Good Good News!

Making the private matter of caring for your family member or friend a public matter has long been a mission of the 29-­year-­old charity Family Caregivers Society of British Columbia.

With Health Minister Adrian Dix’s announcement of $75million in new provincial caregiver support funding, the Society is celebrating. “Today’s commitment to supporting family and friend caregivers across BC is significant, and unprecedented in Canada,” said Barbra Hopkins,President of Family Caregivers of British Columbia (FCBC).

“I am a care giver for my mother and had to reduce my work to part-time, and I also help care for my grandchildren, so I know first-hand what’s at stake.”

Hopkins is one of more than one million family caregivers across BC doing the same thing – juggling work, caring for an aging parent or chronically ill family member or friend – and trying to remain healthy despite the financial, physical and emotional toll of caregiving.

“After many decades of calling for a systemic approach to supporting caregivers, it’s finally going to happen,” adds FCBC ExecutiveDirector Barb MacLean. “We couldn’t be more pleased about this increased level of recognition and support for a very hard-working, invisible part of society.

”MacLean notes that the new provincial funding is earmarked to make a difference at the community level through increased respite and adult day program options.Caregivers need regular relief from caregiving duties and this funding will help significantly.”

FCBC operates the BC Caregiver Support Line (1-877-520-3267)and a virtual Caregiver Resource Center, as well as being a voice for care givers in the health sector.

“This funding is substantial enough to paint a brighter future for thousands of caregivers, ensuring they won’t break under the burden of caring,” says MacLean. “This is truly care for the caregiver, and a wise move to build capacity for us to age with dignity in our own homes, with the people we care about.”

Contact:
Barb MacLean
Executive Director
Family Caregivers of British Columbia
www.familycaregiversbc.ca - Email

【明報】幫助受虐長者的「卑詩社區響應網絡協會」(BC Association of CommunityResponse Networks)6月15日成立第一個「華人社區響應網絡」，該協會行政服務部門總裁約翰遜(Sharon Johnson)指，在大溫樓價愈來愈不可負擔情況下，不少成年子女容易不斷向父母伸手拿錢買房子或撫養孩子，或是搬回與父母同住，吃住由父母承擔，這均是一種財務虐待。

約翰遜說，如此長者在財務上被虐待的情況每天不斷上演，而且是跨族裔的普遍現象。

約翰遜說，說不同語言或來自不同文化的長者，雖然在受虐問題上有些差異，但不管是什麼族裔，長者被虐發生最多的類型均是財務虐待，其次是情緒虐待，而遭受到肢體虐待的長者則相對比較少。

她認為，大溫樓價愈來愈高，對長者虐待問題產生了推波助瀾的作用，許多長者與子女相處的問題，均與房屋問題有關。

她說，曾有一名長者由於年齡大逐漸忘東忘西，這時她聽從子女建議，授權子女代為處理銀行事宜，子女以買房屋，首期不夠為理由，陸續自銀行帳戶取錢，直到有一天，她才發現銀行的錢所剩無幾。

「華人社區響應網絡」統籌歐瑞蓮則說，近六成自中國申請到大溫居住的父母均為鰥寡，他們語言不通又愛子心切，也很容易成為財務受虐對象。

她又舉一例說，例如有老人家已經到了可領政府老人金的年齡，卻常聽到她需要向兒子拿錢，每次要幾十元。在其他朋友詢問了解下，才知道原來該老人家不懂英文不知如何申請老人金，而請兒子代勞，兒子填了自己的銀行帳戶作為轉帳帳戶，因此每個月的老人金都在兒子手裏。後來經過其他朋友的協助，才通知了加拿大服務部(ServiceCanada)，將老人金直接匯進該老人的戶頭。

根據省衛生廳的統計，本省約有4%至一成的長者遭到一定程度的財務、肉體、情緒及性剝削，歐瑞蓮說，由於很多長者受虐個案均未報警或驚動社工，使得統計數字可能嚴重低估實際情況。

Toothbrush.org is an advocacy campaign dedicated to the enhancement of oral health.

In addition to providing toothbrushes to those in need, they also provide resources to not only educate, but to also spread awareness - especially to at-risk communities.
 
According to Toothbrush.org, one of the communities that face the hardest oral health challenges today is the older adult population. 

In fact, studies reveal 1 in 5 older adults have untreated dental problems. In addition to the implications that come with poor oral health, research suggest ties between poor oral health and diabetes, stroke, heart disease and other serious health issues.
 
In order to raise awareness and educate those who are facing or who may face these problems, Toothbrush.org created this useful guide that outlines the importance of oral health and what the older adult population can do to ensure better oral health: https://www.toothbrush.org/ultimate-guide-oral-health-seniors
 
 
Shared by Sarah Olson
Toothbrush.org | A Campaign for Oral Health
email: sarah@toothbrush.org