“When the hospital discharged me, I was told I had to take one medication every two hours and a different medication every three hours. The doctor said I was never to take the two together. I was sobbing in the middle of the night with a pen and paper in my hand trying to figure out this logic puzzle of when I could take my medication. Unsurprisingly, I was back in the hospital within weeks.”

– Evelyn, patient

Read More

At some point in their lives, it’s estimated nearly half of all Canadians will become family caregivers. This means they provide some sort of unpaid care to a family member or friend who has a long-term health condition, disability or aging needs.

While caregiving can be a spiritually elevating and rewarding experience, it also can put a strain on the caregiver emotionally and physically.

Read More

When caring for an aging loved one, family members may find they are able to reconnect in more meaningful ways than in the past by sharing family stories and just enjoying the moment together. 

Sometimes, though, family caregivers need a helping hand or respite care. Here are three situations in which ComForCare Home Care can help:

Read More

In an NPR interview early in his career, Jerry Seinfeld talked about how difficult it was to perform stand-up comedy in front of his parents. When his parents were in the audience, he felt off balance: “In front of your parents – you always want them to have the power.”

Many of us go through much of our adult lives feeling as if our parents or older loved ones are still in charge. It can be destabilizing, scary and difficult to admit power relationships have shifted, and we may have a new role to play. Since it is always different when it is your mom, dad or great uncle Felix, we have compiled some small signs that led people to realize they needed to get help for their aging loved ones.

Read More

Many Canadians do not fully understand hospice and palliative care. If we do not work in medicine, “hospice” and “palliative care” are terms we only encounter when we are faced with the difficult task of seeing a friend or loved one through a terminal illness. Often, the best place to start is with clear definitions:

Read More

One of the few downsides to having a robust national health care plan is Canadians are not used to talking about money and health care together. Payment for medical home care happens in the same way almost all health-related payment happens in Canada: Patients present their health card and medical professionals are reimbursed by the provincial government. Money rarely changes hands with health care in Canada, whether at home or in hospital, so it can come as a shock when Canadians are faced with paying for non-medical home care. 

Read More

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” – Michael Pollan author of “Food Rules”

Most of us know we should be following Michael Pollan’s deceptively simple rules for eating well. These rules become even more important as we age. Yet, older adults face nutritional challenges for reasons that go beyond food trends and confusing food advice.

Read More