Driving and Dementia: 12 warning signs for knowing when to hang up the keys

Driving and Dementia: 12 warning signs for knowing when to hang up the keys

May 14 – 20 is National Road Safety Week, and now that we are finally seeing a glimpse of spring, it’s a good time to reflect on our own driving habits so that we can be sure that we are all safe on the road.

For people living with dementia, knowing when it’s time to stop driving is difficult. Driving represents freedom and independence and it is not something that anyone wants to give up. Many people in the early stages of dementia can continue to drive safely and competently; however, because dementia is a progressive condition, it can be a challenge to know when to hang up the keys. Here are a few of the warning signs to look for.

Gardening with Alzheimer’s disease

Gardening with Alzheimer’s disease

The Victoria Day long weekend is an important date in the calendar of any gardener. When I worked in a gardening centre, I saw the crowds stream in to search for old favourites or something different as the weather became warm enough to allow summer annuals to survive outside. Just like everyone else, people with dementia who have enjoyed gardening throughout their lives will continue to enjoy the activity.  Just like everyone else, they experience many benefits from it, including…

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We can all help people with dementia find their way

We can all help people with dementia find their way

A few weeks ago I was on my way home from an Alzheimer Society Board meeting about 8 pm. I was driving north on the Don Valley Parkway, a six-lane highway in Toronto.  As I drove, I saw an elderly man driving a scooter on the southbound shoulder.  I thought that it was a pretty foolish thing to be doing.  Clearly, he should not have been on the shoulder of the DVP at dusk. I was already well past him when…

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My experience with palliative care

My experience with palliative care

The term “palliative care” makes most people cringe. Dying and end-of-life come to mind: subjects that are not pleasant to openly talk about, or even consider. But this week – National Hospice Palliative Care Week (May 5 – 11), I’d like to raise awareness of the importance of palliative care and advance care planning, and how they can make the journey smoother for the person receiving the care, as well as their family.

Celebrating women

Celebrating women

Women are awesome. I’m not just saying that because I’m a woman; it happens to be true. Without women, where would our culture be? Really. We women bring new life into the world, through an often very painful and long process, and then we give that new life comfort, love, security, and all the makings for a great human being.

Beyond the cutting edge–meet TANZ researcher Beverly Francis

Beyond the cutting edge–meet TANZ researcher Beverly Francis

A guest speaker at my high-school science fair put me onto my career path. She was a woman whose son had multiple sclerosis and she spoke about her role as a caregiver.  I was moved by how much research she had done to provide the best possible care for her son.  Her passion was catching.  She inspired me to pursue a career in medical research and to study diseases that affect the central nervous system. In university, I learned about…

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Caregiver / Volunteer Profile: Carol Holmes-Kerr

Caregiver / Volunteer Profile: Carol Holmes-Kerr

April is an important month for both caregivers and volunteers as we celebrate both National Caregiver Day and Volunteer Week. We caught up with Carol Holmes-Kerr, who shared her experience as a caregiver, as well as a volunteer. Carol, a retired nurse and counsellor, tells us more about how her life changed after her husband, Jim, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2008.

AS Windsor-Essex needs 12 companion program volunteers

AS Windsor-Essex needs 12 companion program volunteers

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a companion to a person with Alzheimer’s disease? Volunteering can be a wonderful experience. Just ask Chelsea McCloy, a companion volunteer for the Alzheimer Society of Windsor-Essex County.  One of her favorite people in the world is Janet Noble; Chelsea has come to know Janet very well since she volunteered as her companion two years ago.

Lessons learned from Thatcher and Klein

Lessons learned from Thatcher and Klein

I’ve been thinking lately that no one is immune to dementia. In the past few weeks we lost two major political figures to the condition. Former Alberta premier Ralph Klein had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia only 2 years earlier. Britain’s Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, died of a stroke last week following a lengthy struggle with vascular dementia.