Fast Forward

I said I would continue from my ignorance blog so here I am, but I felt I should fast forward since I cannot possibly write everything that has happened over the last eight years in a blog.

So I am fast forwarding, Nov 2010, we lost a very important person in our family's life, my Mother in law passed away suddenly after being hospitalized for two weeks.  She went in her sleep and without pain, which we are all thankful for.  She lived life to the fullest and if this was her time it was the best way for her to leave us.  Telling my father in law who has Alzheimer’s was very difficult.  Again the Alzheimer Society was helpful in giving us some direction.  They where married 64 years.  Since Mom's death, the disease has taken my Father in law further away, (Dads speech is very garbled, he is not sure who we are, he has continence issues, and his behavior has become aggressive at times).

August 2011, my Dad age 68 is hospitalized for a month.  Diagnosis - Dementia.  Cause - Lifestyle.  I won't go into detail since this is very personal but I will say that his lifestyle and his bi-polar illness lead to shrinkage in the brain and many small strokes causing permanent damage.  His life was ripped from underneath him.  He now is dependent on my sister and I to make sure he receives the care he requires and we have had to clean up the financial mess that was left behind.  We had to place him in a retirement home, find a relative that would take his dog temporarily until he is capable of looking after the dog.  Environmental and medication changes have been very difficult for him.  All these changes to his life: no longer able to drive, his pet taken away, his ability to look after his finances, up rooted to a different residence, would be difficult for a "normal" person to adjust to let alone someone with a mental illness.  On top of the new diagnosis of Dementia he is also hard of hearing, so communication is very stressful to say the least.  The financial burdens are also hitting home and looking for help is one of my missions. The other mission is making sure he gets the proper support.  With our health care system strained it is a long wait for some services or specialists. He is also showing signs of paranoia and obsessing which has my sister and I and his sister dealing with late night calls.  Stress and emotions are high with everyone involved and I have not worked in two months.  Luckily I have a very supportive husband. 

Dad will be getting a hearing aid this Friday and I am hoping that this will help in the communication and socialization aspect.  We have a long road ahead of us, but I am trying to keep positive that the light will come at the end of the tunnel and life for all of us will be a little less draining.  Positive thinking, hope and praying.  Not sure where my path in life is going but I have a feeling that someone is telling me I need to be a voice. 

I need your help to get these questions out to the candidates before the debate on Sept. 27th, 2011

My name is Cindy ODonnell and I have some concerns as a child of aging parents who have dementia.  Before I make my decision on who to vote for in this election I would like to know your thoughts to the following questions.

As we all know healthy eating and active living promotes good brain activity.  Education is key, and I would like to see a campaign to increase public awareness and education about dementia.  Are you prepared to invest in a public awareness campaign? 

Crises and hospitalizations occur because people seek help too late in the disease process.  Early diagnosis and intervention help people with dementia and their families to benefit from drug treatment, education and life planning so they can manage the disease and have a better quality of life.  Having support services in place such as the Alzheimer Society first link program have helped Canadian families like myself.  These existing programs can be expanded across the province.  What are your thoughts on this option?

Providing care causes stress, which often leads to depression and burnout.  And caregiver distress is five times greater when caring for a person with dementia, than a person with other conditions.  As a caregiver I have had to put my career on hold many times to help look after aging parents.  The stress this causes not only on myself also affects my family especially my children.  Seeking help for respite care is sometimes a difficult process.  Have your constituents told you of any challenges they have experienced when trying to access services?

People living with dementia and other people with accessibility challenges can remain more independent, enjoy an improved quality of life and be less reliant on others when they have flexible housing options and technology to support them.  Government assistance in hosting at least two conferences will encourage the private sector to respond to a growing population of people who could benefit from housing and technology support to remain independent.  What are your thoughts on challenging the private sector to respond to housing and technology nedds to keep people independent?

This is how you can help.  The Ontario election leaders' debate, scheduled for Tuesday September 27th. Dalton McGuinty of the Liberal Party of Ontario, Andrea Horwath of the Ontario New Democrats and Tim Hudak of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario will participate. The debate will be moderated by Steve Paikin, host of TVO's current affairs program The Agenda With Steve Paikin. We are encouraging everyone to send questions, which will increase our chances of hearing what the party leaders plan to do for people with dementia. Please submit your questions for the leaders to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

*Please note that information in this blog has been copied from the Alzheimer Society Ontario

Ignorance.....

You hear the stories, but you don't really hear them or understand them until you live through them.   This is Part One of my Blog.

Eight years ago my Father in law was diagnosed with Alzheimers, this was shortly after losing my Mother to Cancer.  Now everyone knows what Cancer is and everyone is sympathic and understanding of the disease.  People don't shy away from you when you are diagnosed with cancer, but if you are diagnosed with Alzheimers it is a different story.  I am not down playing one chronic illness over another, all chronic illnesses are devastating and usually life threatening.  What I am trying to get out in this blog is the ignorance to the illness, Alzheimers. I will be honest, when my Father in law was diagnosed I too did not really understand it or know how to deal with it.  I knew my grandfather had it but I didn't really have to deal with it on a day to day basis. 

August Brain Teaser

This should be a little easier than last month's.

Five Pigeons are sitting on a fence.  The farmer comes out and shots one.  How many are left?

Enter your answer below for your chance to have your name drawn for a $5 gift card to Tim Horton's.

Congratulations to Chris Howell for July's Brain teaser.

Stop Controlling my life

Do you ever feel that raising teenagers is like raising aliens?

Does your teenage child think that your rules are to harsh?  Do they think that now they are teenagers that they have a right and privilege to run their own lives the way they see fit?  Most teenagers feel this way.  Afterall, what do we know we are just old, things have changed since our time.  We have no idea how it is to be a teenager these days.  All their friends parents are more understanding and let their kids do what they want.  Does this sound familar? 

I sometimes sit back and think of my own teenage years, now I was an angel back then so it is very hard for me to relate.  HA! I am amazed that my parents survived those years, and looking back I am glad I had guidelines.  I now know they only did what they thought was best and were protecting me from making poor decisions.  Raising children is hard work, dealing with teenagers in my opinion is even harder, or at least I feel this way at this stage of the game because that is where I am in life.

Water U Waiting For?

Featured Business for August 2011

Did I catch your attention with that tag-line?  Sharron-Ann of Ontario Gold certainly caught my attention with their tag line "Water U Waiting For?".  I met Sharron-Ann recently through a mutual friend.  I thought my life was busy until I met this dynamic and passionate woman, who is a Mother of four and is running a very successful water business.  Ontario Gold Beverage manufactures and distributes locally, employs locally and has been giving to our community since 1998.  Featured in Our City Barrie 2011 Magazine you need to check out this local Canadian company.  Like their tag-line says "Water U Waiting For?"  go visit their website NOW.

July Brain Teaser

Rearrange the letters in the words "new door" to make one word.

Enter your answer below, for your chance to win a $5 gift card to Tim Horton's.

Making Good Choices when it comes to Nutrition

This month's business to business, is Katherine Parent, C.N.P, N.W.S

Katherine is a Certified Nutritionist, who has a wealth of knowledge and experience.  When you meet Katherine you can't help but be attracted to her passion and enthusium for life.  Please read what Katherine has to say about summer and nutrition.

Food is such an integral part of daily life and summer just brings out the social aspect of eating to a whole new level. I’d like to give you some nutritional tips to keep you going throughout our wonderful, but short summer season and you can enter the next seasons with full health and wellness.

Health Benefits

Are you prepared in the event of a major medical expense?

If you are a small business owner, self-employed, working partime or on contract, your continued good helath is key to keeping you in business.  As the cost of health care continues to shift to the consumer, the need increases for a comprehensive benefits plan that will ease the burden of day to day health and dental  expenses and provide a safety net for potential unexpected medical expenses. 

Access Your Body's Internal Pharmacy to Relieve Your Pain Naturally.

Did you know that the most effective pain-killers and anti-depressants are produced in your body?

Andrew MacWha and Elise Walmsley-MacWha, formerly of Trifocal Communications in Barrie, have combined their backgrounds in healthcare, anatomy and their passion for medical art to produce the first-ever detailed visualization and meditation program, The Will to Heal™ Technique - A Guided Workbook to Relieve Pain.