Ian and Ben are in Ontario and going strong

Ian and Ben are cycling across Canada to raise funds to support the Alzheimer Society. Here is their latest blog.

Hello Blog readers!

With any luck there will be some new readers out there as I understand the story just ran in the Peterborough Examiner. Welcome and thanks for taking an interest in our project. We have been having a lot of coverage lately which is great news. It means the reason behind our ride is getting out there to people all over the country.

We are currently just packing up our camp after sleeping out on someones’s lawn in South Baymouth. At 9:00 we will be jumping aboard the ferry to get to Tobermory. From there it will only be a 100km ride until we arrive at Ben’s parents’ place. We are both really excited although I imagine Ben is even more so. It will be great to get some home cooked meals and take a day off. (I know, how lazy of us)

The ride from the Sault had a few nice surprises along the way. The first day we rode 110km to Iron Bridge. The ride went well although HW 17 at this point had a limited shoulder and we were dealing with the weekend traffic. It was all worth while when we reached our end destination. Through a distant connection that Eric had (guy from California we have been riding with) we already had a house where we could pitch our tent. When we got there we found out the owner of the house used to run a B&B. She offered us some beds as well as dinner, breakfast and a shower. We had a good time filling up and getting clean. Thanks Hughes family!

The next day we rode 130km to get to Espanola. Here we had some more good luck with places to stay. I asked a man who was outside if we could camp on his lawn. He didn’t have a problem with it. In fact he then fired up the BBQ and made us some delicious burgers! He also let us use his shower and made us breakfast in the morning. We also leanred that all those Tim Horton bags for doughnuts are made in Espanola at the paper mill. This and the paper on doctor beds that they have in their offices. You learn something everyday. Thanks for the hospitality Mark.

Yesterday we rode 117km from Espanola to South Baymouth. When we got to Little Current we stopped and met up with Alison from the Alzheimer Society. She was kind enough to take us out for lunch with some other people involved with the society on the island. After this we went to the visitor centre for a small gathering and some dessert. Quite a few people dropped by and the cake was fantiastic. The party almost got crashed when the police showed up. I think he thought he was about to make a major bust on some weekend drunken picnic party. Sadly for him it was just a couple of cyclists and some people from the community drinking iced tea and eating chocolate cake. Sorry sir!

The rest of the day went by smoothly and we reached South Baymouth around 7:30. We found a place to camp, grabbed some food and then explored the docks a bit. Yesterday was a nice day for riding because it was the first day I can remember where we didn’t get passed by a single transport truck. I guess we were just too fast! The real reason was that there were no trucks on the road after we got off HW17. This was a very nice feeling.

Well, I’ve got to go help Ben fold up the tent. Thanks for reading.

Oh, one more thing. We are planning on getting into Owen Sound this afternoon. On Friday we will be getting into Peterborough. For those interested we will be meeting up at Wild Rock Outfitters at 3pm where we will then ride with a group of cyclists into Lakefield. On Sunday, starting at 4:30 there will be a BBQ fundraiser at my parent’s place. Try to make it out as it is sure to be a good party in the barn! We are almost at $11,000 which is fantastic but we are really hoping to push this up even higher after the weekend.

Ian.

First Nations - Program to treat Dementia

When Chief Joel Abram learned of a proposed program to help First Nations people and families living with dementia, he saw the initiative as a way to fill a gap in sorely-needed support in his community.

But since the launch of the First Nations First Link program, the issue has struck closer to home than he likely anticipated.

The chief of the Oneida Nation of the Thames, located outside London, Ont., said it started when his aunt realized something wasn't quite right and her memory wasn't the same as it had been.

After she spoke with First Nations First Link co-ordinator Robin Shawanoo and had testing done, it was determined Abram's aunt had early onset of Alzheimer's disease. Through early detection, Abram said she has been able to get the proper help sooner.

"At first, it was kind of hard for her to come to grips with the fact that she does have this," he said. "Now, we're going to be setting up a family meeting so the whole family knows what to expect from here on out."

Individual and family support, crisis intervention and long-term care preparations are among the hallmarks of the program, which was developed collaboratively with the Alzheimer Society London and Middlesex and Oneida Nation of the Thames. The program will be featured Tuesday at the Aboriginal Health Forum co-chaired by Abram in Toronto.

First Link takes a holistic approach to the illness by integrating elements of culture, tradition and spirituality in administering care. Part of that includes use of an adapted screening tool created specifically for the First Nations community.

Shawanoo has modified the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, or MoCA, a screening test designed to help health professionals detect mild cognitive impairment, making it more "culturally appropriate."

For example, rather than have individuals identify a lion, rhinoceros and camel, the animals have been changed to a bear, wolf or turtle -- each representative of Oneida clans, Shawanoo noted.

Another change is the inclusion of a 3-D circle resembling a medicine wheel -- a predominant symbol across every tribe -- taking the place of the 3-D cube featured in the original MoCA, Shawanoo said.

In counselling work, he has adopted use of inner child therapy which incorporates spirituality. Assessments and counselling are done in a person's home, with early and direct intervention that is tailored for their needs, he said. Counselling support is also extended to family members.

"Someone may come in and it's `I'm stressed out trying to deal with my mom who is wandering and always forgets who everyone is,"' he said. "It could be somebody who knows about the stages of dementia and knows towards the end it's not very pretty and they want to be pre-prepared for the person's death and starts grieving before it happens. It's pretty diverse -- it's whatever that person is dealing with."

Bereavement support can be offered privately or in a group, and the latter can include traditional drummers and an elder in the process. Shawanoo said another aspect that makes the bereavement group unique is its duration, as the process is three months long.

"At the end of three months, if you feel you need it, you just come back, so it just keeps circulating, it just keeps going around which, again, is another First Nations principle that everything is circular," he said.

"Here, we have a therapy program that is not time-limited, it's not session-limited. It's come as you are, come as you need it and it just keeps going."

They also serve patients whose dementias may have been induced by abuse of substances or solvents, he said.

There is high prevalence of diabetes, obesity, kidney failure and high blood pressure in the First Nations communities, Shawanoo noted. Combining all of those things, there are significant risk factors for multi-infarct heart attack and stroke vascular damage which can contribute to a form of dementia, he said.

First Link public education co-ordinator Susan Oster has visited elementary school classes and has also done work with seniors to discuss dementia and lifestyles factors.

"It's a way of saying `OK, we want to bring the information to you and make it more accessible' and to make sure that there's not that gap, so people are not feeling we're disconnected from the rest of the community," Oster said.

Oneida has a total membership of more than 5,100 people, making it the fifth largest First Nation in Ontario in terms of population. More than 2,200 live on the reserve, with many others living in surrounding cities of London and St. Thomas, Abram said.

Betsy Little, executive director of the Alzheimer Society London and Middlesex, said since the January launch they're already making an impact. Shawanoo had 16 referrals to see clients and make assessments when he first arrived, she said.

At the outset, Little said people were coming forward saying they wanted to be seen or assessed. However, she acknowledged there have been "bumps along the road" due in part to the stigma that is attached to the disease within the community.

"What we're encountering is that people are not wanting to come forward very quickly," she said.

"They need to really know that there's a rapport established, and what we're really focusing on is more education sessions, more information sessions and just being out there in the community on a regular basis," she said.

Little said she feels stigma stems from the fear around the illness.

"There's this whole stage of denial, and the denial comes from not only the person with the disease, it also comes from the caregiver. It's a combination," she added. "I also think that people that have the illness in the early stages they're trying desperately to hang on to their independence, and as a result, they don't want to come forward and say that they have a problem."

For his part, Abram said he plans to help spread the message about the program on community radio and hopes to hold community information sessions in the future.

"I think people kind of know it's a disease, and they have to understand that, and I think as more people understand that they're going to know better how to deal with it."

For more information on Alzheimer's please visit www.alzheimer.ca

Interesting Article on Alzheimer's facebook page

Revera’s Reflections program impacting lives
Hundreds of team members trained in Montessori approach


Friday May 7, 2010 -- Lisa Bailey
In the year since Revera Inc. launched its holistic memory care program, some “quite significant” impacts have been experienced by long-term care residents, says director of recreation and rehabilitation Alice Jean Raffan.
She cites an example of aggressive outbursts being reduced —or disappearing at times — in a resident under age 65 who required chronic care due to a catastrophic event.

The Reflections by Revera program will be further measured by a University of Toronto researcher looking at before and after data from the new Resident Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set (RAI-MDS 2.0) assessment tool now in use in Ontario.

Revera, a long-term and retirement care provider, launched the program at select sites across Canada last May in response to Alzheimer’s Canada’s Rising Tide report, which stated that the incidence of dementia is verifiably increasing.

It is based on a philosophy of care where team members join the resident on their journey as they are supported to rediscover old skills.

“Rather than creating dependence, this supports independence for as long as possible,” Raffan says.

A multi-faceted program involving recreation, clinical care and nutrition care to look at the whole person, Reflections by Revera began with 20 team members certified as trainers in the Montessori programming approach through Hamilton’s McMaster University.

This group, Raffan notes, underwent study beyond the usual two days of Montessori training, including direct case work with residents, writing a paper based on lessons learned and writing a certification exam.

These trainers fanned out across Canada and today, Raffan notes, a total of 1,500 Revera team members have been trained, including more than 600 in Ontario. And more are being trained every week through webinars and other methods, she says.

The Montessori approach, first applied to children, is based on principles of purpose, meaning and personal growth. Addressing responsive behaviours, the techniques focus on initiating a program or activity but letting it unfold with as little verbal cueing as possible so residents with memory challenges act for themselves.

It “taps into the first in, last out notion of memory,” Raffan says, so things that are habit or were just carried out recently are remembered. When that happens, she says, “you can see the delight on the face of the resident.”

The effects of the program reach beyond residents, to their friends and family members.

When focus groups were engaged during Reflections’ development, Raffan says she was struck by a family member who said, “This is what I’ve been longing for.”

If you have feedback on this article, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 25, or e-mail lisa(at)axiomnews.ca.

Letter to Minister Graham Steele

To: Honourable Graham Steele
Minister of Finance

From: The ACE Team
2053 Old Sambro Road
Halifax, N.S.
B3V 1C1
Wednesday, April 21, 2010

In your attempt to sell Nova Scotians your budget, (95.7 Talk Show) you indicated that health care costs were the main drivers for the increase in taxes. There were several other interviews involving Dr. John Gilles suggesting that a road-show similar to yours was necessary to get a feel for what the people of Nova Scotia want in a health care system. Dr. John Ross, ER CEO and Spokesperson for the NDP, indicating that “A Study” should be done on how to improve ER Services in this province.

Please allow me to save you millions; Our Health Care System has been studied to death.

We want more money spent where the rubber meets the road…. on patients who are suffering unacceptable wait times. We want excessive and costly administrative levels and executive, eliminated or downsized. We want systemic uncontrolled “Health Industry” initiated cost drivers, brought into line with today’s economic reality. In essence we want better patient service by reducing money spent on counting and talking about health care dollars. Non Medical expenditures are what is out of control. We all know there is no shortage of money. Resources are being siphoned off by non medical special interests…. with everyone on side, except the patients and the taxpayer.

No, we don’t need any more expensive studies. Our health care system has been studied extensively by the following reports;

The Romano Report – The most favored by Canadians. Recommends keeping our national health care system public. This report suggested that our health care system is seriously underfunded. Our province was paid one hundred million dollars following this report, which was applied to the provincial debt instead of health care. Also, $800 Million in offshore royalties was applied to the debt.

The Canadian Health Research Foundation - A not for profit organization. Suggests: that factors outside the main health care system such as drug costs, insurance providers and other non medical cost drivers are responsible for the increasing costs in health service, all at the expense of patients service levels.

Dr. Michael Rachlis - Expert on Canada’s Health Care system and outspoken Universal / Public Health Care defender, suggests : Canada’s Health Care System is
sustainable without increased funding and that “more efficient use of funds” already provided is the answer to improving Health Care for Canadians.

Corpus Sanchez Report - A profit driven U.S.A. based organization advises how privately run hospitals in the U.S. can become more profitable through cost cutting measures and making patients pay more, for treatment. This organization set up shop in British Columbia waiting to capitalize on the Canadian system. They expect to benefit from hospitals privatization after our national health care system ollapses. This organization pushing privatization at a time when Americans are well underway to adopting a Universal / Public Health Care System.

This million dollar report basically suggested the dismantling (privatizing) of our
provincial health care system as we know it. One focus of this report is to de-emphasize rural ERs which is already in progress here in Nova Scotia. I believe keeping ERs open was …. an NDP Election Promise???

Nine Provincial District Health Authorities. These DHAs supposedly consult with their communities on a daily basis on how to better improve the health system.
Supposedly, there are ongoing meetings being conducted by the nine Community District Health Boards in the name of cost saving measures. These local authorities have produced instances where money was doled out to local interests i.e. ATV Association of Nova Scotia and walking clubs. Both wrong decisions in what you describe as a crisis situation.

I listened to interviews given by Dr. John Ross and Dr. John Gilles that suggested fewer surgeries were and are necessary in order to save money. Is it about saving money,… at patients peril? It was also suggested that by not having enough medical personal (front line staff), ERs, particularly in the rural areas of the province are either forced to cut back in the number of hours they operate or close altogether. The reduction of 1.5 million dollars, announced in your budget, to Dalhousie Medical School for the training of new Medical professionals further emphasizes the reality / fact that your government is stealthily dismantling our health care system. It is becoming apparent that the financial problems of our health care system are caused by non-medical services (i.e) pharmaceutical companies, suppliers of medical equipment, too many layers of government and administration that are outside of the main core of direct patient care. It is up to this NDP government to control the costs of these outside forces instead of further eroding our health care system and continually attacking patients and taxpayer.

Money is sprinkled throughout the health care system like so much confetti from the Federal government on down to the DHAs and is being wasted through too much governmental and administrative layering and not enough on patient care, particularly the elderly. There are rumors of a $300,000.00 dollar catering account at one major hospital. Also, Blackberry communication devices being handed out to executives at another facility, regardless of necessity.

At present there is no accountability on how our health tax dollars are being utilized and no independent watchdog to make sure money is being spent effectively & efficiently. In plain words people need to be shown where the money goes. “Show Me the Money”.

As spokesperson for the ACE Team (Advocates for the Care of the Elderly) I am calling on the NDP to do the right thing and really demonstrate to the people of Nova Scotia by making the spending of our health tax dollars more effective and transparent by setting up a system that shows exactly how our health tax dollars are being spent while keeping in mind the plight of the elderly and the abuses many of this most vulnerable segment of our population and their caregivers suffer at the hands of our health care system.
Gary MacLeod
The ACE Team (Advocates for the Care of the Elderly)

Globe and Mail article re Healthy Brain and Foods

To keep your brain healthy as you age, consider eating more salad dressing, nuts, fish, chicken and leafy greens – and laying off high-fat animal foods.

According to a new study, published this week in the online edition of Archives of Neurology, it’s a dietary pattern associated with a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s estimated that half a million Canadians have Alzheimer’s, a progressive and degenerative brain disease that causes thinking and memory to become seriously impaired.

While research on diet and risk of Alzheimer’s is rapidly growing, studies that have investigated individual foods and nutrients have turned up mixed results. This is partly due to the fact that we eat meals that combine many foods and nutrients which likely work in tandem to offer protection.

In the study, researchers from Columbia University Medical Center in New York followed 2,148 adults without dementia, aged 65 and older, and determined their adherence to dietary patterns thought to be related to Alzheimer’s risk.

The researchers identified several dietary patterns, or food combinations, that varied in amounts of seven nutrients previously shown to be associated with either lowering or raising the risk of Alzheimer’s disease: saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, omega-3 fats, omega-6 fats, vitamin E, vitamin B12 and folate.

Study participants provided information about their typical diets and were assessed for the development of dementia every 1.5 years. Dementia, the most common cause being Alzheimer’s disease, describes progressive symptoms such as memory loss, mood changes and a decline in the ability to talk, read and write caused by damage or changes to the brain.

After four years, 253 individuals were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. One dietary pattern was shown to offer significant protection against developing it.

Individuals who had higher intakes of salad dressing, nuts, fish, chicken, tomatoes, fruit, cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens and lower intakes of high-fat dairy, red meat, organ meats and butter were 38-per-cent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s, compared to those who adhered the least to this dietary pattern.

There are a number of ways this combination of foods may reduce Alzheimer’s risk. Vitamin E, found in vegetable oils, almonds, peanuts, soybeans, wheat germ, avocado and green leafy vegetables, is a powerful antioxidant that helps shield brain cells from free radical damage.

Free radical damage, also called oxidative damage, is believed to contribute to the progressive decline in brain function seen in Alzheimer’s. Free radicals are routinely produced within cells as a by-product of oxygen metabolism, but they can also be created from cigarette smoke and air pollution. The brain is especially vulnerable to free radical damage because of its high demand for oxygen, its abundance of easily oxidized cell membranes, and its weak antioxidant defences.

Foods plentiful in folate, such as green vegetables, citrus fruit and nuts help keep blood levels of an amino acid, called homocysteine, in check. Having a high homocysteine level is thought to damage artery walls and increase the risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Healthy fats found in oily fish, salad dressing and nuts may protect from dementia by reducing inflammation, blood clot formation, and hardening of the arteries in the brain. These fats may also prevent the build-up of a protein called beta amyloid, which can interfere with communication between brain cells.

A diet low in high-fat dairy products, butter, red meat and organ meats is lower in saturated fat, the type of fat that raises LDL (bad) cholesterol and, in turn, can damage arteries. Previous research has, in fact, linked a higher intake of saturated (animal) fat with a two- to threefold greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

In my opinion, these findings highlight two salient points. For starters, they refute the notion that popping a vitamin E supplement – or simply cutting saturated fat – will protect you from Alzheimer’s disease.

Rather, it’s the big picture that counts. Eating a variety of healthy, nutrient-rich foods and, at the same time, minimizing your intake of foods that may harm the brain is what seems to matter most when it comes to reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In other words, the whole – or combined effect – is greater than the sum of its separate effects.

A large study published last year also linked a pattern of eating to protection from Alzheimer’s disease. In the study, people who adhered most closely to a Mediterranean-style diet – rich in fruit, vegetables, nuts, beans and olive oil – had up to a 40-per-cent reduced Alzheimer’s risk.

Secondly, these findings add to a growing body of evidence that suggests what you eat to protect yourself from heart disease are the same foods that can keep your brain healthy. A healthy diet can prevent Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension, risk factors that damage blood vessels that have also been linked to a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Based on these new findings, the following foods, when eaten together as part of a low-saturated fat diet, may lower the odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease:

Salad dressing – monounsaturated fats include olive, canola, peanut, avocado and almond oils. Sunflower, safflower, soybean, corn, grapeseed, hemp, flaxseed, and walnut oils are rich in omega-6 fats.

Nuts – almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts.

Oily fish – anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout.

Cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, turnip.

Dark green leafy vegetables – arugula, beet greens, collard greens, dandelion, kale, rapini, spinach, Swiss chard.

Tomatoes – fresh tomatoes, tomato juice, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce; choose reduced sodium when possible.

Fruit – apples, berries, citrus fruit, grapes, kiwi fruit, melon, pears.

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV’s Canada AM every Wednesday. Her website is lesliebeck.com.

Meeting number two

Members from the ACE team (Action for the Care of the Elderly) met with the Health Minister, Maureen MacDonald and Premier Dexter yesterday afternoon. Bernice was our spokesperson and she did a wonderful job. Her dad was abused and assaulted while in the Aberdeen Hospital.

There at least is lip service from both the Premier and the Health Minister that our health care system is badly broken. They presented their viewpoint and tentative plans without getting defensive and blaming the previous administrations...and I for one really appreciated that.

In my opinion the ACE team had a few too many people there but that wasn't my decision and as long as Bernice and I were included I don't really care. We prepared a package of info to give to the Premier and the Health minister and of course we included our wish list.

When asked how we can help improve the situation the Health Minister responded that we should look to the local health boards. I didn't get a chance to ask her what the alternative would be...cause I don't think the local boards are too eager to have me/us on their board. I hope I am wrong but...

Preparing for a Meeting with the Premier

We have a second meeting with the Premier of Nova Scotia to discuss the services provided to patients of Alzheimer's and their families. Many families are in the position of trying to care for a loved one who has dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease in their homes. There is a minimum of financial support and in some areas little community support.

With the number of Alzheimer's patients expected to double in the next few years it is essential that our health care system be changed so that it can deal with this increasing demand. We all know that our government is facing a financial challenge with a huge deficit looming BUT that is no reason to ignore the plight of Nova Scotians who are facing their own person challenge of Alzehimer's

If you have examples of recent events that will strengthen our cause please let me know by leaving a comment for this blog. I will not publish your email addresses or any personal information that you are not willing to share.

One voice is the start of a chorus...please join this chorus so we can bring change to a sick and ailing system.

Thanks.

Second Breath

The holidays are over, as is most of February. There are still serious problems in the health care system in our province. Patients are still waiting for long term care beds and families are still stressed and pulled almost beyond their resources.

My friend, whose father was bruised and abused at the Aberdeen Hospital last summer and fall, and I will be part of a delegation (for want of a better word) to meet with Premier Darryl Dexter on March 9th, 2010. This will be the second meeting with the Premier of Nova Scotia about the care, or lack of, provided to patients of Alzheimer's disease and those suffering from dementia.

The following is our list of requests...a bare minimum that we feel will improve the lot of many Nova Scotians.

1. That all staff having interaction of any kind with patients have training in how to deal with patients with Alzehiemer's Disease or Dementia. For example the 30 hour course that is available through the Alzehiemer's Society ... as the very least level of training acceptable.

2. That the wait list...wait time be reduced significantly. We know that there are 6000+ beds for long term care in the province and we know that there are over 1200 on a waiting list to receive a bed. That is as of October 9th. That is unacceptable. Most reasonably intelligent adults in this country realize that the population is aging, that dementia and Alzhiemer's are more prevelent in the elderly, and that there will be more demand for long term care in the immedately and foreseeable future. There are over 1200 families in crisis waiting for a safe, caring environment for their loved one. It is my understanding that there is currently only one individual in place to process applications for long term care beds. How can one individual do this on a timely basis? Maybe that is why it took from early June to early October for the application for Mr Williams to be admitted in a long term care facility to be processed and for him to be officially 'on the list'.

3.Home care support must be improved. Mr. Williams' widow was eligible for 40 hours of assistance each month to help with the home care of Mr Williams. That is almost an insult to a family that is dealing with the care of a loved one 24 hours each and every day. 10 hours a week really doesn't begin to address the problem.

4.The final aspect that demands immediate attention is the access to information and support services for the families. Yes there is currently a lot of information available, but when a family is struggling with the day to day business of living and caring for a loved one, they really don't have time to spend hours searching the internet or calling various agencies to see what services are available. A central clearing house of information (on the model of Cancer Care perhaps) needs to be established. A standard needs to be set and maintained.

These were, and continue to be, our requests.

Again, anyone reading this is asked to write a letter or email to the Premier of Nova Scotia or to the Health Minister asking for these four things to be put in place. One voice may not make a change, but all changes start with one voice.

Heath Minister
Department of Health
4th Floor, Joseph Howe Building
1690 Hollis Street
P.O. Box 488
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2R8

Phone: (902) 424-3377
Fax: (902) 424-0559

health.minister@gov.ns.ca

Premier Dexter Contact Information

Office of the Premier
7th Floor, One Government Place
1700 Granville Street
P.O. Box 726
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2T3

Phone: (902) 424-6600
Fax: (902) 424-7648

premier@gov.ns.ca

The course of action should be simple:
1. Identify the problems
2. Look at alternative solutions
3. Implement the solutions

A response to my emails

Finally on December 10th I received a response from the Minister of Health. Although I'm not sure what it says...more to follow on the findings under the investigations re the Protection for persons in care act...not very helpful and certainly not what I expected.



Dear Ms. O’Connell:

Thank you for your e-mails to the Honourable Darrell Dexter and me,
dated October 30, 2009, regarding the qualifications of staff working
with patients at the Aberdeen Hospital in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.
The Premier has asked that I respond on his behalf.

Please be assured we take all complaints of abuse seriously. In October
2007, the Protection for Persons in Care Act was proclaimed, which is an
extra safeguard for patients or residents 16 years of age or older
receiving care from Nova Scotia’s hospitals, residential care
facilities, nursing homes, homes for the aged or disabled persons under
the Homes for Special Care Act, or group homes or residential centres
under the Children and Family Services Act.

The Department of Health ordered an investigation regarding this
incident under the Protections of Persons in Care Act.

I am reviewing the recommendations from this investigation, and if
deemed necessary to protect patients/residents from abuse, further
directives may be issued to the facility. Such directives, when
warranted, could include staff participating in training and/or
education sessions.

Thank you for taking the time to bring your concerns forward.

Yours truly,



Maureen MacDonald
Minister

c: The Honourable Darrell Dexter, Premier

No time, no help

Yesterday, during a Christmas celebration, I heard a story that shook everyone there. One of the attendees shared a story about her mother's time in a nursing home...she had Alzheimer's Disease. The lady telling the story had been released from hospital after having a breast removed for Cancer and she was visiting her mother in the care facility. Her mother recognized her and as soon as she entered the room asked her daughter to help her to the bathroom. Because of the recent surgery her daughter couldn't help, but she went to the desk and asked for assistance...three times. Then she was told, "Tell her to use her diaper, that's what it is for".

This incident happened some time ago, and things MAY have changed...or not. I sincerely hope they have.

Meeting for Monday December 7, 2009

I just received an email advising me of a meeting with the Minister of Health set for Monday December 7, 2009. The ACE team arranged the meeting to discuss several health issues concerning care of the elderly in the Nova Scotia Health Care System.

Hopefully the meeting will be a productive one.

Meetings, meetings...

I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of the ACE team. ACE is a group lobbying for changes in our health care system. Advocates for the Care of the Elderly. They are seeking quality living conditions for the elderly in Long Term Care. Each member has a personal reason for working with the team...just as I do. My motivation is to make sure no one else is treated the way Mr. Williams was treated by the Staff and Management at Aberdeen Hospital. The ACE team have requested a meeting with the Premier and the Health Minister. I am hoping that will give us face time with the leaders of our provincial government.

There is also a meeting scheduled for tomorrow (November 23rd) with Gary Ramey, the MLA for Lunenburg West.

I have not received any response from the Minister of Health regarding my email that I sent to her office on October 30, 2009. I would have expected an acknowledgement by now. The Premier did respond saying that he had asked the Minister of Health to respond to my questions.

The Very Least ...

I wish:

1. That all staff having interaction of any kind with patients have training in how to deal with patients with Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia. For example the 30 hour course that is available through the Alzheimer's Society ... as the very least level of training acceptable.

2. That the wait list...wait time be reduced significantly. We know that there are 6000+ beds for long term care in the province and we know that there are over 1200 on a waiting list to receive a bed. That is as of October 9th. That is unacceptable. Most reasonably intelligent adults in this country realize that the population is aging, that dementia and Alzheimer's are more prevalent in the elderly, and that there will be more demand for long term care in the immediately and foreseeable future. There are over 1200 families in crisis waiting for a safe, caring environment for their loved one. It is my understanding that there is currently only one individual in place to process applications for long term care beds. How can one individual do this on a timely basis? Maybe that is why it took from early June to early October for the application for Mr Williams to be admitted in a long term care facility to be processed and for him to be officially 'on the list'.

3. Home care support must be improved. Mr. Williams' widow was eligible for 40 hours of assistance each month to help with the home care of Mr Williams. That is almost an insult to a family that is dealing with the care of a loved one 24 hours each and every day. 10 hours a week really doesn't begin to address the problem.

4. The final aspect that demands immediate attention is the access to information and support services for the families. Yes there is currently a lot of information available, but when a family is struggling with the day to day business of living and caring for a loved one, they really don't have time to spend hours searching the internet or calling various agencies to see what services are available. A central clearing house of information (on the model of Cancer Care perhaps) needs to be established. A standard needs to be set and maintained.

Oh and are we, the tax payer, getting value for the billions of dollars being pumped into our health care system each and every year? What nasties lie under the rocks that are just waiting to be turned over?

How could this happen?

I have written a few blogs about Mr Williams, the gentleman with Alzheimer's disease who passed away a little over a month ago while in the Aberdeen Hospital waiting for a long term care bed. He was assaulted by a commissaire and bruised and bullied ... there are other questions that need to be asked.

He was in a storage room for four days, eight hospital shift changes. The staff on eight shifts came and went and knew he was in a storage room...why was nothing done? Someone must have said to themselves..."Why is a patient stuck in a storage room with broken equipment and no pathway to the only window in the room?"

Why didn't one person find this unacceptable? Why was he left there until his family complained?

Is there not a minimum standard of care? Are there not basics that we can expect in a hospital?

I know the health care system in this province/country is badly in need of overhaul. I know we have a "new" government that inherited problems from previous administrations but how long must we as tax payers accept excuses for people not receiving the basic of the basics. A storage room for FOUR DAYS...give me a break! That is unacceptable.

What will be done to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else?

A Time to Remember

I had the opportunity this week to view the DVD 'A Time to Remember'. It was put together by the Royal Canadian Legion, Bridgewater branch and was the brain child of Dan Hennesey. Dan is a student of history, and he saw an opportunity to capture the memories of 18 veterans of WW11 so that piece of history would not be lost. It is sad, funny, refreshing and thought provoking...and it is very well done. The launch was at the Empire theatre in Bridgewater and it included all the pomp and ceremony, a live band, an honour guard and enough red serge in RCMP uniforms to get anyone's attention.

During this past week, I have had a few challenges and it was a pleasure to take a few minutes out of the confusion and listen and learn from these remarkable people. The DVDs will be on sale through the legion branch in Bridgewater if anyone is interested in purchasing one.

Thank you to all the veterans who fought during WW1 and WW11 and Korea. May we have enough sense to avoid more wars and learn that negotiation and consultation are better tools to use when seeking lasting peace.

And a thank you to Dan Hennesey for taking the initiative to pull this project together. A great example of the difference one person can make when they are determined and resourceful.

Stupidity Virus

There are times when I fear that stupidity is a disease and that it is to be more feared than H1N1. Maybe this is National stupidity week and I missed the announcement.

A friend of mine has been threatened with a law suit because a director of her husband's former employer has taken exception to some things she has written...but the money still hasn't paid. It would appear to me the solution would be to pay the wages and the whole thing would go away.

A support group leader is considering whether I can attend a meeting so I can better understand what they do and what they can offer. This is part of my current quest to find out anything and everything I can about support for dementia patients and their families.

I have had several conversations this week about supporting local businesses and buying local. First of all, there seems to be several definitions of local. Sometimes people refer to Nova Scotia as local, sometimes Atlantic Canada and sometimes Bridgewater. If I buy a product that is produced in China from a local retailer, is that buying local. True it supports local jobs and whoever owns the building the store is in, but is that preferable to buying from a national chain that offers locally grown produce for example. This is a situation that no matter what is chosen there will be someone to point out the error.

There are several other examples of the stupidity virus that I have encountered this week, but time for my ranting has expired...more to follow

Email from the Premier's Office

I have just received an email acknowledging my request that staff in contact with patients in hospitals be given the proper training and that those who have not received that training be removed from all contact with patients. The Premier's office has responded that the Honourable Maureen MacDonald, Minister of Health, will respond to my questions. I will let you know what and when I receive from the Minister's office.

Another Benefit of Activitiy...Get Moving!

aThe following tips are taken from the Alzheimer's Society website. They certainly make sense for all of us and if there is the added benefit of postponing or avoiding the development of Alzhemer's Disease what a small effort to make. More information can be found at http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/brain/physicallyactive.htm

Think of it as "activity" not "exercise." For those who feel they have little opportunity to exercise, start by adding a bit of physical activity into your daily routine. Choose a brisk walk to the store rather than driving the car, or wash and wax the car instead of going to the car wash.
Choose activities and sports that you enjoy.
Aerobic activities can help maintain general fitness. For example, many experts recommend walking as one of the safest and most effective forms of aerobic exercise.
Start where you can and set reasonable goals.
Plan physical activity with another person so that you are more likely to keep active while you also gain the brain-healthy benefits of social interaction.
Check with your doctor about the kinds of physical activity that might be right for you or if you have specific health concerns.

We are what we eat

http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/brain/healthyfood.htm

The above link will give practical everyday tips on healthy eating. We all know that eating "right" is something that will benefit our bodies...but did you know that our minds also depend on healthy foods and a healthy lifestyle?

Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease have no cure (yet) but there are steps each of us can take to reduce the risk of developing these crippling illnesses. Isn't it worth a try?

Part of the Problem...or...Part of the Solution

This is an expression I learned early in life, everyone is either part of the problem or a part of the solution. I truly hope that I am on the solution side of the majority of situations that I have encountered.

By now most of you will have heard of John "Jackie" Williams and his last few weeks spent in the Aberdeen Hospital 'waiting'... There was no long term care bed available in a facility in Pictou County, so he spent his last days bruised and bullied in an inappropriate situation. The security guard/commissionaire who allegedly mistreated him, to my knowledge, did not have training or the skills required to care for a patient with Alzheimer's Disease. How many other "Mr. Williams" are out there? People who no longer have the mind and body of their youth, people who are at the mercy of the 'system', people who have no voice.

The first thing that must happen: Protect patients from contact with anyone not trained to work with the ill, physical and mental. If you have not already done so, I would ask you to take a few minutes to write your MLA, MP, Leader of the Opposition and anyone in the health care system that you feel might be able to make this happen. We cannot have patients with dementia in the care of a security guard. This is not acceptable.

The second thing that must happen: We must have adequate care facilities to accommodate the present requirements. Let's not talk about what the situation will be like in 5 or 10 years...let's deal with today. We need more long term health care beds for the aging, for those who cannot, through no fault of their own, look after themselves. There will be more information in the upcoming blogs about the statistics and about what you can do.

For more information on Alzheimer's Disease and their advocacy platform please visit http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/society/advocacy_intro.htm