Connie’s 2024 Critical-Resources Roundup
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Over the months, I’ve collected important healthcare stories and articles, many of which have been sent to me by my beloved newsletter subscribers - thank you!
For your convenience in this busy month, I’ve compiled what I consider to be some of the most cutting-edge and important information I’ve learned for BC in 2024, offering the latest in BC resources for caregiving, death care, dementia, MAiD and senior support. Please feel free to pursue what’s most important to you, and share widely!
My favourite health newsletters & blogs of 2024
Caregiving
The Magic of Talking It Through: Why It’s Essential For Caregivers. Sometimes, you just need to talk to someone. That’s why emotional support is a core component of caregiver support programs. In B.C., local caregiver support programs and FCBC's Caregiver Support Line offer this essential support. Trained specialists listen empathetically, explore action ideas, provide information, and understand the unique challenges of caregiving. To learn more about how talking it through can help, read the full Family Caregivers of BC (FCGBC) blog.
Reducing Caregiver Isolation. One of the major challenges caregivers face is social isolation, even for those with strong social networks. Caregivers can reduce isolation by joining support groups, delegating tasks to family or friends, seeking respite care, and participating in community events. We know this isn't easy—it's often easier said than done, given the multitude of factors caregivers encounter. However, creating space for connections outside your caregiving role is essential for your well-being. Read the FCGBC blog for more insights on reducing caregiver isolation.
Dementia
Memory loss isn’t the only sign of dementia. Here are five other common red flags to look out for:
Financial Difficulties. Difficulty managing bills and banking information, filing taxes, or being unable to stick to a budget is part of the ‘loss of executive function.’ It can start to take place long before noticeable memory loss.
Dramatic changes in sleep patterns can be early signs of Alzheimer’s or Lewy Body Dementia.
Personality Changes include becoming more withdrawn and less sociable, less trustworthy, increasingly disorganized, and unable to finish tasks.
Driving difficulties. Driving is one of the most complex cognitive processes we perform. Early issues include scrapes and fender benders, running lights and stop signs, getting lost in well-travelled areas, and a reluctance to drive at night (unrelated to vision). As executive function declines, adults will not have the insight to know they are putting themselves and others in danger.
Loss of smell: parts of the olfactory/smell system of the brain are often among the first to be affected by Alzheimer’s, and this decline may start years before memory issues are apparent.
For those with a New York Times subscription, read more here.
Serious infections are related to developing brain atrophy and dementia.
Severe infections have also been linked to subsequent strokes and heart attacks.
What you can do to reduce your risk: “Other recent studies have found that the flu shot and the shingles vaccine reduce the risk of subsequent dementia in those who get them.”
For those with a Vancouver Sun subscription, read more here.
Doctors
A huge wave of B.C. family doctors will retire within five years. Forty percent of the province's family physicians plan to retire or reduce their work hours within the next five years. Burnout is a major issue. The college estimates that family doctors spend around 30 percent of their time doing non-patient-related work, such as filling out sick notes, much of which is not paid. ~Vancouver Sun November 27, 2024
Empowered patient action plan: Talk to your doctor about their retirement plans. Don’t assume that they won’t be retiring or moving on because they're younger. If they plan to retire, ask if they have a transition plan for their patients. If not, get onto the BC Health Connect Registry, as the waitlist is 12 to 18 months.
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)
The Ontario Chief Coroner's reports are clear — alarm about MAID in Canada isn't warranted
The Office of the Chief Coroner (OCC) of Ontario recently released three reports about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) recipients in Ontario.1 The reports have been the subject of a number of false or misleading claims in Canadian and international media, as well as on social media websites. It has been suggested that Ontarians have received MAID because of difficulty accessing housing or due to social distress or untreated mental illness. In fact, the reports suggest the opposite. It is important to understand what is really in these reports and how to interpret epidemiologic data about the recipients of MAID to have a clear understanding of what actually appears to be driving (and what is not driving) the practice of MAID. Of course, data does not answer moral questions, and people may be opposed to MAID for any number of reasons, but this does not justify anyone misrepresenting data.
From Value Judgements on Substack
The Interview The Doctor Who Helped Me Understand My Mom’s Choice to Die.
Dr. Ellen Wiebe, who is 72 and has also been a longtime abortion provider, has performed hundreds of MAID procedures and is one of Canada’s most prominent advocates for the practice. As I looked into her more, I realized that, actually, I did have questions — medical, legal and philosophical — about when doctors help people to die and also about how MAID might shape our thinking on what, exactly, constitutes a good death.
For those with a New York Times subscription, read more or listen to this incredible interview.
Medical Devices
Home blood pressure cuffs are notoriously unreliable, leading to false high and low readings and inaccurate treatment. Hypertension Canada has a list of recommended devices.
Palliative Care
Are you or a loved one living with a life-limiting Illness? Statistics Canada, through ‘Access to Care and Related Experiences (LLLI-ACRE),’ would like to hear from you.
LLLI-ACRE will help us understand how our healthcare systems are meeting the individual and unique physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of Canadians with serious illnesses by providing answers to questions like:
How many people living with a serious illness are receiving regular assessments of their care needs?
What is the most important support we can provide to family and friends caring for someone with a life-limiting illness?
What is the biggest challenge to accessing care for someone living with a serious illness?
How often did Canadians report having discussions about their values, wishes & beliefs with someone from their care team?
How has the support care they received impacted the quality of life of those with serious illnesses?
All information collected by Statistics Canada as part of the LLLI-ACRE will be protected under the Statistics Act.
For more information about this study, please visit www.statcan.gc.ca/LLLI-ACRE.
Seniors Support
New Update - Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Directory
The newly updated B.C. Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Directory notes a slight increase in funding but longer wait times for long-term care. The directory provides objective, standardized information on 431 publicly subsidized long-term care and assisted living facilities in a searchable, online format. It is a popular public resource with over 80,000 page visits per year. Learn More
Community-Based Support Services
Community-based support services include a range of resources that assist people living at home with tasks of daily living and help alleviate some of the demands on family caregivers. Read the FCGBC blog to learn about the community services available to support those living at home.
Social Prescribing: What It Is and How it Helps
'Social Prescribing' enables healthcare providers to refer individuals to non-medical services and community programs to support their health and well-being. It offers significant potential for family caregivers, recognizing their often-overlooked needs and ensuring they are connected to the community support that can help them. Learn more in the FCGBC article.
Scams of the Holiday Season
Scams typically ramp up during the holiday season as fraudsters take advantage of opportunities presented by the increased flurry of activity, shopping and fundraising campaigns. Older people are often targeted because they are seen as more trusting, charitable and vulnerable. It’s important to stay vigilant and learn how to recognize common scams and tactics. Learn More
Need for Complex Seniors’ Housing
BC Seniors’ Advocate sounds the alarm over inadequate complex seniors housing options. Postmedia reported that an 86-year-old blind woman had been discharged from a Maple Ridge hospital and sent by cab to a women’s shelter in the Downtown Eastside, where there were no beds. She was then transferred back to Ridge Meadows Hospital.
This is a big and complex story about discharge planning and inadequate and inappropriate housing for vulnerable seniors. For those with a Vancouver Sun subscription, read more here.
**My take on this: This may be the worst story of its kind I have ever heard, but the general gist is not at all unusual. Hospital emergency departments regularly send vulnerable seniors home in the middle of the night, and there are ongoing stories of the vulnerable being escorted to bus stops in hospital gowns with a flannel blanket. Critical issues with the lack of beds in all hospitals cause staff to have to make horrific decisions.
Plan ahead:
Plan where you will age in place years ahead of time, long before you’ll need it. If you have a low income, contact BC211 or your local seniors centre to explore subsidized housing options and get on the waitlists.
Have a stable, unchanging emergency contact. (If you don’t have family or friends, consider a building manager or a senior centre contact.) Present that name at all medical and hospital visits. Put that name on a card in your wallet.
Be the emergency contact for those who are vulnerable in your world. You don’t have to make decisions for them, but you should have a list of people you should contact for them. (I will have a detailed newsletter about this in January.)
OSA Ageism Survey
The Office of the Seniors Advocate wants to hear from British Columbians about their perceptions and experiences with ageism, particularly related to seniors. We want to know more about how people feel age discrimination is impacting their lives to inform future work of our office. Please complete our short, anonymous survey to share your perspective and experience. The survey will be open until December 13, 2024. Learn More
Combating Ageism
McMaster University has put together a series of blogs on, What Ageism is and how to combat it. Ageism is all around us. From stereotypes in the media to assumptions in the workplace, ageism can limit opportunities and even create social isolation for older adults. The good news is that we can be part of the solution and combat it together to create a more inclusive world for all ages. Here are four ways you and those around you can help.
Challenge your own biases
Use your voice
Fight stereotypes
Bridge the gap through intergenerational programs
Additional Inspiration & Education
“The Last Phone Call: Don’t Put Off Important Things”, from Saturday Letters with John P. Weiss
“My friend and mentor Steve was dying of cancer, and I debated calling him one afternoon. “I don't want to intrude," I said to my wife Nicole, a hospice nurse with much wisdom about life and death. "Being loving and thoughtful is not an intrusion. It's a gift," she told me. So I picked up the phone and called. Read what happened next in this beautiful story of reconnection.
Transplant Stories: Four-part documentary taking place at St.Paul’s Hospital - Knowledge Network
This is for super medical geeks like me. Vancouver filmmaker Sheona McDonald directed, produced and co-wrote the four-episode series, watching life-altering surgeries and visiting the eyeball bank. The St. Paul series is primarily about transplant stories that take place over a couple of years. She previously produced the award-winning series Emergency Room: Life and Death in the VGH ER.
In need now?
We are accepting bookings for patient support in 2025. Request a free call here with me to explore your needs - whether it be for expert healthcare navigation, patient advocacy, or advance care planning services, including MAiD requests.
I hope this resource is helpful to you! Many thanks for being a part of this empowered patient community, and please keep the information coming to me! I couldn’t do what I do without you.
Warmly,
Connie
