Caregiver support sessions for Alzheimer's sufferers
By George Sinclair

Can you imagine yourself in later years, your family has just registered you as a new resident of a long-term care home in the Caledon area, perhaps the Davis Centre, the King Nursing Home or the Avalon Retirement Centre. When you arrive the first time, this place is unknown to you, with strange people buzzing about doing daily chores; strange smells, antiseptic as well as others, and older folks engaged in activities all foreign to you. In fact, you may also have difficulty recognizing a beloved family member, you know them, they are familiar to you, but who are they? Otherwise, you are in good health, or are you?

Welcome to the nefarious world of dementia and the dreaded Alzheimer's disease.

The Davis Centre Family Council, a group of family representatives, meets several times a year to discuss various issues affecting the health care of our loved ones, all residents at the Centre. The Davis Centre Family Council is but one of many that exist today throughout Ontario mandated by the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long Term Care to ensure residents of public and private nursing homes receive the best possible health care for their individual family and health situation.

This Family Council is partnering with the Alzheimer Society of Peel to create an Alzheimer's Support Group for Families and Caregivers in the Caledon community to assist them in understanding the scope of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. It is their objective to bring a series of interactive monthly presentations including time for questions and answers with a competent professional to assist in coping with and understanding the problems your loved one may encounter along the dementia journey.

The Alzheimer's Family and Caregiver Support Group will meet informally at the Davis Centre Nov. 28 and Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.

Join them and other families dealing with the effects of aging and learn more about dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Learn how you too can cope with these dreaded diseases and how you can improve the quality of life for your loved one.

This series of presentations are being offered as a public service and are graduated - the first leads into the second, then the third, and eventually covers the full spectrum of issues associated with these diseases.

For more information about the support group meetings and to register, please call the Davis Centre at 905-857-0975 ext. 3008. Ask for Lynda deAbaitua who can assist you accordingly. Watch your newspaper for more details that will be announced shortly.