Best Practice Considerations: Coaching and Support for Family & Professional Caregivers

Posted: September 9, 2024 , in ComForConnections Podcast

In 2022, over 13.4 million Canadians aged 15 years and older—representing 42% of the population—provided unpaid care to children, youth, or adults with long-term conditions or disabilities. Among these caregivers, 1.8 million found themselves in the challenging position of providing care to both young and elderly dependents, forming part of Canada’s growing "sandwich generation." This dual caregiving role can quickly lead to burnout, posing serious risks to the caregivers' well-being and the quality of care they provide.

As an Aging Services Professional, recognizing the key warning signs of caregiver burnout and offering robust coaching and support for family and professional caregivers is essential. By implementing best practices like focused family coaching and team-based staff support, you can help address the complex emotional and physical demands caregivers face. This approach ensures caregivers are better equipped to manage care transitions and prevent burnout.

Understanding the different challenges posed by caregiving is critical for you to shape effective solutions for Canada’s 8 million caregivers. Tune into the latest ComForConnections episode for insights on caregiver burnout, approaches to guiding families throughout the care journey and more.

We are joined by Linda Meek, Business Development & Relations Manager at ComForCare Home Care of Ottawa-Champlain, and Nadine Valk, MPA, Coach for Caregiving Teams and Individuals at Nadine Valk Coaching and Facilitation.

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About Our Guests:

Linda Meek, Business Development & Relations Manager, ComForCare Home Care of Ottawa-Champlain

Linda is the Business Development and Relations Manager for ComForCare Home Care - Ottawa-Champlain. She is dedicated to helping families ensure their loved ones are provided with the care and services they deserve in whatever setting they call home.

Supporting and educating our seniors to navigate our Healthcare system is a strong focus point for Linda. She grew up in a small Village in Scotland, where her grandmother taught her the importance of caring for others at a very young age, especially seniors living alone.

After studying Gerontology, Linda worked in Senior-centric organizations for over 20 years. She has met and befriended many Seniors and their Families in her 17-year journey as Executive Director in various retirement homes in the Ottawa area. Linda has served as a Board Member and Educator for the Ontario Retirement Communities Association, Board Member for the Council on Aging, and various committees. Linda currently serves on the Algonquin College advisory committee.

Nadine Valk, MPA, Coach for Caregiving Teams and Individuals at Nadine Valk Coaching and Facilitation
Nadine has over 30 years of experience dedicated to improving the well-being of others, including work in hospice palliative care as a volunteer and past Director of Education and Strategic Partnerships for Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, and was the Executive Director of the Champlain House Palliative Care Program.

She is currently putting her expertise to use as a full-time certified coach based in Ottawa, specializing in working with caregivers, care providers, and care teams. In addition to coaching individual clients, Nadine supports projects with the Canadian Homecare Association, Healthcare Excellence Canada, and the Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation (CLRI) in Long-Term Care. Nadine is also a mindfulness teacher and Director of the Mindfulness Informed End of Life Care Program at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.

Show Notes:

The concept of caregiver burnout, focusing on the key warning signs for family and professional caregivers
Strategies and approaches used to guide families through challenging caregiving decisions and transitions
How ComForCare Home Care helps families navigate emergencies and make informed caregiving decisions, especially during crises or urgent situations
Best Practice considerations for implementing team coaching and staff support programs to address and mitigate caregiver burnout
Resources for Aging Services Professionals to support families and professional caregivers in managing and preventing caregiver burnout

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