April CAREGiver of the Month

Happi is our CAREGiver of the month. She has been with us since November 2012 and is a very valuable member of our CAREGiver team. Happi is very dedicated to her clients and is a great co-worker in as she supports and helps the other CAREGivers assigned to the same clients.

"I am really happy and appreciate this honour to be the caregiver of the month. It has been pleasure working with Home Instead and the experience has changed me to be a better person in caring for our diverse clients. And also on a personal level I have learned how to value life every day."

Why I decided to become a Caregiver?

For me it’s purely based on the love that I have for people and being able to help someone in need of full attention and care; because for my clients it’s not their fault to be in that situation but that’s life and things come surprisingly and unexpected. Giving them emotional, physical and mental needs and a reason to get up every day and look up for another great day because for them it’s one day at a time.

Memorable or happiest moments with a client?

Being able to see a smile on a client's face after providing care is one great moment for me. I have been working with Doris for over a year and I remember one day I gave her a shower and after I briefly massaged her feet as they were so cold. She looked at me and said ''Where did you come from I have never seen such a treatment, will you be here every day? “ I had to hold back tears as I realized to me it was just a little favour but for her it meant whole lot more. For our clients it’s the little things that we take for granted that fulfill their life.

Advice for a new Caregiver.

It's not an easy job as there are many hardships that are often attached to being a caregiver but if they are able to handle their emotions and give love, that is all they need.

Things that I do on my spare time.

Reading a good book, taking a walk and riding a bike on my off days refreshes and energizes me for the week ahead."

Thank you so much for all that you do, Happi!!

April 1st is Caregiver Recognition Day!

careAware is a provincial initiative that aims to raise awareness in support of Manitobans who provide unpaid care and support to family members and friends. These family and friends provide full or part time unpaid personal care, support and assistance to people of all ages with disabilities, medical conditions, mental illness and frailty due to age. Caregivers can be children, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, siblings, friends and neighbours. They come from every ethnicity and every region of the province or country. 


Home Instead Senior Care Winnipeg franchise owner, Julie Donaldson is president of The Manitoba Caregiver Coalition and whose task it is to host the official  provincial event.

Did you know that in 2012, about 8.1 million individuals, or 28% of Canadians aged 15 years and older, provided care to a family member or friend with a long-term health condition, disability or aging needs.

You can learn more about careAware at their website; http://www.careaware.ca/

March CAREGiver of the Month

Heather is our CAREGiver of the month. She has been with us since September 2008 and is warm, caring and has a big heart.

"I became a CAREGiver after spending 2 years on disability following knee replacement surgery. Almost every job I have ever done has revolved around providing care for someone and in my personal life I did this for my husband who was very ill and would not have been able to stay home without that care.  Being incapacitated by my knee surgery and the removal of a kidney many years ago put me on the “other side” of the caregiving relationship and certainly provided perspective on the need to receive care as well as empathy to provide it.  I feel that seniors in our society are often undervalued and minimalized.  People often feel that our elderly don’t have anything left to offer and that they are “no longer useful.”  Nothing could be further from the truth and I continue to learn with each client I am blessed to have in my care.  It pleases me to be part of a team with office staff and other CAREGivers who seek to keep our clients safe, happy and in their homes as long as possible.  It fulfills my own need to be able to say at the end of each work day that I have made a difference in someone’s life and that they have made a difference in mine.

A memorable/happy moment with a client?  Tough question because there are so many.  I guess I will just generalize and say it is when a client says, “I’m so glad you come to see me.”  I know then that I am not “just doing a job.”

To new CAREGivers I would say, “Think of someone you love......how would you want to see them treated if they needed care?  Now think of yourself.  If you are very young it might be hard to imagine yourself being “old” so try to remember a time when you were sick and needed time to get back on your feet.  How would you want to be treated?  Take that desire into each CareGiving relationship and you will know what to do." 

Last Day to Vote!

Manitoba Senior Volunteers are making a difference!

Last call for nominations and votes.

The Salute to Senior Service contest ends today.
You have one last vote to cast…which senior volunteer nominee will you vote for?

Senior Volunteers

For a vast majority of seniors who volunteer, their community service helps define who they are. According to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network, nearly 100 percent of North American senior volunteers say that, when compared to other things they do in their lives, volunteering is important. One in five senior volunteers says it is the most important thing they do.
To read more about volunteering as a senior or to vote for your favorite volunteer visit the Salute to Senior Service website.