Dementia

How To Find “Out-of-the-Box” Solutions Leading to Independence

I stood at the top of the basement stairs, looking at what seemed to be an impossible descent.  I’d recently had hip replacement surgery, and my friend washed, dried, folded and returned my laundry each week. So thankful, I knew I had to find a way to get down those stairs and become independent in […]

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How to Move Independence in Elders Beyond the Impossible Dream

I don’t consider myself an independent person. I once travelled to Disney with my sister and niece. They planned the whole excursion and I checked with them each day to find out which park or special event was on the roster. It didn’t matter to me. It was all fun, and I was happy to

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How to Successfully Navigate a Diagnosis of Dementia

A diagnosis of dementia is like entering a foreign country. Maybe you’ve heard rumours about the sights or the people or even the food. But without some research, how do you know what’s true? When you are travelling, making mistakes sometimes leads to new adventures. Not so with a serious diagnosis. Today, we’ll look at

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How Do Social and Medical Care Get Married?

I made a valiant effort to keep the horror off my face. It was the yearly care conference for this resident and her four children sat in our meeting room with the doctor, physio, dietary staff and others. The purpose was to review her care plan and tweak it if needed. I had just explained

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How to Find Blessing in the Burden of Care

Some blessings are obvious, but some can take me longer to recognize. My story: The blessing of Jean I worked at a retirement home when I first met Jean. She lived in an independent apartment upstairs and once-a-month she’d call to book a room for her church meeting. Always gracious on the phone, she remained

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Six Reasons To Say “No” To A Hospital Visit

“We can’t deal with this problem here. She needs to go to hospital.” They are all looking at you. The doctor, the nurses, the care staff, your family. As your mother’s care partner and power of attorney, the next decision is yours. Maybe she has pneumonia which isn’t responding to the antibiotics she’s been given,

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How to Honour Your Elders With Dementia With a Sense of Purpose

My favourite times at work were when I could step away from the computer, the meetings and all the other responsibilities and sit and chat with the ladies. We were doing just that one afternoon when the conversation turned to Christmas cake. A long-ago memory bubbled to the surface for me, of a time as

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