Senior Care® offices. There are 19 in Ontario – 10 in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as in Barrie, Ottawa, Peterborough, Sudbury, London, Windsor, Waterloo and Kingston. Five are in B.C. – in Kelowna, Port Coquitlam, Vancouver, Victoria and White Rock. There are also locations in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax and Charlottetown. Services include personal care, companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and help with errands and shopping. Home Instead CAREGiversSM provide services at the client’s home or in care facilities from a few hours per week up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This year, the Home Instead Senior Care network has been recognized by the Canadian Franchise Association with two awards – one as a Franchisees’ Choice designee and the other as the 2011 CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising Category Silver Winner for "Non-Traditional Franchises – Mature/Established," which is for franchise systems in business for 11 years or more.

Founded in 1994 in Omaha by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care® network is the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 900 independently owned and operated franchises providing in excess of 45 million hours of care 3

throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Finland, Austria, Italy and Puerto Rico. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ more than 65,000 CAREGiversSM worldwide who provide basic support services – assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, incidental transportation and shopping – which enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while continuing to provide superior quality service that enhances the lives of seniors everywhere.

Email: lisette.wirta@homeinstead.com

Council backs one-time funding for affordable housing project

       October 1, 2011

                                                  By Arron Pickard

News from The Walden Seniors & Pensioners Club!

Ladies Fall Tournament…A day of Fun for Everyone!

A beautiful sunny day greeted the 16 ladies who turned out to participate in the Ladies Fall Tournament of the Walden Seniors and Pensioners Club.  Lots of fun and cheering accompanied the best efforts put forth by all the ladies. 

The Best Players of the day were: Bev Lacroix, Brenda Alemany, Kay Weber and Pat Strong. The Most Honest Golfer went to Flora Alemany.  

The nine holes were followed by a delicious lunch served by the Colonial Golf Club.  We’re all looking forward to next year and another day of fun on the golf course. 

Men’s Golf Tournament a Great Successful…Especially the 19^th Hole!

The Walden Seniors and Pensioners Men’s Golf Tournament was held on August 31st at the Colonial Golf Course. After two rainouts the weather finally co-operated and we were able to play.

We played 18 holes, stopped at the 19h hole for some food and refreshments and presentation of prizes - which were compliments of Councilor Jacques Barbeau. Everybody agreed that it was a great time.

The top three scores were turned in by: Ross Weber, Brad Bradley and John James.

We’re hoping for a bigger turnout next year so watch the Bulletin Board at the Seniors Centre if you are interested in playing.

By Ross Weber

Ladies who golfed in the Walden Seniors Tournament

on Sept 1st, 2011.

Answering the call when seniors need help

Program helps family caregivers prepare for emergencies

SUDBURY, MAY 31, 2011 – A call in the middle of the night that Mom had a bad fall or Dad accidentally overdosed on his meds can strike terror in the hearts of family caregivers. It could happen at any time, often because seniors take so many different medications. According to a study conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care^® network, far too many adult sons and daughters don’t have the information they need should that emergency call come, and their senior mother or father needs help.

The Home Instead Senior Care network, a leading provider of home care services for seniors in their own homes and in care facilities with 29 locations across Canada, surveyed future family caregivers – people who plan to care for their parents when the need arises. Here are some key findings:

• 43 per cent of future caregivers say they expect to start caring for their parents within the next three years, 14 per cent say they expect the call to come within the next year, and one in ten expect to be called into action at any minute
• 51 per cent can’t name any medications their parents take daily
• 52 per cent who say their parents have allergies to medications can’t name these allergies
• 76 per cent can’t name their parents’ blood type.

“The results of the survey were no surprise to us since we often are called to assist when families are in crisis,” said Lisette Wirta, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Sudbury. “We’ve seen the turmoil that such a situation creates and we’ve also witnessed how much smoother it can go when families are prepared.”

According to the study, the average age of these future caregivers is 54, and two-thirds of them (or 66 per cent), are either employed full-time or self-employed. As for the health risks and challenges faced by their senior parents, the future caregivers say:

• 59 per cent of their senior parents have at least two medical or health conditions, the most common being high blood pressure, arthritis, problems with mobility, heart disease and diabetes

• 43 per cent of senior parents take three or more prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and supplements each day

• 36 per cent of senior parents have three or more factors that put them at risk for medication-related problems

• 23 per cent of senior parents have been hospitalized in the past year.

Much is at stake for local seniors and their family caregivers. According to Health Canada’s Report on Canada’s Aging Population, four out of five seniors living in their own home suffer from chronic health conditions including arthritis, rheumatism, high blood pressure, allergies, back problems, heart conditions, cataracts and diabetes. For many of these conditions, seniors take medications.

“Seniors cope well until a crisis occurs and then somebody must step in, and that’s when the children see that their mother or father is taking all these medications,” says Pronica Janikowski, Professional Development Coordinator of the Canadian Society of Consultant Pharmacists.

“They are very surprised, but it’s not unusual. A senior with four health problems – an eye condition, hypertension, cardiac issues, and diabetes – could be taking eight different medications, and sometimes there are side effects and they take medications for the side effects too.”

Janikowski is one of 232 pharmacists in Canada who have the designation of Geriatric Pharmacist. A pharmacist for over 30 years, she is the education representative of the Canadian Society of Consultant Pharmacists (CSCP), represents the CSCP on the steering committee for the Canadian Coalition for Seniors Mental Health, and was on the committee that developed the Canadian national guidelines for treatment of depression in the elderly.

Janikowski says that, in addition to prescription drugs, many seniors take herbal remedies, over-the-counter laxatives, and pain medications “which are squirreled away in the cupboard” and their children have no idea about it.

“People are not aware of what medications their senior parents are taking and what services are available to them,” she says. “They often don’t find out until they’re in the middle of a crisis. They should be proactive and check what their parents are taking before a crisis happens. This is why seniors need a friend, a family caregiver or a professional caregiver to look out for them. They need an advocate who goes with them to the doctor to make sure that any changes in medications are followed correctly.”

According to Statistics Canada, seniors represent 13.9 per cent of the Canadian population, and that proportion is expected to rise. Statistics Canada’s A Portrait of Seniors in Canada says seniors will make up 17 per cent of the population in 2026 and 27 per cent in 2056. This means that even more seniors will need care in the future.

Home Instead Senior Care has developed a variety of resources to help family caregivers keep important information organized and easily accessible. The Caring for Your Parents: Senior Emergency Kit^SM is a health management tool the Home Instead Senior Care network and Humana Points of Caregiving^® designed so that family caregivers can have one master file with information such as the names of a senior’s doctors, pharmacy and insurance company phone numbers, medications and dosage details, allergies and other important information. To learn more about these resources, go to www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com or call Home Instead Senior Care at 705-523-1600.

In Ontario, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care offers the MedsCheck program designed to help seniors manage multiple prescription medications and prevent misuse and confusion. Seniors covered under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, who are over 65 years old, can schedule an appointment, at no cost, with their community pharmacist to review their medications and over-the-counter supplements and ensure they are being taken and working properly.

Family caregivers should look to others for help if they are unable to be there to assist their loved one, either at the doctor’s office or at home, according to Wirta from Home Instead Senior Care.

In Canada, there are 29 independently owned Home Instead Senior Care offices. In addition to Sudbury, there are 18 in Ontario – 10 in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as in Barrie, Ottawa, Peterborough, London, Windsor, Waterloo and Kingston. Five are in B.C. – Kelowna, Port Coquitlam, Vancouver, Victoria and White Rock. There are also locations in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Halifax and Charlottetown. Services include companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and escorts for errands and shopping. Home Instead Senior Care services are available at home or in care facilities from a few hours per week up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Founded in 1994 in Omaha by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care^® network is the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 900 independently owned and operated franchises providing in excess of 40 million hours of care throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Finland, Austria, Italy and Puerto Rico. The Home Instead Senior Care network employs more than 65,000 CAREGivers^SM worldwide who provide basic support services – activities of daily living (ADLs), personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, incidental transportation and shopping – which enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while continuing to provide superior quality service that enhances the lives of seniors everywhere.

ABOUT HUMANA POINTS OF CAREGIVING

Humana Points of Caregiving^® is a complete caregiving community, with expert information, advice, and tools to help caregivers make decisions with confidence. For more information, call 1-877-260-7277 (TTY: 711) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time.

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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Mary Ann Freedman

Freedman & Associates Inc. for Home Instead Senior Care

Tel: 1-866-453-6824

Email: mafreedman@freedmanandassociates.com

SIDEBARS

What a Senior Needs to Ask a Doctor About a Prescription

Seniors who are seeing multiple doctors are at increased risk of medication problems. Try to ensure that older adults have one doctor overseeing all of their medications. Also, look for an independent pharmacy or a specialist in geriatrics, geriatric pharmacotherapy and the unique medication-related needs of the geriatric population.

Home Instead Senior Care^® has put together the following list of questions that seniors and family caregivers should ask a doctor about their prescription(s).

- What is the name of this medication and why do I need it?

- What is this medication supposed to do?

- What is the correct dosage?

- How does this drug interact with other medications I am taking?

- How do I take it – with or without food?

- When do I take it – a.m. or p.m.?

- What are the benefits and risks of the medication?

- What are the side effects of the medicine, and what do I do if they occur?

- What food, drinks, other medicines or activities should I avoid while taking the medicine?

- How often must the doctor check the medicine’s effects? For example, checking your blood pressure if you are taking a medicine to lower it, or having a laboratory test done to make sure the levels of medicine in your blood are not too high or too low.

- Do I need a refill and how do I get one?

- Is there written information I can take home about the medication? (Most pharmacies
have information sheets on your prescription medicines.)

Editor: Please credit Home Instead Senior Care

The Warning Signs: How medication problems can hurt older adults

Seniors and family caregivers should look for warning signs that can indicate a problem with a medication. “When there is a change in medication, you should watch for changes in behaviour,” said Pronica Janikowski, Professional Development Coordinator of the Canadian Society of Consultant Pharmacists. “The person may be confused or dizzy and this can lead to a fall. Sometimes changes in medication can also make them drowsy, so if they are suddenly sleeping all the time or experiencing a change in appetite, it could be a sign to watch for.”

Medication-related problems can cause, aggravate or contribute to common and costly geriatric problems including:

·          Confusion

·          Delirium/hallucinations

·          Depression

·          Dizziness

·          Falls

·          Incontinence

·          Insomnia

·          Loss of coordination

·          Malnutrition/dehydration

·          Memory loss

·          Psychiatric problems

In the lives of seniors, these issues can then lead to decreased quality of life, emergency room and doctor visits and hospitalizations, hip fractures, loss of independence and even death.

For more information about how a Home Instead CAREGiver^SM can keep seniors safe at home, visit www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com      and contact your local Home Instead Senior Care^® office. To find a Home Instead Senior Care office near you, visit www.homeinstead.com.

Editor: Please credit Home Instead Senior Care

Walden Seniors and Pensioners Inc Elect New Officers! Executive officers for the next 2 years are: President-Doug Pappin, First VP-Bob McNabb, Second VP-Hans Gramman, Treasurer-Wendy Urbanski and Secretary-Marjorie Collie. At our May Dinner words of appreciation for many years of service were offered to John Robson and Heather Sandberg who have recently retired from their office.    

The First Annual Gail Tilson Ladies' Golf tournament takes place June 9^th. Please call Bev Lacroix at 692-3975. The Walden Seniors' Men's Golf Tournament takes place June 8^th. Please call Ross Webber at 692-4511.

For further information call the Walden Seniors Club at 692-5591. We are offering free registration for the months of May and June and many of our activities carry on during the summer.

News From Walden Seniors & Pensioners Inc! The Walden Seniors and Pensioners have had another busy year. Members and friends have enjoyed card games, knitting groups, sing along, shuffle board, pool and conversation. Woodworking takes place at the Anderson Farm and they do amazing work. Stop by and check it out. And Walden Seniors volunteers helped out at the Fall Fair BBQ and had fun at the festivities.

The Ladies Auxiliary held a successful craft and bake sale and white elephant sale in April. Refreshments were served and were "delicious" as always. Money raised and crafts that are made go to help out various charities such as the Cancer Centre. Membership in the auxiliary is $1.00 for those who are members of the Seniors Club.

Absolutely scrumptious food and lively music created a festive atmosphere for a Christmas Celebration and a St Paddy's Day Party. Pot Luck dinners are popular through out the year and everyone brings their best dish.

The next Special Dinner will be held on May 18^th, 2011. Tickets are available at the Seniors Centre or by calling the Walden Seniors Centre at 692-5591. Election of executive officers will take place at this time. Officers are elected for a two-year term. If you are interested in becoming involved in any capacity please call the Election convenor, Stan Savard at 692-3170 or the President, Doug Pappin at 692-4619.

Special Foot Care is available at the centre every 3^rd Thursday morning and is open to everyone.

New members can join the Walden Seniors and Pensioners for free for the months of May and June. Anyone over the age of 50 is welcome. Call the centre at 692-5591 or visit the Seniors Centre at 15 Kin Drive, next to the Library (open most weekday mornings). Drop in, have coffee and conversation with some of Walden's finest citizens. You'll be happy that you did.

Dear CARP Members, Are you one of the millions of Canadians who don't have a family doctor, have had a surgery cancelled, or can't afford prescription drugs? Are you worried about who will pay for your parents' - or your own - long-term care? Whether you believe that medicare serves you well or lets you down, Canada's doctors want to hear from you. Should we have pharmacare or support for long-term care? What are the responsibilities of Canadians with regard to their health? These questions and others are part of our national dialogue on health care. Our health care system makes a huge difference to our country's economy and quality of life. But it's in decline, and without leadership and courage on the part of our governments, it will continue to crumble until we no longer recognize it. We've got to get the message across that medicare is too important to Canadians to lose. I'm asking for your help. If you care, the time to speak out is now. Join the discussion at www.healthcaretransformation.ca and make your voice heard. Sincerely, Dr. Jeff Turnbull President, Canadian Medical Association

New study sheds light on siblings who care for senior parents

Public education program will help overcome family conflict

SUDBURY, FEBRUARY 23, 2011 – Mary is one of seven children. When her widowed mother was showing signs of Alzheimer’s, Mary and her brothers and sisters all had a different understanding of the illness, and different suggestions for how to proceed. The family wasn’t moving ahead and there were conflicts among the siblings.

Family caregivers who care for aging parents encounter situations like this all the time. Caregiver stress, life-and-death medical crises, financial problems and property disputes often become part of the ongoing saga of a family’s caregiving story. As a result, relationships between brothers and sisters can suffer.

The new study of siblings who act as family caregivers, conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care^® network, sheds new light on sibling dynamics in these situations. With 29 locations across Canada, Home Instead Senior Care provides home care services for seniors in their own homes and in seniors residences and long-term care facilities.

“Any Sudbury family that has cared for a senior loved one knows that problems working with siblings can lead to family strife,” said Lisette Wirta, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Sudbury. “Making decisions together, dividing the workload and teamwork are the keys to overcoming family conflict.”

According to the study, four factors determine if relationships among adult children have deteriorated, and whether or not the quality of care for the parents will be compromised in any way because of it. Those factors are: teamwork, consideration for each other’s ability to help out, willingness to help, and the ability to make important decisions together.

The study said that 40 per cent of family caregivers who say their relationships with siblings have deteriorated blame it on brothers and sisters not being willing to help.

“If you’re 50, have siblings and are assisting with the care of a senior loved one, it’s time to develop a plan,” Wirta said.

The study, conducted by The Boomer Project included 383 adults ages 35-64 with living siblings or step-siblings who were either currently providing care for a parent or older relative, or had provided care in the past 18 months. The study found that:

·          Among siblings who care for a parent, the primary caregiver is a 50-year-old sister caring for an 81-year-old mother or a 50-year-old brother caring for an 81-year-old father, and they’ve been the family caregiver for 3.3 years.

·          Care is often not shared equally. In 41 per cent of families, one sibling has responsibility for providing all or most of the care for Mom or Dad, and in only 3 per cent of families do siblings split the caregiving tasks equally.

·          The sibling who is the primary caregiver puts in nearly three times as many hours of care as do their brothers and sisters. On average, the primary family caregiver provides 14 hours of care per week, while other siblings provide five hours of care.

Along with the study, Home Instead Senior Care has launched the 50-50 Rule^SM, a public education campaign that offers strategies for overcoming sibling differences to help families provide the best care for senior parents. The 50-50 Rule refers to the average age (50) when siblings are caring for their parents, as well as the need for brothers and sisters to share the care responsibility on a 50-50 basis.

The public education campaign includes a guide of family relationships and communications illustrating real-life situations, along with practical advice from Dr. Ingrid Connidis, a leading authority on aging, family relationships and work-life balance.

Connidis is a professor of Sociology at the University of Western Ontario in London, has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Toronto, and wrote the book Family Ties and Aging. She says she has studied or seen just about every family scenario one can imagine, and that the key to avoiding problems with siblings, where it concerns aging parents, is communication.

“Like all relationships, siblings have a history,” Connidis said. “Whatever happened in the past influences what happens in the present. Regardless of the circumstances, most siblings do feel a responsibility to care for parents that is built from love. And that’s a good place to start – optimistically and assuming the best.”

The guide and a website, located at www.solvingfamilyconflict.com, will offer a variety of additional tips and resources to help adult siblings work as a team to share the care of their parents. For more information, visit the site or contact Home Instead Senior Care at 705-523-1600.

In Canada, there are 29 independently owned Home Instead Senior Care offices. In addition to Sudbury, there are 18 in Ontario – 10 in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as in Barrie, Ottawa, Peterborough, London, Windsor, Waterloo and Kingston. Five are in B.C. – Kelowna, Port Coquitlam, Vancouver, Victoria and White Rock. There are also locations in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Halifax and Charlottetown. Services include companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and escorts for errands and shopping. Home Instead Senior Care services are available at home or in care facilities from a few hours per week up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Founded in 1994 in Omaha, the Home Instead Senior Care^® network is the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 900 independently owned and operated franchises in 14 countries spanning four continents. Home Instead Senior Care local offices employ 65,000+ CAREGivers^SM who provide more than 40 million hours of client service each year through activities including companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, errands and shopping. Home Instead Senior Care founders Paul and Lori Hogan pioneered franchising in the non-medical senior care industry and are leading advocates for senior issues throughout the world. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while continuing to provide superior quality service that enhances the lives of seniors everywhere.

- 30 -

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Mary Ann Freedman

Freedman & Associates Inc. for Home Instead Senior Care

Tel: 1-866-453-6824

Email: mafreedman@freedmanandassociates.com

SIDEBARS:

Top Five Sibling Caregiver Hot Buttons

In family caregiving, certain situations are hot button triggers and can make the life of caregiving siblings more difficult and lead to family conflict. The 50-50 Rule^SM public education program, developed by Home Instead Senior Care^®, can help address these hot-button issues.

1.      Illness: A senior loved one who becomes ill or faces declining health can leave a family with difficult issues. Who provides the additional care? Is there a team approach or does one sibling bear the brunt of the caregiving? Family members’ differing opinions and the changing needs of a senior can worsen the situation.

2.      Money: Money matters often complicate life for seniors and their adult children. The recent economic downturn has impacted the savings of many older adults. Families can be forced to make tough caregiving decisions when concerning their loved ones’ finances.

3.      Inheritance: The temptation of a family inheritance can influence one’s decisions. If one sibling is encouraging a parent to spend the siblings’ inheritance and another is coaxing that parent to save the money, trouble is sure to ensue.

4.      Distance: Siblings who live in the same town or city as their parents may be stuck with most of the caregiver work. According to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior^® network, one sibling is responsible for the bulk of the care of Mom and Dad in 41 percent of families. Siblings who live far away can feel left out or, if they speak up, viewed as intruders by the primary family caregiver. 

5.      Stress: Adult caregivers who start a new job, are raising children or caring for their own spouse can become overwhelmed when elderly family members need help. Those who bear the brunt of caregiving may resent siblings who are unable or unwilling to help. In fact, 40 percent of caregivers who say their sibling relationships have deteriorated say their brothers and sisters are unwilling to help, according to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care network. Go to www.caregiverstress.com for more information.

For more information including a guide of real-life situations that address the issues above and more, visit www.solvingfamilyconflict.com.

Editor: Please credit Home Instead Senior Care

Checklist for Sibling Family Caregivers

Home Instead Senior Care has put together the following checklist that can help siblings better manage the care of their senior loved ones as part of the 50-50 Rule^SM public education program.

__ Identify and list the needs that your senior loved ones have that will enable them to remain independent and avoid family conflict throughout the aging process. Tasks to consider include meals, housekeeping, scheduling doctor appointment, bill paying, grocery shopping and companionship. Key needs include:

·          Medical

·          Housing

·          Activities of daily living

·          End-of-life including advance directives such as living will and long-term care

·          Estate planning and funeral planning

__Research the options that can help you meet those needs

·          www.caring.com

·          www.homeinstead.com

·          “Stages of Senior Care: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Best Decisions” www.stagesofseniorcare.com

__Divide the needs of your senior: those needs that will be met by family members and those that will be contracted.

·          Divide the tasks so that each family member has input in the process.

·          Make sure the tasks fit the needs of your sibling as well as your senior loved one.

__List the tasks for which those in your family will be responsible. Remember to keep the list flexible for the changing needs of your senior as well as the demands on you and your siblings. You’ll need a plan and overseer as well if you’re contracting outside services.

__Promote sibling teamwork and decision-making by including in your plan regular times to stay in touch with your siblings to avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding.

·          Make sure no one is doing too much. If you are the primary caregiver, ask for help if you need it. If you are a long-distance caregiver, ask for ways to help the primary caregiver. Long-distance caregivers can help facilitate online orders and bill-paying, as well as provide companionship through telephone calls, letters and emails.

Editor: Please credit Home Instead Senior Care   

For Immediate Release Friday, January 28, 2011.

For complete Greater Sudbury Transit schedules, please visit www.greatersudbury.ca or call 705-675-

Beds at Memorial to stay open

Jan 24, 2011

By: Heidi Ulrichsen

Sudbury Northern Life Staff

John Lindsay doesn’t care what name health care officials give it, but he’s   happy up 75 patients will be able to stay in part of the former Memorial Hospital until at least the late summer.

The president of the local seniors’ group Friendly to Seniors — Sudbury has been advocating for the transitional care unit at Memorial to stay open beyond its scheduled March 31 closing date.

Sudbury Regional Hospital has agreed to temporarily fund up to 75 beds at the Memorial site after March 31, but as a facility, which will instead called a “surge unit.”

 This facility will take care of alternate level of care (ALC) patients who no longer need acute care, but are waiting for services such as home care or rehab beds.

 

The unit is meant to relieve issues at the hospital, such as the cancellation of surgeries and an overcrowded emergency room, caused by these ALC patients.
     

The hospital made the decision to fund the surge unit after receiving a recommendation to do so from the Sudbury ALC Steering committee.
     

 Memorial has been housing about 130 ALC patients who are mostly destined for long-term care facilities since early 2010.
      

The impending opening of the new St. Gabriel Villa long-term care home and interim beds at Pioneer Manor are to assist with the placement of these patients.

“They call (what’s opening at Memorial after March 31) a surge unit, which is basically what the transitional care unit was, anyway,” Lindsay said.

“It was to handle the surge of ALC patients who couldn’t be accommodated at the regional site. It’s just another name, as far as we can determine.

“It doesn’t matter what they call it. It’s going to provide that relief for the regional site, which is really what we were looking for.”

 The hospital’s CEO, Dr. Denis Roy, said the organization is able to fund the beds in the surge unit until about the end of the summer without affecting its budget too much.

“Intense” negotiations are ongoing with the North East Local Health Integration Network (North East LHIN) about the possibility of receiving funding for the Memorial site, he said.

ALC patients heading for home care or rehab beds have a higher turnover than those going to long-term care, Roy said. That’s why the surge unit is designed for home care or rehab-bound patients, he said.

To ensure there’s enough staff to run the facility, the hospital is in the process of rescinding layoff notices given to unionized employees who would have been affected by the closure of the transitional care unit.

The hospital is working with the unions to determine the number of workers to be recalled, as the exact number of beds in the new surge unit has yet to be determined.

Terry Tilleczek, the North East LHIN’s senior director of emergency department and alternate level of care and co-chair of the Sudbury ALC Steering Committee, said his organization is still in the early stages of looking at a hospital funding proposal for the surge unit.

He said the North East LHIN does have a certain amount of money set aside to relieve “pressures within the system.”

“Where the need outmatches the resources (that the LHIN has), we have to look to our other partner, which is the (Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care), and have that discussion with them,” Tilleczek said.
“The ministry is addressing pressures not only in Sudbury, but right across the province.”

Dr. Peter Zalan, who leads the Sudbury ALC Steering Committee along with Tilleczek, spoke about the situation with reporters at a news conference last week.

He said the surge unit is a “relief valve” to reduce the strain put on the hospital’s resources by too many patients.

A recent spike in the number of ALC patients at the hospital’s acute care site has meant that more than 50 patients are lying in stretchers in places such as the emergency department and hallways, Zalan said.

Long emergency department wait times have meant that many patients are opting to travel to the emergency departments in Espanola or Sturgeon Falls to get faster care.

There has also been a 30 per cent cutback in elective inpatient surgery over the last few weeks because there aren’t enough surgical recovery beds available, something which surgeons have told the hospital is unacceptable, he said.

Zalan, also president of the hospital’s medical staff, said his members want reassurance they will have access to beds for acute care, and have asked the hospital and North East LHIN to give them a progress report in a month.

But ultimately, keeping beds open at Memorial is just a temporary measure, Zalan said.

Much has already been done to find a permanent solution to the problems associated with high levels of ALC patients, such as enhanced home care and outpatient hospital clinics, he said.

The Sudbury ALC Steering Committee is also advocating for measures such as building affordable supportive housing for seniors, something which is lacking in the city, he said.

Zalan said 25 to 39 per cent of those in nursing homes don’t actually need the level of care provided there, and could be cared for in supportive housing.

The doctor has met with Sudbury MPP and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rick Bartolucci to ask for funding for supportive housing.

He said Bartolucci told him he’s “working on it,” but has to get two ministries together besides his own — the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ministry of Community and Social Services.

Helping You at Home        

ParkSide Centre’s home program has been running for awhile now and many older adults (50+)  have been getting some help to get all their chores, repairs, maintenance,  painting, housecleaning and snow-shovelling done. This allows more time and energy

 for family, friends and fun!

The workers, who are also 50+, have all been screened and their rates are reasonable.

The aim of the program is to assist people to stay in their homes as long as possible.

 It is also a good idea to protect their investment by keeping things well maintained.

If you are looking for some help at home, we want to hear from you!

 Please contact Sue Fleming, Project Coordinator, at 673-6227, ext. 224 or e-mail sue.fleming@greatersudbury.ca  You can also drop by at the ParkSide Older Adult Centre at 140 Durham St., Sudbury

Start making your life a little easier!

.

YouTube Video addresses Sudbury Health Care

This does concern you !!!!   Not maybe today, but when you or a loved one has to go to emergency at our local hospital (now rated as one of the worst in the province) and waits hours and then maybe more hours (or days) before being admitted for care.  Or a parent or other older or disabled relative or friend is confined in less than suitable circumstances at the Regional site instead of adequate settings at the Memorial Transitional Care Unit.  

Read this media release - view the video and send it along to as many as you feel would be interested (which should be all residents of our city who have contributed to our hospital on their own or though taxation).  Link it to your facebook account or wherever else it will get maximum exposure.  Your help is most appreciated.  We will all benefit.

Media Release:                                                                                       Dec. 20^th 2010

Senior Advocacy Group proposal addresses ALC Health Care Issue:

Friendly to Seniors – Sudbury, says a unique opportunity exists for improving health care in our community for all citizens of any age, but particularity for elderly ALC patients.

Providing accommodation at the Memorial Transitional Care Site past the proposed closing deadline date (in March 2011) for ALC patients currently at the Regional (Laurentian) site will allow this facility to perform its intended function as an Acute Care institution, freeing up much needed bed space, prevent delays in medical procedures, allow the emergency unit to operate efficiently, improve staff moral, increase efficiency, plus provide greater patient satisfaction and outcomes. 

The matter is discussed in some detail in a half hour Eastlink Cable 10 broadcast which has been edited to a 13 minute YouTube video (attached) featuring the head of Friendly to Seniors – Sudbury, John Lindsay and Treasurer John Gaul.   Additional information is on the organizations website www.friendlytoseniors.ca as well as an MP3 audio recording of the full 30 minute broadcast.  The group is to invite others involved to discuss the proposal.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3zteavPGSPk

Contact:  John Lindsay – 525-7526

                 John Gaul – 669- 0161  

Alternative Level of Care (ALC) Crisis - News - Action Request from Friendly to Seniors Board

For Your Information:  The full version of Article in Northern Life today below - similar letter in Star yesterday by fellow Frindely To Seniors (FTS) board member John Gaul... Both CEO of Hospital and LHIN deny Memorial suitable for ALC patients currently at Regional site . Who is pulling their strings?  Our new Regional Site is not fully functional and ALC patients are being denied best treatment - Common sense solution is available - Public Awareness and Action needed - any ideas welcome. 

John Lindsay

Chair, Friendly to Seniors – Sudbury

Member, Mayor and Council’s Seniors’ Advisory Panel  

Special Report – Sudbury Regional Hospital not Friendly to Seniors    -   December 2010

The Importance of keeping the Memorial Hospital ALC Transitional Care Unit Open.

If a community is judged by how it treats its less fortunate including the sick and the elderly then we have failed the Alternative Level of Care (ALC) patients who are now and will continue to occupy beds at the Sudbury Regional Hospital.  

Not only do they not receive care they would expect in a regular nursing home, they are now to be denied access to the Transitional Care Unit at the Memorial Site when it is scheduled to close in March of 2011.  This Unit currently provides much of the same care available in a regular nursing home and was set up for this purpose until appropriate accommodation should become available.  This will occur for the approximately 130 ALC patients at this facility when they will move to new nursing home beds in Chelmsford and other locations. 

This, however, does not address the needs of the approximately 50 to 60 ALC patients at the Sudbury Regional Site who are located throughout the hospital taking up beds that would be otherwise available for regular patient care and has resulted in overcrowding in the emergency department plus frequent cancellations and delays in surgeries or other medical procedures.  Medical and support staff have expressed their frustration on numerous occasions as the result of this untenable situation.  Hospital officials had originally requested that the Memorial site remain open for 3 years – it is now scheduled to close after less than a year of operation.  It is reported that discharge times for an ALC patient at the Regional site are in excess of 180 days, while the provincial average is just over 40 days. 

As chair of Friendly to Seniors, an advocacy group and member of the City of Sudbury Seniors Advisory Panel, which has made a motion to keep the Memorial Site open, it was decided to examine in detail the matter to try to make some sense of what many of the professionals involved say is a very complex issue.  As someone who had a relative (mother in law) as a resident of both a non-profit and for-profit nursing home for some time, I am not unfamiliar with these facilities or of the overall situation.  John Gaul, a member of our board – Treasurer) took part in this study.   Our thanks to Dan Lessard, for arrangements and the staff at both hospital locations for taking the time to show ups around an explain the programs in place and services provided. 

First a visit to the Memorial Transitional Care Unit where I was most impressed with the renovations to the building to accommodate the ALC patients in an interim setting with excellent care by a skilled and devoted staff.  The goal of the Transitional Care Unit is to maintain the physical and mental health of patients until such time as appropriate nursing home accommodations become available.  It is our opinion that this Unit must continue to fulfill this function.  We dropped by the local LHIN (Health Integration Network) office located at the Memorial site on the first floor and were surprised to learn that officials here apparently had never visited the Unit, for which they had originally authorized funding, located on the floors just above them.  They have stated that the purpose of this unit was only to address the needs of the current 130 residents with no plans for the ALC patients now and in the future at the Sudbury Regional Site, not to mention the estimated 700 to 900 persons identified by the Community Care Access Centre as waiting for nursing home care. 

Then a visit to the Sudbury Regional Hospital Site where it was discovered that the ALC patients in this facility were not located in just one area but were indeed, as stated previously, in beds throughout the hospital, at times even in lounges and other inappropriate areas.  While staff cares for their basic needs they are unable to provide nursing home services to the extent as ALC patients receive at the Memorial Transitional Site.  This was confirmed by both staff and patients.  It is obvious that these ALC individuals at the Regional Site should become residents at the Memorial site until such time as appropriate nursing home accommodation becomes available.  This would also enable the Regional site to do even better work with initiatives now under way including Geriatric Emergency Management, the Long Term Care Residence Emergency Department Outreach Service, the Geriatric and Adult Rehab Day Program and the Elder Life Program.

Why not keep the Memorial Transitional Care site open – is it a matter of cost?  According to figures supplied by the Hospital it costs between $800 and $1,100 to keep an ALC patient at the Sudbury Regional Site each day.   At the Memorial Transitional Site the cost is between $300 and $350 a day.  It would appear that besides saving a minimum of $450 a day per patient by caring for these patients at the Memorial Site, rather than the Regional site, the hospital would have the use of these beds now and in the future for regular patient care.

It is said that the ALC matter is very complicated, and that many varied scenarios have to be explored and that ultimately a “community solution” needs to be found.  It is true that we need more home care and supportive housing plus other measures including more nursing home spaces, but they quite simply do not exist to the extent necessary to solve our current crisis.  Until such time as they do, we have a facility, the Memorial Transitional Care Unit that can address this interim need for as long as it takes for the other measures to become reality.  We are doing a disservice to those ALC patients at the Sudbury Regional Site, now and in the future, who will occupy beds that could otherwise serve our community for the purpose for which they were intended, while at the same time denying them the services they could enjoy and deserve at the Memorial Transitional Care Unit. 

Unless we are missing important pieces of the puzzle or there are agendas of which we are not aware it would certainly appear in terms of cost and quality of care plus overall operational efficiency to keep the Memorial Transitional Site open to accommodate Regional hospital ALC patients.  It would be most unfortunate if these sick and mostly older individuals, who are largely without voice or influence, are pawns in an uncaring bureaucratic health care system that gives low priority to their needs.  If this indeed is the case, with an ever increasing and aware senior population, it will not be tolerated for much longer – already senior’s organizations and other interested groups and citizens are mobilizing to address this issue in an attempt to reverse the decision to close the Memorial site.  For more information go to www.friendlytoseniors.ca   

John Lindsay,

Chair, Friendly to Seniors – Sudbury

Member, Mayor and Council’s Seniors’ Advisory Panel  

What can you do?   As this appears to be a political issue contact your local councillor, local MPP (provincial) and even your MP (Federal).  Money from all levels of government has and is continuing to be “invested” in our health care system and our local hospital.   Putting “pressure” on all of these individuals is the only way to be able to effect change – change that is obviously very much needed to rectify this situation for the benefit of all.  Do it now, by e-mail and/or letter.   

For the information of Council, the Mayor and Council’s Seniors’ Advisory Panel passed the following motion at a meeting on November 5^th, 2010 for consideration by the future Council.

Motion

WHEREAS it is reported that the Memorial site will be closed in March of 2011 following the opening of various alternate accommodation for ALC patients currently occupying this facility;

AND WHEREAS there are and still will be ALC patients at the Sudbury Regional Hospital site requiring accommodation, and that the operation of the Sudbury Regional Hospital is adversely affected by the presence of ALC patients at this facility;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Greater Sudbury enforce recommendations with provincial health care authorities involved that the Memorial site remain open and accept all ALC patients currently at the Sudbury Regional Hospital site until such time as permanent and sustainable alternative accommodations are made available or all community based programming is designed and in place for addressing future ALC issues.

 John

Walden Aging at Home ppt

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010

Greater Sudbury Public Library Presents:

Driving Workshop: Refresher for Older Adults

In November, the Greater Sudbury Public Library will be introducing driving refresher workshops for older adults. Many older adults are nervous about getting their license renewed as they reach their 80^th birthday and have questions about what will be on the written test they will have to take. The library will be partnering with Maurice Quenville to offer refresher training and a question and answer period to any older adults who have questions about what to expect during the license renewal process.

Maurice Quenville, retired owner of Laurentian Driving School, has been teaching driver training since 1970 and has taken the 55 Alive Instructor Training Course from the Canada Safety Council. He will be on hand to answer questions about what to expect when renewing a license, how to prepare for the written test and what to know about preventing and dealing with accidents.

Workshops will be taking place at four local libraries:

·         Lively – Tuesday, November 23 at 2pm

·         Main Library – Thursday, November 25 at 2pm

·         Capreol – Tuesday, November 30 at 2pm

·         Azilda – Thursday, December 2 at 3:30 pm

For more information, please call Jessica at 673-1155, extension 210 or send an email to jessica.watts@greatersudbury.ca. Donations of non-perishable food items will be accepted in support of our local community Food Banks.

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For more information, please contact:

Jessica Watts, Coordinator of Outreach Programs and Partnerships

Greater Sudbury Public Library, 673-1155, extension 210

jessica.watts@greatersudbury.ca

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The following is an excerpt from “Choices”, a monthly newsletter offered by Retire-At-Home Services.

Ten Signs Home Care Could Benefit Your Loved One

Sometimes when a senior experiences a stroke, heart attack, hip fracture, or other sudden change of health condition, family immediately realize their loved one needs assistance with the activities of daily living.

Or, perhaps a particular event serves as a wake-up call. Reports one family caregiver, "Dad left a dishtowel on the burner and then turned the stove on. Luckily I was visiting that day and was able to put out the blaze. That incident helped everyone in the family see that Dad's memory loss was making it unsafe for him to be unattended at home."

But most commonly, a loved one's needs change slowly, without us noticing. Especially when we live out of town, our parents might assure us that everything is fine—when in reality, living independently is becoming difficult for them.

Here are some signals that an older loved one's care needs are changing:

1. Your loved one is "letting herself go." Untrimmed nails, body odour, poor oral hygiene, or soiled clothing all might indicate that personal care is becoming a challenge. It may be difficult to get in and out of the bathtub, use the washing machine, or remember to perform the daily tasks once taken for granted.
2. Your loved one's home is not kept up. Arthritis and osteoporosis, visual impairment, memory loss and or other health conditions can present a challenge to performing the usual household tasks. If you notice clutter and dirt when your loved one has usually been a good housekeeper, this can be a sign that help is needed.
3. Your loved one isn't eating well. Is he having trouble maintaining a healthy weight? Does he mostly eat pre-packaged meals? Do you notice scorched pans or spoiled food? Does stroke, arthritis, or another health condition make it hard for him to prepare food or eat?
4. Your loved one has fallen, or is afraid of falling. Seniors are sometimes hesitant to discuss falling, but this is an important conversation to have. Talk with your loved one about falls. Does she seem unsteady on her feet? Have you noticed bruising or other injuries? Is she having trouble navigating stairs and walkways? Does she avoid exercise because it seems safer to be inactive?
5. Your loved one is having trouble managing medications. Failing to take medications correctly can have a serious impact on seniors' health. Is your parent forgetting to take medicines? Are the instructions confusing for him? Does he leave pill bottles open? Are there medicines which are past the expiration date?
6. Your loved has cut back on outings and activities. The old term "shut-in" used to be applied to almost any senior with mobility issues. Staying in the house was taken for granted. But now we know that inactivity and isolation lead to depression and further decline. It's important to know why your loved one is less active, and to take steps to help her be as engaged as possible with activities she enjoys.
7. There are piles of mail on the table, and overdue bills. When a loved one has Alzheimer's or other memory loss, it can be a challenge to sort through the junk mail and ads that show up in the mailbox, and to be sure bills are paid on time.
8. Your loved one has been a fraud victim. Con artists often target seniors who live alone, especially those with confusion and memory loss. Scammers sell the names of likely targets, so look for increased sweepstakes and charity mailings in the mail, unexplained large telephone charges, or multiple new magazine subscriptions.
9. Caring for your loved one is a growing challenge. Are you experiencing "caregiver burnout"? Are you losing sleep worrying about your loved one's increasing needs? Are you part of the "sandwich generation," simultaneously providing care for both minor children and elders?
10. Long-distance caregivers are feeling increasing concern. Keeping in touch by phone, email, and occasional visits may no longer provide adequate assurance about your loved one's well-being.

Northern Ontario Medical Journal has posted story online about seniors resisting care based on your Caring for Your Parents news release.  

Here is the link: http://www.nomj.ca/Articles/Research/10-10-seniors-resist-care.aspx.

Lively Family Health Clinic 

To register as an orphan patient the contact information is as follows:

1-800-445-1822 or on line at http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ms/healthcareconnect/public/default.aspx

Sherri Moroso, Community Development Coordinator City of Greater Sudbury 200 Brady Street Sudbury, ON P3A 5P3

Phone:  (705) 674-4455, x 2449

Fax:  (705) 671-8145

Sherri.Moroso@greatersudbury.ca

21^st Century Health Care for Sudbury Seniors

An Information Session presented by your Sudbury CARP Chapter

Introducing: North East Specialized Geriatric Services

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

2:00 – 3:30 P.M.

Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel,

50 Brady Street, Salons A&B

North East Specialized Geriatric Services is a new multidisciplinary team of health care providers who provide specialized care for seniors with complex health needs, as well as expert resources for health care professionals and caregivers throughout Northeastern Ontario. 

The presentation will provide you with an overview of the programs and services offered by the North East Specialized Geriatric Services as well as the referral process.

Call Diana (670-0818) or Pat (669-0045) for more information.

Retire at Home

Retire-At-Home’s In-home Senior Health Care Services. Professional Care. Compassionate Approach.

Our services range from companionship to round-the-clock care – delivered by knowledgeable staff so your help is trusted and capable. Our professional care goes above the norm though and includes an ongoing nurse-managed plan tailored to your personal needs, preferences, and budget. That plan is written and remains in your home, so you, your family and others stay informed. And, the care is delivered with a compassionate approach, starting with constant staff – unless you want to change.
We ensure your complete satisfaction. Always. You are our customer!

Please visit our website (www.RAHsudbury.com)  or call us at 705-866-6231 for a free nurse assessment.

 

To view this email as a web page, go here.

Spring 2010 | A Resource for Those Who Care About Seniors In This Issue:   When Too Much Stuff Becomes a Household Hazard Strategies for Helping Seniors De-Clutter How to Spot Clutter Creep Emotional Attachments and Other Reasons Seniors Accumulate Clutter Video from TLC.com - Hoarding When Too Much Stuff Becomes a Household Hazard You enter your dad's home and can't believe the stacks of stuff that have accumulated on every flat surface: piles of newspapers and mail everywhere, the medicine cabinet overflowing with 10 years worth of hair spray (despite his being bald), heaps of dirty laundry on the bed so there is no place for him to sleep. You wonder how it got this bad. The tendency to accumulate possessions isn't limited to seniors, but those who can't or won't give up their stuff may be putting themselves and their homes at risk. The hazards are many, from slipping on loose papers to the threat of fire to the health effects of mold. read more Share this content:        Strategies for Helping Seniors De-Clutter Getting rid of possessions is actually a two-step process: sorting and deciding, on the one hand, and disposing on the other. But convincing seniors can be a challenge that requires a measured approach. Katherine "Kit" Anderson, CPO-CD, president of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD), and Vickie Dellaquila, certified professional organizer and author of Don't Toss My Memories in the Trash, offer these strategies for helping seniors let go.   Arrange and cheer small victories. Conduct an "experiment." Gently approach the idea of health and safety. Draft an agreement. Consider the control issue.   For more information, download "If Your Senior Won't Let Go" (529 K PDF) from Home Instead Senior Care. Share this content:      How to Spot "Clutter Creep" If you notice the following characteristics about seniors or their homes, clutter could start creeping up on them.   Piles of mail and unpaid bills   Difficulty walking safely through a home   Frustration trying to organize   Difficulty managing activities of daily living   Expired food in the refrigerator   Jammed closets and drawers   Compulsive shopping   Difficulty deciding whether to discard items   A health episode such as a stroke or dementia   Loneliness   Download "A Caregiver's Guide to Spot Clutter Creep" (479 K PDF) Share this content:      Emotional Attachments and Other Reasons Seniors Accumulate Clutter Home Instead CAREGiverSM Betty Collins remembers the half a dozen strips of yarn she found on her client's rug. When she bent down to pick up and discard the yarn, her client stopped her with a resounding "no, no, no." "She told me that her daughter, who has since died, played with the yarn when she was little," Collins said. "She had to see that every day." Seniors hang on to their possessions for a variety of reasons from sentimental attachment to health issues that stand in the way of home upkeep and even safety. "In addition, older adults are often set in their ways and everything to them becomes important," Collins said. "Junk to us is their life. That builds up and some seniors just don't know what to do with it. A lot of older adults walk with a walker and live by themselves. They just set things aside and then become overwhelmed." For more information, download "10 Reasons Seniors Hang On To Stuff and What to Do About It" (602 K PDF).     Hoarding - Buried Alive:     Sentimentally Attached       Share this video:     Continue receiving Caring Connections by email Forward this email to a friend or colleague. These online discussions can provide helpful hints and tips. Simpler Living is a blog written by Naomi Seldin, who decided to get rid of clutter in her life and document the process on the blog. Organized Home invites you to "Live clutter-free with clutter-busting articles, tips and resources. Learn the basics of cutting clutter, discover your clutter personality, and bring order to every room of your organized home." Hoarders Son is a blog that discusses the issues of hoarding, beyond simple clutter, and offers insights and links to related resources. The National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization NSGCD) is a non-profit organization serving professional organizers and related professionals who are interested in the study and methods of serving chronically disorganized people. Organization Rules is the Web site of Vickie Dellaquila, certified professional organizer and author of Don't Toss My Memories in the Trash. In addition to offering organizing services and products, the site includes tips, articles, and a newsletter. The National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM) is a not-for-profit, professional association of organizations dedicated to assisting older adults and families with the physical and emotional demands of downsizing, relocating, or modifying their homes. Brought to you by:   Home Instead, Inc. | Phone: 888-484-5759 | Email: info@homeinstead.com     Follow Home Instead on Facebook.

May Monthly Health Flyer

April Health Observance Flyer



Winter 2010 | A Resource for Those Who Care About Seniors




In This Issue:

Tips for Keeping Seniors Active
The Good News About Aging
Signs of Declining Health in Aging Adults
Help from Get Mom Moving
Video: Meet one senior fighting frailty



Tips for Keeping Seniors Active
It's easy to look on aging with fear; there's plenty at stake. Mom worries about falling in her home — maybe breaking a hip — and losing her independence. Of course you worry, too. Both of you know that growing frailty and loss of independence can be the beginning of a downward spiral. In fact, new research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network confirmed that 90 percent of seniors put loss of independence at the top of their list of aging worries. It's a valid concern... read more

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The Good News About Aging
While staying physically active may be a challenge for seniors, getting Mom and Dad moving can help prevent and even reverse signs of frailty. That's according to Stephanie Studenski, M.D., M.P.H., one of the nation's foremost authorities and researchers of mobility, balance disorders, and falls in older adults. "Through activity," Dr. Studenski, says, "seniors build both physical and mental reserves that can help their bodies better tolerate problems that come with aging... read more

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Signs of Declining Health in Aging Adults
As a family caregiver, how can you tell if your loved one is in trouble? A number of conditions — from a heart attack or stroke to falls and weight loss — can result in frailty. Here are some of the warning signs that an elderly person is becoming frail.

Change: Mom has always been interested in talking to the neighbors, reading the newspaper, or volunteering but is withdrawing from those interests. Suggest she see her doctor.

Inactivity: Dad is suddenly much less active than usual. Spend some time with him to investigate possible causes... read more

Share this content:



Help from Get Mom Moving
The challenges that seniors face staying active prompted Home Instead Senior Care to develop the Get Mom Moving program, with a variety of resources to help keep seniors engaged and fit. These offer information and activities in three categories — Mind, Body and Soul. All of the activities are easy for seniors of varying abilities to participate in, ranging from doing routine tasks in a new way, to planting an indoor garden, to using common clothing items to help improve balance and movement. Why not encourage your senior loved ones to try some of the Get Mom Moving activities? They're available on the Get Mom Moving Web site as a downloadable activities booklet, or you can request a set of Activity Cards from your local Home Instead Senior Care office.

Share this content:

Meet one senior who fights frailty with support, attitude and grit.

Share this video:

Visit the Home Instead YouTube Channel.

Continue receiving Caring Connections by email


Forward this email to a friend or colleague.

Share this booklet:

The Canadian Caregiver Coalition is the national voice for the needs and interests of family caregivers. They are a bilingual, not-for-profit organization made up of caregivers, caregiver support groups, national stakeholder organizations and researchers.

The Alzheimer's Foundation for Caregiving in Canada Inc. (AFCC) is a sister organization to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, offering education and advocacy support to improve quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer's, and to their families and caregivers.

Share these conversations:










CARP, Canada's largest association for the 45+ is offering its members a special discount on all services provided by Home Instead Senior Care, as well as a complimentary in-home care consultation and a no-cost home safety check.

50plus.com along with its affiliate web site, www.carp.ca, is the leading Canadian Internet portal for Zoomers — the 14.5 million Canadians who are 45+.

The AARP Fat 2 Fit Online Community is a free online community that helps individuals get fit and lose weight by providing inspiration, information and support. Participants have fun, make friends and win prizes as they work toward achieving their fitness goals. Carole Carson serves as coach; all ages welcome, and membership in AARP is not required.

Share these resources:








Brought to you by:

Home Instead, Inc. | Phone: 888-484-5759 | Email: info@homeinstead.com



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Lisette Wirta

Franchise Owner











1984 Regent Street

Suite 124

Sudbury, Ontario

P3E 5S1

Phone: 705.523.1600

Fax: 705.523.1610

lisette.wirta@homeinstead.com



http://www.homeinstead.com/3009







See our email newsletter for helpful content and resources for those who care about seniors:
http://seniorcare.homeinstead.com/email-signup/



Try our calculator and learn about some of the financial and emotional aspects of senior care:
Visit www.makewayformom.com


 

From: Home Instead Care
News Release

Seniors fear that lack of activity may threaten

their health and independence

Study shows that seniors most concerned about losing their ability to get around


SUDBURY, JANUARY 25, 2010 – Losing the ability to get around is a big concern for seniors, and also a big concern of the adult children who care for them. This is according to a national survey of seniors and adult children commissioned by Home Instead Senior Care, a seniors’ care provider with 26 locations across Canada. Lack of activity can lead to a downward spiral of poor health resulting in frailty, which is a condition that threatens the mind, body and social life of older adults, according to senior-care experts.

“We see many seniors who are trapped in their homes because they are too weak to perform the activities they must do to remain safe and independent,” said Lisette Wirta of Home Instead Senior Care in Sudbury. “That’s why staying active is a prerequisite for healthy aging, but addressing these issues can be a challenge for many families.”
The national Home Instead Senior Care survey of Canadian seniors aged 65 and older found that the two top challenges seniors face are: maintaining their independence (66 percent rated this no. 1) and staying physically active (65 percent rated this no. 1). Other challenges such as managing finances, eating a healthy diet, and keeping socially engaged, while all important, were further down the list.
The problem of inactive seniors has prompted Home Instead Senior Care to develop a public awareness program designed to help keep seniors engaged and fit, and to fight frailty arising from inactivity. The program includes Get Mom Moving activity cards and the website www.getmommoving.com.

The research showed that being active also correlates to a ‘happiness’ factor for both seniors and caregivers. In the survey, 93 percent of the seniors surveyed said their biggest source of happiness is being able to get around as they choose, and 89 percent said it stems from remaining active. The survey was conducted online with 358 seniors aged 65 and over, and with 407 adult caregivers aged 35-62, along with a telephone survey among current Home Instead Senior Care clients and care recipients.

Adult caregivers who took part in the survey were asked about the biggest challenges facing the seniors they look after: 79 percent said the biggest challenge was helping them maintain their independence, and 71 percent said it was helping them stay physically active. When asked what made their seniors happy, 92 percent of the adult caregivers said it was being able to get out and around as they choose. This was tied with maintaining good health and spending time with family, and ranked ahead of financial security, living independently, and spending time with friends.

The survey also asked seniors for advice they might give themselves if they were 20 years younger. Frequent comments had to do with getting more exercise and staying active, and not waiting until retirement to do these things.

“Physical activity helps prevent mental decline,” says Dr. Ian Cohen, an Associate Professor in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Physical Education and Health. Dr. Cohen is physician to the U of T’s men’s football and hockey teams, former physician for the Canadian Football League Toronto Argonauts, and is associated with the Toronto Memory Program, an independent medical facility specializing in diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.

Says Dr. Cohen: “The benefits of physical activity in older adults are extensive and small gains can have a major impact on their quality of life. Regular exercise has been shown to decrease anxiety and depression, which are both common to this population. Naturally occurring decline in muscle mass can begin in the early to mid-50s, but with seniors, strength programs can slow the rate of decline and even add muscle mass. In patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, combined strength and flexibility programs have resulted in significantly decreased pain, increased walking distance, and improved quality-of-life scores.”

The Alzheimer Society of Canada has just released its own study called Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia in Canada. Recognizing the urgent need to start turning the tide of dementia, it described four potential intervention scenarios, one of which involves increasing physical activity.

Canadian data published in 2001 in the Archives of Neurology (Laurin et al, Physical Activity and Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Elderly Persons. Arch Neurol. 2001;58:498-504) showed that, in a population of adults aged 65 and over, followed over six years, physical activity was associated with lower risks of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer disease, and dementia when compared to a population with no exercise.
Erin Billowits, owner of Vintage Fitness, is dedicated to energizing the lives of the 50-and-up group with physical activity, and does workshops for Home Instead Senior Care. The older adults she works with have such ailments as osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s, and other mobility challenges. Billowits says less than ten per cent of Canadian seniors do any type of strength training – even with very light weights – and that such activity provides the greatest benefit.

“For many older adults, being active is the difference between living independently and living in a long-term care facility,” she says. “When working with older adults, we stress that they have an emotional goal and a physical goal. For example, one woman didn’t have enough flexibility to paint her own toenails and another was fearful about not being able to get up off the floor after a fall, so this becomes the goal.”
There is an increasing body of research on the benefits of exercise as we age. A 1999 study at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina looked at 156 older adults diagnosed with major depression, and found that those who exercised showed significant improvement over those who took anti-depression medication alone.

In Canada, Home Instead Senior Care has 26 independently owned locations in seven provinces. In addition to Sudbury, there are 15 in Ontario – nine in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as in Ottawa, Peterborough, London, Waterloo, Windsor and Kingston. Five are in B.C. – Kelowna, Port Coquitlam, Vancouver, Victoria and White Rock. There are also locations in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Halifax, and Charlottetown. Services include companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and escorts for errands and shopping. Home Instead Senior Care services are available at home or in care facilities from a few hours per week up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s largest provider of non-medical home care and companionship services for seniors with more than 850 independently-owned-and-operated locations in Canada, the U.S., Japan, Portugal, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the U. K., Spain, South Korea, Austria, Finland, Switzerland, Puerto Rico and Taiwan. For more information about the company and its owners visit www.homeinstead.com .

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Mary Ann Freedman

Freedman & Associates Inc. for Home Instead Senior Care

Tel: 1-866-453-6824

Email: mafreedman@freedmanandassociates.com





Look and See, Signs of Frailty

In a women’s study released last summer, researchers at Columbia and Johns Hopkins Universities discovered the important role activity plays in the fight against frailty and shed new light on what causes the condition.



Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, and scientists found that frailty is the result of a systems failure in older adults, rather than a specific problem, disease or even chronological age. Data from women ages 70-79 led researchers to discover that half of those frail had three or more systems at abnormal levels, compared with 25 percent of the pre-frail and 16 percent of the non-frail population. Among the physiological factors that were assessed included anemia, inflammation and fine motor skills.



Solutions to address frailty including medications and hormone replacement are unlikely to prevent frailty unless they are designed to improve multiple systems, Dr. Fried noted. “This may explain the importance of approaches such as remaining physically active as we get older, since activity improves many aspects of biology and overall health.”



So how do family caregivers know what to look for? Following, from Stephanie Studenski, M.D., M.P.H., University of Pittsburgh geriatrician and researcher, and Home Instead Senior Care, are the signs that a senior might be becoming frail:



Change. If a senior has always been interested in talking to the neighbors, reading the newspaper or volunteering and is withdrawing from those interests, suggest your loved one see a doctor.

Inactivity. If your senior suddenly becomes less active, investigate what could be the cause.

Slowing down. If grandpa always used to have a bounce in his step and now, suddenly, trudges along, that’s a bad sign.

Loss of appetite and weight. A senior who always had a healthy appetite and doesn’t any more should be of concern to their loved ones.

Unsteadiness. Loss of balance comes with aging but an increasing unsteadiness is a sign that something could be wrong.



To find out how you can help keep a senior active, contact Home Instead Senior Care for a free Get Mom Moving Activity Calendar: “Activities for the Mind Body and Soul.”



Senior Fear Factors . . . . .



Many of the fears that seniors experience relate to the biggest challenge they say they face: staying active. According to a recent survey conducted for Home Instead Senior Care, seniors have these fears about the future, beginning with the greatest fear and in descending order:



Loss of independence.
Declining health.
Running out of money.
Not being able to live at home.
Death of a spouse or other family member.
Inability to manage their own activities of daily living.
Not being able to drive.
Isolation or loneliness.
Strangers caring for them.
Fear of falling or hurting themselves.


For more information about how to help seniors at home, contact Home Instead Senior Care Sudbury.

Lisette Wirta lisette.wirta@homeinstead.com


 

 
Be a Santa to a Senior program delivers gifts to seniors in Sudbury



Home Instead Senior Care’s annual Be a Santa to a Senior program provides holiday gifts for isolated and needy seniors. It is the first year it is being launched in Sudbury. The Be a Santa to a Senior program encourages holiday shoppers to pick up an ornament at a participating local retailer, buy items on the senior's wish list and return gifts unwrapped to the store with the ornament attached.



On Thursday December 17 at 10:00 am, Lisette Wirta of Home Instead Senior Care, together with her staff and community volunteers will wrap the donated gifts at a Wrapping Party held at The ParkSide Centre located at 140 Durham Street. Mayor John Rodriguez will also be attending to help wrap gifts. This year Be a Santa to a Senior expects to collect and distribute more than 75 gifts in Sudbury.



Home Instead Senior Care provides non-medical care and companionship services for seniors from 15 locations in Ontario. For more information about the Be a Santa to a Senior program, visit www.beasantatoasenior.com. 

Home Instead Senior Care

kicks off Be a Santa to a Senior campaign



Gifts will be delivered to seniors during holiday season



SUDBURY, DECEMBER 1, 2009 – Home Instead Senior Care has launched its first Be a Santa to a Senior campaign in Sudbury. The organization, which provides home care and companionship for seniors, expects to collect and distribute 75 gifts to local seniors, according to Lisette Wirta of Home Instead Senior Care.



Home Instead Senior Care has 15 locations in Ontario and 25 across Canada. It makes Be a Santa to a Senior a reality by partnering with local retailers, non-profit agencies, and volunteers from the community. This year retailers such as Hart Store, The ParkSide Centre and Zellers are taking part in the program along with other organizations such as the Big Brother and Big Sister Association.



According to Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey of 2003 (from 2001) almost two-thirds of seniors aged 85 and over (65.3 percent) were either living alone or in an institution. As well, one-third of seniors aged 75-84 (33 percent) were living alone. As the population has continued to age, it is expected that these figures have increased. According to the 2006 census, more than 1.1 million Canadian seniors aged 65 and up were living alone, and 28 per cent of all seniors in private households were living alone. Lisette Wirta, who runs Home Instead Senior Care in Sudbury, said there is no shortage of seniors who would benefit from Be a Santa to a Senior.



“At holiday time, there are many seniors with no families and many whose families are far away,” Wirta said. “And when it comes to gifts, we naturally tend to think of kids, but this program means a lot to thousands of seniors. That’s why it is so successful. The seniors who receive these gifts are an important part of the community, and we think it’s great that retailers, offices, and volunteers from the community have stepped up like this to support the program.”



Be a Santa to a Senior is also run every year by many Home Instead Senior Care offices around the world. Over the past five years, more than one million gifts have been presented to some 700,000 seniors in the program. Here is how to get involved:



1. Visit the website www.beasantatoasenior.ca.  Enter your postal code to find the location of a participating store.

2. Remove an ornament, which has a gift idea printed on the back, from the Christmas tree in the store.

3. Purchase a gift.

4. Give both the gift and ornament to a store employee.



On December 17th from 10am to 4pm, Home Instead Senior Care will be hosting a gift-wrapping party involving volunteers from the community and their own staff who will prepare gifts for delivery to seniors. Be a Santa to a Senior is made possible with the help of local retailers, non-profit agencies, and a host of volunteers.



In Canada, Home Instead Senior Care has 25 independently owned locations in seven provinces. In addition to Sudbury there are 14 in Ontario – nine of them in the Greater Toronto Area – and five in B. C. – Kelowna, Port Coquitlam, Vancouver, Victoria and White Rock. There are also locations in Calgary, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Halifax and Charlottetown. Services include companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and escorts for appointments and shopping. Home Instead Senior Care services are available at home or in care facilities from a few hours per week up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services are available in English and French in Sudbury.



Home Instead Senior Care prepares its caregivers to look for signs of abuse in the elderly and provides caregiver training that is unmatched in the industry. Recently, Home Instead Senior Care received the Best Employer Award for 50-Plus Canadians from The Workplace Institute. Home Instead Senior Care also offers an Alzheimer’s training program to its caregivers; this training program is the first of its kind for non-medical caregivers.



Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s largest provider of non-medical home care and companionship services for seniors with more than 850 independently-owned-and-operated locations in Canada, the U.S., Japan, Portugal, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the U.K., Spain, South Korea, Austria, Finland and Taiwan. For more information about the company and its owners visit www.homeinstead.com.





For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:



Mary Ann Freedman

Freedman & Associates Inc. for Home Instead Senior Care

Toll Free: 1-866-453-6824

Email: mafreedman@freedmanandassociates.com

 

St Joseph center of Sudbury( Villa St- Gabriel)

 

Home Instead Senior Care opens in Sudbury



SUDBURY, OCTOBER 22, 2009 – Home Instead Senior Care, the world’s leading non-medical, home-care service for seniors, has opened in Sudbury. The office opened on August 17th at 1984 Regent Street, Suite 124, and will serve Sudbury as well as Elliot Lake.



Home Instead Senior Care Services include companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and incidental transportation for appointments and errands. The services, which are available at home and also in care facilities, can range from a few hours per week up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Sudbury office is the 26th in Canada, and the first to serve this part of Ontario.



Operator Lisette Wirta, who has lived in Sudbury for 35 years, got into the business because of a personal experience. Two years ago, her husband was in a snowmobile accident that left him with severe injuries to his arm and leg. Wirta was floundering around looking for a care provider, and quit a management job to become her husband’s full-time caregiver.



“The despair that one feels when something like this happens is unreal,” she says. “I was looking for a caregiver and our insurance company couldn’t recommend anyone. They said to put an ad in the newspaper. There was no other option so I did it myself, but I got a good understanding of how it feels to need help and not be able to find it. It made me understand what it must be like when a senior is in crisis and the family suddenly needs help.”



Wirta studied Human Resources, and has a diploma in accounting and business administration. Before her husband’s accident, she was an executive with a company that ran a string of fast-food franchises throughout several Ontario communities, including Sudbury. She was responsible for 450 employees, but all that went out the window with the snowmobile accident.



The experience left an indelible impression on her. When she was able to return to work, she wanted to do something that involved helping people. She chose Home Instead Senior Care.



“Never in my life have I worked for an organization that helps you the way they do,” she says. “They are very professional and friendly, and it was clear from the outset that they are looking for people who are passionate about providing care for seniors.”



Later this fall, Home Instead Senior Care offices will embark on their annual Be a Santa to a Senior campaign. This is a community program that collects and distributes gifts to needy and isolated seniors during the holiday season. Wirta plans to run a campaign in Sudbury, and will be assisted by her daughter. Her daughter recently entered a local radio contest that had asked listeners to write in about doing good deeds. She wrote about Be a Santa to a Senior and obviously made an impression because she won.



About Home Instead Senior Care



In Canada, Home Instead Senior Care has 26 independently owned locations in seven provinces. In addition to Sudbury, there are 14 in Ontario – nine of them in the Greater Toronto Area – and five in B.C. – Kelowna, Port Coquitlam, Vancouver, Victoria and White Rock. There are also locations in Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Halifax and Charlottetown. Services include companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and escorts for appointments and shopping. Home Instead Senior Care services are available at home or in care facilities from a few hours per week up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.



Home Instead Senior Care prepares its caregivers to look for signs of abuse in the elderly and provides caregiver training that is unmatched in the industry. Recently, Home Instead Senior Care received the Best Employer Award for 50-Plus Canadians from The Workplace Institute. Home Instead Senior Care also offers an Alzheimer’s training program to its caregivers; this training program is the first of its kind for non-medical caregivers.



Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s largest provider of non-medical home care and companionship services for seniors with more than 800 independently-owned-and-operated locations in Canada, the U.S., Japan, Portugal, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the U.K., Spain, South Korea, Austria, Finland and Taiwan. For more information about the company and its owners visit www.homeinstead.com.


For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Mary Ann Freedman

Freedman & Associates Inc. for Home Instead Senior Care

Tel: 1-866-453-6824

Email: mafreedman@freedmanandassociates.com

Be a Santa For Seniors Part 1

Be a Santa for Seniors(PDF)Part2

Home instead Senior Care(PDF)

Connecting You with Care(PDF)

Notes from Thursday, April 2 Community Forum re: support services for seniors

WHO: Seniors and Family Members in Walden and Area Communities
WHAT: Community Forum – Support Services for Seniors



WHERE: Tom Davies Community Arena (Walden)



WHEN: Thursday April 2nd  1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.


As you may be aware, the Walden Home Support Program was recently disbanded and is no longer in operation. The North East Local Health Integration Network (NELHIN) would like to reinstate the program in the near future and continue the provision of valuable support services which enable seniors to live in their home settings.



Before this program can be relaunched – the NELHIN needs to know the specific needs and priorities of seniors so that it can allocate funding and resources accordingly. In this regard, a community forum has been scheduled for Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. at the Walden Arena to hear directly from seniors about the types of community support services which would best meet their current needs.



This is your opportunity to have input in the design of the new community support services program for seniors in Walden & Area and it is hoped that all interested seniors, family members and community representatives will attend. Dave Paquette of Summit Consulting has been hired to facilitate the forum and prepare a summary of the feedback collected.



Please share this information with other interested individuals and we look forward to seeing you on April 2nd.
 

Canadian Red Cross, Sudbury Branch
Home Maintenance Program

The Sudbury Home Maintenance program of the Canadian Red Cross assists seniors to be independent by providing dependable, low-cost, home cleaning, snow plowing, and lawn care services within the City of Greater Sudbury.

This program is made possible through funding from the Ministry of Health and a user fee that is charged to the client to partially offset the cost of providing the program.

Services are provided by Canadian Red Cross, Sudbury Branch Home Help Worker, Seasonal Employees, and subcontractors. Normal hours of operation are 8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Criteria:

• Individuals who are 60 yrs old or over.

• Individuals who are unable to complete their independent activities of daily living, or unable to do so safely.

• Individuals must require some assistance with independent activities of daily living services to remain in their own home.

Home maintenance services must be obtained through Community Care Access Center (CCAC) referrals.

Fees for Service:

• Home cleaning - $7.50 per hour.

• Grass cutting - $7.50 per hour.

• Snow Removal - $15.00 per plow.

Program Coordinator: Stephanie Bell
Contact info: stephanie.bell@redcross.ca
705-674-0737 ext. 214
 

Canadian Red Cross, Sudbury Branch
Seniors Transportation Program

The Sudbury Transportation program of the Canadian Red Cross assists seniors to be independent by providing dependable, low-cost, door-to-door transportation within the City of Greater Sudbury.

This program is made possible through funding from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, United Way, local fundraising projects and a user fee that is charged to the client to partially offset the cost of providing the program.

Services are provided by Volunteer Drivers using their own vehicles or the Aging at Home / Red Cross van. Normal hours of operation are 8:30am – 5:00pm, Monday to Friday. Transportation service may be extended beyond these hours and on weekends depending on the nature of the request and availability of drivers. Office hours are 8:30am – 4:30pm.

Criteria:

• Individuals who are 60 yrs old or over. – Exceptions have been made for individuals requiring dialysis who are 55 yrs old.

• Individuals who are not living in a Long Term Care Facility

• Individuals must be able to transfer in and out of a vehicle independently or may bring an escort to assist with their needs

• Individuals who are unable to access existing transportation options (transit) and are not currently driving


Program Coordinator: Nancy Leblanc
Contact info: Nancy.Leblanc@redcross.ca
705-674-0737 ext. 213