caregiverwellbeing

How do you honour both yourself and your family member when giving full-time care? In this episode, Jean Ellison speaks about her experience as a full-time caregiver to her daughter, Brooke, whose story of life as a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic is well-known and inspirational.

For more than 30 years, Jean Ellison has balanced the roles of full-time caregiver and mother. While it was always clear to Jean that Brooke would live at home and not in a care facility, accepting her new reality and career trajectory was not a simple process. Jean strives to find happiness and laughter in every day, treating each one as a clean slate for both herself and her daughter.

Get a glimpse into Jean’s challenging and heartening experience:

• What it was like to be trained and tested to care for her own daughter
• Who she has become despite an unforeseeable change in her life’s direction
• Where she finds the middle ground between home care and motherly compassion
• How hope and acceptance can combine to create a fulfilling life despite the obstacles.

Resources: 

• https://www.brookeellison.com/
• Family Caregivers of BC Caregiver Support Line: 1-877-520-3267 (Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4pm PT)

Connect With Us!

To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast

Visit us at our office:

#6 – 3318 Oak Street,
Victoria, BC
V8X 1R1

Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm

Telephone: (250) 384-0408

Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267

Fax: (250) 361-2660

Email: info@familycaregiversbc.ca

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187

Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc

Thank you!

BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients

Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/

At some point in our lives, we’ll all be faced with a tough decision we didn’t see coming. In most caregiving situations, people enter the caregiving role with love and passion. Then pretty soon, they begin to see some of the bigger implications, such as how finances are a big factor in the choices that affect the care recipient OR the caregiver themself. In today’s episode, we chat with Shannon Lee Simmons, a Certified Financial Planner and the author of a new book “No Regret Decisions: Making Good Choices During Difficult Times”, to tackle some of the anxiety and emotional stress for caregivers that come with making important financial decisions. And answer the question, how do we make good decisions during difficult times?

Resources: 

• Shannon Lee Simmon’s new book: “No-Regret Decisions: Making Good Choices During Difficult Times” - https://bookshop.org/p/books/no-regret-decisions-making-difficult-decisions-in-difficult-times-shannon-lee-simmons/15788581?ean=9781443463454

• Connect with Shannon - https://shannonleesimmons.com/

• FCBC Overview of Financial General Resources, Tax Benefits and Credits for Caregivers - https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Guide-to-Financial-Assistance-for-Caregivers.pdf

• Involuntary Separation Article - https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Involuntary-Separation.pdf

• Government of Canada Benefits Finder - https://srv138.services.gc.ca/daf/q?id=37d7bcd6-f3f3-492b-ac3e-b869d7fb005c&goctemplateculture=en-ca

• Family Caregivers of BC Caregiver Support Line: 1-877-520-3267 (Mon-Fri 8:30am-4pm PT) 

• Canada Revenue Agency General Enquiries Line: 1-800-959-8281 (Mon-Fri 8 am- 8pm and Saturday 9am-5pm) 

Connect With Us!

To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast

Visit us at our office:

#6 – 3318 Oak Street,

Victoria, BC

V8X 1R1

Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am and 4:00 pm

 

Telephone: (250) 384-0408

Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267

Fax: (250) 361-2660

Email: info@familycaregiversbc.ca

 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187

Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc

 

Thank you!

BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients

Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/

Engaging with creativity is a form of self-care that can benefit both a caregiver and a care recipient in many ways. In 2015, psychologist and art therapist Dr. Cathy Malchiodi cited multiple studies confirming that being creative can increase positive emotions, lessen depressive symptoms, reduce stress, decrease anxiety, and even improve immune system functioning. A 2016 study in The Journal of Positive Psychology supported these earlier findings, concluding that spending time on creative goals during a day is associated with higher activated positive affect (PA) on that day. Positive affect is the extent to which people experience positive moods, such as joy, happiness, and optimism. Higher positive effects lower stress and expand our perspective so that we notice more possibilities in our lives.

In today’s episode, Bill chats with Faye Melling, a caregiver for her adult daughter. Faye talks about how being creative has helped her deal with some of the ups and downs in her caregiving journey. She also shares how her daughter is using artistic expression as a way to deal with some of the challenges she’s experiencing due to her condition.

Resources: 

• Article on outcomes of art therapy and colouring for caregivers of cancer patients: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462388919301152
• Article on how creativity is an advantage for self-care: https://nyctherapy.com/therapists-nyc-blog/creativity-is-your-secret-advantage-for-mental-health-and-well-being/
• Study on benefits of creative arts leisure program to caregivers: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2055102915581563
• Study on the connection between heart, healing, and public health with links to psychologist and art therapist Dr. Cathy Malchiodi https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804629/
• “Caregiver Well-Being” in the Resource Center at https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/caregiver-learning-center/read-resources

Connect With Us!

Family Caregivers of BC Website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/

Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267

Fax: (250) 361-2660

Email: info@familycaregiversbc.ca

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187

Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc

Thank you!

BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients

Organized Sound Productions https://www.organizedsound.ca/