Forget making New Year’s Resolutions. Try a Vision Board Instead!
Grab a coffee, a note pad and give yourself an afternoon of dreaming and then planning for the next year (or more).
To get yourself started, you need to be able to articulate what you want in life. This is a really big question. Break it down by asking what excites you and makes you happy? What does a good life look like? What activities or hobbies do you want to learn or improve upon? Do you want to go on a travel vacation? Or become more involved in your community. Whatever you come up with, make sure it is something that will bring you joy.
Now for the fun part! Start writing words and inspiring phrases, gather some pictures from your photo albums, magazines, online or even Pinterest!
For example, if you enjoy cooking, meeting with friends and losing the dreaded 10 lbs., while not spending a ton of money, what would your Vision Board look like? Think out of the box for the steps you could take to accomplish these goals. Maybe it would be to get a group of friends together for a monthly potluck where you bring a healthy dessert from a newly learned recipe. Perhaps getting together to volunteer at a community soup kitchen is more doable.
Some Vision Boards are more theme related. An African Safari perhaps? Pictures of the animals, who you will travel with, the food you will enjoy while there and so on. If you dream of this kind of vacation, and you need to save money towards it, you might find yourself preparing more home cooked meals than going to restaurants or buying that morning coffee on the way to work every day (no one said that reaching your goals would be easy).
Don’t overthink this. Don’t worry if there is no rhyme or reason to what makes you happy. This is a personal exercise that when you look at your board, it will make you smile and dream of what’s to come. What a positive way to start the day!
Put it all together by using a magnetic, cork or chalk board, a journal, or even your fridge! It could also be in an electronic format. Whatever works best for you.
Some tips for success:
– Commit to looking at the board at least weekly, daily is better
– Don’t just dream about the end goal – actively participate in the process of getting to the end goal. So even if the Africa Safari doesn’t pan out this year, you will have achieved some of the smaller goals to get you there: achieve financial success by eating out less and thereby losing weight. And that’s still a win!
Excerpt from a January 2019 Snap article and written by Dina Campeis.
European Society for Person Centered Health Care, 5th Annual Global Conference, 6th to 7th December 2018
Nathalie Anderson and Jane Teasdale attended the European Society for Person Centered Healthcare conference in London (UK) where Jane was a Keynote speaker. Jane presented on community integrated models of care and addressed the barriers, tools and opportunities for meeting the social and emotional needs of persons with complex care needs living within our communities.
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Mosaic is recognized internationally as a leader in the development of person centered care that addresses the social and emotional needs of the person and the importance of their many relationships with their community.
Person centered care has many layers and is much more than just “treating the person nicely”, or personalizing care needs, although these are indeed aspects of person centeredness. The importance of addressing social needs and providing accessible opportunities for engagement in interests and activities within our communities is being increasingly acknowledged as important to health. Research shows that health, well-being and life expectancy can be significantly impacted if we limit our focus to the clinical and personal supports while ignoring the person and their social and emotional needs.
Traditions – New and Old
December seems to be the month many traditions are carried out, not only because of religious beliefs, but also because the kids are out of school and there are statutory holidays so most everyone has a few days off work to gather with friends and family. And, of course, the retailers remind us daily starting in November, that the gift giving season is upon us.
So, what is a tradition anyway? By definition, it includes customs, stories or beliefs that are handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth or actions.
Traditions that young and old have enjoyed over the years: the unveiling of The Bay downtown windows (and prior to that Eaton’s and Simpsons). The Santa Claus Parade. Work and personal holiday parties. Boxing day shopping! A quick survey of the staff at Mosaic Home Care revealed many traditions during the holidays, but mostly being with family and friends and eating food. LOTS of food. The phrase ‘food coma’ was mentioned several times.
A French tradition celebrated in Quebec and New Brunswick (and Belgium, France and Brazil) is Revellion. Every year, occurring the night before either Christmas and after attending Midnight Mass there is a feast that lasts long in to the night. The dinner is based on the word Reveil (waking) because participation requires staying awake long into the night.
It is not unusual to hear of families sharing stories about cooking and baking with grandparents and treasuring the ‘secret family recipes’ that have been passed down. It is wonderful to have hand-written recipes from relatives in the lovely script for those that were taught cursive handwriting. What will happen to future generations with technology? Printed recipes, while still meaningful, just aren’t quite the same.
More recent traditions for families and individuals may be to volunteer to help those less fortunate. It could be helping with serving a meal at a community shelter or agency, perhaps helping to wrap gifts at a senior’s residence, or for those who are creative, making a gift and donating it to those in need.
At Mosaic, we are working on our Twiddlemuff project. We are hoping to have enough knitted or crocheted twiddlemuffs to provide to seniors living with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia a gift to open. We want them to rip off the colourful wrapping paper just like they did when they were young. Maybe scrunch the paper in to a ball and listen to the sound and feel the texture of the paper. And then to put their hands in to a warm muff. And, surprise, there are objects to twiddle inside the muff! This keeps busy hands engaged and helps calm an otherwise agitated person.
Traditions build relationships and help people feel included. And, they can happen at any time throughout the year. What are your family traditions? Will you make new ones in the coming year to reflect the changes in your life? Perhaps mailing a handwritten card is a tradition to start or return to. And, of course, calling those whom we have not spoken to all year for a few good laughs and catch-up.
At Mosaic tradition is our Annual Holiday Celebration! Join us and our entertainer ‘One Man Big Band’ on December 20th from 10:00 am to 12noon at The Shops on Steeles & 404. RSVP requested.
Traditions. Such a wonderful thing!
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Written by: Dina Campeis, Community Relations Manager, Mosaic Home Care Services & Community Resource Centres
For more information about Mosaic Home Care, our Twiddlemuff project or our Annual Holiday Celebration, please call 905.597.7000 or email at info@mosaichomecare.com
Gratitude & Remembrance Day by Dina Campeis
This year is the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, known as Remembrance Day in Canada.
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This year is the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, known as Remembrance Day in Canada. Every year on this date, we remember. And we will continue to do so as time marches forward. But how we do this changes as the soldiers and family members of the Great World Wars pass away. Many have left memoires, photos, stories. Students learn about Wars in school from an early age through the Canada Remembers Program. Numerous university courses are available. Motion pictures and miniseries have been written and viewed by millions. Not just on these wars, but others as well that Canada has been involved.
So, let’s remember how the past influences today. Take a moment to think about this.
If you wear a Poppy, why? To remember past loved ones? Or to provide funds for current and future Veterans?
How do you feel when you wear it? Proud? Grateful?
Like many, my experience with Poppies is that I tend to lose them. Every year, I donate to the Legion’s Poppy campaign for the opportunity to wear a Poppy. It’s like a contest to see how long I can wear it before it disappears. One hour, one day, wow – a whole week! But it doesn’t matter. I just get another one. And another. And another. Every donation is what helps to ensure that the Legion will continue to support our Veterans and their Families. And this is how we will Remember.
http://www.legion.ca/remembrance/the-poppy
‘The healthiest of all human emotions is gratefulness’ Hans Selye (Hungarian-Canadian scientist).
There are many quotes and studies on gratefulness, and they seem to boil down to a character trait that people have that is different from being thankful. Being grateful is a much deeper feeling of appreciation. For example, one university student may be thankful that his/her parents are paying for higher education but may have felt they were entitled to this. Another university student may be aware that his/her parents are working longer or perhaps dipping in to their retirement funds in order to fund this education. In this case, the student is grateful as they understand the implications and sacrifice of the parents.
If you have never practiced Gratefulness, this is the perfect month to try it. Discuss what it means to you and your family and friends to have your freedom and a peaceful life here in Canada. This will be sure to be an interesting discussion.
To show gratefulness in this month of Remembrance you can wear a Poppy, write a letter to a Veteran or donate a guitar to the Guitars for Vets Canada program. What a lovely way for the memory of a musical family member to be passed on through this program. There are so many ways to help and in so doing show how grateful you are for the way we live today.
On November 10th there will be a Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Shops on Steeles and 404, hosted by Mosaic Home Care & Community Resource Centres. We are honoured to have a few guests
from the Canadian Armed Forces for this event. For more information call 905.597.7000 or email us at info@mosaichomecare.com.
Also, Kimberly Davies of Client Services is running an 11 days of posts on Remembrance day that are worthwhile reading, thinking about and remembering.
For more information about
http://www.legion.ca/remembrance/the-poppy
https://vetscanada.org/guitars-for-vets.php
https://mosaichomecare.com
Community Café, 22 October–Update!
Our community café is a space for everyone, whether you want to sit and listen, talk and take part or lead and grow the community and its connections. There will be activities and events as well as discussion and development of ideas as to how our communities could be better run and more deeply connected. Stay engaged, active and involved!
Monday’s Café was held at Mosaic’s Community Resource Centre at The Shops on Steeles & 404, 2900 Steeles Avenue East, Markham (Lower Level by Centre Court).
Here is an update from Beth Eshete, our new Community Resource & Social Engagement Coordinator (COSEC):
The October Community Café at the Steeles Community Resource Centre was a success!
With competitive games of virtual tennis and bowling, light refreshments and an interesting discussion on isolation, this community café was both insightful and engaging.
After watching a short TEDx Talk by Elissa Altman called “Healing the Epidemic of Isolation for Senior Citizens”, the group discussed the importance of having a tribe that you connect with.
One of our members highlighted the physical and mental health benefits of human connection. The subject of responsibility was also brought up in discussion, where does the responsibility lie in ensuring social connection is made? Is it entirely up to the individual? Or does the obligation lie on family and friends? Or maybe the government by ensuring programs are affordable and accessible to everyone in order to combat isolation?
The wonderful thing about the Community Café is that it provides a setting where we are all able to freely express our ideas, concerns and bring our ideas to the table in a healthy judgement free zone.
If you are interested in joining us for our next Community Café or have any questions, please give us a call at 905-597-7000 or email us at info@mosaichomecare.com. We would love to have you! –
Beth Eshete
Our next Community Café event will be at our Mid Town office 29 October:
THOUGHTS ON GIVING THANKS at Thanksgiving (By Dina Campeis)
Every year around this time, we start to think about Thanksgiving. For those working or in school, it’s a much-appreciated long weekend. For many, it’s a time to gather friends and family together and share in a feast of turkey, gravy, roasted vegetables and, of course, pumpkin pie! And, for others, it’s a reminder of family traditions that may no longer occur but are fondly remembered.
It is a time to Give Thanks. Thanks for all of the small things in your life that happen daily as well as the big things. Thanks for the sunshine and warm breeze on a fall day. Thanks for the transit system that gets us around safely every day. Thanks for the 3pm cup of coffee that keeps us going! Thanks for a charged cell phone that lets you connect to people 24/7. And, thanks for the (traditional) end of work day at 5pm. Not many would think to give thanks for these small things. We tend to think bigger – good health, good friends, positive family relationships, a roof over our heads and financial stability.
Maybe it’s time to rethink what it is that we are thankful for. Let’s go back in time to when our parents and grandparents were young. Did they have an indoor bathroom? Running (safe) water? Electricity? What about a fridge? A TV? A car to get you to the grocery store and back? A computer with internet, and email? And ATM machines! It was not so long ago that people did not have these. Now, we can’t imagine life without them. When you give thanks about these modern conveniences, think also about our elders who may not use them and offer assistance when they may need help. For them, writing a cheque is easy, online banking, not so much.
Many years ago, the Salvation Army, was one of the few agencies that provided much needed help to those in need. They had Thrift Stores and food boxes for families in need. My grandmother was a recipient after her husband died at age 41, leaving her with 4 children to feed and clothe. So I am thankful for the Salvation Army and all of the other agencies of today that provide services to those in need. You can never know what kind of help you will require, be it financial, medical or otherwise.
As a home care agency, Mosaic provides help in many ways to those in need. In addition to providing health and homemaking supports in the home, Mosaic also provides free social programs for seniors at two Community Resource Centres. We are currently knitting Twiddlemuffs to donate at our knitting groups. But there are all kinds of programs to be able to participate in the community and meet new friends.
In keeping with the theme of Thankfulness at this time of year, consider donating (supplies, time, money) to an organization that offers programs that are close to your heart. If looking for a way to help those in your community or look for services in Toronto, here are a few organizations that may be of interest:
https://www.volunteertoronto.ca/default.aspx
Call Mosaic Home Care at 905.597.7000 to inquire in to programs and services.
CALLING ALL KNITTERS! By Dina Campeis
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A big shout out goes out to our Wednesday afternoon Mosaic Knitting Group who volunteered time making Tweedlemuffs for some of our clients living with Alzheimer’s Dementia. They also contributed to Mosaic’s Window at our Shops on Steeles & 404 resource centre |
Knitting is one of those things I wish I could do but not so much that I take the time to learn. Yet!
Remember the Blossom Street series of books written by Debbie Macomber about a knitting store with characters of various ages and stories to tell? I was ‘hooked’ and read the entire series! Yet I still haven’t taken up knitting. I have however, been lucky enough to attend a weekly knitting group held at Mosaic Home Care. I can’t say that I’ve learned anything about knitting, but I have heard many stories and laughed along with the ladies who have now become friends. It’s Mosaic’s own version of the Blossom Street books.
Knitting and crocheting has become popular once again with the younger generation which is nice to see. They may not knit the shawls and sweaters that we remember, but they are ‘in to’ fingerless gloves, wrist warmers and boot cuffs. And, what about those knit coffee cozies? So cute!
There have been studies suggesting health benefits to knitting. Some, such as the 2011 study by The Mayo Clinic, indicate that knitting engages the brain in ways that can lead to improved brain function similar to other cognitive exercises such as reading books, using computers and playing games, and that these may reduce the development of mild cognitive impairment by 30-50%! Others are based on personal perceptions, and these are the ones that likely resonate with most of us who like to use our hands to create.
The benefits include:
– Feelings of accomplishment/purpose
– Reduced stress (at least for those not still learning!)
– Improved mood
– Sense of confidence
And when in a group setting, these benefits expand to include being social, making new friends, giving and sharing (of knowledge) even to the point of being a support group of sorts.
Interestingly, for younger people, they find knitting to be a good way to reduce stress, whereas for older people, a feeling of accomplishment is more important.
Whatever the reason, knowing that the above is important for knitters, Mosaic has started a project-based program for those who would like to either join a group of like-minded people, or work on a specific project. And the first of these is making a Twiddlemuff. Have you heard of Twiddlemuffs?
These are muffs that have embellishments on them so that those living with dementia have something not only to warm their hands, but also have bits and bobs to keep their hands busy. Since September is World Alzheimer Month, we are hoping to gather people together to learn to make Twiddlemuffs.
If you don’t knit but have bags of wool to donate (or buttons, ribbon etc), please feel free to drop off. We could use the yarn either for the Twiddlemuffs or perhaps for the next project – cat blankets!
Mosaic hosts knitting every Wednesday at Shops on Steeles and 404 and once/monthly on Mondays in mid-Toronto in the CNIB building. If you would like to learn more about this, please email: info@mosaichomecare.com or call us at 905.597.7000.
If you are looking for knitting clubs in your area, contact your local yarn store, or contact https://torontoknittersguild.ca/.
By:
Dina Campeis
Community Relations Manager
Mosaic Home Care & Community Resource Centres
905.597.7000
Towards a Decade of Healthy Ageing – From Evidence to Action: International Federation on Ageing, 14th Global Conference, 7th to 10th August 2018
Mosaic (Nathalie Anderson and I) attended this major global conference where I was also a presenter and a session chair. I also attended one of the Master Classes, on Ageism, on the Tuesday, before the conference and was invited by AARP to an evening event at the Berkeley Bicycle Club, on Wednesday, where I had the opportunity to speak to many of the leading lights of age friendly cities and healthy aging. This post provides more detail on the conference and its content.
![clip_image002[15]](https://janesgtacafe.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/clip_image00215.jpg "clip_image002[15]")
Our 6th July North York Seniors Centre Tour
Toronto has a great many community centres, recreation centres and senior centres. They and their volunteers do amazing work. We thought how about visiting them with some of the many people who come to Mosaic’s Community Resource Centres. To educate people, to connect people across our communities and to let people know what resources and activities there are available across the GTA.
Our first organised trip was to one of our favourite local community centres, North York Seniors Centre. We call it the Gem of North York. For over 40 years, this organization (started by seniors) has provided a great many seniors with programs and services in the Yonge/Finch area. It currently runs over 80 programs in 4 languages!!!
On Friday July 6th, Mosaic Home Care organized an outing to NYSC for a tour followed by lunch. After an initial presentation, 15 guests were given the opportunity to view a line dancing class. The music was great and 1 of our guests gave it a shot. The rest just watched… We checked out the art work done by the members hung throughout the building which were just amazing. And then we enjoyed a BBQ chicken lunch.
Because this is a public building, the cafeteria is open to the public. Many people from the office building next door stop in to pick up lunch as the lunch special (soup, salad, main course and dessert or coffee) is only $4.00!!! And Friday’s throughout the summer is BBQ day. Can’t beat this price. I took a picture just because I couldn’t believe the size of the chicken leg!
Mosaic will be organizing another tour and lunch in the winter. If this is something you are interested in, please give us a call or visit our send us an email to info@mosaichomecare.com.
For more information on North York Seniors Centre, call 416-733-4111, or visit them at www.nyseniors.org
Looking for an Active Living Centre in your area? Visit the Ontario website which lists all locations: https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-seniors-active-living-centre-near-you
We will also be looking to arrange trips to other community resources over the next year, so stay tuned as we explore the GTA’s many community resources and attractions.
Mosaic Activity Booklet – A Tour of our Wonderful City
Download here > for our July 2018 Edition and for up to date information on events in and around the GTA please go to our community twitter handle @MosaicGTALinks
A Guide for Members, Families and Caregivers
Take a tour of our wonderful city of Toronto with Mosaic’s Activity Booklet. Every month Mosaic compiles a list of festivals, shows, classes and more events that are happening in Toronto and the surrounding areas. Our Activity Booklet looks to provide the community with a number of events that are available to them every month to encourage socialization and participation in a number of fun events.
Our Activity Booklet is designed for older adults, their families, friends, personal support workers and caregivers in providing a number of options for fun outings in the community. Use our Activity Booklet to plan a fun outing with the family, or to catch your favourite artist when they are in town. With socialization being an important part to our overall health, our Activity Booklet will help people get out and provide them with options to remain social in the community. You can also find all of Mosaic’s events at our events page for both our Markham and Toronto locations, and sign-up for Mosaic’s quarterly newsletter to receive news about Mosaic and our upcoming events.
Mosaic’s commitment to lifestyle and socialization extends with our Activity Booklet. Use our activity booklet to help you discover all the wonderful events and activities that are available to you in our wonderful city of Toronto. Come back every month to find out what wonderful activities are happening in the community for you to attend!
For more up to date information on events in and around the GTA please go to our community twitter handle @MosaicGTALinks
