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Chris Nikic is the very first (hopefully of many more to come) person who lives with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman Triathalon. This puts him in the Guiness Book of World Records.
Way to go Chris! What a trailblazer!
You might have heard that we are focusing on CAREGIVERS this month! We started off talking a lot about a BIG caregiver issue — stress.
One of the key pieces of advice offered to counter caregiver stress is connecting with others – especially other caregivers! While COVID-19 can make it challenging to connect safely in person, there are online options to connect with others. Teva Canada has a great list of Canadian caregiver support networks. Check out this BC group: Family Caregivers of British Columbia.
THANK YOU CAREGIVERS for all you do!
We are featuring Caregivers for the whole month of November! You can expect us post about requested topics and issues specific to caregivers. Let’s dive right in.
DIVING IN: Stress and caregiving —You are a caregiver, and the work you do is very important and very rewarding – but it can also be very stressful when the work is never truly “done.” Meet the Frates family, as they talk about some of the challenges of caregiving.
DRILLING DOWN: Risks and burnout — Experiencing stress (emotionally and physically) is common for most caregivers – but did you know there’s also risk factors that make you more likely to experience stress as a caregiver? You can read the full list here, but it includes living with the person you are caring for, being socially isolated, having depression, and experiencing financial difficulties. Even if these factors don’t apply you in a “typical” year, keep in mind that this hasn’t been “a typical year.” You might experience these risk factors this year because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, or these factors might be affecting you more now than they did before. Over time, stress can lead to burnout. Here are some signs of caregiver stress and burnout.
DIGGING DEEP: Taking action — Coping with stress can look different for everyone, but taking action includes acknowledging and talking about stress, recognizing and talking about the risks of burnout, and prioritizing taking care of yourself in an ongoing way. There are also 27 specific coping strategies on this website. Share which ones you think are best in the comments!
…comes with a fair few laughs! Courtesy of the World Health Organization (WHO), Gru, and the Minions — enjoy!
Hey everyone, it’s been a while since we posted this video showing how to safely put on and take off PPE, so here is the link again:
Hey everyone, last month we celebrated Community Inclusion month…this month, we invite you to join us — and other organizations in North America! — in celebrating CAREGIVERS!
While the first Tuesday of April has been adopted as National Caregiver Day in Canada, we are having caregivers take over the month of November on our blog — you can expect to see posts each week with Great News! that recognize and feature caregivers, training opportunities and resources, Frequently Asked Questions (and a summary of answers) and suggested topics!
To start us off, we are featuring the Caregivers Resource Expo — where you can find resources under the topics of connecting, empowering, and supporting caregivers — on the Carers Canada webpage. Check it out and pass it on!
Hey everyone, there have been changes to COVID-19 restrictions in our province this week — this news article explains a bit about these new provincial restrictions, and gives a good ‘overview’ on where the province sits as it relates to stats on COVID-19 cases. Many thanks to Jackie for passing this along!
The past week has seen dropping temperatures and chilly weather here in the Okanagan, and across BC…
It’s important to know how to stay safe in the cold! Check out these 7 steps to cold weather safety, ICBC’s winter driving webpage, and Shift Into Winter from the Winter Driving Safety Alliance for more information on how to stay safe.
Hey everyone, we wanted to say HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND to you all! Please remember to be safe and healthy while you are “doing your thing” — whether “your thing” is Halloween, Dia de Los Muertos, or something else entirely!
Don’t forget about the Spook-tacular Live-Stream happening tonight, or the Virtual Halloween Dance happening tomorrow!
No matter what you’re celebrating (safely) this weekend, send us a picture of how you “made it great” and we’ll post it next week!
