The day before the Russians invaded in 1944, Margrit and her mother packed all they could carry into two small suitcases and, leaving everything else behind, fled their Baltic homeland, leaving everything else behind. At the docks they found a boat that would take them to a refugee camp. They were the lucky ones. Of [read more…]
Posts
An Introduction to Executors and Probate
It is no wonder there is confusion around executors, estates and probate. No one wants to consider their own demise so discussions tend to be avoided. Death, however, is a certainty, and with this in mind you need the basics in place to protect your loved ones. This month, Elder Voice has invited Gregg Medwid, [read more…]
Long Term Care Insurance Qestions and Answers
Long term care insurance is relatively new to Canada and not generally well understood. I met Travis Attlebery, a Health & Life Insurance Advisor with Laurentian Financial Services, at a health fair. He is one of the only people I ever thought I would trust to buy insurance from. He gave me these answers to [read more…]
The Costs of Care: Beyond Housing Part 2
Last month Elder Voice reviewed equipment costs that sometimes arise as people age. This month, we focus on the costs of home help. This includes personnel who help with personal care and companionship, as well as a number of other types of services, such as drivers, physio- and occupational therapists, and other allied professionals such [read more…]
The Costs of Care: Beyond Housing
When planning for the costs associated with growing older, people often only consider Seniors housing prices. However, your planning should also take into consideration that at some point you may need some equipment or a paid caregiver, especially if you wish to remain in your own home. You might not ever need them, but if [read more…]
Medical Mental Capability Evaluations
Dr. John Sloan has been a family physician with a specialty in working with the elderly for many years. A few years ago, he made a bold decision to change the way he practiced. He closed his office, and established a unique approach to working with his older clients—he goes to them. Dr. Sloan also [read more…]
Seniors, Sex and Intimacy
Sexuality and intimacy can be part of everyone’s life, whether they are teenagers or grandparents. Yet in our society the sexuality of older people has been ignored, hidden, and sometimes mocked. Myths prevail and sometimes dictate even how people feel about themselves. Despite this, just as attitudes about sexuality have changed for many areas, they [read more…]
The Dementia Road: Part 3
In the past two months we have written about caregivers and people with dementia experiencing changes in three areas: in the person with dementia, in the relationship between caregiver and the person with dementia, and in the caregiver. This month is the final article in the series and we focus on the changes in caregivers. [read more…]
The Dementia Road: Part 2
As we said last month,family members of someone with a dementia often come see us for a consultation because they want to know what is “coming down the road.” They want to know what to expect as the dementia progresses and how to prepare for the future. We wrote that it may be helpful to [read more…]
What You Will Find On The Dementia Road
Family members of someone with a dementia often come come to us because they want to know what is “coming down the road.” They want to know what to expect as the dementia progresses and how to prepare for the future. We think it helps to think of changes as occurring in three areas: in [read more…]