Memorable Moments Senior Care Services

https://the-ria.ca//ria-receives-2m-in-federal-funding-to/ Exciting news! If you haven’t heard of the Research Institute for Aging check them out! They have a lot of neat research projects. Glad to see they recently received $2 million in funding for community based projects.

https://m.facebook.com/huronperthboomers/ Did you know we have a FREE magazine for adults 50+ you can view it online, just follow this link

Dementia is not a normal part of aging. Here’s a few signs to watch out for.

McMaster Geriatric Certificate Program www.geriatriccp.ca Here is some more information on the Geriatric Certificate Program from McMaster University for anyone interested. I would highly recommend! ... Pro: * If you work with seniors this is an extremely beneficial program covering various topics. * They accept past certificates so if you’ve already taken the course you don’t need to redo it * 2 - 4 years to complete, depending if you choose online or combination online and in person stream * Provides you with education to better access clients and handle various situations / respond in a way to improve quality of life (delirium, frailty, dementia) Con: *Can be expensive *Time consuming There are two streams: 1) Regulated Professionals- Nursing, OT, Physician ect. 2) Non-Regulated - Rec Therapist, PSW, Caregiver These are offered as a combination of online and in person so cost of each course varies. Very exciting news is that in response to Covid-19 they have created an Online Non-Regulated stream with a total of 4 required courses instead of 7. This is a cheaper way of completing the certificate and will take less time. I have attached the link so you can view the courses offered and which ones are required. I would highly recommend it to anyone working with seniors! Reminder: If you are a healthcare worker never be afraid to ask your boss if they will cover or split the cost of a course. The worst they can say is no, but it is truly beneficial for both you and the organization you work for if you get more education. Most organizations set aside money to send staff to training programs.

Reposting because it’s Christmas Eve!! Are you doing anything special? It’ll most likely be a Christmas movie for us and maybe making some sugar cookies

Another training program done!! On November 18th I attended the Update in Geriatrics Virtual Conference. 16 speakers in various fields of geriatric care provided updates on their area of expertise. It was very interesting to hear the different topics, to learn where Canada is at presently and the goals for the future of geriatric care. Topics included were;... 1. The future of Geriatrics 2. Palliative Care 3. Suicide in Older Adults 4. Aging and Technology 5. 2SLGBTQ Older Adults Considerations 6. Elder Abuse 7. Medication Optimization in Older Adults 8. Parkinson’s Disease 9. Dementia 10. Delirium 11. Urinary Incontinence 12. Management of Responsive Behaviours and Exit Seeking 13. Indigenous well being in Older Adults 14. Nutrition and Frailty 15. Interprofessional Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment 16. Compassion Fatigue Very excited to also announce that this was my final course I needed to complete for my Geriatric Certificate!!! Once I get my certificate I will provide information on what it is - a very worthwhile program anyone can complete. What a great way to end 2020.

With Christmas coming up I thought I would make up a Christmas Reminisce. For many this year’s Christmas will be very different. Even if you can’t be in the same household as your loved one why not give them a call or FaceTime and try this out? Would be great for the grandkids if they are unsure of what to talk about. Hopefully it will bring back some great memories. Feel free to share any other questions you come up with! Enjoy! ... #seniors #caregiver #Stratford #dementia

This is my clients fridge She told me this week that she shows anyone that comes by the picture of my daughter and myself. She looks forward to seeing an updated picture of my daughter. It turns into a reminisce of what it was like bringing up her own kids. It helps to bring the walls down so she feels comfortable with me helping her and being in her home.... I feel grateful to get to know each of my clients and that they chose me to help them out.

Recently I had a client call me, his wife was admitted to the hospital for an undetermined amount of time. If anyone has been admitted or had a loved one then you know there isn’t a lot to do - most likely even more so now with Covid on. The nurses and doctors are understandably busy and unfortunately they do not have enough Recreation Therapists on staff. Now imagine if that patient also has dementia, this stay can be irritating and also if they’re declining there’s nothing... stimulating for them. I thought I would post what I put together for him because I think it’s a good idea for everyone to have one of these because you never know when an emergency might happen. - Music is key! Pre load your / loved ones favourite songs on your favourite device - Sensory items like play dough - a balloon which is easy to use for some fun exercises - word sheets based off their interest and level of cognition - one page summary for staff to know important information or likes / dislikes if you’re taking a break The dollar store and internet are the best resources for getting materials. Hope these ideas help! Let me know if you need any help and please share any other ideas you have #dementia #alzheimers #resources #recreation #parkinsonsdisease #caregiver #caregiversupport #stratford

National Seniors Day is a week away! How are you preparing to celebrate your loved ones? Take the opportunity to show your respect and appreciation to all senio...rs for their lifelong contributions in the comment section. Let them know you are thinking of them by sending this e-card. Make this day memorable for them! Visit the National Seniors Day webpage https://bit.ly/332at5X

Check this video out from the UK but a universal need, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone was a dementia friend?

If you’re having a down day remember, there are so many beautiful reasons to be happy. What comes to mind for you? For me it would be the leaves changing colours

I just wanted to take the time to say thank you for the support. If you’ve liked / followed / shared or recommended our services and page it’s been greatly appreciated! It’s been a year since I took a leap of faith and started this journey, and what a crazy year it’s been! I’ve hit my fair share of road blocks and am still overcoming a few due to covid. Unfortunately it did not work out to start the group programming as planned but the silver lining is we have begun offering... 1:1 support in the home. We will have group programming in the future so please message me if you’d like a spot saved on the wait list. It’s been devastating to hear from clients and learn how much they are struggling. Not only is it hard on the caregiver but the lack of social and mental stimulation has caused their loved one to decline - fast. It’s a constant reminder of why I wanted to start Memorable Moments in the first place. I’m happy that in the mean time we can support our clients within the home. So thank you again for the support, together we will make it through this! #dementia #stratford #alzheimers #caregiver #homecare

Another memory book completed. I really enjoyed not only making this one but also connecting with the caregiver I made it for. Contact me if you’d like one made, would make a great Christmas gift!

One of the symptoms of dementia is that it can make people isolate themselves. One of the main causes for this is that they have difficulties initiating conversations. It can be hard to always come up with conversation starters so why not help yourself out by creating a little conversation starter box, I call them my ice breakers. Let this start the conversation and follow it wherever they take you. You might verge off the subject but that’s ok! This is extremely useful for kids who might not know what to say. Here is a list of 35 questions to get you started! I hope some great conversations come from this #caregiver #dementia #Alzheimers #parkinsons #reminisce

A perfect excuse to eat a ton of delicious cookies!!! If it’s for a good cause then the calories don’t count.

Never assume that just because someone has advanced dementia with all the difficulties that present, that they can’t still surprise you in the most unlikely ways.

Here’s our Rec Shay having some fun during these covid times at the LTC home she works at! I’m sure she made a lot of people smile.

The latest memory book I created has a lot of sentimental value as it was for my grandpa! My grandpa has always been an extremely social guy so when covid hit and he had to isolate by himself with 0 technology knowledge he had very little to entertain himself. He said that this allowed him a lot of time to reflect and decided he wanted to write down memories from his life. He then decided he would make 8 books to give to each of his kids as a keepsake. Such a thoughtful and special gift for them to cherish.

New pre-made memory book in! What do you think of the font? Too big or just right?

How awesome is this?? Great to see the creative ways people are beating the quarantine boredom.

Looking for a pen pal?? Some residents in Texas would love some friends to chat with. What a great idea!! Thanks Bridget McCann for sharing we’ll keep an eye out if any local homes start a similar initiative

Just wanted to send an update that my babe is already 3 weeks old tomorrow!! We are starting to get into a routine so more time to work on Memorable Moments In other news; - Due to Covid some updates will be happening with the day program which will hopefully be starting in the next few weeks. Once logistics are figured out we’ll share the news.... - Memory Books are still being made! An updated list of prices is coming shortly, sorry for the delay. If you’d like to purchase one just DM. - There’s only a few spots left for the day program so if you know of someone interested please have them get in contact Have a great Thursday

This week I was chatting with a caregiver and it hit a little too close to home. The family member she cares for has advanced early onset dementia and happens to be my parents age. I couldn’t help but think about what it would be like if I were in her shoes. It broke my heart to think about the memories they would miss out on, especially with my daughter and any future kids as they are the best grandparents ever. I chose to work with seniors with dementia because I love it. ...I love providing them with an environment that allows them to be independent and as capable as they can be depending on where they are on their journey. I get to meet them as they are in that moment and join their progression from there. I chose to be a caregiver, but others were thrust into it whether they like it or not. To the other caregivers who have chosen to step into the fire please know that you are doing a great job! If you ever have any questions feel free to reach out, you don’t have to do things on your own

Very excited to announce the safe arrival of Memorable Moments newest member, Addelyn! Born this morning at 5:31am, 7 pounds 11 ounces. I hope all the clients like babies and cuddles