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Tag: youth

‘We have so much to learn from our grandparents’: A teen’s perspective on Alzheimer’s

‘We have so much to learn from our grandparents’: A teen’s perspective on Alzheimer’s

Marilyn Lemay loved the outdoors and would spend every waking moment there. Inherently creative, she crafted, embroidered, quilted and painted everything in sight. If you stand still for more than a moment, her 17-year-old granddaughter Deborah jokes, Marilyn just might paint you. Some of that changed eight years ago, when Marilyn was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Deborah’s grandfather Ron moved from their beloved Elliot Lake home to be closer to Deborah’s mother and family. Managing Marilyn’s care himself wasn’t an…

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Explaining dementia to kids

Explaining dementia to kids

My mom was diagnosed with young onset dementia shortly after my son was born in 2005. My daughter had just turned two.  It was not a surprise as mom had been showing signs, but it was heartbreaking – she was only 62. Despite the disease, my kids were still able to connect with their Nana in many ways. They shared simple activities like colouring, singing, blowing bubbles or picking flowers. In fact, I found that having young children around really…

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Erica’s story

Erica’s story

I was ten years old when I first noticed the problem. My whole family was attending my brother’s hockey game on a typical Thursday night. My Papa came to every game since I could remember. As we prepared to leave, there was only one person missing, my Papa Joe. With no sign of him in the arena, we went out into the parking lot to check if he was taking a minute and having a smoke. But to our surprise…

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What I learned caring for Grandma

What I learned caring for Grandma

It is difficult to understand Alzheimer’s disease until you are living with someone who has it. For me it was when my Grandma got it. She had lived with us for my entire life, and played a huge role in my upbringing. First it was the little things, simple tasks that we take for granted, such as preparing a meal. While I could deal with changes like that, the hardest part was accepting that someone who had always protected and…

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