Costs to Soar As Aging Canadians Face Rising Tide of Dementia

[Mowich]

Costs to soar as aging Canadians face rising tide of dementia - The Globe and Mail


Being an ‘aging boomer’ myself, articles like this naturally grab my attention. There are some rather interesting forecasts being made about the numbers of Canadians facing dementia in the future and the profound consequences for our health care system and care-givers. The majority of care-givers are women and a large number are seniors themselves. One of the recommendations being made is that more resources be made available to live-in care givers.

I agree heartily with that idea, knowing that my soon-to-be 90 year old Mum will end her days with one of her girls – not in an institution. I also know of several friends who are caring for their parents who suffer from mild forms of dementia. It is not an easy task even with the best support available. However, making it easier for care-givers to access necessary resources makes the job that much less onerous.

Diagrams provided of brain scans done over an 18-month period are graphic depictions of a brain in the throes of dementia. I found the period between 12 months and 18 months to be of most interest as they show a marked increase in the lessening of brain activity.

 

[AnnaG]

I shouldn't have read this. Now I will get all empathetic and people will start thinking I'm losing it.

 

[lone wolf]

Find the cause/cure, baby. My Gram passed on with it. My Dad is showing the early signs of it. I sure as hell don't want it....

 

[countryboy]

It's a very nasty thing. I agree with LW...surely it's possible to find a cure/cause, I just hope we're looking in the right places. Dementia has been around a long time, but the numbers we're talking about should lead us in the direction of something we're doing that we didn't use to do, shouldn't they?

My mother's death was directly attributed to dementia, and at the relatively early age of 78. Well, we thought it was early. I don't know the stats, but I'm thinking it may be starting to appear more often in "younger" people. Am I right or wrong? Just going by bits and pieces I read...

 

[Mowich]

I shouldn't have read this. Now I will get all empathetic and people will start thinking I'm losing it.

Snort, snort. Hee, hee, hee! :lol::lol::lol:

Cool brain pics, eh?

 

[VanIsle]

My Grampa on my Dad's side was senile but who knows if in those days (I never met him as he died years before I was born) dementia/alzheimer's was called senility. My Dad certainly was not showing any signs when he died at age 73. My Mom and all her brothers and sisters died by or before the age of 61 so I have no idea if any of them would have had demtia. Mom's Mom and Dad also died before age 50 so - I guess it's a wait and see situation for me. I think playing some Pogo games such as Word Whomp help and we like to play Hidden Object games as well. As long as we are keeping up with the grandkids in finding hidden objects, we must be doing okay. Since my job requires that I memorize so many numbers, I tell people that I am in training.

 

[Mowich]

Keeping the brain working is one of the most important lessons being learned about dementia. Always keep learning and seeking answers. Keep those neurons firing and build new bridges.

Probably why I like the forum so much. It is good for my brain. :smile:

 

[AnnaG]

Snort, snort. Hee, hee, hee! :lol::lol::lol:

Cool brain pics, eh?

I'm kind of half serious actually. My oldest just went back to her place today after a couple weeks. She's pregnant. A couple times I thought I felt someone kicking around inside me, but I know I'm not preggers. lol

Weird pics. I never saw a blue brain before. Mostly they are grey and pink.

 

[AnnaG]

Keeping the brain working is one of the most important lessons being learned about dementia. Always keep learning and seeking answers. Keep those neurons firing and build new bridges.

Probably why I like the forum so much. It is good for my brain. :smile:

That's what I read, keep an active mind. It needs exercise, too.

 

[VanIsle]

Then go to Pogo Games on line and try playing Word Whomp. It's good brain exercise.

 

[Cliffy]

Keeping the brain working is one of the most important lessons being learned about dementia. Always keep learning and seeking answers. Keep those neurons firing and build new bridges.

Probably why I like the forum so much. It is good for my brain. :smile:

By this I would almost conclude that the religious may be in trouble.

 

[Mowich]

By this I would almost conclude that the religious may be in trouble.

You may well be right, Cliffy, especially if they chose to stick to tired old doctrine and refuse to challenge accepted theology. Sticking to routine dogma does nothing to stimulate the brain, it only keeps existing pathways open.

Challenging the brain to create new pathways requires effort and I have found that, to their detriment, some people prefer to stay in their 'comfort zones.'

 

[Cliffy]

You may well be right, Cliffy, especially if they chose to stick to tired old doctrine and refuse to challenge accepted theology. Sticking to routine dogma does nothing to stimulate the brain, it only keeps existing pathways open.

Challenging the brain to create new pathways requires effort and I have found that, to their detriment, some people prefer to stay in their 'comfort zones.'

Comfort zones are what is killing us as a species. There is nothing more deadly than rote routine, whether it is in action or thought. We must constantly challenge the mind and body, to climb out of our ruts, if we are to live healthy, happy lives.

 

[weaselwords]

Don't know about anyone else but I kinda look forward to my dementia. I watched over the years my Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles &mother go to that happy place of their childhood or early adulthood and no longer have a care in the world. It leaves quite a burden of pain & suffering for those they no longer recognize (I remember the anguish of my youngest brother @ 34 realizing Mom didn.t rocognize him)

 

[VanIsle]

Don't know about anyone else but I kinda look forward to my dementia. I watched over the years my Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles &mother go to that happy place of their childhood or early adulthood and no longer have a care in the world. It leaves quite a burden of pain & suffering for those they no longer recognize (I remember the anguish of my youngest brother @ 34 realizing Mom didn.t rocognize him)

I don't think they are in a happy place at all. With alzheimer's there is a good chance they are someplace else but dementia can come and go a little leaving the person with vague memories. A fellow who attended our church (retired school teacher) had Alzheimer's Disease. It was very evident to all of us. He didn't know anyone. I'm not even sure he knew his wife but he knew she was the person to cling to, coming and going. One day when a dinner event was going on, she made more than one dish for it. He carried one in. Something in his brain was remembering something because he kind of got lost in the shuffle of people and managed to take the food to an area of the church that had a kitchen that was rarely used any longer. People searched everywhere because no one saw him go there. He didn't remember he went there. Still and all, something in that brain, some distant memory, told him that kitchen was there so it cannot all be a happy place. Bad memories must surface as well.
My friend's Mom went around stealing peoples stuff once they put her in a home. She would never have stolen anything.
You may have been trying to be funny and we all do that regarding this stuff but reality kicks in now and again and this stuff is scary as hell.

 

[Walter]

Another typical piece of liberal clap-trap trying to play on emotions to winkle more money out of my pocket(ie. taxes). Take a close look at who funded the research. Bloody, red Globe and Mail.

 

[talloola]

There is nothing, absolutely nothing happy or funny about
dimentia. My sister had it, and now has passed away after
about 10 years of suffering and fright, at the age of 80.
Both my brother and sister were many years older than I.
She first began losing her speech, that took a long time
and she was quite aware that she couldn't get the words
to come properly, then it got worse, till she finally had
to be instutionalized, and it took another few years for
her brain to finally lose the ability to tell her how
to eat to keep herself alive, and she passed away.
Yes, we do things to keep our brains active too, right now
we have a huge jig saw puzzle on the go, and this forum
is very helpful, and we still golf lots too.

 

[Nuggler]

I shouldn't have read this. Now I will get all empathetic and people will start thinking I'm losing it.

No danger of either.;-)

 

[weaselwords]

Vanisle, Tolloola no I was not trying to be funny, my experience maybe the in minority however both my Grandmother & Grandfather reverted back to their younger years in Glagow (Gm in 1960 to 62 & Gf in 1971 to 73) & were quite pleased with themselves. My mother (1987 to 1999) , her eldest brother (1982 to 87) & his wife (1977 to 79} reverted back to Ripley Ont in 1930's timeframe & were quite happy. The point I was really trying to get across its not the people who go there, its the people they leave behind that have the real suffering, having to watch the deterioration of a loved one's mind & be unable to do anything about it.

 

[darkbeaver]

It is treatable with cannabis and D3.