Seventy-year-old Paul Morrison is among 700,000 Canadians living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Despite the diagnosis, Morrison continues to live alone in his Vancouver home. This story is about the people and resources helping Morrison maintain his independence.
Category: Health
A source of hope in early-onset dementia
Retired nurse Nita Levy and her husband, Michael, a retired accountant, established Paul’s Club in 2012. They were inspired to create a program appropriate for people’s ages and abilities after their brother-in-law, Paul, died as a result of early-onset dementia.
Health research in SA short R1.6 billion
Bongani Mayosi, head of the department of medicine at the University of Cape Town, explains the shortfall in government spending for health research and suggests how the problem can be corrected.
A third of South Africans affected by mental illness – expert
July is Mental Illness Awareness Month and the South African Depression and Anxiety Group is encouraging people to seek help.
Innovation is key to future of B.C. health-care system
More seniors, chronic illnesses, and tighter budgets will add up to mounting pressure on health services in the coming years — but this might not be cause for alarm.
Vancouver’s medical and tech sectors come together for innovative health apps
Auti-Sim, a game currently available for free online, was created by a developer, designer, and early childhood educator in Vancouver. Set in a virtual playground, the game allows users to see and feel what childhood play is like for someone with the hypersensitive hearing that can result from autism.
Mental Health Week encourages women to speak out
With her blond hair shimmering in the sun as she watched ferries sail by, the 27-year-old showed no sign of the mood swings and depression that have plagued her mind for much of her life.
Discussing end-of-life care with family invaluable, experts say
Death isn’t a typical topic of conversation at the dinner table for most families. But in the event a person is nearing death and can no longer voice their wishes, their family is often left guessing what their loved one’s wishes would be.
New Hamburg couple struggles with end-of-life planning
Already experiencing a loss of mobility, fine motor skills including writing, and his sense of smell, the 70-year-old has begun to think about and plan his death to ensure the quality of life he wants to maintain is honoured.
Learning to ‘speak up’ about final wishes
No one enjoys talking about the prospects of their own death. But avoiding a conversation could mean not having your wishes carried out in your final days and burdening your family with difficult decisions.
Students draw attention to mental health issues
“We’re looking at mental health education on campus and to be able to provide that to all members of the Laurier community,” said Adrienne Luft, the university’s mental health and student support team leader.
Local forum sheds light on Alzheimer’s and dementia
With so much variation and overlapping between Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, an individualized approach to treatment and support must be adopted by caregiving communities, Whitehouse said.
Bill paves way for national suicide prevention strategy
“It is a pretty serious situation that we have in our country … that alone is a good enough reason to have some sort of national framework so we can all work together,” said Rob Martin, chair of the local suicide prevention council.
Brain simulator could provide insight to damage, diseases
The technology, designed by a team at the University of Waterloo’s Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, simulates 2.5 million neurons making it the world’s largest simulation of a functioning brain.
Universities, college speak out about mental illness
The University of Waterloo released a report last week that reviewed current services — health, counselling and support for disabilities — and made recommendations to improve ease of access and reach out to a wider range of students.
Family upset about hefty fee increases at retirement home for basic services
Staring at bills and letters scattered across a small coffee table, two women anxiously wonder how they can help their mother afford to live in the modest room they’re sitting in.
Report shows local wait times have been getting better
A report released Tuesday by the Wait Time Alliance — a group of doctors and national medical societies — highlighted growing delays for patients receiving a range of treatments and testing from MRIs to cancer care.