Recognized by the United Nations for their International Year of the Family in 2014, the United Nations Secretariat names it as “a model global program for families of all cultures.” It is inclusive and non-denominational because as they see it – all religions, all cultures, all people need good virtues.

Robert Greenway, a Tahltan elder, agrees saying “The Virtues Project is a bridge between cultures.”  It calls on people of all faiths, all places to live up to their highest worth.  The Virtues Project empowers individuals to live more authentic and meaningful lives, families to raise children who act with compassion and integrity, educators to create safe, inspired learning environments, and leaders to keep strong ethics in the workplace.

Our values at Premier Homecare Services are an active reflection of how we operate our businesses each day.  These virtues include accountability, dignity, respect, compassion, communication, integrity, safety, community involvement, and cooperation.

Wondering where your virtues stand?  Spend a few moments doing a Personal Values Reflection or answering Journaling Questions to start.

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 The Virtues Project – Non-Profit Organization

Caregiving Mantras to Remain Positive

The 52 Virtues – A list of 52 virtues.

Some long-term care facilities offer short-term care stays for travel and emergency purposes. This is a good option for those needing careful medical monitoring and attention, but it does mean leaving the comforts and rituals of home for a stay in an unfamiliar facility.  The hospital setting can be un-nerving for many seniors, especially if there is confusion as to why they are there.  An upsetting time for those who depend on consistency and repetition.

Caregiver’s who have mastered the art of ‘taking a vacation’ look to professional homecare services.  The key is in planning ahead.  Meet with a Care Coordinator from Premier Homecare Services well in advance of your intended holiday.  We can meet you at home for a consultation, help make a flexible schedule, match a caregiver, and introduce them before you leave.  We recommend starting care before you leave so there is familiarity between your loved one and the caregiver.  Plus, this gives you a chance to know you made the right decision!

Rest easy on a sun-soaked beach knowing your loved one is getting the best care possible, without disrupting their comfort and routine.

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Muscle loss is referred to by your health professional as sarcopenia.  For a long time scientists believed sarcopenia was an inevitable part of aging, muscle deterioration for which there was little we could do to prevent.  While there is no medical cure for sarcopenia, we now know there are preventative steps to slowing down this loss of critical muscle tissue, which better helps us in preventing falls.

Here are 1-2-3 important steps to preventing falls:

1.  Keeping Active, Now. – remaining active daily is so crucial that this alone could be a major deciding factor as to when, after the age of about 40, muscle loss will begin to really affect you.  Resistance training, swimming, yoga and cardio workouts all help to build and maintain muscle tone, balance hormones, and even improve neuron function.  It is the nervous system that serves the muscles and tells them what to do.
2. Eating for Tomorrow –poor food and nutrient intake results in muscle wasting, bone loss, and affects our overall well-being.  Keeping in mind also that our dietary protein requirements change as we age and many of today’s seniors are not adequately meeting their daily minimum requirements for protein.  Therefore, eating right and enjoying a wide variety of colourful foods and cooking methods, with a focus on ensuring there is enough healthy sources of protein is key in preventing muscle loss.
3. Making the Home Safe – take preventative actions to avoid falls where they most often occur – in and around the home. Create a safe, clutter-free, home environment, inside and out, with supportive devices and mindful safety initiatives.  If you’re unsure of how to do this, talk to your Premier Homecare Services Care Coordinator and we’d be happy to share our resources.  It may interest you to know that we complete regular home safety checks for all of our clients as part of our homecare services.

For more information on fall prevention and how to keep you or your aging loved ones safe and in the home they love, please call us.  We’d love to hear from you.

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 Prevention of Falls in the Elderly – BC Health Publication

Elderly Fraud Prevention Plan

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Extracting fresh juice from raw fruits and vegetables and drinking it right away allows many of the vital nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, and fatty acids to enter the body in what is called a bioactive form. Eating and drinking alive, bioactive foods is the most efficient way to increase your absorption of all that vital nutrition available in good foods.

Since there really are no downsides to juicing after considering food allergies and potential drug interactions (discuss your foray into juicing with your health care practitioner), it is a safe way to build up optimum health while preventing illness and disease

Why not just buy fresh juice in the store?

While this is a good alternative, many juices have be pasteurized in an effort to eliminate harmful bacteria and therefore have had their natural goodness tampered with. The pasteurization process involving heat strips the nutritional value.

Why not just take supplements?

Supplements are a great way to cover your bases for potential nutrients missed in your day to day diet – but they are not a replacement for a healthy, colourful and varied meal plan.

Won’t the fiber be lost in the juicing process?

Fiber is such an important factor in eliminating waste and toxins from the body and maintaining bowel health. The good news is that juicing retains a lot of the soluble fiber, which is the fiber found to lower levels of bad cholesterol. Eating a well-balanced diet that includes juicing ensures all levels of fiber are met.

The body is better able to absorb all of the nutritional value from fresh fruits, vegetables, and greens when they are juiced. Learn more by browsing online or picking up a book on juicing from your local bookstore or library!

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Yoga for Seniors - PHS Blog

10 Nutrient-rich Juice Recipes – Health Magazine article

Will You Live to See 100? - PHS Blog

Tea, known by enthusiasts as Camellia sinensis, has been drank and revered by cultures around the world for thousands of years, giving us plenty of time to observe first-hand the health benefits. Thankfully, there is now an increasing body of scientific evidence to show that beyond being a comforting ritual, tea in its many varieties effects us at the cellular level to enhance health and even slow down the natural aging process.

From black, green, white, oolong or a fragrant chai, the way that the tea leaves are prepared and then stored determines their quality and the amount of health-boosting phytochemicals present.

Green tea contains the least amount of caffeine and the most powerful catechins of all the teas.  Researchers believe these enzymes most notably support the liver in metabolizing fats, aiding ongoing detoxification and even neutralizing cancer-causing molecules. But that’s only the first sip. Green tea promotes bone formation, arthritis protection, supports immune function, “supercharges” antibiotics, aids in insulin regulation, weight maintenance, stress recovery, prevents lung damage and protects against Alzheimer’s and related dementias. What a medicinal cup!

So with all this evidence, why don’t you sit yourself down to a steaming hot cup of antioxidant rich organic green tea. Better yet, brew a pot of tea and invite someone from your local Premier Homecare Services office to discuss all the ways we can assist your family or clients in increasing their independence and wellness. We look forward to your call!

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Yoga for Seniors at Home and at Play - PHS Blog

10 Amazing ways tea helps keep you young – WomenToWomen.com article

Types of Teas and Their Health Benefits – WebMD.com article

Our Workplace Violence & Harassment Prevention Program Policy states our commitment to respond to all verbal or written reports of harassment or violence in a timely, objective, and confidential manner, and that ‘any act of violence or harassment committed in the workplace by or against any member of our workplace or member of the public, is unacceptable.’  We quickly investigate and take necessary actions in responding to any incidence and provide support through the process for all involved – follow-up to ensure nobody feels they are being unfairly treated after reporting an incident in good faith.

In addition, our homecare workers are responsible for preventing and reporting acts of harassment and violence that threaten a safe workplace. And they always have their Right to Refuse Unsafe Work.

With our preventative approach, supportive reporting, confidential investigative processing and clear policies – we ensure that Premier Homecare Services remains a happy, safe place to work and receive the best in industry homecare.

You can rest easy knowing you’re in a safe place with Premier Homecare Services.

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Premier Remains Industry Leader with Accreditation Canada

Continuity of Care in the Home

Overcoming Resistance to Help: Step 1 of 3

“I’m proud I can offer loving care that others may not be able to.”
In other words, finding that sense of contentment and pride in how you are providing loving care for your family member. Others may not have the skills or advantage to be there when needed like you are.

“I’m not perfect, and that’s okay.”
Most of us strive for excellence but we have to temper this with our very real human nature and learn to be content with the best we can do in the moment.

“I will enjoy the moments we can have together in peace.”
Life is what we make of it daily. Memories are not reserved for special occasions; they’re compiled from everyday smiles and conscious moments together with the ones we love. Find and make those positive memories.

“The person I love is still with us.”
Being the witness to gradual changes requires us to occasionally reflect on re-defining our relationships at all life’s stages. Remind yourself of the things you love about the ones you care for and cherish them for that.

“I have the right to ask for help if it becomes too much for me.”
Involving other family members or seeking professional services like those offered at Premier Homecare Services is a show of strength. It means you know when you’ve reached the point where someone may suffer from the situation if change doesn’t happen. We understand, and we’re here to help.

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Trends show that many are turning to entrepreneurship as they near retirement age. In fact, many say that boomers are the hottest group of entrepreneurs today, and they’re right. Whether young seniors are using their experience and expertise to pursue a passion, or wanting to make an impact, they are paving the way for themselves with “encore careers.”

These healthy, engaged young seniors desire intellectual stimulation and want the flexibility and freedom that comes with operating their own business. You can see boomer entrepreneurs typically involved in knowledge work rather than physical labour – industries of professional, scientific, health care, educational services, technical fields, and management.

The cliché of potential retirees clinging onto their corporate jobs and thus depriving younger people of opportunities to build or advance their careers is outdated and wrong. Experience and expertise is what they bring to the workforce and our communities are benefiting.

What an exciting time to age, giving more weight to the adage – grow old with me, the best is yet to be!

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Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Boomers – Zoomermag.ca

Baby Boomers: America’s Hottest Group of Entrepreneurs – Forbes.com

Premier Homecare Services Franchise Opportunities – PHSfranchise.com

If not, aging-related speed bumps don’t need to slow down today’s healthy seniors. They can stay in the driver’s seat with a few proactive considerations:

1. Plan your route, go during daytime hours and avoid rush hour times if possible, otherwise give yourself lots of time.
2. Don’t overload each outing with many stops and errands.  Keep outings short and focused.
3. Navigation devices, Bluetooths, DVD players, and even backseat drivers, are all distracting to the aging driver that should be removed, turned off, or asked to be silent while driving.
4. Certain medications may affect your ability to drive safely, if you’re concerned about this discuss with your physician and pharmacist.
5. Sign up for 55 Alive Driver Refresher Course offered by the Safety Council of Canada to help senior drivers keep their independence by improving skills and addressing concerns.

If you or your loved one becomes uncomfortable with driving, remember we offer driving services to get you where you need to go safely, with the help of a professional caregiver with proper driving credentials, a clean driving record and plenty of experience. Please call a Care Coordinator for more information.

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If you have used the phrase “role reversal” or “parenting the parents,” you’re in good company.  It’s a catch phrase in the elder care industry used with good intentions to describe how family caregivers can sometimes feel – helpless or frustrated as they bathe, groom and even change diapers for their elderly parents.  However, these phrases can contribute to negative, disrespectful patterns of thinking and we should consider using them more carefully.

Words and thoughts carry meaning, and affect how you view and approach situations. Suggesting your loved one is reversing in maturity, is needy, or is behaving as a child – is demeaning.  Since actions are based in thought, we need to keep our thoughts respectful and positive, as much as possible. Keeping a positive perspective will also benefit all involved.

Instead of thinking the parenting roles have reversed, think of yourself as having an important role as a caregiver that evolves with time.  You’re helping a loved one who deserves to age with respect and dignity.  You probably know your parents better than anyone, and as you are caring for them or assisting in their care along with a caregiving professional, they deserve your utmost opinion that reflects your love for them.

Contact us to learn more about how our professional caregivers can respectfully help your parents remain independent.

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