November CAREGiver of the Month

Alga has been with Home Instead Senior Care since January 2012. Alga has a huge heart. She treats all of her clients with the utmost respect.  Her clients’ families are so very happy to have Alga as their CAREGiver because they know that their family member will be well taken care of.  We asked Alga the following questions;

Why did you decide to become a CAREGiver?
I decided to become a CAREGiver because I love to help people and take care of them. I chose seniors because I find them easy to communicate with.

What is your most memorable moment(s) with your clients?
My most memorable moment with a client was when a client's family told me how much I meant to their mother and to them. And the client told her that "Nobody takes care of me the way you do."

What advice do you have for any new CAREGivers?
My advice to new CAREGivers is to take responsibility for your client. Be there for them and make them happy.

October CAREGiver of the Month

Joy is our CAREGiver for this month. She started working with us in April 2011. Joy is heartfelt, dependable, caring, and her name says it all; everywhere she goes she leaves a little joy with her clients. We asked her three questions;

Why did you decide to become a CAREGiver?

I decided to be a CAREGiver because of my passion in taking care of the elderly.

What is your most memorable moment(s) with your clients?

My memorable moment with my client was when she wanted to adopt me as her daughter.

What advice to you have for any new CAREGivers?

My advice for the new caregiver is the following;

*you should know your client very well.

*need patience all the time

*never argue with your client even if she's wrong

*always lift her moral values

*above all whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.


Thank you so much, Joy! We don't know what we would do without you!

September CAREGiver of the Month

Thanks to Carlos for all that he does for his clients. Carlos has a great attitude. He's very flexible, always goes the extra mile and takes on any challenge. The clients that he visits appreciate Carlos so much that even after one of his clients went into a personal care home the family still wanted Carlos to visit their dad.

Even if Carlos' clients fall asleep, he never sits still. Once he went great lengths to search out a vacuum cleaner so that he could clean his client's room. That way it would be all fresh and clean for the client when he awoke. 

Why did you decide to become a CAREGiver?

I love providing care giving services to those that would otherwise not be able to do so.

What is your most memorable moment(s) with your clients?

Seeing a smile of appreciation over just a small deed that I do.

What advice do you have for any new CAREGivers?
Show a caring attitude and always give 100% and do the best job you can do with no exception and excuses. 


We are so grateful that we have Carlos as one of our wonderful CAREGivers. Thanks Carlos!

August CAREGiver of the Month

CAREGiver of the Month

Jennifer has been with Home Instead Senior Care since October 2012.  She is a wonderful caregiver and always finds ways to connect with her clients. When one of her clients was in the hospital she made sure that the husband, also a client, was able to see his wife. She took the husband on the bus so that the couple was able to be together for a short visit. Jennifer always goes above and beyond in her care towards her clients. We appreciate Jennifer for her dedication and all that she does!

Why did you decide to become a CAREGiver?

I didn't decide to become a caregiver, it just came to me naturally.  Being able to help people in need is satisfying.  Knowing that I can help them and give the best that they deserve makes me happy.  At the end of the day, I come home thinking that I was able to make their lives a little easier and worth living.

What is your most memorable moment(s) with your clients?

My memorable moment with my client is when my client gets agitated, frustrated or confused and I am able to redirect her agitations, frustrations or confusions into something meaningful to her or him.  It can either suggesting a game to play, a walk outside, or just a conversation.

What advice do you have for any new CAREGivers?

There is nothing more than giving your heart and your best to the client.  Even clients with advance Alzheimer’s could feel your genuine heart, so give it to them, they deserve it.

July CAREGiver of the Month

Kim is our CAREGiver of the month.

 

 

 

Kim has been with us since March 2011. She is a dedicated and compassionate caregiver.

 

Why did you decide to become a CAREGiver?  

Kim told us that she has always had a good relationship with seniors. Even before she came to Home Instead Senior Care she would be approached by seniors for help while doing her grocery shopping at Safeway. She also told us that she enjoys the company of seniors and very much likes listening to their stories. 

What is your most memorable moment(s) with your clients? 

She has had too many wonderful moments to mention but something had happened recently that she shared with us. One of her client's daughter told Kim that she decided to hire Kim to work additional hours with her mom as she wasn't going to Europe with the money she had saved in the bank. The daughter told her that Kim was her mom's Europe. How sweet! 

What advice do you have for any new CAREGivers?   

Kim said that CAREGivers should have patience, love, understanding and give lots of hugs.

 

Thank you, Kim

for all of your dedication and hard work you have to Home Instead Senior Care and your clients.

 

June CAREGiver of the Month

June CAREGiver of the Month

 

Alan is currently our CAREGiver of the month for June. He is a valuable asset to our team and we appreciate all that Alan does.

I feel really privileged to be acknowledged in this way.  Thank You.

Why did you decide to become a CAREGiver?

 

 

I didn't feel I had it in me to become a Care Giver.  Had Alanna not phoned me to ask if I could take on clients, I probably wouldn't have given it a chance. I really miss my father since he passed away and I don't get to visit my mom as often as I would like to, so I decided to become a Care Giver so I would have contact with the elderly.

  

What is your most memorable moment(s) with your clients?

There are so many memorable moments; it would take far too long to list them all but what's most outstanding is walking up to a client and they smile and say "It's so nice to see you".  They may not remember my name, but after a while of consistent visits, they recognize me.  My dad often didn't recognize who I was.

What advice do you have for any new CAREGivers? 

My advice; enter each visit being in a positive frame of mind, smile, show the client you are happy to be spending time with them, be patient and ask them a lot of questions about their past.

 

April CAREGiver of the Month: Jay

Jay is currently one of our CAREGiver's participating in Home Instead’s unique Alzheimer’s and dementia training program that was developed as part of its CARE: Changing Aging through Research and Education program.

She is a valuable asset to our team and we appreciate all her hard work.

Why did you decide to become a CAREGiver?

I decided some 30 years ago that I would be a caregiver so I became a nurse. Nurses work together as team players with other professionals to achieve the best outcome for their patients. As a caregiver with Home Instead I still get a chance to be part of professional team who works together in the assessing, planning, implementation, and evaluation process with Alzheimer’s clients. As caregivers we are the one’s who most often get closest to the clients so we get a chance to put a plan into action and help it work.

What advice do you have for any new CAREGivers?

Take your time, never try to convince or change someone with Alzheimer’s mind it only leads to frustration for both of you. Patience and kindness are virtues with caregivers. I am so afraid that my clients will fall or trip when I take them out so I tend to be overly cautious on ice and snow especially in crosswalks and parking lots, Remember there is something to learn with every client. Pay it forward, we might be in the same situation and need someone to care for us one day.

Salute to Senior Service

Voting for Salute to Senior Service begins today! Salute an outstanding senior volunteer!

 

Starting today, April 15, you're able to vote for which nominee deserves to become a Province Winner. Province Winners will receive a $500 donation for their favourite non-profit volunteer organization.

Last year Winnipeg’s very own 78-year old Lesley Iredale was selected as national winner of this award, for her years of dedicated volunteer services to a number of organizations in the community. In her honour, Home Instead, Inc. made a $5,000 gift to a charity of her choice, the Guild of the Victoria General Hospital.

For more information and to vote visit: www.salutetoseniorservice.ca

CAREGiver of the Month: February

Our CAREGiver of the Month for February 2013 is Herb!

This summer Herb raised $555 for The Alzheimer's Society of Manitoba's Memory Walk - the top caregiver fundraiser on the Home Instead Senior Care team - an example of the kind of guy he is. Compassionate and thoughtful.

Herb answered a few questions about being a CAREGiver:

What's a memorable moment you've had with a client?

A memorable moment is actually memorable events that is still ongoing. One client when I first was introduced to him, was very cold and negative towards me, he seemed like he was upset with the whole world. He didn't like the place where he is living and whenever I took him to different outing, he would always say "whatever" when I told him where we were going that day and he didn't seem to care. He never wanted to try mini-golf or go shot some pool, he would say "I don't want to."

I would then take him to different museums all over town and in the summer to all kinds of parks. He seems to really like St.Vital Duck Pond, watching people as they came by feeding the ducks & geese. It brought memories for him, of his younger days, when he would go hunting with with his buddies. I was always amazed at his ability to remember all the different types of geese that would come by.

Over the months and years that have passed he has now become very fond of me and looks forward to his weekly outing. A few times when I was away or sick , he would mention how much he missed his weekly outing . In this last year I have even taken him back to mini-golf locations and also to play pool , and he likes it now. He even wins a few games here and there. He approves of me now, looks forward to his weekly outing, no matter where we go, that's what he told me just last week.

Why did you decide to become a caregiver?

I decided to get involved after I retired from my job early because of a back injury . My wife went into a Nursing Home, it was there that I noticed several residents, who had Elderly Companions and as I observed what they were doing I felt that is what I could be doing as well. So I then went online, to inquiry about elderly companions. And Home Instead Senior Care, was one that came up. I wrote down the phone # and called. I was interviewed by Brian. I think that was about four years ago.


Thank you Herb for all your hard work!

Cold Weather Tips for Seniors

The extreme temperatures and snow of winter can be particularly dangerous for older adults. The elderly and those with heart disease are at special risk, according to the American Heart Association.

As people age, their ability to maintain a normal internal body temperature often decreases. Because elderly people seem to be relatively insensitive to moderately cold conditions, they can suffer hypothermia without knowing they're in danger.

Hypothermia means the body temperature has fallen below normal. It occurs when your body can't produce enough energy to keep the internal body temperature warm enough and the condition can kill. Heart failure causes most deaths in hypothermia, the American Heart Association notes.

The following tips, from Home Instead Senior Care, will help you safeguard a senior loved one or neighbor.

• Fill the cupboard. Help your senior stock the staples and groceries they’ll need in the event of a large snowstorm or cold spell.
• Maximize energy. Encourage your senior to make sure they have adequate insulation and to check and clean the fireplace and furnace.
• Minimize drafts. Help your senior fill old socks with sand and use them in drafty windowsills and door jams. Weather-strip around windows and doors. Keep doors closed to unused rooms and close curtains at night.
• Stay toasty. Advise your senior to add an extra blanket to the bed and warm the bed in advance with a hot water bottle. Never use electric blankets.  A senior may not be able to operate the controls if the temperature needs to be adjusted in the night.
• Dress warmly. A senior’s circulation decreases with age. Encourage your senior to wear an extra sweater or sweatshirt, and sweat pants during the winter.
• Monitor the thermostat. Check with your senior to make sure that they’re keeping the thermostat above 65 degrees during the cold weather. Older adults are particularly susceptible to hypothermia, which can develop over a few days and weeks even in the mildly cool indoor temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees.
• Beware of budget problems. Make sure your senior isn’t trying to save money by keeping the thermostat down. Many communities have energy assistance programs for low- and fixed-income households.
• Avoid slips. Make sure your senior has made arrangements to have driveways and walkways cleaned. Salt and sand should be available to speed melting.
• Stay in touch. Check on your neighbor or loved one frequently during periods of cold and snowy weather.
• Build a network. You can’t always be around to help your elderly loved one. Call on neighbors, family and church members to help. Or contact your local Home Instead Senior Care office.

Be a Santa to a Senior 2012

As we start off 2013 it's nice to reflect on all the great memories of 2012. Once again a highlight for us here at Home Instead Senior Care was our Be a Santa to a Senior program. We launched the program mid-November and by the end of December had raised almost 1000 gifts. Gifts that went to seniors in Winnipeg who might not otherwise receive a gift during the holiday season.

We want to thank everyone who made this possible.

We couldn't do it without our partners and their contributions to the program. Thank you so much Age & Opportunity, Victoria General Hospital, Victoria Lifeline, Holy Rosary Catholic Church and The Westhaven Independent Retirement Living.

Also, thank you to every office, classroom, family and individual in the community who took a seniors gift request(s) and made it happen.

Below are a few of the thank you messages we've received. We wanted to share them with all of you who made Be a Santa to a Senior 2012 our best year yet:

"Dear Home Instead Senior Care staff,

Many thanks for including our precious residents in your "Santa to a Senior" campaign again this year.

You just never know the difference these acts of kindness make in someones life. The residents are always so delighted with their surprises.

Thanks to this program 37 of our residents will know that they were thought of at this special time of year. We all are reminded that Winnipegers care!

Again thank you and your staff for all their efforts."

Leigh Carriere
Tenant Resource Coordinator
Lions Housing Centres

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"Thank you so much for putting the gifts together for our 3 residents at Deerlodge Centre. Christmas will be special for these residents as they would not receive gifts otherwise.

Merry Christmas and all the best to you and your organization in 2013.

Sincerely, Wendy"

 

Recreation Facilitator

Deerlodge Centre

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"On behalf of Grace Hospital, please accept our most sincere thanks for the special gifts for our patients this holiday season.

 

The beautifully wrapped packages brought warmth and happiness to those who received them at the most special time of year. We are grateful for your generosity."

 

Grace Hospital Foundation