Seniors October 2010

wednesday, october 6, 2010 The VancouVer courier EW19

Seniors october 2010special advertising feature

by Helen Peterson

Home care (or caregiving, as it is often referred to) is a multi-tiered entity that encompasses many situations.

Some forms of home care are finan-cially covered fully, or partially, by Van-

couver Coastal Health (VCH), usually on a temporary basis.

VCH offers emergency short-term home care (arranged by your family physician) for things like post-surgery or illness recovery. This service would have a time-frame set on it.

VCH also can provide home support services, geared to help you remain

independent and safe in your own home as long as possible. As with all home and community care services, the servi-ces you receive are based on your per-sonal care needs and situation.

What services are provided? Home support services provide assistance with daily living activities at home such as bathing, dressing and grooming; special

exercises, medication administration and other care needs; plus, support and relief for your primary caregiver.

As with all government-funded pro-grams, home care is limited in its scope. So what should you do if you, your spouse or a senior in your family needs ongoing care and attention? See next page for suggestions…

Home Style Home Care

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CAVELL GARDENSA Full Service Retirement Community in the Heart of Vancouver where

meeting the social needs of our seniors is a matter of priority.

“A single rose can be my garden, a single friend

my world”– Leo Buscaglia

EW20 The VancouVer courier wednesday, october 6, 2010

seniors

GLORY EWEN

IS NOW LOCATED INThe Peter MacDonald Insurance Building5606 Victoria Drive at 40th

604-327-3399

Notary Public

Peter MacDonaldINSURANCE AGENCIES LTD.

Your South Vancouver Insurance CentreCelebrating Over 35 Years in Business

• • •

Mature Discount for Over 50Home • Business • Travel • MedicalA family owned business putting you first

• • •5606 Victoria Dr. at 40th Avenue

DENTURISTS ARE DENTURE SPECIALISTSNeed Dentures? Denture Problems? We can help you!

Certified BPS Denture Centre

Free Consultation CALL TODAY!(604)255-9433Hastings Denture Clinic

2609 E. Hastings St. Vancouver (at Penticton St.)

“Quality work you can count on” Ken Wong, Denturist

OPEN MON-FRI 10-5 SAT: By appointmentACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

EMERGENCY REPAIRS AVAILABLE

Creating Beautiful Dentures Precision Cosmetic Dentures, Relines and EmergenciesFree Ultrasonic Cleaning Seniors discount available

Fall in love with your smile

116 West Broadway (at Manitoba)

604.677.0061 • 778.389.5072w w w. l o p a r e v a d e n t u r e c l i n i c . c o m

Svetlana Lopareva R.D.BPS(Biofunctional Prosthetic System) Certifi ed Denturist

• New complete and partial dentures• Dentures and partials over implants• Additions, repairs, and more• All dental plans accepted• 40 years of combined offi ce experience

“EUROPEAN QUALITY AT CANADIAN PRICES”

Friedrich H.G. Brumm, D.D., B.A. Denturist

22yrs exp

Are you a denture wearer who:Has loose Dentures?

Cannot enjoy a meal? Has a sore mouth? Has stopped smiling?

All of the above

Need dentures for the first time?WE CAN HELP YOU!

“Being of service to denture wearers over the last 22 years, I have learned to bring care and compassion to my work in order to make a difference in the quality of their lives. To me every denture is a personal, creative challenge - a piece of art where form and func-tion harmonise with the personality and the special requirements of each individual.” Friedrich H.G. Brumm, B.A., Denturist

CERTIFIED BPS DENTURE CENTREFOR YOUR FREE CONSULTATION PLEASE CALL 604-325-1914

VICTORIA DRIVE DENTURE CLINIC5477 Victoria Drive, at 39th

DENTURES THAT FIT–GUARANTEED!

"You'll love your BPS Dentures that feature the latest tech-nology availabe today – a product of highest quality, superior fit and a most natural appearance."

NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

“Thank you British Columbia for your confi dence in choosing The Victoria Drive Denture Clinic as a recipient of the

Consumer‘s Choice Award for Business Excellence in 2008 & 2009.”

NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

Denise DunnOffi ce Manager

Alisha KumarDenturist

Friedrich BrummDenturist

Susan LeungDenturist

Nader EslamiLab Manager

www.mydentures.ca

All our Dentures

andServices are TAX FREE!

Care at home comes in many forms. For privately sourced care, seniors and family want to know that the highest standards in the industry are available to them, at reasonable rates.

Eric and Jocelyn Macdonald (pictured, right) are a pair of siblings who have a lot of experience in the field. They brought Premier Home Care out to B.C. earlier this year, from its Ontario roots, and this Cana-dian-owned business is flourishing.

The Macdonalds acknowledge that many of their cli-ents are seniors and other folks with disabilities (from physical to cognitive) that need help and information about what’s available to them in the community.

“Because we develop close relationships with our clients and their families, they often look to us for referrals to community resources and services,” says Jocelyn, a registered dietician. She shares her exper-tise in this area by putting on free info-sessions at seniors’ facilities, helping seniors keep tabs on their nutrition and other needs such as anemia concerns or fall prevention.

The core of any home care service is, of course, the caregivers themselves. This is an area that the Mac-donalds spend a lot of time cultivating and nurturing, to ensure that optimum service is provided.

“We will go to the home with our employee to intro-duce them, and make sure the senior is comfortable with the arrangement,” says Eric. “And if a new per-son takes over the role, we will always go to introduce the new caregiver to the client.”

Premier has many clients that fall into the realm of Alzheimer and dementia. For safety reasons, they cannot cook for themselves and, often, personal care like bathing and grooming is required. But that is not where it ends.

“There is personal care, and there is companion-ship, and a familiar face the senior can relate to goes a long way towards keeping them happy,” Jocelyn states. “Whether it’s at their home, or they are liv-ing in a retirement community, sometimes a friendly ear or someone to take the client shopping (assuming

family is not able or not around), goes a long way,” she says.

“At Premier Homecare Services, we provide quali-fied caregivers on a flexible schedule, customized to meet our client’s individual needs,” says Eric. “We offer a complimentary, no-obligation in-home needs’ assessment, and can provide service for as little as three hours a week to as much as 24/seven (including ‘Live-In’ services).”

Premier Homecare Services places a high priority on client and employee safety. They conduct a thor-ough screening process with each employee, including background and business reference checks and pro-vide comprehensive orientation training. Employees wear uniforms and photo ID badges and are fully sup-ported by supervisory staff. They are First Aid/CPR trained, bonded and insured.

If you’re looking for specially trained staff for dementia care, disability assistance, palliative care and much more, Premier is there to accommodate you, at your accommodation!

Premier Homecare Services can be reached at 604-636-1902, or go to www.PremierHomecareServices.com and choose Vancouver West Side.

Home Care SpeCialty

wednesday, october 6, 2010 The VancouVer courier EW21

seniors

Amica at Arbutus ManorA Wellness & Vitality™ Residence2125 Eddington DriveVancouver, BC V6L 3A9604.736.8936www.amica.ca

• Luxury Independent Rental Retirement Living

• All Inclusive • Full Service Fine Dining

• Wellness & Vitality™ Programs

• Amica VITALIS™ Assisted Living Services

10-1386

Elegantly Redesigned Studios and One Bedrooms AvailableWe invite you to come and view our elegantlyredesigned studios and one bedrooms complete withkitchenettes and walk in showers. Discover for yourselfwhat it is like to live where Wellness & Vitality™ is theorder of the day and where everything from shoppingto services are right at your doorstep. Coupled with anall inclusive low monthly fee, now is the ideal time tomake the move… to Amica at Arbutus Manor.

Studio suites starting at $2950.00 per month

Live the retirement lifestyle you’ve worked your whole life to achieve!

~ Open House Week ~Thursday, October 7th to Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

10:00 am to 4:00 pm dailyCall today for your personal tour and stay for lunch,

compliments of our Executive Chef Robert!

SeNiorS’ CiNemaoakridge centre is happy to showcase these great movies during Seniors’ cinema at the empire theatre, located inside the shopping centre’s Atrium at 41st and cambie.

Coming up: “Valentino: last emperor” at 1 pm on Wed. oct. 6 and “one Week” at 1 pm on Wed. Nov. 3.

A fundraiser for canuck Place children’s Hospice, seniors 55 and older are invited to see big screen films by donation (min. is $2 per person; tickets at the door). www.oakridgecentre.com; seniors’ centre: 604-263-1833.

compiled by Helen Peterson

Once you reach a certain age, chances are, you are going to have a fall.

Whether it is caused by weakened bones that compromise your ability to stay upright, or is the result of an issue with balance and coordination brought on by medication or dizziness or dementia or any number of reasons – it’s likely to happen.

Not all falls are caused by issues related to aging. People of all ages hit the ground due to mundane things like tripping over a cable, or a ridge in the sidewalk; slipping on really dangerous icy ground; being lurched while stand-ing on a crowded bus, and so on.

Falling is a natural part of life. The difference is – when a younger person with strong, healthy bones falls down, they don’t usually break into pieces.

Many seniors can relate to the after-effects of a fall that causes fractures. Being incapacitated, not being able to get around, waiting for a long time for replacement surgery or repair for hips, knees, spine, wrist…

When it’s osteoporosisOsteoporosis affects millions of older adults. It usually strikes after age 60, and can be held accountable for lack of bone strength or bone density. As you age, your bones get thinner naturally. But some things make you more likely to have the severe bone thinning of oste-oporosis, like being a post-menopausal woman, it running in your family, hav-ing a slender body frame or coming from a European or Asian background.

According to Healthlink BC, oste-oporosis can be very far along before you notice it. Sometimes the first sign is a broken bone in your hip, spine, or wrist after a bump or fall. As the disease gets worse, you may have other signs, such as pain in your back. You might notice that you are not as tall as you used to be and that you have a curved backbone.

Osteoporosis Canada advises bone density testing for women age 65 and older. If you have a higher risk for frac-tures, it’s best to start getting the test at age 60.

preventative medsYour physician may recommend bisphosphonates – they are the most common medicines used to prevent bone loss in people who have osteoporo-sis. They slow the way bone dissolves and is absorbed by your body. They can increase bone thickness and strength.

They include Risedronate (Actonel) and Alendronate (Fosamax). Howev-er, bisphosphonates aren’t right for everyone. Depending on your health, your doctor may suggest other medi-cines to help prevent bone loss. Your doctor may also suggest these other medicines if you are having a prob-lem with side effects from bisphospho-nates: Raloxifene (Evista), Calcitonin (Calcimar or Miacalcin) or Teriparatide (Forteo).

So get ahead of the curve with oste-oporosis prevention, so that if and when you fall, you can bounce back up and carry on living life to the fullest.

aFter tHe FallDon’t Ignore oSteoPoroSIS PreventIon

W22 The VancouVer courier wednesday, october 6, 2010

seniorsWESTSIDE SENIORS LINKS PROGRAM

ARE YOU A SENIOR WHO WANTS SOME HELP AROUND THE HOUSE?

Kitsilano Neighbourhood House in partnership with SMART Fund and the City of Vancouver runs the Westside Seniors Links Program. This program brings together

seniors in the community who need a hand around the house with post-secondary students able to help. We provide you with a small list of students to interview. You hire whomever you choose & pay the student $10/hour directly. There is a 2 hour minimum.

Students can help with: light housework, shopping, laundry, pet care, gardening, yard

work, computer help, reading aloud, & odd jobs. In addition, students are available who speak other languages such as: Mandarin, French, Spanish, & many others.

To get connected please contact Julie at

604-736-3588 ex. 24 or [email protected]. For more information about other Seniors Programs at Kits House please visit our

website www.kitshouse.org

ARE YOU A STUDENT LOOKING FOR SOME EXTRA INCOME?If you are a post-secondary student interested in participating in this program,

please apply online at www.kitshouse.org

at Terraces on 7th Retirement Residence(an Independent/Assisted Living facility)

Open Doors Oktoberfest 2010

Saturday, October 23rd, 11am - 3pm

Join the celebrations, enjoy the activities,

refreshments,and a tour of our fabulous facility.

A Retirement Concepts Community

RSVP Julia [email protected]

1570 West 7th Avenue (beside Seymour Medical Clinic)

Suites available to rent month-by- month.

terracesonseventh.com

traVel remiNderS For SNoWbirdS

by Sarah Twomey

With fall just around the corner, many Vancouver snowbirds (the human kind) are itching to finalize their travel plans to warmer climes. If you count yourself among these lucky-ducks, make sure you’ve made the all necessary arrangements before heading to Florida, Mexico or the Caribbean.

Here’s a quick checklist to help you get organized:

• Tell a trusted friend or family-mem-ber about your plans and ask them to keep an eye on your place while you’re away.

• Secure your home and turn off the water.

• Cancel the newspapers.• Forward or stop mail delivery.• Make photocopies of your travel

and personal documents for your-self and the trusted friend or family-member as a precaution.

• If you’re driving to your destination, find out if you need supplemental car insurance.

• Find out if you need to update your shots.

• Let your bank and credit card com-pany know about your travel plans to avoid any confusion or service disruption.

• Most importantly, buy travel insur-ance.

While most people know that travel insurance is important, many people may not be aware that it is now a pre-requisite for entering Cuba.

“Since May 1, 2010, Cuban authori-

ties require visitors to provide proof that they can cover their own medical costs,” said François Morel, sales con-sultant at Desjardins Financial Secu-rity.

“Subsequently, the Cuba Tourist Board advised that Canadians could present their provincial health insur-ance cards as proof of medical insur-ance. But, supplemental travel insur-ance is necessary because the provin-cial health insurance plans only offer minimum medical coverage abroad.

“Regardless of whether you’re out of the country for a day or for several weeks, accidents or illnesses happen all the time and it’s best to be prepared,” said Morel.

“Hospital stays abroad can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars. So, it’s best to take a few minutes to buy reli-able travel insurance coverage.”

insuranceHere are some things to remember when buying travel insurance:

• It’s convenient: It can be bought on the internet or by phone.

• It’s flexible: You’ll find the right policy that suits your needs based on your age, health situation and trip duration.

• It’s reliable: Coverage provides 24/seven medical assistance support so you know you can count on someone in case of an emergency. Consult your insurance provider to learn more.

Article courtesy www.newscanada.com.

seniors next PublISHeS WedNeSday, NoVember 3

in this issue Jacquie Hooper reminisces about those ‘beachcombing days!

to advertise in this feature, call 604-738-1412

wednesday, october 6, 2010 The VancouVer courier W23

seniors

Kitsilano Neighbourhood HouseCultural Workshops for Older Adults

November 2010

Please join us for demonstrations, cultural stories, crafts and interactive sharing

Time: 11 am – 1 pm (Light lunch served at 11 am; Workshops start at Noon)Cost: $3 per person, per workshop (includes lunch)Place: Kits House Hall, 2304 West 7th Avenue (at Vine)

*Please call to register: 604 736 3588*

November 2 - Japanese Tea Ceremony

November 9 - First Nations Friendship Centre - Cedar Roses

November 16 - Karen Barnaby Spinning Art - Felt Crafting

November 23 - Ballroom Dancing Demonstration, Vancouver Ballroom

November 30 - Lyle Povah: Rhythms for a Passionate Heart - Drumming Circle

WHat’S oN For oCtober

traVel remiNderS For SNoWbirdS

For those living with osteoporosis, infor-mation is available, and it’s great to share your experiences with like-mind-ed people. This month, the Vancouver / Kerrisdale Osteoporosis Branch will host a lecture: “My Journey from Diag-nosis to Living Well with Osteoporo-sis” by Larry Funnell, chair, Canadian Osteoporosis Patient Network, on Tues-day, Oct. 26, 7:00 PM, at the Seniors Centre, Kerrisdale Community Centre, located at 5851 West Blvd. Free admis-sion; info: 604-731-4755 or 604-224-5063.

South Vancouver Neighbourhood House serves the community within the boundaries of East 41st Avenue to the north, Cambie Street and beyond to the west, Boundary Road to the east, and the Fraser River to the south. “Seniors’ Links” at SVNH, in partnership with the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority and Langara College, offers to connect seniors in the south and central Van-couver communities, who require daily living support services, with students who are willing and available to do this work at a reasonable cost.

The cost is $10.00 per hour for two hours minimum, and includes light housecleaning, laundry, gardening, yard

work, pet care, shopping, computer help, etc. As an on-going program, the service through SVNH is free, but seniors must pay student a minimum of $10.00/hour with a two-hour minimum. Contact SVNH for more information at 604-324-6212 or visit 6470 Victoria Drive.

Volunteers needed! Most of the activi-ties at the Oakridge Seniors Centre are managed smoothly with the help of numerous committed volunteers. The Centre is continuously recruiting volun-teers to help out in the kitchen. Under the direction of the Cook and/or the Executive Director, assists in the prepa-ration of the meal, and the maintenance of the kitchen and dining area. Specific duties and responsibilities:• Assist the cook in the preparation

of daily meals and snacks• Assist the cook to prepare special

event meals and snacks in consulta-tion with staff

• Assist to maintain the cleanliness of work areas by cleaning stoves, grills, food preparation equipment and ensures kitchen floors, counters, preparation areas are kept clean, safe and orderly

• Assists in setting up tables and chairs and cleaning dining area as needed

Special Qualifications:• Ability to work cooperatively with staff

and other volunteers• Willingness to obtain a Food-handling

Certificate• Willingness to learn and adhere to

the philosophy and objectives of the CentreIf you are interested in volunteering,

call the Centre at 604-263-1833. or e-mail: [email protected].

If you have a non-profit event or activity focusing on Healthy/Active Seniors, contact: Helen Peterson or e-mail: [email protected]; or by fax: 604-738-4739, by the last Wednesday of the month. One listing per organization, please.

Thursday, Oct. 7, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, enjoy all the things you love about Fall… the crispness in the air, a bountiful harvest and the wonderful aromas and tastes of the season. You’re invited to join Amica at Arbutus Manor as they host a complimentary afternoon to celebrate some of Fall’s favourite activities, tastes, sights and traditions.

Let this season of colourful changes inspire you to visit your neighbourhood Amica retirement residence and experience their active lifestyle first hand. There’s no better time than now, to Fall in Love with Amica! Located at 2125 Eddington Drive, near Arbutus Shopping Centre; call 604-736-8936 to RSVP.

SeNiorS SpotligHt eVeNt