Three Days Weekly on the Bay of Fundy: A Unique Opportunity in Personal Care
I am looking for someone to join a small, close-knit household on the Bay of Fundy for three consecutive days each week — Wednesday through Friday, for example, though shift days are flexible — as my personal care and independent living assistant.
Let me tell you who I am and what this job actually involves, because it is unlike most care positions you will find posted anywhere.
I am a 72-year-old woman with a lifelong disability, in somewhat fragile health, and fully capable of directing my own care. I have lived independently with my same-sex partner of 36 years on a two-acre property near Canning, Nova Scotia, on the shore of the Bay of Fundy. My partner is my primary caregiver. What I am looking for is a second person — someone with good character, physical strength, and a lifestyle that can accommodate an unusual but genuinely pleasant working arrangement.
What the work looks like
Approximately 75% of your time will be on standby. The hands-on care I require happens at the beginning and end of my day: a daily routine that involves toileting, dressing, and getting me up into my wheelchair (typically about two hours), and an evening routine of getting me into bed (typically around an hour and a half). Beyond that, you may occasionally be needed to be present in our home for an afternoon — perhaps once a week — while my partner is away or otherwise occupied. These respite periods are planned in advance and generally fall in the afternoon.
My routines happen at variable times, which is why I need someone on call rather than on a fixed schedule. You will not, however, be expected to work through the night. We anticipate that you will have a full night’s sleep on each of your three nights here. Only a genuine emergency would change that, and in our experience, emergencies of that kind simply do not arise.
Where you will stay
Beside our home is a small private cottage, heated and insulated, with its own kitchen and bathroom. The kitchen has a refrigerator, microwave, hot plate, and a water cooler that provides both cold and hot water. The bathroom has a composting toilet and a sink with hot and cold running water. There are two decks, a brand new pull-out sofa, and high-speed internet. It is rustic, but outside your door are two acres of Bay of Fundy shoreline. It is, in a word, beautiful.
We value our privacy, and we will respect yours. During your three-day shift, we ask that you receive no visitors — but personal phone calls are entirely welcome except when you are actively providing care.
Who we are looking for
There are no formal qualifications required. Over the years I have been beautifully supported by writers, physicists, dancers, actuaries, and professional caregivers alike. What matters is physical strength, good health, reliable availability, a cellphone for texting, and a character that fits with ours.
We do ask that you be a non-smoker, or willing to smoke only outdoors and never in the cottage or our home. We are also extremely vigilant about infection control, and we ask that anyone we bring into our household share that seriousness.
This position is well suited to a summer student in a health-related field, though again, no particular credentials are required. A driver’s license is helpful — we are about 20 kilometres from Canning — but not essential if you have someone who can bring you for your shift and collect you at the end. There is parking on the property if you have your own vehicle.
What we offer
This is a paid position at a rate that we will discuss and decide mutually. You would be committing initially through July and August, with the possibility of a longer arrangement, negotiable by both of us, come September.
Learning the role
There is a real learning curve to my care routines, and I want to be honest about that. My partner is an experienced teacher and will be present throughout your training until everyone — you, my partner, and I — is fully comfortable. I can also put you in touch with people who have held this position before, if you’d like a candid sense of who we are as employers before you decide to apply.
To apply
Please send an email to cfrazee@web.net using the subject line “Care Position Application”. Please provide a bit of basic information about who you are and why this arrangement might suit you. Nothing elaborate — just something honest and simple that gives us a sense of you as a person. We will respond within 48 hours and arrange an interview if we think there may be a good fit.
Home Care PO Box 476 Canning, Nova Scotia B0P 1H0
Catherine Frazee cfrazee@web.net Preferred Contact: Email
