We have heard of artificial bed gridlock ,cutting nurses in the "supposed golden age " of Canadian medicine in what appears to be a badly mismanaged misaligned care system in constant crisis that alway sneeds more money to provide less community or customer services. It is encouraging to see occasional light in the darkness with programs that work for the customers in need - PR
John Noble Home pilot project offers weekly respite for seniors dealing with early stages of memory loss Posted By HEATHER IBBOTSON, EXPOSITOR STAFF
Thursdays are days to remember for a group of seniors coping with the early stages of memory loss. The 11 current participants in the John Noble Home Day & Stay program enjoy informal chats, games, outings and activities that encourage them to stay engaged with a world that is slowly slipping away.
"If you're alone, you're in a cocoon," said group member John Stulen.
"A group like this is a real lifesaver. It gives you confidence."
The participants are outpatients in the early stages of memory loss due to Alzheimer's disease or related dementia.
The Day & Stay program is a pilot project that began last July. It has already piqued the interest of other facilities across the province, said program co-ordinator Carol Howarth.
"It's unique. There's not one like it in Ontario," she said.
Each Thursday, a John Noble Home van picks up participants at their homes and delivers them to the facility for an afternoon of friendship, recreation, entertainment, activities and dinner.
The program's purpose is to improve the quality of life for people in the early stages of memory loss by providing resources, support and socialization opportunities.
"It gives them back some control," Howarth said.
It's also "the highlight of the week," according to Stulen.
"We learn from each other," he said. "Being together makes you feel better."
Norma Wilson, a former nurse who once worked with dementia patients, said she has learned a lot from the program after being diagnosed herself last year.
There is also the all-important sense of camaraderie, said Mary Pongrac.
A diagnosis of dementia carries with it a huge stigma and participants need to learn that it is OK to talk about the condition and its impact on their lives, Howarth said.
The idea used to be to hide the condition and "put it in the closet," she said.
The group's focus is to speak out and put a spotlight on the importance of early diagnosis, treatment and cialization, she said.
Memory loss is "not contagious," said group member Bruce Kyle.
Members talk with each other and with program counsellors about the frustration and loss of control over one's life that comes with memory loss.
"It's a shock to find out there's something wrong that can't be repaired," Stulen said.
Robert Nelles, a volunteer at John Noble Home, said his wife has termed the experience "frightening and overwhelming."
Nelles had already been volunteering at the John Noble Home for two years, spending time with patients in more acute stages, when his wife Marion was diagnosed last fall with a type of advancing memory loss.
Nelles, who lives near Waterford, said that both he and his wife had started to notice something was off.
He said the clincher came when an ordinary shopping trip turned frightening. Marion, who also suffers from the pain and exhaustion of polymyalgia, had driven to Simcoe alone to buy groceries. When she trundled the cart to her car, she found herself unable to unload the bags and she had to ask a stranger for help.
Tired and stressed, she finally settled in the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition, only to realize she had no idea how to get home.
"She sat there for 10 or 15 minutes before it dawned on her," her husband said.
Marion is now also a member of the Thursday Day & Stay group and Robert has added Thursdays to his volunteer rotation.
"I think the group has gelled, like a ball team," he said, adding that members seem at ease talking with each other and sharing their stories.
"When they do that, everyone learns," he said.
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MORE INFORMATION
If you are looking for more information, call the Day & Stay program at 519-754-4065 or the Alzheimer Society of Brant at 519-759-7692.
more information - backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
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