Finding ways to improve Ontario’s dementia strategy

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The attack on 85-year old James Acker at St. Joseph’s Villas has brought a lot of attention on loved ones who are living with one of the many forms of dementia.

Today, inside a local alzheimer society on Hamilton Mountain, representatives from area MPP’s, caregivers and people living with dementia gathered to fine tune a province-wide dementia strategy that was proposed in September. Those affected by dementia say that there are several inadequacies regarding everything from initial diagnosis to support for patients and their loved ones.

“People are diagnosed early, they go see their family doctor, the family doctor recognizes that he or she has a form of dementia, they refer them to organizations like the Alzheimer’s Society where they can get education.”

That isn’t happening consistently though. Phyllis Fehr knows that first hand. She went to her doctor with concerns when she was fifty and was diagnosed with early-onset alzheimers two years later.

“I was told I have it and told to come back when I couldn’t dress myself, by the specialist. Well, what do I do now? Well I go to the internet.”

The society says about 16 000 Canadians under 65 are living with dementia. Normally, their primary caregiver is their spouse.

“In the early stages you don’t really qualify for any of the programs from CCSA so it leaves everything up to you.” said Rose Desjardins, who’s husband has alzehimers.

And that role comes with it’s own set of mental stressors that also need support.

In the wake of the vicious attack at St. Joseph’s Villas, the group pressed that the structure of late-life residence needs a serious overhaul.

The Halton chapter of the Alzheimer Society will host a meeting next week and the group hopes to hold a conference at Queen’s Park with their collective suggestions on how to improve Ontario’s dementia strategy and, in turn, improve the lives of the over 1 million people affected by the disease directly and indirectly.