Tag: Caregiving and Dementia
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A Bigger Safari: Nakusp Hot Springs, the Kootenays, and a Weekend With No Wifi
Earlier I wrote about our small Kamloops safari to Isobel Lake, where the big game was a herd of cattle and the gentle residents were a goose family on the water. The weekend before I fly to Nairobi, we went on a bigger safari still. Mama, Oksana, and Svitlana and I packed up and drove…
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A Kamloops Safari: Mama, Isobel Lake, and the Gentle Wildlife of Home
This week I fly to Nairobi for a conference, to the land of the true safari. But before any of that, on a Friday after work, I went on a different kind of safari, closer to home, and in many ways closer to my heart. I took Mama Lidia to Isobel Lake. If you have…
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Tonight at TRU: The Care You Don’t See
Somewhere in Kamloops right now, a student is finishing an assignment between hospital visits. A neighbour is cooking a second dinner to drop off down the street. A son is helping his mother with her medications before heading to his evening shift. A parent is studying for an exam with a toddler asleep on their…
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January Is Over. The Dementia Journey Continues Every Day.
On Awareness, Forget-Me-Nots, and a Book Born from Stories That Changed Everything January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in Canada — a time dedicated to shining a light on dementia, the people living with it, and the millions of family members and caregivers who walk beside them every day. Across the country, the Alzheimer Society of…
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Golden Roads: Fall Drives with Mama in Kamloops
The car windows are down, autumn air flowing through, and Mama is in the front seat as we chase the golden light through the Kamloops countryside. These drives have become our way of catching the season’s brief, brilliant beauty. Our Favourite Fall Routes Riverside Park Drive This downtown classic feels like an old friend as…
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The Last Tomato Check-In of 2025
Yesterday, Mama, Larysa, and I stood together in our Westsyde garden for what has become our annual ritual—the final tomato check-in of the year. Branch by branch, we carefully examined what remained, deciding what could ripen on the vine and what would make the journey indoors to continue its transformation from green to red on…
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Book Launch: Navigating Involuntary Hospitalization of Older Adults with Dementia
A Compassionate Guide Born from Love and Lived Experience ANNOUNCING THE LAUNCH of Dr. Oleksandr (Sasha) Kondrashov’s groundbreaking resource for families facing one of the most challenging aspects of dementia care: involuntary hospitalization. About the Book “This isn’t just a guide. It’s a bridge between the voices we hear and the ones we fight to…
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The Hidden Network of Care: A Kamloops Forum
Kamloops, We Need You 💙 An Invitation to the Most Caring Forum Our City Has Ever Seen Monday, June 16, 2025 | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PMThompson Rivers University – House of Learning, HOL 190 Dear Kamloops Community, In the quiet moments of our city, while most of us go about our daily routines, there…
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Invisible No More: A Forum to Honour Students who Care
Making visible the hidden network of care that holds our communities together In the quiet moments between classes, while other students grab coffee or check social media, some of our peers are texting to check on a parent’s medication schedule, arranging childcare for the evening, or mentally preparing for the caregiving responsibilities waiting at home.…
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You’re Invited: A Celebration of Heart, Hope, and Healing
Please join us in celebrating the culmination of a powerful journey — both personal and professional — as Katie Karley, RSW BSW MSWc, presents the launch of her resource “Navigating Medical Journeys with Children: Tools, Resources, and Support.” 🗓️ Date: April 9, 2025🕔 Time: 5:00 PM Pacific Time📍 Location: Zoom🔐 Meeting ID: 872 3809 6558🔑…
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A Colorful Carrot Teaching: Lessons on Diversity from the Farmer’s Market
Last weekend, I went to the Courtenay farmer’s market with Mama. We love visiting local markets because we get to see all the different fruits, vegetables, and other goods that the local farmers bring to share. As we walked around, a big pile of colorful carrots caught my eye. There were the usual orange carrots…