Vancouver Museum of Anthropology UBC

Vancouver Museum of Anthropology UBC
Another mask...

Saturday 18 September 2010

Yesterday at Baycrest

Went back there as I realised I hadn't seen the community day services and should have! Met with Faith at 10am having cycled up the long Bathurst Avenue from downtown (having only spoken with her the day before, receiving a warm invitation to come take a look). Faith is the Program Director for 3 facilities all under the same roof at Baycrest but with different names (Parklands, Woodside and Mountain-View I think); am working from memory right now and no notes to help prompt me...anyway, an impressive program of day activities for those with and without cognitive impairment. The more cognitively impaired attend the Mountain-View day centre which is on the ground floor of the main building, and on entering the participants in the program have a small lobby with a big fish tank in it. Faith explained that people like to come and sit by the tank during the day to listen to the sound of water circulating around and to watch the fish. It is smaller in size in comparison to the other day centres, but intimate and cosy and a large group were doing music to movement as I arrived...that was good to see, and they were enjoying the experience I think.

As I write this I'm aware that not many folk may read my blog and am wondering slightly what is the point if few are taking a look at it. I shall proceed but if you do read this drop me a comment as it helps motivate me to keep going or tell me how I can make it more interesting?

So, it was a really interesting time spent with Faith and I have a lot to take away with me. Unfortunately the 2 other day centres I mentioned were not open yesterday so I only saw M-V in action. The single most important learning for me is that Faith is seeking to use more movement and dance work at the centre and I naturally invited her to come to my workshops at Mt Sinai Hosp and Toronto Rehab next week, as that may inform her a little more about what could happen and what my own work is about. I was also very impressed with her work to shift the focus away from activities such as bingo and hair-dressing ( much as people like them) towards ones that may help older people be and feel more fulfilled in the life choices they are making about what to do next or what opportunities still exist for them to participate in. As an example she is aiming to bring body-massage in to the centres and also to support the development of 'Mindfulness' groups. This is great stuff and very relevant for my own work in the Calderdale day centres back home.

Today (saturday) we've been down at the harbour-front at a Colombian Festival watching dancers perform, listening to colombian musicians and soaking up the atmosphere. Am considering going to see a new film tonight at the Film Festival here called 'Black Swan'. Anyone know it???

6 comments:

  1. "......to the nature of dementia not being seen as a disease at all...more a condition and perhaps a natural part of the ageing process".

    Very interesting concept, but it does beg the question, 1. if it is a part of 'the natural ageing process' why doesn't it affect every one, and 2. if is a part of 'the natural ageing process' why are some people affected by the condition a lot earlier than others ... pre-senile dementia in 50 year olds.

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  2. A problem I see with dementia is not so much for those that are living with it but for those who are living with a person who is living with it. Some times, for them, it can be frustrating and devastating.

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  3. I like the observations about the fish ...... how about a trip to the local aquarium or a boat ride out on Lake Ontario to do some fishing. Good sea fishing around Vancouver Island, I think.

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  4. Richard,
    I am reading your blog with much interest and enthusiasm...the idea that we can have access to your experiences on the other side of the globe is fascinating and that's why I think internet and blogging are great forms of communication towards this end. You can also submit your blog to other relevant online communities to create an awareness of your work. I can't think of any off the top of my head but I will have a look and let you know. No matter how many people read or follow your blog the end result is the same...what you are offering is an intervention and an innovation...so onwards and upwards!

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  5. Wow....thanks Rich & Marina, I really feel motivated by your comments right now. It is uplifting to have this sense that something of my experiences here are getting through to you and perhaps others too. Rich, the question about whether or not dementia is a condition or a disease is a very important one and tied into definitions of what a disease actually is and how it is defined. According to the WHO guidelines, a disease has a start (in dementia almost impossible to say when), it has an identifiable path and following treatment will result in a cure of some kind. None of these conditions are met in dementia ( although neurofibrillary plaques and tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be identified as a pathogen in the brain). If you then study the epistemology or the 'social constructionist' view of dementia it becomes apparent that Lois Alzheimer himself thought that what he had found was a normal part of the ageing process; it was Kraepelin the director of his research institute who thought that increased reputation and money would flow from it being identified as a disease...in other words socially constructed...and part of a trend in the early 1900s for diseases to be discovered and labelled etc. In essence it will remain debatable however you are absolutely right that for the care-giver and those surrounding the person the challenges are indeed very great in coming to terms with, and responding well to all the decisions that have to be made and challenges faced.

    Marina, it would be great if you can help me link into other web based communities. Just let me know and I shall try and put a link in to them.

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  6. ........."following treatment will result in a cure of some kind". I'm finding this all very interesting and fascinating, but off the top of my head ..... what does the WHO definition make HIV or many cancers, both of which have a start, sometimes an indefinable path but I think certainly don't have a cure after treatment. Those that have HIV or cancer may consider they have a disease of some sort or dis - ease.

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