How to Manage Nutrition and Stressors as a Caregiver

The demands of caregiving can leave you feeling stressed, burned out, and low on energy. One way to boost your health is through nutritious meals. Good nutrition is essential for caregivers, as it helps regulate your health, energy, and mood. But with rising food costs and food insecurity, caregivers may find it challenging to maintain a regular nutritious plan.

OCO Virtual Open House

Resources

• Speakers: Ron Beleno, Christine Lavoie, Katherine George, Anaar Shariff, Amy Coupal, Felicia Hart, Clayo Laanemets, Fiona Lacey
• Printable one-page summary of OCO’s programs and services

Nourishing the Caregiver

Caring for others can often mean less time to care for yourself. In this presentation, you will learn to create balanced diets and enhance your ability to plan your meals. You will also learn new techniques to apply to your daily life practice. Join Nicole Osinga, a Registered Dietitian and understand how personalized nutrition solutions can improve your health and well-being.

Sample meal plan.

Do It Yourself Acupressure To Relieve Stress

Caring for yourself is one of the most important things you can do. As caregivers experience varying levels of stress and burnout, self-care is central to creating balance in one’s daily life and caregiving journey. Join Christine Fung, an Acupuncturist for over 20 years and examine self-help acupressure techniques to help relieve stress and improve well-being. This session is great for all ages and those looking to get instant relief from stress, anxiety and insomnia.

Sleep: Reclaiming the Caregiver’s Elusive Friend

The demands of caregiving often place tension on caregivers’ time, meaning that important basic needs often fall by the wayside. As a caregiver, you may experience challenges getting the sleep you need due to the demands on your time or the stress that can accompany being a caregiver. Join Dr. David Gardner as we talk about “All Things Sleep” for caregivers and what this means regarding sleep disorders, medication dependence, substance dependence and overall quality of life.

Deepen your connection with nature! This interactive discussion with Dr. Melissa Lem will explain the benefits of spending time outdoors. You will learn about the science-proven mental and physical health benefits of nature, how to include “green time” in your schedule, and learn about the “Park Prescription Program” (PaRx) in Ontario.

Healthy Sleep Habits – Helping You Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Webinar Notes – English / Webinar Notes – French

Sleep is one of the three main pillars of health. As caregivers, we often sacrifice sleep to care for others, to worry about our loved ones, and to run through our endless responsibilities. When we value the importance of healthy sleep as we do eating well and physical activity, we can achieve overall health and wellness that benefits us and our care recipients.

Creating a Life You Love

This workshop will empower you with tools and techniques to elevate your emotional and mental wellbeing. You will learn to take control of your life through the power of self-acceptance and compassion toward others through Dr. Natasha Sharma’s work as a therapist. Benefits include reduced stress and anxiety, increased self-esteem, and feeling connected to something greater than yourself.

Dance is an artistic experience that taps into imagination, self-expression and a sense of connection. This webinar examines the Sharing Dance Older Adults programs, developed by Canada’s National Ballet School and Baycrest, industry leaders in dance training and geriatric care. During this interactive presentation, caregivers will learn the benefits of dancing for themselves and their care recipients.

Age-Friendly Communities (AFCs) encourage us to look at how a community’s physical and social environment and health care intersect to impact our health and wellness. This webinar discusses the characteristics of AFCs and how they can apply to caregivers and caregiving to enable healthy aging in the home and communities.

PTSD in Unpaid Caregivers: Risks, Signs, and Support

Webinar Notes – English / Webinar Notes – French

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can impact family caregivers facing chronic strain as well as those exposed to life-threatening events. It is important to learn the signs of caregiver PTSD, so you can take immediate action to prevent things from becoming worse.

The caregiving role can bring forth many different feelings and emotions, and anxiety is one which can be problematic for those managing care. In this webinar, we welcome back Dr. Patrick McGrath to talk about anxiety in caregivers, tips to address it and how to find support.

Caring for yourself is one of the most important things you can do as a caregiver. But often, caregivers prioritize the needs of others over their own. In this webinar, Laura Jackson, a registered nurse and healthcare leader will identify ways to care for yourself. You will learn how to cultivate self-compassion in your life, tips for making and developing your own routine to practice mindfulness, and how to foster boundaries as a caregiver without guilt, anger, and resentment.