Caring for Changes

Award-winning health columnist, author and Order of Canada recipient André Picard has been sounding the alarm for years about the state of Canada’s health care system in general and—with a degree of added fervency—pointing to the “little changes” that we can all be making in order to better integrate our aging population—including those with a lived experience of dementia—into our everyday world....

The burdens that young caregivers carry daily are often done so in silence—which puts an extra layer of feelings of isolation experienced by those who are often thrust into the task of caring for a loved one where they like it or not at the forefront of this episode. As co-founder and director of the Young Caregiver Council of Canada, Rebekah Gold candidly shares her own lived experience on what i...

For Chris Rosati, being thrust into the role of caregiver to his wife Jane ended up being the most profound experience of his life. It also meant a crash course in reinventing himself through his and Jane’s shared experience of drawing on humour to eventually emerge as both a storyteller and caregiver advocate. (Content presented in the following podcast is for information purposes only. Views and...

Getting a diagnosis of a Loved One’s serious illness is enough to knock any of us off the emotional “beam”, to say nothing of the physical and financial considerations that often come into play. Tracy Heath’s multi-faceted experience serves as a ground zero compass of sorts to help anyone get and keep their bearings throughout the caregiving journey. (Content presented in the following podcast is...

Anyone who’s ever tried managing care for a loved from a distance can relate to Pierre Pelletier’s story. As both his and his siblings’ parents’ health began to decline, the miles that separated them came into play as circumstance, adjustment and finally acceptance dictated their journey’s unfolding. (Content presented in the following podcast is for information purposes only. Views and opinions e...

Are all visits to the hospital emergency department or Doctor’s office absolutely necessary? What if patients could be empowered to deal with at least some of their medical issues in their own homes, thereby alleviating the added strain on our already overburdened health care system? That’s where Community Paramedicine comes in. As a former First Responder, Lianna Corsini brings her own story into...

Where did the name for this podcast series - Caring for Changes - come from? In 2017, host BJ Doyle wrote a one-time only blog about the early days of shepherding his partner Judy’s journey into Early Onset Alzheimer Disease. The piece, titled “Caring for Changes, Healing a Caregiver”, was later picked up and published by the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia. He shares it as written in this e...

Like many areas across Canada, BC’s Sunshine Coast continues to experience a shortage of healthcare providers. And with approximately 1/3rd of the local population at present without a family doctor, making the best uses of what resources and supplementary programs are available is key. That can often depend upon a person’s ability to advocate—not only for themselves but often for loved ones who c...

Imagine a lifetime of caregiving for your child with a lived experience of having a disability from birth right through to adulthood. Of being thrust into a space early-on where you have to constantly advocate and push the envelope to ensure your child’s quality of life. And then having to deal with your own mortality as you begin to grow older. This episode attempts to shed light on Martha Ware’s...

What happens when a primary caregiver's pleas for help from family go unheard? Does that impact the quality of care they're able to provide for their loved one? And how much of a toll does feeling alone on the caregiving path eventually take on their well-being? These questions and more as we delve into Mary Caros’ heartfelt journey into caregiving for her mother.  (*Content presented in t...

https://livingbydesign.ca #LivingByDesign About Tom Grant: Tom is an experienced Occupational Therapist, registered with the College of Occupational Therapists, BC and a member of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. He transitioned into healthcare after starting out working as an Elementary school teacher in England, before moving to BC over 20 years ago. He now shares his time be...

As Canada’s law surrounding the process of accessing Medical Assistance in Dying (M.A.I.D.) continues to evolve, it’s with great honour that this episode serves as a platform for Allan Forest's story of devotion and unparalleled love in shepherding his spouse’s decision to choose M.A.I.D...and how the experience has changed his life.   (*Content presented in the following podcast is for inform...

Our first conversation with a medical professional—retired physician Carla Paetkau—who after years of guiding families through their trek with dementia found her own family having to shepherd and care for a loved one, and how her experience as a doctor helped process that journey with her mother as they embarked along the path together.   (*Content presented in the following podcast is for informa...

According to the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, one in four Canadians currently identifies as a caregiver, and one in two will be caregivers at some point in their lives. We can be grateful for passionate souls such as Cindy Naude who—after overcoming personal adversity—now views her own “sunset career” in caregiving as a journey of the heart.    (*Content presented in the following po...

What happens when the power of music allows those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia disorders to access their long-forgotten memories? In this episode with Bruce Devereux—who coordinates recreation programs in facility—we delve into how reconnections such as this permit individuals to feel “a part OF” as opposed to “apart from”, with some surprising benefits for those lucky enough to witness it!...

Our first guest conversation is with frontline health care provider Jan Lee who shares her insights, challenges and wins while engaging daily alongside those living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia while working in facility. Jan’s experience parallels those faced by many family caregivers immersed in the “ground” game of caregiving for a loved one.   (*Content presented in the followin...

From subtle changes in the language we invoke while in the presence of a loved one to presenting them with choices while those choices can still be made, there are countless ways we can respect and preserve that person’s autonomy.   (*Content presented in the following podcast is for information purposes only. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests and...

This episode highlights the need for primary caregivers to strike a balance between caring for their loved one and taking care of themselves by focusing on just a few examples of in-home respite and how caregivers’ self-care is essential.   (*Content presented in the following podcast is for information purposes only. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and gu...

In this first in a series of vignettes from a caregiver's perspective, Home Healthcare Network's BJ Doyle--drawing on his experience in shepherding his late partner's journey--shares his own approach in working alongside those with Alzeimer's Disease and other dementia disorders.   (*Content presented in the following podcast is for information purposes only. Views and opinions expressed in this p...