Caring Matters

Thinking ahead, a powerful Canadian resource – Adventure in Networking

Caring — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:36:51 +0000

It’s a question more boomers are asking themselves as they care for aging parents – as they age too. Many of us in sectors that serve “seniors” need to understand the challenges they face.

Have more resources in our network to help them when we can’t or shouldn’t.

Those of us with family need to start having the tough conversations around these issues

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Elder care in Toronto – Longterm Care Corner

Caring — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:29:25 +0000

Canada’s population is aging. By 2056, a full quarter of the Canadian population will be over the age of 65. And already, between 2002 and 2007, the number of family and friends providing personal care to elders increased 670,000.

But caregivers pay an emotional and physical toll for providing care for elder relatives and friends. Increasingly, Canadians are looking for alternative ideas for long term senior and elder care.”

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Churches in danger of forgetting vital group, seniors – Christian Week

Caring — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:20:36 +0000

Our spiritual usefulness doesn’t expire once we hit our 60s, says Maxine Hancock, and our churches need to do a better job of recognizing that.

According to Hancock, professor emerita at Regent College, Canadian churches all too often follow our culture’s obsession with youth. “I think we’re terrible at thinking about aging,” Hancock says. “I don’t think we look at it any differently from the rest of society.”

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Aging healthy, wealthy and wise – SNAP North York

Caring — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:17:35 +0000

Sherri (Auger) Galler, author of the book “Now What?” and President, Founder of Caring and Estate Matters, teamed up with Lina Tikhonovsky, Certified Senior Advisor and Certified Financial Planner, with Investors Group, at the Bayview Country Club last month to present the five keys to making rational financial and care decisions for yourself or your loved ones.

Sherri’s presentation referred to parts of her book on what you need to know about caregivers, retirement homes, assisted living and long term care.

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Care consultant co-writes support guide on dealing with aging, illness and dying – Penticton Herald

Caring — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:11:49 +0000

Now with a new book she’s co-written with writer and journalist Barbara Wickens, Sherri is hoping to broaden the reach of support to those in need. “Now What? A Practical Guide to Dealing with Aging, Illness and Dying” (Novalis) offers concise passages rich with advice and anecdotes in facing the myriad decisions surrounding end-of-life care in addition to coping with grief. It also contains helpful checklists on navigating challenging times, including a timeline for wrapping up an estate and even a sample letter on cancelling services for a deceased loved one.

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Sandwich generation balances child, elder care – Nurse Next Door

Caring — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:05:18 +0000

Within days of learning she was pregnant with her second child, Barb Brzezicki faced the unfolding of an unexpected and harrowing chapter in her family’s life: her mother’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease.

The working mother was suddenly balancing pregnancy with caring for her young daughter and her mother, Stella — starting to drive her to and from appointments in the weeks before Christmas in 2009. What’s more, Brzezicki became sick and ended up on disability, all of which she believed was stress-induced.

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Guide deals with aging, illness and dying – The Record

Caring — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 06:00:05 +0000

Within 24 hours, Sherri (Auger) Galler was faced with assuming two of the most difficult responsibilities in her life — arranging her mother’s funeral and preparing to place her father in long-term care.

But throughout the experience of coping with her parents’ illnesses, Auger said she was able to gather knowledge, strength and courage. It would help in paving a path toward a new line of work where she could assist those faced with similar circumstances.

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Discuss death with loved ones – Western Catholic Reporter

Caring — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 05:57:04 +0000

In the days immediately before and after a loved one dies, time may slow to a crawl or pass in a flash. But how can people be sure to do or say the things they want to in that critical time period?

“Practically speaking, you need to pull a support system together,” says Sherri Auger, an elder-care planning consultant who co-wrote Now What? A Practical Guide to Dealing with Aging, Illness and Dying (Novalis, 2010) with health journalist Barbara Wickens.

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The Cost of Caring – Rotary International

Caring — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:43:12 +0000

When Stella and Byron bought a home in Chicago years ago, Stella’s mother moved into an upstairs apartment. She was independent, working and socializing outside the home. Her grandchildren visited regularly. But Alzheimer’s disease and a series of strokes gradually stole much of her autonomy, until she was homebound and completely dependent on the family. Stella, an emergency room nurse, spent her after-work hours caring for her mother, and struggled to find competent and committed workers to keep her safe and tend to her needs during the day.

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Meeting needs of aging parents – Continuing Education

Caring — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 01:41:17 +0000

Sherri (Auger) Galler was a corporate manager when her father became critically ill and her mother died suddenly while caring for him. With 24 hours, she made funeral arrangements for her mom and placed her dad in long-term care. Neither parent had planned for illness or death, leaving Auger to figure thing out alone.

“It was a challenging time,” Auger says. She was completing her business degree on a part-time basis at the time but the heart-wrenching experience led her to social science.