Community Support
What If We Stopped Trying to Fix It? — A Guide to the Heart of Palliative and Hospice Care
5 min
1
In honour of World Hospice & Palliative Care Day, October 10
There's a moment in many families' lives when the question quietly changes. It stops being "how do we fix this?" and becomes "how do we make the time that's left as full, as comfortable, and as connected as possible?"
That shift...
What If We Stopped Trying to Fix It? — A Guide to the Heart of Palliative and Hospice Care
5 min
1
In honour of World Hospice & Palliative Care Day, October 10
There's a moment in many families' lives when the question...
Could My Family Benefit from Counselling? — A Registered Social Worker's Perspective
4 min
One of the most common things we hear from families at the first session is some version of the same...
Bedtime Battles: A Registered Behaviour Analyst's Guide to a Stress-Free Bedtime Routine
4 min
1
If bedtime in your house feels less like a peaceful wind-down and more like a nightly negotiation, you are far...
Chronic Pain & Invisible Illness: Actually, It's Not Written All Over My Face
6 min
1
It's not written all over my face.
It can only be seen through the countless doctors' appointments. The blood work comes...
How to Build a Suicide Safety Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide
5 min
Mental health struggles rarely announce themselves on a schedule. They can show up in the middle of a workday, in...
More Than Fuel: How Food Supports Healing, Body, and Mind
8 min
When we think about recovery from a traumatic brain injury, a car accident, chronic pain, or any major health event,...
Who Am I Now?: Rebuilding Identity After Trauma
4 min
A car accident. A serious diagnosis. A sudden loss. The end of a career you built your life around. Traumatic...
Transitioning Back to School: A Behavioural Therapist's Guide for Families
3 min
The end of summer brings a familiar mix of excitement and unease, for kids and parents alike. New teachers, new...
What "Occupational" Actually Means (Hint: It's Not Your Job)
4 min
Say the words "occupational therapist" out loud to most people, and you'll watch them picture a career counselor or a...
Making Waves in Halifax, NS
3 min
Halifax, we're so glad to be here!
Spark Lifecare is putting down roots in your city, bringing personalized home care and...
AAC Myth vs. Fact: What Parents Need to Know About Augmentative and Alternative Communication
5 min
If your child has been recommended for an AAC assessment, or you're already using an AAC device or communication board...
The Overlooked Connection: Hypermobility, Neurodivergence & Chronic Illness
6 min
1
Have you ever been told your labs look "normal," while your body tells a completely different story? The fatigue that...
Ontario's Biggest Auto Insurance Shake-Up in 30 Years: What You Need to Know
3 min
1
If you've ever been in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) in Ontario, you may have heard the term "accident benefits",...
Summer Structure & Routine for Children with Autism: A Parent's Guide to a Calmer Season
4 min
1
Summer can feel like a gift: no school bells, no homework, no rushed mornings. But for many families raising children...
More Than Words: How SLPs Help You Communicate, Connect & Thrive
4 min
1
Have you ever struggled to communicate your message clearly after an illness or injury? Observed a child unable to effectively...
8 Things Your MVA Insurer Isn't Telling You After a Car Accident in Ontario
7 min
1
Getting into a car accident is stressful enough. But navigating Ontario's auto insurance system afterward? That's a whole other ordeal...
5 Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore as a Family Caregiver
5 min
1
Caring for a loved one is one of the most meaningful things you can do. Whether you're supporting an aging...
Protecting Your Path:
Fall Prevention Tips and Strategies for Children and Older Adults
4 min
2
As we journey through life, maintaining our independence becomes a priority, especially as we get older. However, the risk of...
Do You Need a PSW Certification to Be a Good Caregiver?
3 min
2
10 years ago, if someone had offered me a job as a caregiver, my response would have been, “Sorry, I’m...
Unrecognized Sacrifices: The Impact of Unfair Attendant Care Compensation within SABS
4 min
2
Our team wants to bring light to an issue that affects not only accident victims but also their families and...
Celebrating Women’s Leadership at Spark
3 min
1
2
International Women’s Day is a time to commemorate the achievements of women all around the world, while also acknowledging the...
Tips and Tricks for an Autism-Friendly Halloween
3 min
1
Halloween is just around the corner, and this is typically an exciting evening full of spooky adventures! For most kids,...
Too Many Indigenous Communities Still Lack Access to Clean Water. Will You Be A Water Protector?
5 min
2
Kwey–Hello,
Water is sacred. We are made of water. It is our connection, our medicine. Water is life. It must be...
Accepting Autism: How to Move Beyond “Awareness”
6 min
3
“Autism” is a word that everyone has heard, but how many people understand what it means? Because it isn’t just...
How To Use Leisure as a Therapeutic Tool
5 min
5
We think of leisure as free time that’s purely for enjoyment. There are no goals involved. But for an Occupational...
What I Wish People Knew About Brain Injury
5 min
8
As an occupational therapist, I have worked with acquired brain injury (ABI) survivors for almost 10 years now. I have...
Black History Month Reminds Me of the Work That Remains
5 min
2
For me, Black History Month is a time to wonder what previous generations of Black activists like Martin Luther King...
The Last 21 Months: A Letter to the Team
2 min
2
I sent this letter to the Spark team, to take stock of, and say thank you for what they’ve done...
Caregiver’s Guide to Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s
5 min
7
Has someone you love recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease? Are you looking for guidance on how to support them...
Mental Health in Times of COVID Craziness
5 min
4
Are you a parent in a pandemic still trying to balance work and family life simultaneously? Are you a caregiver...
What Pride Means to Us
4 min
5
Reading the history of Pride in Canada is an exercise in both horror and inspiration. The marginalization and oppression of...
Spark's Journey to Ottawa's Forty Under 40
8 min
3
If you ask any one of his colleagues, they’d likely describe him as "the salt of the earth". Case in...
Nursing Week: Celebrating Spark Nurses and PSWs
8 min
4
Nursing Week couldn’t come at a more poignant time given the current pandemic crisis. At a local level, our healthcare...
A Boy, A Bird, and A Nurse
4 min
3
16
When 2020 arrived, no one could have guessed how many challenges the world would be facing in such a short...
Alea de Castro: Fearless on the Frontline
7 min
3
There are those of us in life who know our path before we take it. While others’ paths choose them...
A Letter from Our CEO - Update on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
5 min
4
A letter from our CEO with an update on COVID-19 to follow.
A Letter to Spark from our CEO on COVID-19
To...
Greta Thunberg is different, and that's a good thing.
5 min
4
The social pressure to conform to ‘the norm’ is strong enough that we tend to sit up and take notice...
Spark Bookclub: #WorldBookDay
4 min
The benefits of reading are endless and boundless. One moment, you are relaxing with a cup of tea, and the...
It’s OK to Be "Grinchy" at Christmas. You Probably Have A Reason.
5 min
1
3
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a Christmas classic, and I’ll brook no argument on the subject. I’m...
Should You Be Friends With Your Co-Workers?
6 min
2
9
Failure is the best teacher. I’m not against “focusing on the positive.” But I am convinced that having a safe...
Let’s Talk About Failing, Learning and Growing Up
3 min
1
I’m not going to shock anyone with this statement, but growing up is hard. It’s painful at times. It involves...
Planning for Stressful Moments & the 3 Questions You Should Always Ask Your Doctor
4 min
1
You may have noticed that we love technology, education and design. This makes us suckers for Ted Talks. They're short,...
What My Son Taught Me About Limits, Parenting and Listening to Experts
7 min
8
My son Cooper is five years old. He is a beautiful, amazing, hilarious bundle of joy. Everything changed for me...
The 6 Reasons Why I'm Glad I Grew Up in a Small Town
7 min
47
I have a confession to make. I grew up in Kapuskasing (that’s not the confession part, hold on), 850 km...
On DeMar DeRozan and the Power of Vulnerability
6 min
Being swept by Lebron and the Cavs again hurts. But in opening up about his depression this season, the Raptors'...
2017 Was Quite a Year at Spark
5 min
1
2017 was a pivotal year at Spark. So many good things happened that we decided to take a moment and...
What Tony Robbins, Joni Mitchell and I All Have in Common
5 min
3
We all experienced pain as kids. And we were never the same. In a good way.
I didn’t set out to...
Edie Found Sunshine in the Little Things
5 min
3
A story of the wonderful, spunky woman who still inspires us.
"You'd Never See Her Without A Smile"
Before I joined Spark,...
Misfit: My Story of Family, Mental Illness and Belonging
9 min
51
46
Like my father and his father before him, I've battled anxiety all my life. I learned early how important it...
Manha and Sladjana
2 min
2
Manha had always been on her feet: raising three children, running a household, working for the family business. The car...
Andrew & Kathleen
2 min
2
Andrew was biking with his friends on the day his life was changed forever by a drunk driver. He survived...
Will & Kathleen
1 min
Spark has had the privilege of supporting Will for over two years. Outspoken, jovial, and incredibly intelligent, Will is a die-hard...
George & Cody
2 min
2
George was only four years old when he was struck by a car. The resulting injuries were severe. Casting and...
The Furgusons & Allison
1 min
The Fergusons had become frustrated with the unreliability of their care-providing company. Retired, healthy, and independent, they just needed help...
Lana & Zeljka
1 min
Lana came to us with a very specific request: to connect her with a caregiver as good as Zeljka. Ever...
Invest Ottawa Names Spark Lifecare A 2013 Rising Star
1 min
Last year, Invest Ottawa celebrated Global Entrepreneurship Week by recognizing entrepreneurs who "hit major milestones during the year and contributed...
Watch This Globe and Mail Video On Why Brad Started Spark
1 min
"Whether it was outlined on the back of a paper napkin, it was financed by your sister's mother-in-law's next-door neighbour,...