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Tag: quality of life

The world doesn't end when you have Alzheimer's: Isabel and Michael's story
The world doesn’t end when you have Alzheimer’s: Isabel and Michael’s story

The world doesn’t end when you have Alzheimer’s: Isabel and Michael’s story

Isabel, a retired teacher, and Michael, a military veteran, live in Victoria, British Columbia. Happily married for more than 50 years, they first met at a mess hall in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, in 1961. Today, Isabel is living with Alzheimer’s disease. Here, Michael tells the story of their life after diagnosis. My wife, Isabel, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in January 2011. At that time, she was 70 years old. I had been aware for a year or so that…

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Home safety modifications for dementia
Your dementia-friendly home safety checklist

Your dementia-friendly home safety checklist

What if a simple change to your home could make a huge impact for a loved one who is living with dementia? Caregivers need to look no further than some simple modifications to make their homes more dementia-friendly. Home safety modifications for dementia Here are 5 easy modifications to make your home more dementia-friendly: Lighting matters Adequate lighting is very important for someone who is living with dementia. Here are some quick tips to maximize lighting: Increase wattage, and place…

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Meet our Researchers: Tamara Sussman, McGill University
Meet our Researchers: Tamara Sussman, McGill University

Meet our Researchers: Tamara Sussman, McGill University

I have a long professional and personal history working with people living with dementia. My mother was a gerontological social worker who used to share some of the struggles people with dementia faced including feeling isolated, alone and misunderstood. Following in her footsteps, I too became a social worker for older adults and began to hear those stories firsthand. As I listened, it occurred to me that many of the challenges that persons with dementia faced were created by us…

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Clearing the air about cannabis and dementia, with Dr. Krista Lanctôt, PhD
Clearing the air about cannabis and dementia

Clearing the air about cannabis and dementia

As Canada dives headfirst into the legalization of cannabis, there has been rising interest in its potential medicinal benefits, including its therapeutic use for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Over the past decade, researchers and clinicians have investigated the effects of cannabinoids, the chemical compounds in the cannabis plant that give it its medicinal and recreational properties. One of the things they have studied is whether cannabinoids can reduce agitation. We know that agitation is a common change in behaviour in…

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Flag of Canada from window on sunset background
“I am a person with dementia and a person with rights.” (part three)

“I am a person with dementia and a person with rights.” (part three)

Previously in our series on human rights and dementia, we looked at how past experiences inspired Phyllis Fehr to advocate for dementia rights (Part one: Becoming a force for change—Phyllis Fehr’s story). Then, Phyllis showed us how seven articles in the United Nations’ Convention of Human Rights can improve the quality of life for Canadians living with dementia right now (Part two: Understanding dementia from a human rights’ perspective).

Meet our Researchers: Debra Sheets, University of Victoria
Meet our Researchers: Debra Sheets, University of Victoria

Meet our Researchers: Debra Sheets, University of Victoria

For people with dementia and their caregivers, it can be difficult to find activities that strike the right balance between being supportive, being socially appropriate and, of course, being fun. As the disease progresses and abilities change, it’s common for friends to withdraw and activities to start to fall away. A person is left with few things that can offer joy, a sense of purpose and human connection. I’ve seen this firsthand—my father had dementia for 18 years. As it…

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Happy adult mother and daughter smiling.
“SMILE” – Helping dementia caregivers

“SMILE” – Helping dementia caregivers

Dr. Christopher Frank, of Kingston, Ontario, particularly appreciates the caregiver’s role—after all, he focuses on areas where caregivers provide crucial help, such as geriatric rehabilitation, acute care consultation and palliative care. In this guest blog, Dr. Frank shares five pieces of inspirational advice from one of his patient’s relatives, a caregiver herself.

Let’s talk about dementia, mental illness and mental health

Let’s talk about dementia, mental illness and mental health

The last Wednesday of January is Bell Let’s Talk Day, an initiative to encourage conversations, increase awareness and end the stigma around mental illness. One aspect of the conversation that’s not often talked about is mental health among older adults and seniors, and how this intersects with dementia. So today, let’s talk about it. Here are five things you should know about dementia, mental illness and mental health: 1) Dementia caregivers experience higher rates of depression than all other caregivers….

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Palliative care.
The importance of palliative care for people living with dementia

The importance of palliative care for people living with dementia

In her opening remarks to the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, Alzheimer Society of Canada CEO Pauline Tardif led with an alarming fact. “Right now, well over half a million Canadians are living with dementia—and the numbers keep growing,” she said. “Access to palliative care has become even more important today.” Pauline had taken to Parliament Hill to support Bill C-277, An Act providing for the development of a framework on palliative care in Canada. If passed,…

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Minds in Motion
Boost your brain with Minds in Motion®

Boost your brain with Minds in Motion®

We all know that a healthy lifestyle is important for reducing our risk of dementia and many other chronic diseases. But did you know that it’s equally important for people who already have a diagnosis of dementia? Research shows that lifestyle choices such as healthy eating, staying social, challenging your brain and being physically active can improve quality of life, may help to slow the progression of the disease and can improve your capacity to cope with some of the…

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