Letters

Here’s what some readers had to say about our spring issue.

Hi Lisa,

Just going through the latest edition of the magazine—LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!

Bryan Gilks

Hi Lisa,

Wow! Congratulations on an incredible resource for those of us who have had deal with dementia. My only wish is that I had this kind of information available to me when dealing with my husband. I know I would have been a much better caregiver.

I would love to see this magazine available in all medical offices.
Thank you Lisa,

Carol Fisher

Hi Lisa,

What a wonderful publication. I found the first issue on the foyer of our condo building; couldn’t wait till the next issue.

I hope you can address the issue of post-surgery delirium in the future. My husband, who is 77, just had shoulder-replacement surgery on Feb. 21 of this year. On the first night of his surgery he developed what the hospital called post-surgery delirium. They gave no information on what to do after we got home, and that it could last for weeks or months.

He is still suffering with it. His doctor has prescribed medications to help, but it has been a frightening experience. We had never heard of it until we experienced it. His doctor didn’t seem that knowledgeable about it, either. Anything I found out about it was from the Internet.

Congratulations on your publication. I’m looking forward to the next issue.

Kathy Callan

Hi Lisa,

I recently reviewed the Q&A done with Dr. Lorraine Venturato in Dementia Connections magazine. The theory offered by Dr. Venturato in relation to balancing risks so those with dementia can still have meaning in their life is so important to share; just because someone has dementia does not mean they need to live in a bubble, or a risk-free environment. We all still feel and need to live.
One thing that stuck out to me was the list of “key players” in the article; this list did not include recreation therapists or social workers. Being a recreation therapist myself, and having been part of a very inclusive management team, I can say that recreation therapists’ and social workers’ approach to care is often overlooked. The information gained in these two roles can oftentimes provide teams with insight into the family history, and potential reasons for why those with dementia may be expressing themselves through behaviours.

Working as an inter-disciplinary team is the only way for a staff team to understand someone fully, and in a way that reaches a person in a variety of ways.

Just wanted to share this feedback. Thank you,

Amy

Hi Lisa,

I just had lunch with your magazine today—it is amazing! Your magazine speaks so much to what we are going through and it is just what I needed as I am dealing with dementia with my husband’s parents and my own. It felt like someone gently grabbed my hand and said, “I can help you negotiate all this.” Having current up-to-date information and timely articles in your magazine is invaluable for negotiating the journey of dementia.

Thank you for creating such an important resource for our city. So well done.

Trisha Mackay

Hi Lisa,

Wonderful job on the Spring 2018 issue of Dementia Connections. I was especially excited to see Dr. Pia Kontos featured within—I am such a fan of her work. It was also really great to see the interviews with Drs. Lorraine Venturato and Zahinoor Ismail from the University of Calgary. I think

Dementia Connections is a great model, sharing experiences and perspectives that range from individuals to practitioners to researchers.

Ann M. Toohey, PhD
Scientific Coordinator,
Brenda Strafford Centre on Aging

Share your story with us at feedback@dementiaconnections.ca