Merchant Mentions

Aging is never easy. Fraught with loss and challenges, a new local business hopes to ease the burdens on the elderly and their families with a plan to age in place and adapt homes to make them functional for later life. Tom and Melody Grant bring their expertise as an occupational therapist and a designer to Living by Design.

Lived experience

Living on the Sunshine Coast at the time, Tom Grant was not surprised when he and his siblings decided he should take the lead on helping his elderly parents downsize and transition to long-term care. With his experience as an occupational therapist it was the logical choice. What he didn’t expect was having to move back to the UK for a year, the massive mental and emotional labour, and the seemingly endless details of the task. 

Melody and Tom Grant

“At the time I had a big realization: ‘Why do we, and everyone else, leave these things so late – until it’s a big panic?’ It’s such upheaval in everyone’s lives to downsize,” said the Lynn Valley-based occupational therapist. 

He was dealing with the double whammy of downsizing his mother to a smaller home and settling his father into a long-term care facility to support his dementia. He knew he wanted to use his expertise to help others. 

“I am really on a mission to shift people’s approaches to aging. To think more proactively rather than reactively – like I did in my life,” said Grant. “We want to make the process a bit smoother so we can help a few families avoid having to rush in a crisis.”

It was also the experience with his family that brought his wife Melody on board to create Living By Design.

“When my mom got her new place my wife made it suitable for my mom with all its furnishings,” he said. “It doesn’t need to look institutional. I think you need the collaboration of both expertise or you will get something that is institutional or it could be very pretty but doesn’t take into account the progression of age, or a disability. If we could work as a team, we could help instead of calling in separate experts who aren’t on the same page.”  

Today, Tom offers traditional occupational services, as well as, their aging-in-place planning with Melody through their company Living By Design. 

Make a plan

If Grant has one piece of advice it’s: plan – and if needed, move early.

“Ideally people will have their home for life or downsize early enough and make that their home for life. Depending on their finances, as long as it’s accessible, there is no reason why some can’t stay at home as long as possible,” he said.

The biggest error families make is underestimating the amount of mental and physical effort to move, and how that mental drain continues for months or years as someone tries to establish themselves in a new community. 

“In my experience working in home care, if someone has to move their home when they are already starting to struggle with mobility and particularly if they are struggling with cognition – if they move environments – move home or into a new area so they can be close to family, it’s very discombobulating and can lead to massive functional decline.

“A new area, a new home they might not have the cognitive ability to take on this new environment. It takes a lot of cognitive ability to get to know your new environment and – not driving anymore – transportation can lead to feeling isolated,” said Grant. “Getting lost, struggling with timetables, it becomes a burden for adult children. Potentially, the older adult feels guilty that they need to be supported so much but they need the help. It becomes very demanding on everyone. If people stay in their homes and help can come in, they are more likely to function.”

Age with grace

The solution is fairly simple but not necessarily easy. 

“What I see happening, downsizing and aging is a bit of a taboo topic,” said Grant. “Have a good plan in place around 65 that you are going to stick to and be accountable to your family members.”

That is a broad strokes plan sharing the elder’s wishes and setting goals. 

“At 70-75, you might have the cognitive capacity to do it but not the physical capacity to do it yourself. The brain power to do all the packing or getting to know a new area is underestimated. It has to happen before your abilities decline and the burden shifts to adult children.”

This also empowers the elder, rather than forcing decisions on them – another stress for the family, he said.  

“My mission is to get people to start talking about this. The conversations are getting delayed.  Be honest, be transparent and commit to the plan of aging. Acknowledge there is a functional decline with aging without any particular health condition.”

Connecting the dots

With the experience of working within and out of Coastal Health, Grant understands the pressures and limitations of the public system. He hopes Living By Design helps families move forward with living and aging. Too often, after a brief evaluation from a Coastal Health OT patients are left with more questions than answers. 

“When people leave it to a crisis: like they are in hospital after they have fallen and broken their hip, suddenly they need an accessible home. People spend a lot of time in rehab only to find their home is not appropriate for them,” said Grant. “OTs with Coastal Health are stretched too thin. They will say you need an accessible bathroom but they don’t have time to tell you what that means and how you can get it. We are trying to fill the gaps in what the public system can offer. They can’t go into this much detail, they will do a basic assessment, but I will do a much more detailed assessment and treatment.”

Whether it’s a crisis, a disability or managing the general decline of aging, if a home needs renovation, that is Melody’s specialty. Her skills help make the functional changes homey and aesthetically pleasing. 

“Often people get recommendations but there is no one to help with the next step of implementing them,” he said. “It might be adding some grab bars but it might be renovating their whole bathroom and they are left to their own devices to figure it out. 

“You can’t rush a lot of these things – it takes time finding contractors, supplies. Ideally, it should be done ahead of time step-by-step.” 

If adult children are out of town, or if that process is simply too taxing, Living By Design can help homeowners through the process. 

“One thing I think might be very helpful is project management,” said Grant. “If you need changes but you might not have the knowledge or the energy to call and make those changes. Melody can help organize reliable trades, keep them on track and make them accountable. The burden often falls on the children who might not even live in the area. If your spouse previously looked after these responsibilities and they have recently passed, it can be intimidating to talk to a contractor and makes them vulnerable to being taken advantage of.”

The first steps to aging in place are simple conversations and assessments, said Grant. He evaluates over 300 potential hazards in the home and can also establish a cognitive baseline to monitor mental changes. 

“If someone thinks ‘We are slowing down and we want to make some changes,’ we can do a joint assessment and look at the space planning and we can work together.” 

Living By Design is based in Lynn Valley and works throughout the North Shore and Sunshine Coast.  

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

There is a new option for notary services in our neighbourhood and we are so proud to welcome Kay Manabe Senju Notary as a new officemate. Manabe is expanding her business to serve Lynn Valley with her typical knowledge and warmth.

Help where it is needed

With the departure of Lynn Valley’s previous notary, Manabe knew she wanted to help. Building on her Lonsdale practice, the new office in Lynn Valley will continue to offer her notary services including wills, real estate, and general affidavits and declarations.

“I want to serve people with compassion,” she said. “As I became a single mom, I was using the legal system and I know how hard it is. I knew I wanted to help people. As a notary, I can be patient and compassionate.”

Knowing that sometimes notary services are needed during some particularly stressful and trying times, Manabe will also visit clients in their homes, care homes or hospitals. 

“I need to see my clients to make sure they are being taken care of and have the capacity for these decisions, that can be done with Zoom or in-person where they are if they can’t come to my office,” she said. “A lot of seniors can’t leave their homes – I can. I don’t mind. I want to help and I have worked with the social workers at Lions Gate Hospital.”

Protecting yourself, caring for others

Manabe shared that only 50 percent of British Columbians have wills.

“I believe it is important for everyone, whether they have assets or not, to have a will and the other documents you need,” she said. “It’s a way of taking care of the people left behind. The fees and process to take care of a death without a will can be overwhelming in a tough time.”

In addition to a will, she recommends a power of attorney, and a representation agreement, and an advanced directive (the latter two take care of your needs should you become incapacitated). 

“No one likes the idea of creating a will at the best of times but it is easier when you are happy and healthy,” she said. “The process can simply start with some forms to fill out which helps me understand your needs. From there we can sit together and go through it. People don’t like to talk about death, don’t worry I will do the talking and guide you through.”

Choosing your legal professional

Notary publics can be a choice for transactional legal matters that are non-contentious such as personal planning, real estate, declarations and affidavits, travel documents for minors and many more.

“On the matters we specialize in, we have the same training as lawyers,” she said. “Like lawyers, there are high-priced notaries and low-price notaries. It all depends. It is important you find a notary you are comfortable with and who is transparent about their fees.”

She adds that when choosing any professional service, it is important to check that the notary is in good standing with the Society of Notaries Public of BC. This will ensure the notary is covered by insurance and has the education needed to perform their duties. 

“This is an important relationship. You need to trust your notary and feel comfortable asking questions,” said Manabe. “I want to take the time so you are not rushing decisions. 

“If I can’t help you, I will use my network – that is Senju means – a thousand hands. I will refer you to professionals: lawyers, accountants, mortgage brokers that I trust.”

Senju Notary can be found at the LynnValleyLife offices at 3171 Mountain Hwy on Tuesdays and Friday or contacted by phone: 604-818-7710.

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

Eco-fashion is booming and the clothing resale market is the fastest-growing segment. As Lynn Valley’s Geraldine Durant noticed the climbing prices at local thrift shops, she created a more community-oriented swap. 

Think globally, act locally

Inspired by the eco-focus of her former employer, Lynn Valley’s Cousteau School, Durant has been trying to make environmentally friendly decisions. Often they pay with bonus rewards. 

“I love thrift stores,” she said. “They are unique and interesting. You can find different things than you can find at the mall.” 

Speaking with like-minded friends sparked the idea of a clothing swap. If the interested swappers continue like (the non-pandemic restricted portions of) last year, more than 15,000 items will be kept out of the landfill.

The Good Swap

Many people who shop at thrift stores are the very same people who donate to them in the first place, said Durant. 

“Talking with friends we realized the amount of money we were spending in thrift shops after we donated to them. The idea of a clothing swap led to this,” she said gesturing to the lower level of her home filled with stock from the Good Swap’s swappers. 

The swap idea is simple. Participants bring in their items – quality clothing and children’s items  – and choose a similar amount of new-to-them items, as well as paying a small flat fee to cover cleaning and storage costs and minimally compensate Durant for her time organizing the swap. 

“Trading doesn’t always work, because if I don’t have what you need then we can’t trade,” she said. “This makes the circle bigger so more people can find items and more items stay out of the garbage.”

Curation is key

The items at the Good Swap have been checked for stains and rips – missing items like buttons are clearly labeled.

“Most people bring in items in good condition,” she said “I check the games and puzzles – I don’t want someone to get home and find there is a piece missing.”

Items that don’t pass her standards are donated for other thrift options or textile recycling. Her swap stock continues to grow with most people choosing to leave with fewer items than they came with.

“I prefer people swap rather than donate. I get a lot of questions about ‘What is the catch?’,” laughs Durant. “There is no catch. Once people visit they are more confident in the swap.” 

About 80 percent of her customers return about every three months. 

“I do have one that comes around every two weeks.” 

With hopes to slowly grow Durant aims to divert as much as 30,000 items from the landfill each year.

To learn more about the swap or book an appointment visit Durant’s Facebook page. 

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

As travel and leisure activities shut down last year it sparked an idea for Kim Saunders. The local mom is leveraging her work experience to create a side hustle that gets her family and others outside for easy camping adventures. Camper Hampers was launched earlier this spring and she has given us a promo code!

Filling a need

Most families have done it: load the kids, your gear, find a place to store the cooler, and head off to the campground. 

“I work a more than a full-time job and I am a single mom who loves camping, but trying to get to the grocery store, with preplanned camping meals with a five-year-old, at 6 o’clock at night, for two days of camping it was daunting,” said Saunders. “It limited the number of times we went out.” 

Like many others on the coast, she turned to camping last year to get outside and spend time with family in a safe way. One trip gave Saunders an important light bulb moment. 

“I would love to pick my kid up, throw some stuff in the car and know all my food would be there – and only the things you need, you don’t want to be eating hot dogs all weekend because they come in a pack of 10,” she said. “My parents get meal kits and they brought two of them. It made it so easy, but they weren’t the ideal meals for camping – I thought I could do this better,”

Saunders figured there were plenty of other families like hers – busy and getting busier, who love to camp but were facing barriers. For first-time campers it might be the knowledge of what to pack and how to cook, for others, it was other pressures. 

“I had all the gear but the biggest hindrance to camping was to find the time to get the food.”

Camper Hampers

Saunders has focused on simple meals that will satisfy hungry campers with quality foods. With a variety of delivery options, you don’t even need to bring your own cooler. 

“It’s slowly evolving as we test more recipes and they will be added. People seem to be responding to hand-held basics you can walk around or sit down by the fire,” she said, adding there are vegetarian options for most meals. “Our most popular items are our breakfasts and our s’more kits.” 

Using her career in logistics to find quality delivery partners, Saunders says Camper Hampers makes it easier to hit the road. 

“There are coolers to rent, so you can have your food dropped right at your campsite in the afternoon so it waiting, after you arrive, or we can drop it at your home so after work it is there so you can throw it in your own cooler and go.” 

It was important for Saunders to offer meals that maintain the quality she offers her family at home. 

“I don’t serve anything that I wouldn’t eat,” she said. If I wouldn’t feed it to my kid, I wouldn’t sell it. For me, eating very little meat, the quality of what I do eat has to be there. I use Lindt chocolate, Two Rivers Meats. We have just gotten with Very Good Butchers for our vegan options – I am very excited about that. 

As a start-up, Saunders is learning from other meal prep businesses and trying to be as eco-friendly as she can. She is exploring corn-based packaging that can be burned or composted. 

“Everything does need to be portioned, so there is some waste,” she said. “My aim is that by 2023 that everything will be recyclable, compostable, or reusable.” 

Beyond using Camper Hampers, Saunders offered some other advice for families camping for the first time.

1. Bring bikes – “Kids can just go and explore and have a bit more freedom.”
2. Be prepared – “Bring the biggest tarp you can, bring an extra. It’s wet on the coast.”
3. Extra layers – “The temperature can change or kids can get messy, packing a few extra clothes might save your trip.” 
4. Don’t forget your promo code – Saunders has shared one for LynnValleyLife readers: 10% off until June 30, 2021: LVLIFE2021

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

It is often said new moms should embrace the mess or chaos of motherhood, for two local moms the pandemic has been all about embracing the noise. Lynsey MacDonald and Caroline Garstin are reveling in being “boy moms” and launched a clothing line that embraces their lifestyle.

Noisy Boys

When Garstin and MacDonald – and their four boys under four – walk up to a playground, they say, you will know they are coming. 

“At the playground we’d see little girls playing cooperatively, having a tea party and then we show up with the boys having a yelling match,” laughs MacDonald. “We cause a scene.” 

The two Lynn Valley moms were friends back in high school at Argyle but lost touch. They reconnected a few years ago, in of all places, the maternity ward at Lions Gate Hospital. Another pair of babies later and they are loving the rough and tumble life they have – each with a 3.5-year-old and baby under one. 

“We were bored during the early pandemic and started taking more pictures and set up an Instagram page because we thought so many moms could relate to our lives. We celebrate the real. There are so many picture-perfect images on Instagram and we wanted to show the real-life of raising four boys between us,” said MacDonald. 

People really responded which gave way to leveraging Noisy Boys even more. 

“Everyone has a noisy boy in their life whether it’s a teenager, a dad, a brother, a son and we took that idea and it grew,” said Gastin. “So now people can hear us coming and see us coming.”

Moms helping moms

Once the pair took hold of the idea, they credit their families and moms supporting moms for getting them to where they are now. Garstin and MacDonald are also grateful to the hive-mind of local Facebook groups for giving them momentum to get started. This is their first entrepreneurial venture. 

“It’s a huge learning curve,” said Garstin. “It has been a lot of fun to use our creative brains while on maternity leave. I am a full-time stay-at-home mom and Lynsey is going back to teaching this fall. This is different than anything we have done before.” 

“It has been nice to think about something other than snacks and nap times,” added MacDonald. “My husband owns a business and Lynsey’s dad owns a North Shore business – so we feel supported.” 

They have launched a line of hats, tees, and sweatshirts – with more pieces in the works for summer. With sales growing they are excited about the future. 

“We are surrounded by a lot of boy moms, I feel like we were destined to be boy moms – it’s a whole other thing,” said MacDonald. “I love the chaos and there is a lot of humour in it,” added Garstin.

Noisy Boys is giving back to the community too. By using the promo code: NOISY10 you can get 10 percent off a crewneck sweatshirt and Noisy Boys will donate 10 percent to the Cause We Care Foundation which empowers single mothers and children living in poverty. 

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.