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13 · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, March 18, 2009 Living Oakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN Phone: 905-337-5560 e-mail: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com A call for help By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF S arah, a soft-spoken woman with a gentle manner, knew one day while she was driving down the road that she needed help. She still remembers -- with a smile -- what a relief it felt like when she got that help. Sarah, 40, and her husband John, 58, are newcomers to Canada. They have three boys, all under age 7. John has Alzheimer disease. Sarah works part-time and is struggling to care for her husband and their three boys. Sarah and John hail from South Africa and Kenya. They came to Canada in 2001 because John had attended school in Canada. They had friends in Oakville so they moved into their north Oakville home in 2003. John, an engineer, worked for a major utility company. It came as a surprise to Sarah when John's work flagged a potential problem. After much testing, John was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer disease last year. "At his work, they picked it up. I didn't pick it up," said Sarah, a busy mother of three. "There's only one of me to go around," said Sarah. To that end some help arrived as a knight to rescue the often too-busy Sarah. It arrived via Saint Elizabeth Health Care, a not for profit health care agency that has been in existence for more than 100 years. Last fall, Saint Elizabeth launched a Caregiver Support Program in Oakville that is funded by the Saint Elizabeth Foundation and its funding partner Telus. That program is called ElderSafe Support Services, a new division of Saint Elizabeth Health Care that opened in Oakville last fall at 2318 Lakeshore Rd. W., Unit 2. Janet Sirianni, from Saint Elizabeth Health Care, was instrumental in setting up ElderSafe in Oakville. Lilian Kee is the case manager, who was put in touch with Sarah and John through the Alzheimer Society. ElderSafe provides services to assist seniors to maintain their independence in a home or alternate living setting. That consists of personal care, companionship and housekeeping. "Our primary goal is to promote and maintain the physical, psychological and social well being of our clients," said Kee. "What's different about us, well, we are actually nonprofit and a charitable organization -- a division of the much trusted Saint Elizabeth Home Care," said Kee. "When we say we will do anything to help seniors stay in their home, we mean it. Everything from personal care, hygiene, medication reminders and administering eye drops, to picking up dog poop in the yard, shopping for a senior, meal prep, laundry, driving to social outings or doctor's appointment or just companionship. We'll provide service 365-24," said Kee. Whatever the senior and their family believe will help the senior stay in their home ­ ElderSafe will tailor a care plan to make it happen. "We are reaching out to the sandwich generation, squeezed between their kids needs and their parents needs, or maybe those who have moved away or been transferred leaving Mom or Pop still here," said Kee. ElderSafe had pretty much just hung its shingle out in Oakville, when Kee was put in touch with Sarah and John -- not your typical senior and spouse needing assistance. Today, the ElderSafe counsellor takes John to the gym, or for coffee or to have a haircut or shave. It allows Sarah to take their sons swimming or to sports. Some light housekeeping also gives Sarah a hand around the house -- a whirlwind that's tough to keep on top of with three young boys. It's all very flexible and even the voice of service See ElderSafe page 14 NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER