Active Aging

4 ACTIVE AGING WEEK | SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2016 Manitoba Association of Senior Centres 204-792-5838 info@manitobaseniorcentres.com Centres are places where older adults come together to improve their health and quality of life, for services and pro- grams, and to support personal indepen- dence and encourage involvement in community life. Be Active all around. Exercise your body and brain to stay active and alive all year long. Visit our website today, we have a program that's right for you! SAFETY & SECURITY • Elder Abuse Prevention • Safe Suite Program • Older Victim Services • SafetyAid: Crime Prevention for Older Manitobans • This Full House – addresses Hoarding Disorder SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT • Senior Centre Without Walls • Connect Program • Entry Program for Older Adult Immigrants COUNSELLING SERVICES • Counselling • Information & Referral • Intake • Housing • Legal Services Providing innovative programs and services to older adults since 1957 CONTACT INFORMATION: A & O: Support Services for Older Adults 200-280 Smith St. Winnipeg, MB. R3C 1K2 Phone: (204) 956-6440 Toll-free: 1-888-333-3121 Fax: (204) 946-5667 Website: www.aosupportservices.ca E-mail: info@aosupportservices.ca Arbor Memorial Inc. 4000 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB Family Owned. Proudly Canadian. Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home by Arbor Memorial Get started today. Call us about your FREE Will Kit! 204-982-8100 www.chapellawn.ca Responsible. Caring. One-of-a-kind. That's the kind of person you are. By completing your own final plans today, you can protect your family and express your individuality. How do you want to be remembered? CHAPEL LAWN 4X78 3678332 Being healthy, keeping moving and staying in the comfort of your own home is what "active aging" means to Katherine Peters. Peters is the founder and CEO of Comforts of Home - Care, the premier local provider of home-care services. Comforts of Home - Care strives to keep clients active and involved in the community. "Often when someone is moved into a personal care home, they decline in health and are disconnected from the community," says Peters. "We work closely with clients to determine a care plan that can include cleaning, meal preparation and cooking healthy meals, assisting with exercising, extensive personal and dementia care, and shopping and outings to help keep the individual involved in the community." Comforts of Home - Care was started in 2005 when Peters, a social worker at the time, noticed gaps in patient care. Government home-care services have a limited focus and scope due to funding constraints. However, the province offers funding for private care through its Self and Family Managed Care Program. "If a client is eligible for government home care, they're eligible for the funding program," Peters explains. "They can appoint us to take care of the details. All they need is our invoice to meet the audit requirements." With over 300 employees and two head offices, Peters and her team have helped over 1,400 seniors stay in their homes. "We're all about giving our clients the quality of life they deserve," she says. One of the biggest contributors of Peters' success is the people she hires. "They do everything a good son or daughter would do," she says. "The most important aspect of a caregiver is a caring heart. You can train people for many things, but not that." Her caregivers spend significant time with their clients and form strong relationships with them. "The caregiving bond builds confidence and self-esteem for our clients," Peters says. "This kind of connection is so important for people who feel isolated, forgotten and alone." Having proper supports and this feeling of connection is important for healthy and active aging. Another important part of active aging is making sure to take "me time." "We work with many family caregivers who have become burned out mentally, physically and emotionally," Peters says. "We take some of the caregiving burden from their shoulders and allow them to enjoy being a son, daughter or spouse once again. The work we do is very rewarding." To learn more about Comforts of Home - Care Inc., call 204-949-3234 or visit comfortsofhomecare.ca. Active aging in the comfort of your own home (ADAPTED FROM 'CARE & COMFORT' BY HOLLI MONCRIEFF) Katherine Peters, founder and CEO of Comforts of Home - Care PROVIDED PHOTO

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