55 Plus

January 2021

KEEPING YOUR SENIOR SAFE: COVID PROTOCOLS WHILE CAREGIVING SILVER THREADS SERVICE ART SPACE OPENS TO CALM YOUR NERVES URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS LOOKING FORWARD TO BRIGHTER DAYS LIFE AT THE VISTA

Victoria’s Premium Home Care

2 | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

TIMES COLONIST | 55 PLUS

Keeping your senior safe: COVID protocols while caregiving

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p until quite recently, my father lived in independent living with Assisted Living supports. When COVID-19 hit in the spring, his quality of life became greatly reduced. All his family live quite far away! Although we all tried to call him numerous times daily, and saw him every few weeks, his life was greatly impacted due to the fact he could not get out through those lovely springtime months, go out on his scooter, or see his friends.

This month, our family received the call: Our dad can no longer be supported at home. He will require long-term care.

My story does not differ much from those we hear on almost a weekly basis. Families call in to ask what we can do for their parent, why are they sleeping all day, not showing any emotion or care for the life they live.

Unfortunately our seniors have lost their joy of life, and we note that even with our own dad, the failing light and lack of activity means he sleeps throughout the day.

We are afraid of dad acquiring COVID in long term care. It’s likely one of the greatest fears many of our families are experiencing. Even with care at home through senior care agencies such as ours, we frequently receive the question “what are you doing to prevent COVID?” Early on in the year, our government and WorkSafe B.C. legislated that businesses prepare a COVID-19 health and safety plan. We did so immediately and added it to our website. Weekly we send out notices to our staff with government updates and news so that they can be safely providing care. We monitor and ask questions, provide necessary PPE’s, such as gloves, sanitizer, scrub sets and isolation gowns. We ask those going via public transit to wear their street clothes and change once at the senior’s home.

We are currently hiring more caregivers and first and foremost ask them about their own COVID-19 protocols, their bubble, and their own personal stance. We hire based on experience, availability, and qualifications, but more recently it is based on their bubble, and their protocols. It’s difficult to ask and expect that our front-line workers adhere to the policy and protocols set in place by our company and not do so ourselves. While they may seem restrictive they are in place for the best of the senior and the caregiver. We all have to do this together.

On the way to our office there is a posting on the billboard at the local United Church saying “Love your neighbour — wear a mask.” Until quite recently, we would notice that only about 50 per cent of people were wearing masks and that only some shops were enforcing the “wear a mask” policy. We are grateful that the mandate was passed through our government and that they are now enforcing it.

How many times have we not referred to the COVID-19 pandemic as a ‘different kind of war’? We are like soldiers going to war. Not wearing a mask and following proper protocols is like sending a solider to war without his gun. We need to work together, and as we approach a winter which sees numbers soaring daily, increasing each day and weekly, we must treat this pandemic as a war. We must guard ourselves and those we love and those we care for from all harm.

Front-line workers are indeed making a huge sacrifice in their lives providing necessary care. It means however, that they need to make it a priority not to socialize, go shopping on a whim or expand their social bubble, ignore policies and procedures put in place to protect them.

As a business owner, I need to ensure that I set the example to my staff. If I am to expect that they put their social life on hold, so should I. This week’s personal message to our staff is: “Imagine….. If you had a dad or mom you had just safely placed in a long-term care facility — as I have — and there is an outbreak of COVID-19! Do you think the senior brought it to the care home? Or staff?

“Why are we so careful every week with our notes to you all? Because you are front-line workers, and front-line workers have to be more diligent in providing care.

“I’ve just read that some facilities are just ‘starting’ to mandate the mandatory wearing of masks — including many businesses and hospitals.

“Recently I reached out to friends saying how much we missed getting together. They remarked that they would willingly quarantine for 14 days just to ensure safety in getting together for a few days through the Christmas season.

“In the past, I’ve written to you all to thank you so much for your dedication to this job — this calling — and your attention to the details that enable both you and your senior to be ‘COVID free.’ Think of your parent in a care home and how heart-breaking it would be if they were to contract it only because a care worker had not been diligent in where they went, what they wore and who they saw.

“As we approach the Christmas season, take care of yourselves, your seniors and … Remember your bubble!”

Sadly, since writing this article my father has passed. He was in hospital and died as a result of injuries sustained at hospital after numerous falls.

In with a sore tummy, out with a broken hip and shoulder! Our seniors may not be passing away due to having COVID-19, but they are very much a casualty of COVID-19.

Our message to all caregivers and front-line workers is: “Keep up your great work — it’s a challenge and you are so appreciated!”

– Johanna Booy – Care & Company Ltd.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020 | 3

J

im is a retired teacher and provincial civil servant who started playing bridge in his university days in the 1960’s. He played with friends in Grande Prairie for a few years, but quit playing for about twenty years after a family move to Edmonton.

Jim and wife Mary retired to Victoria in 2002. Mary quickly became involved with art activities at Goward House, and slowly enticed Jim to give bridge a try again. He started with the Friday afternoon “progressive” group, and eventually found his way to the Wednesday Duplicate games.

In 2009, Jan Joslin, the bridge coordinator, asked Jim to cover for her while she went south for her annual holiday. Jan passed away that year, so Jim has been doing this for about twelve years, watching the table count grow slowly from three to fi fteen, until COVID-19 struck. Over that time, Jim has offered a

continuing series of lessons to aspiring bridge players, with increasing popularity each year. Jim became a certified duplicate bridge Director and Teacher. He has received tremendous help and cooperation from the enthusiastic group of duplicate bridge players at Goward House.

Jim has introduced many innovations, including the use of Bidding Boxes, Bridgemates, computerized scoring, and on-line reporting of results.

Like so many other activities, Goward House bridge stopped completely in midMarch. After two months, Jim started up weekly on-line Team Matches for the Goward House bridge players. These now involve forty members per week in virtual Team Matches. Every effort is made to provide a different set of opponents each week. This has turned into a popular Wednesday afternoon activity for many of our members. Jim is proud of the willingness of the bridge players to learn and apply what for many are new-found computer skills. He is also grateful for the great assistance provided by the Official Scorer, Joane Berube (who posts the detailed results on the Goward House Bridgewebs website), and to the other weekly hosts Judi Woytack, Nancy Fauteux, and Jane Fogh-Dohmsmidt.

Jim is also appreciative for the continuing support he and the bridge group have received from the board, staff, front desk volunteers, and kitchen volunteers at Goward House. From old records, he learned that initially bridge was not viewed as an altogether suitable pastime for Goward House members. How times have changed!

Silver Threads Service MEMORY PLUS CHALLENGE

ONE ON ONE SUPPORT SERVICES

Practice, Laughter, and Useful Strategies Memory PLUS is a Silver Threads Service program for those 55+ who would like to increase their memory in an active and social group setting. The PLUS stands for Practice, Laughter, Useful Strategies. The purpose of Memory PLUS is for participants learn in a group setting led by a qualified facilitator to connect with peers, explore techniques, play cognitive games and do other challenges to increase cognitive function. Although we aren’t able to meet right now we encourage you to exercise your brain by solving puzzles.

To start off the New Year on a healthy foot, this month’s word scramble is all about taking time for Self Care. Have fun unscrambling some great habits to help make 2021 a much year then the one we just had!

The Silver Threads Service provides one to one appointments to help older adults with filing for benefits, taxes and seeking legal advice. All appointments will adhere to COVID - 19 safety protocols and are approximately 15 minutes long. Just enough time to resolve an issue you might have been struggling with and give you enough information to set you on the right path. We are located at 1911 Quadra Street.

Call us at 250 388-4268 for more information.

SENIOR MENTORING - is there something you could use help with like completing on line applications, searching for information or applying for Federal programs? We can arrange one on one appointments with skilled volunteers who will provide assistance.

LEGAL ADVICE - do you have a question that some legal advice would be best to provide an answer?

Appointments are 15 minutes with a lawyer.

(Wills are not included in this service) BC RECOVERY BENEFIT – The Provincial Government announced the program that will provide a one-time, tax free benefit of up to $1,000 for families and $500 for individuals. You can apply online or by phone.

If you are a senior who would like assistance to apply on line appointments will be booked after January 4th.

SCRAMBLED PHRASES: • Tea lahethy odosf • Tge largeru cerxesei • Kridn stol of rawte idyla • Egt uhgone peels • Arlne mingothes enw • Ekma mite rof bohibes • Etak mite ot xarel • Netccon idaly tiwh rinefsd

2019 INCOME TAX – if you have yet to file your 2019 Tax Return and would like to book an appointment please call our office for further information.

Silver Threads Service We are a charitable, not for profit society that enhances social connections and well-being for seniors. We provide programs and services for those 55 years of age or better with two centres and outreach programs to serve you.

ANSWERS: • Eat healthy foods • Get regular exercise • Drink lots of water daily • Get enough sleep • Learn something new • Make time for hobbies • Take time to relax • Connect daily with friends

Jim Brackenbury, Duplicate and Virtual Bridge Coordinator, Goward House

Saanich Centre 286 Hampton Rd. 250 382-3151

Victoria Centre 1911 Quadra St. 250 388-4268

Visit www.silverthreads.ca for more information

stay active * stay healthy * stay connected

Nov/Dec 2020

E E DE C R SI A U IN PL EAT R F U L O CIA E SP

ARM PAIN? We Can Help!!

Tuesday, December 29, 2020 A publication of the Victoria Times Colonist Publisher: Dave Obee Director of Advertising: Peter Baillie 2621 Douglas Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8T 4M2 To advertise in the next issue and or submit content contact: Cathy Webster cwebster@timescolonist.com

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4 | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

TIMES COLONIST | 55 PLUS

Art Space open to calm your nerves

I

t has been researched and studied, and the practice of creating art has been found to help ease anxiety and become part of a positive mental health routine for all ages.

Painting, drawing, sculpting or even colouring have the ability to stimulate pleasure and reward centres in the brain.

Creating art alongside others provides the added benefits of community, friendship and inspiration. It can have cognitive benefits as well, and in these crazy days of COVID-19, everyone needs some pleasure and to stay sharp.

The Arts Centre at Cedar Hill is still open and offers access to beautiful, lightfilled art studios and a state-of-the-art pottery studio where you can create with no judgment in a variety of classes and independent open studio options.

It provides a quiet, bright and spacious environment for you and your friends to be creative. Many local talents spend their time in the studios working on their projects, but there is lots of time and space for everyone, from true beginners to the creatively experienced, ages 16 to 100.

COVID-19 restrictions and socialdistancing protocols are in place for everyone’s health and safety. Numbers are limited in classes and open studio blocks.

Physical distancing, hand washing and masks are mandatory, and independent studio users are provided with an inperson orientation on the expectations.

In the painting studio, affordable ($9 for three hours), flexible reservable dropin time blocks (called Art Daytime Flex, Art Evening Flex and Art Weekend Flex) are available for community members needing space and time to create at their leisure.

You can register up to seven days in advance for the following week’s offerings through your Saanich RecOnline account.

Access to easels, eight-foot tables, a Smart Washer for safely cleaning oil paints, and drying racks are all part of the package.

Storage space for materials is available for rent if needed.

Both the painting and pottery studios also offer a variety of pre-registered studio time blocks and classes for sessions of eight to 10 weeks. Registration is open until things are full, and fees are pro-rated for late registrations. People in Pottery Open Studio blocks or classes also have access to additional Flex time if needed; however, this option is only available to registered participants due to the nature of the studio itself.

Please join your fellow artists in the studios at the Arts Centre at Cedar Hill this season!

For more information, call Renee Sala at 250-475-7626.

Stairs can be challenging.

1/3 British Columbians over the age of 65 will fall once every year.*

Reduce the risk of falls by scheduling a FREE in-home or virtual assessment to see if a stairlift is right for your home.

*Per Government of BC

Contact Connor for a FREE In-Home Assessment!

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020 | 5

Urinary Tract Infections There are a few scientific studies that have shown its effectiveness in preventing UTIs. Daily doses of 2 grams of D-mannose are recommended. Naturally, this supplement should be taken with plenty of water.

It is sometimes recommended that people take probiotics (acidophilus) to help prevent recurring UTIs. The scientific evidence for this claim is not very good. Probiotics are helpful for other conditions, childhood eczema, diarrhea and digestive issues. I would rather you try the other options listed above, with lots of water.

F

or some people urinary tract infections that taste good are generally more are a matter of urgency. It is not often sugar than cranberries, which can be that I attempt humour in my articles; counterproductive. Pure cranberry juice I guess you now know why. Kidding aside, is quite tart and expensive. I recommend urinary tract infections can be a real people take a concentrated cranberry problems for some people. Generally women capsule with lots of water. Another option is get bladder infections more than men. This to eat 3-4 frozen cranberries a day. Usually month let’s discuss home treatment options they are not that big and you can just to help prevent urinary infections. swallow them whole. With lots of water, For some urinary infections can be an or course. annoyance, in others they can be quite Another supplement helpful in preventing serious. Symptoms of a urinary infection UTI is a simple sugar called D-Mannose. include painful, burning or frequent D-Mannose is naturally urination. For the very elderly or frail, occuring and has been symptoms can be more serious such as shown to prevent confusion or high fevers. If you think you bacteria from might have a bladder infection, do not delay sticking to the medical assessment. Untreated infections urinary could spread to the bladder or kidneys. tract.

This can make treatment problematic.

If you do get recurring urinary infections (UTI), there are many ways to help prevent future ones.

GET BACK TO YOUR FITNESS ROUTINE! Recurring is considered three in a year or two in six months. The first way to prevent an UTI is to drink Saanich Recreation Centres more water. This might sound are open. COVID safety obvious but it is surprising how protocols are in place. many people do not drink enough Check out reserved water. A good rule to follow is drop in schedules and drink at least eight cups of water; program opportunities at that is 2 litres. Which is quite Saanich.ca/recreation or a bit, but you can get it from all call your favourite centre. sources. Juice, coffee, tea all count towards your intake. Or just go by the colour of your pee rule, if it has a colour, you are not drinking Gordon Head Recreation Centre 250-475-7100 enough.

G.R. Pearkes Recreation Centre 250-475-5400 Cranberry juice is a tricky Cedar Hill Recreation Centre 250-475-7121 subject. The cranberry juices

Saanich Commonwealth Place 250-475-7600

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Sometimes a little help means a lot.

Heart Pharmacy’s Heart at Home program helps with: • Daily in-home medication support, ensuring that your loved one is taking their medications daily • Assistance with more challenging medications like patches, inhalers, eye and ear drops, and insulin • Regular reporting to your doctor and loved ones of any issues with medications or general health • Companionship and structure, with the same faces every day at consistent times To discuss how it works and whether it’s right for you or a loved one, contact us anytime by: Phone: 778-817-0417 or Email: heartathome@heartpharmacy.com

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6 | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

TIMES COLONIST | 55 PLUS

Looking Forward to Brighter Days

A

ll of us at Mile Zero Tours would like to wish all our travellers and friends a safe and happy holiday season and prosperous and healthy new year. We would also like to extend our gratitude for all the support we have received in the form of cards, calls and emails from past travellers throughout this unprecedented time. It has meant a great deal to us.

As you can imagine, 2020 has been an incredibly challenging year for the travel industry and would-be travellers.

Mile Zero Tours suspended all travel back in March. After consultation with public health authorities we put into place a series of safety protocols and within that guidance were able to offer a few short trips successfully and safely within BC this fall. However, based on the changing situation, by the end of October all travel was again suspended and will remain so throughout the winter. We unfortunately had to cancel many trips this year to the disappointment of many travellers. It was a hard but not difficult decision, when it comes to the well-being of our guests, employees, suppliers and the community at large it was fairly obvious. All deposits from guests who had their trips cancelled have been refunded.

However, with some light starting to show at the end of the tunnel we are preparing to be back on the road in 2021. When safe to do so, we very much look forward to welcoming back our many returning guests as well as new faces. We have been busy planning tours with a focus on domestic travel. Canada has so many great sites and experiences and we feel it is a great place to start as the world recovers. As we have reduced the capacity on all our tours we do suggest booking early as all groups will now be limited to a maximum of 18-25 guests.

Of course, we don’t know what the future will bring but we want all our guests to be confident that we will not hesitate to cancel any further trips should it be deemed unsafe or unfeasible to travel and in such cases all deposits will be fully and promptly returned.

With that in mind, we invite you to visit our website MileZeroTours.com and start dreaming of your next great adventure our give us a call at 250 590 0811 and we’ll be happy to send you a copy of our brand new catalogue.

We look forward to travelling with you again when the time is right! milezerotours.com

We Do Home Care Differently ZÄžĹ? ΡϲϳώϳϹ

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020 | 7

LIFE AT THE VISTA

“A Day in the Life – Imagined”

I

knew downsizing and moving to The Vista was going to be convenient, comfortable and a sound choice for my husband and me. We had no idea how many new experiences and memories we were going to create here at The Vista.

We bought our place on the 10th floor.

We felt very fortunate since there are only 38 condominiums for sale. The Vista has 11 stories with a mix of condominiums, as well as 95 independent and supportive living rental apartments all with private balconies, ensuite laundry and air conditioning. There are also 48 memory care studios on the 2nd and 3rd floor should we need assistance and care in the future. Having the ability to age in place really puts our minds at ease.

It’s been great; take today, for instance.

First thing, we enjoyed coffee on our balcony, soaking up the views of the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Olympic Mountains. Then we cooked

a beautiful breakfast on our new Fulgor appliances (amazing!). Later, we have plans to meet the Lees for dinner in the Grand Salon penthouse on the 11th floor and enjoy the panoramic views. Having a Red Seal chef just upstairs is wonderful.

We are just about to head out to an appointment and a brisk walk along the ocean at Saxe Point before lunch. We’ve always enjoyed time by the water, but have never lived quite this close — just minutes away!

Our eye appointment is in downtown Victoria, just a short drive, so we will have time to grab some sandwiches from the Red Barn Market before heading out for our walk.

Afterwards, my husband is going to join some friends in the Sports Lounge to watch the game, and I am going to high tea in the Garden Tearoom.

At 5 p.m., we’ll head up to the 11th floor again for drinks in the Fred and Ginger

Lounge before we meet the Lees, our new friends. The pianist will be playing a mix of jazz and blues-my favorite. By 6 p.m., we will be ready to eat and will enjoy our meal in the Dining Room with floor to ceiling glass windows and stunning views.

Tomorrow, the grandkids are coming to watch Frozen in the movie theatre downstairscan’t wait. They love grabbing some snacks from the concession.

Wow — The Vista is more than we could ever imagine, and we are so grateful to live here.

This is the Life!

Located at 622 Admirals Rd., The Vista is currently under construction. Stay connected as this amazing development unfolds. Register with The Vista at liveatvista.ca, and we will keep in touch.

8 | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

TIMES COLONIST | 55 PLUS

This is the life.

The Vista by Avenir is a new era in retirement living at the edge of the beautiful Saxe Point neighbourhood in Esquimalt.

Life is an adventure and you’ve arrived at the right place.

At The Vista, dining excellence, vibrant amenity areas, fulfilling socialization and flexible living options are all at your doorstep. Each suite comes with air conditioning and a balcony - and did we mention the views?

Opt-in to condominium ownership Occupancy Fall 2021

Register now liveatvista.ca

Avenir Senior Living is a Victoria-based, family-owned company building and operating premium seniors’ residences across British Columbia and North America.