Every family has a story. Gathering together to share and preserve that story helps to keep the memories alive, especially for families touched by Alzheimer’s disease. Tell us your story for a chance to win a family reunion!

Submit a story in either written or video format about your experience with a family member living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Essays and videos need to:

• Share how Alzheimer’s has impacted your life
• Talk about the role that memories and remembering have played in your family, especially with regard to your family member who now has or had Alzheimer’s
• Share with us specific stories or examples of how you and your family members cope or coped with challenges of Alzheimer’s disease
• Tell us why you deserve to win this family reunion

While not required, feel free to also submit a photograph along with your written essay or include it in your video as demonstrated in the sample entry below. So, Enter Now!

Criteria for judging include the overall level of engagement with your entry from family and friends and how compelling of a story you tell. Written essays and video submissions will receive equal consideration. All entries must be submitted by January 31, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. EDT in order to qualify for the family reunion giveaway.

See contest terms and conditions for complete entry details.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

This year’s Be a Santa to a Senior campaign kicks off Nov. 4 at the Mississauga Seniors Centre

Last year the campaign, developed and sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care, the largest provider of non-medical services for seniors worldwide, delivered more than 250 Christmas gifts to local seniors. With a continuing tough economy, it’s expected the need will be greater this year.

“Be a Santa to a Senior is a way to show our gratitude to an important segment of our community who have contributed so much throughout the years,” said Home Instead Senior Care owner Greg Bechard. “It’s not just about presents; more than 1.8 million Canadian seniors over 75 live alone, and for many it’s the human connection that makes the campaign important”, says Bechard.

It’s simple to join in: between Nov. 4 and Dec. 9, go to www.beasantatoasenior.ca and enter your postal code to find a participating store. Go to the store and take an ornament off the Christmas tree. On the back of the ornament there is the first name of a senior and their requested gift. Purchase the gift and deliver it unwrapped, along with the ornament, to a store employee.

On Dec. 14, Home Instead Senior Care office employees will host a gift-wrapping party at The Mississauga Seniors Centre for staff and volunteers who will wrap the gifts for delivery.

Home Instead Senior Care’s Mississauga office is partnering this year with several local organizations and businesses including Alzheimer’s Society of Peel and Shoppers Home Health Care.

Popular and economical gifts for seniors include slippers and socks, toiletries, pet food, blankets and pajamas.

Seniors are chosen for the program before the holiday season by participating not-for profit-organizations.

Mississauga Seniors Centre is located at 1389 Cawthra Rd. Mississauga South MP Stella Ambler will help kick off the campaign at 1 p.m.

Source: Mississauga.com

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Home Instead Senior Care partners with local non-profit and community organizations to identify seniors who might not otherwise receive gifts this holiday season. The company then works with local businesses and retail stores to help facilitate the purchase and distribution of gifts by placing trees and ornaments within their various locations. Each senior’s gift requests are written on a Be a Santa to a Senior tree ornament.

Here’s how to help an underserved senior:

1. Find the nearest Be a Santa to a Senior tree location by using the form at the top of the page
2. Remove an ornament
3. Purchase the gift
4. Bring ornament and gift back to participating store and give to
   store employee.

View the video at CityNews.CA

It’s that easy.

Volunteers collect, wrap, and deliver the gifts to the seniors.

Dates vary by location, however, the program typically begins the first week of November with gift collection taking place through mid-December. Volunteers deliver gifts prior to Christmas.

Find a Tree today and brighten the life of a senior.

If there is not a Be a Santa to a Senior tree in your community, we encourage you to contact an organization in your community dedicated to helping seniors during the holidays.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

New research, shedding light on eating habits, shows Canadian Seniors like taking part in family meals. Sadly, oftentimes our seniors are eating alone. This research, conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care network, showed that lack of the shared family experience, including companionship, is the biggest mealtime challenge for seniors.

That wasn’t the case at the Palisades on the Glen, as residents gathered together for the Home County Fair on September 28th. Executive Chef, Paul Tremain, demonstrated a cooking demo and residents brought in favourite home cooked/baked recipes for tasting to order to celebrate cooking with or for a senior family member or loved one. Winners received gift certificates. Residents also had a chance to listen-in on an informative presentation on what The City of Mississauga has to offer for older adults and a presentation from Home Instead about craving companionship.

Here is a list of warning indicators showing a senior is in trouble – Craving Companionship program:

1. Who wants to eat alone? Not only are seniors at more risk of poor nutrition, loneliness can lead to depression, which could make problems worse.  Try to make sure your older loved one has companionship at home or in a congregate meal site.

2. Nearly 71 percent of seniors take three or more different medications a day. Talk to your senior’s health care team about how medications might be impacting your older adult’s appetite.

3. Nearly half of seniors who live alone consume few fruits, vegetables or milk products, this research revealed. Talk with your older loved one about their favorite recipes – or yours – that incorporate healthy products.

4. Older adults struggle with health conditions and some don’t feel like eating as a result. Discovering favorite recipes from the recipe box and making mealtime a social event may help.

5. 25 percent of seniors who live alone encounter issues getting to a grocery store. Your local Area Agency on Aging office has staff to help and your local Home Instead Senior Care office in Mississauga can arrange for a CAREGiver.

6. Check out expiration dates of food. Check the freezer for outdated frozen items or foods that have not been packaged appropriately.  Help by packaging food in small portions and labeling in big letters with the date.

7. Help your senior put together a grocery list, reminding them of all the wonderful foods they used to cook for you.

8. When visiting a senior, check out things like skin tone – it should be healthy looking and well-hydrated – as well as any weight fluctuations. Suggestion: A visit to the doctor can help ensure your senior is healthy.

9. Prepare by stocking back-up food, water and high-nutrition products such as Ensure® in case a trip to the store isn’t possible.

10. Isolation is one of the biggest threats to an older adult. If you can’t be there, develop a schedule of friends and neighbors who can help. Or call us at 905- 276-2273 to enlist our services.

Please visit www.palisadesontheglen.com

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Call now for your free in-home care consultation: 905-276-2273 or 416-239-2200.

Perplexed about what to get the senior in your life this holiday season? That older adult on your shopping list may well be facing two challenges: the economy that has seniors looking for basic items they can no longer afford and the loneliness that many seniors encounter because families may not be able to visit.

Many seniors, including those in care communities, could have no one to visit them during the holidays this year as families cut travel expenses and treasured family time. So the most valuable gift is companionship.

That’s why the Home Instead Senior Care^® network has developed a gift guide of presents that seniors may not be able to afford, but that can bring families together. Following are several suggestions:

1. A newspaper subscription – Some of your senior loved one’s fondest memories could revolve around life at the dinner table discussing the day’s events. A subscription to a daily newspaper can help them continue that tradition with you.
2. DVD player and favorite DVDs – A DVD player will help your older adult enjoy their favorite old movies. But it will be much more special if you bring the popcorn and make a night of it.
3. Tickets to a sporting event or play – What better treat than tickets for your senior loved one and the rest of the family to attend a play or favorite team event?
4. Scenic train or boat trip – Many communities have day excursions – such as scenic train or boat trips – which can serve as great incentives for seniors to get out and about.
5. A calendar – Create a calendar with activities that are going on in your family’s life so a senior can feel a part of them. Check online; there are many resources for personalizing calendars with family photos.

If you’re looking for other gift ideas, consider the Homemade Memories Cookbook, which features family recipes and stories. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Home Instead Senior Care Foundation. If you can’t be there with an older loved one, remember that the next best thing is the gift of companionship services. Call your local Toronto Home Instead Senior Care office today for more information – 905-276-2273 or 416-239-2200.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

The holidays are a good time for family caregivers returning to Mississauga to tune into the signs that an older family member or friend may need extra help to remain safe at home.

To learn more about those signs, register for the free Home for the Holidays web conference, moderated by a representative from the Home Instead Senior Care^® network.

The hour-long web conference will be available in the U.S. and Canada, and offered on two dates and times: Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, or Monday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. To register, go to www.caregiverstress.com/familyeducation.

“It’s easy for busy family caregivers to overlook the subtle signs that a senior loved one needs assistance,” said Greg Bechard, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Mississauga. “But during the holidays, when many return to their childhood homes, the difference between your last visit and now can highlight those red flags.”

The web conference will be moderated by Director of Strategic Alliances Mary Alexander of Home Instead, Inc., the franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care network. Alexander is a family caregiver and a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA).

“Signs of potential trouble can be evident in a senior’s home – such as spoiled food in the refrigerator and piles of unpaid bills – or personal indicators such as episodes of confusion or dirty and unkempt clothing,” Bechard said.

President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), Gail Hunt, said the holidays, when everyone gathers, sometimes bring to light those problems. “If you’re a long-distance caregiver perhaps you haven’t seen your loved one in a while. You may notice some real differences since a few months ago. The hometown caregivers might not see the signs because they’re so busy and the changes are so subtle.”

Countering senior resistance to assistance can be a challenge, added President and CEO of the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA), Suzanne Mintz. “Family caregivers must recognize that their parents are adults and – unless there are cognitive or emotional problems – they can make their own decisions. We do not and should not become our parents’ parents. We must remember we will always be their children.”

The web conference will feature information about countering senior resistance to assistance as well as resources that can help family caregivers and senior care professionals.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

FREE Home for the Holidays web conference

You’re excited to be going home for the holidays where Mom always has the house decked out and Dad makes his famous eggnog and tells stories about past celebrations. But your parents are getting older now. Maybe it’s time to tune into other things, like the signs they could need more help maintaining that big house. Or indicators they might benefit from grocery assistance.

That’s why you will want to register for the Home for the Holidays webinar. The webinar, moderated by a representative from the Home Instead Senior Care^® network, will help you recognize the warning signs that indicate your senior loved one might need additional help for things such as loss of appetite, unwanted weight fluctuations, spoiled food in the fridge or clutter.

The event is being hosted by the American Society on Aging (ASA), and co-sponsored by the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC).

Register and learn more about the webinar that will be offered at two different times: Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. ET, or Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. ET. Senior care experts will be on hand to provide valuable information about the warning indicators that an older adult may need extra help and what you can do for support.

Whether you’re a long-distance caregiver or just live down the street, the holidays are a good time to assess the situation with Mom and Dad, and help them come up with a solution if necessary.

Remember, your local Home Instead Senior Care office in Mississauga is here to help when you have an aging-related issue or question, not just during the holidays but throughout the year. If you would like more information about Home for the Holidays, or have any comments or questions, please call us at 905- 276-2273.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Senior gift requests are expected to be up again this holiday season amid worries about the threat of declining benefits and the economy.

Be a Santa to a Senior®, the popular campaign that has delivered 1.5 million gifts to needy seniors throughout North America during the past seven years, is gearing up again this holiday, according to the Home Instead Senior Care® network, the world’s largest provider of non-medical, in-home care services for seniors.

The program relaunches during a time when already-nervous seniors faced the threat of Social Security payment delays as part of the debt-ceiling debate earlier this year. These older adults have lost nearly one-third (32 percent) of their buying power since 2000, according to the Annual Survey of Senior Costs from The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), a senior advocacy organization.

Local offices of the Home Instead Senior Care network, the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care and companionship services for older adults, have joined their area senior care organizations and retailers to provide gifts and companionship to seniors who otherwise might not receive either this holiday season.

In most years, seniors receive a small increase in their Social Security checks, intended to help them keep up with the costs of inflation. But since 2000, the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) has increased just 31 percent, while typical senior expenses have jumped 73 percent, according to the survey.

In 2011, for the second consecutive year, seniors received no COLA. Before 2010, however, seniors had received a COLA every year since 1975, when the automatic COLA was introduced. Seniors can expect to receive only a very small COLA next year, the TSCL reported.

Be a Santa to a Senior isn’t just about gifts, though. It is designed to give back to those needy seniors as well as to help stimulate human contact and social interaction for older adults who are unlikely to have guests during the holidays.

Here’s how the program works: Before the holiday season, the participating nonprofit organizations in local communities throughout North America will identify needy and isolated seniors in the community and provide those names to local Home Instead Senior Care offices for this community service program. Christmas trees will go up in stores that feature ornaments with the first names only of the seniors and their respective gift requests.

Holiday shoppers can pick up an ornament, buy items on the list and return them unwrapped to the store, along with the ornament attached. The local Home Instead Senior Care office then enlists the volunteer help of its staff, senior-care business associates, nonprofit workers and others to collect, wrap and distribute the gifts. A community gift-wrapping event, when hundreds of the presents will be wrapped, is held in many communities.

Businesses are encouraged to contact their local Home Instead Senior Care office about adopting groups of seniors. For tree locations in your local area, or for more information about the program, visit www.beasantatoasenior.com.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.