NEXsteps and the Culture Hack

Culture Hack and NEXsteps

Finding your next steps with NEXsteps.

On August 3rd of this year, Adam Kolozetti of ENTA Solutions interviewed Nancy Boisvert, the founder of NEXsteps.  This episode aired September 21st, and we’re thrilled to have had the opportunity to share our vision of NEXsteps with Adam and his larger audience.

We covered what inspired NEXsteps and a bit about some of the challenges and obstacles that can crop up when someone is managing the affairs of a loved one.  By being better prepared and understanding some of these issues, others can avoid these issues or, at least, minimize the impact they will have and the time they will take to resolve.

You can watch the episode now, or watch it on our YouTube Channel.     If you prefer, you can listen to our podcast.

You can also check it out on Adam’s channel.

Your questions and comments are always welcome.  Contact us to learn more or to schedule your consultation.

 

 

Wouldn’t You Rather Be…?

caregiver journey

What is the caregiver journey like?

“I wish I had a resource person or guide to point me in the right direction at the start of my caregiving journey”

The caregiver journey can be a rough road.  That quote is from a caregiver survey done by the University of Alberta for research on the impact of caregiving on well-being, published in November of 2021. (https://rapp.ualberta.ca/snapshot-of-aging/).

Taking care of our loved ones is something that is natural.  We all want those we love to be safe, warm, happy and cared-for.  We want to remove, or at least reduce, their stress and anxiety when aging or health/mobility issues increasingly become the norm.

But caregiving takes a toll.  It usually starts with just a few errands or a few hours per week, but this changes, creating a subtle, yet insidious demand on more and more of the caregiver’s time.  As the time required for caregiving increases, it can affect all areas of our lives; time away from our careers, our spouses and children, time for our own errands and responsibilities, and time for our own recreation or hobbies that keep us healthy and balanced.

The end result can be an increased amount of stress and anxiety for the caregiver.  Of course we want to manage the needs of our loved ones, even as these needs increase, but trying to do it all can result in short tempers, anger and resentment.

It doesn’t have to be that way!  You can be the caregiver for your loved one, but turn the focus back to being the husband, or wife, or son, or daughter, or friend of the person needing the support.

Our years of experience walking in your shoes have resulted in the development of our comprehensive consultative process that ensures that a stable, yet flexible, aging plan is in place.  Now you don’t need to spend hours chasing answers to those issues and problems that appear out of nowhere.  We’ve already found the solutions to most of those problems.

“I wish I had a resource person or guide to point me in the right direction at the start of my caregiving journey”.  That doesn’t have to be your story, and your caregiver journey doesn’t have to be so difficult.  We are that resource, and we can help.  Contact us  to schedule your consultation or learn more about our current products and services.

Learn more…

 

Hours and Hours

unpaid caregiver hours and value

Unpaid caregivers – family and friends – provide incredible value.

Have you ever wondered how many hours family and friends give as caregivers? It’s not trivial, nor is the monetary value.

It happens to all of us eventually. We’re either providing assistance and support to our loved ones as they advance in age and care needs, or we’re the ones aging and receiving the support.

Regardless, it all adds up. Usually, it is insidious; a few hours here and there to help with errands or appointments. Before long, it is taking up a larger and larger part of your day. But what does this unpaid caregiver hours and value look like?

I had the opportunity recently to talk with Jacquie Eales, Research Manager, Research on Aging, Policies & Practice at the University of Alberta. One of the areas they have researched and compiled data is that of unpaid caregiver hours. With Jacquie’s blessing, I will share some of that data with you in this post.

First of all, let’s take the birds’ eye overview of what that looks like across the provinces of Canada. This infographic shows the percentage of population per province engaged in caregiving, as well as the amount of time spent in millions of hours per year, and the economic value in billions per year, at $17 per hour.

Now, let’s break it out by category for a clearer visual representation:

As you can see in the above picture, one-quarter to one-third of our population is engaged in providing caregiving support.

 

This next image breaks out the amount of time friend and family caregivers are providing each year, in millions.

 

Calculated at $17 per hour, the economic value of these millions of hours of support represent significant value, as shown in the following image.

Attribution: Family-caregiving-worth-97-billion_2022-02-20 by Research on Aging, Policies and Practice, University of Alberta, https://rapp.ualberta.ca/snapshot-of-aging/

The amount of time provided to support our aging population clearly is far from trivial.  Keep in mind that during the Covid-19 lockdowns, many family/friend caregivers could not access their loved ones, creating stress for the staff at the various facilities housing so many of our seniors, frustration for the friends and family members, and isolating a cohort that already suffers from loneliness and seclusion.

Societies have always depended on the support of friends and family members to assist with those who require support.  This is something that the vast majority of us never would question and is a fundamental kindness.  But options exist to provide balance and wellness for everyone concerned.  A consultation with NEXsteps can show you how you can provide the love and support to your loved ones while striking a better balance with the other aspects of your life.  Contact us to schedule your consultation, or learn more about our services.

 

You can also see our video on YouTube

 

Introducing NEXsteps – Age with Confidence

transitional aging specialist

Introducing NEXsteps – The Art of Aging Well

We are your transitional aging specialists.

The past few years dealing with COVID-19 have been challenging for everyone, and on many levels. During the initial phase, no one knew what to expect. Lockdowns caused many businesses to close, often with no ability to reopen in the future. The impact of the lack of business reverberated throughout nearly all types of businesses; with no customers and no idea what the future held, many opportunities were lost and many businesses had to learn to pivot to continue.

I took this opportunity to reflect on what I felt was most meaningful to me at this phase of my life. I have spent the past several years managing the care and transition of aging friends and relatives, becoming a transitional aging specialist. This has been both rewarding and challenging. There are many aspects to the aging process and the development of an aging plan that simply can’t be anticipated, especially if you are a caregiver “newby”. Then, just a couple months ago, I made a decision to shift my focus from general business and strategic marketing consultation  to consulting with the aging, and their friends and family members who will have the responsibility of managing their care and their aging plan.

I invite any of you who are faced with this planning to reach out. An initial ninety minute consultation to develop a proper aging plan will ensure that you can move forward with confidence and efficiency. Don’t spend hours of your time chasing answers that I have already have discovered during my journey to become a transitional aging specialist. Contact us and schedule your consultation, or check out our products and services.

Learn more…
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