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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A pr il 1, 20 21 | 24 SAVING YOU MORE Visit thebrick.com for more details and locations. ON NOW AT THE BRICK! NICE TO MEET YOU -- ADVERTORIAL -- Judith Allen Shone, author Becoming a full-time caregiver wasn't a role Oakville resident, Judith Allen Shone thought she'd fall into. When her partner was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia - a disease that affects more than half a million Canadians - Shone began to write stories of her experience. Part one, her debut book, Is There Any Ice Cream? (2019), discloses her experiences as a solo caregiver. In her memoir-style book, Shone relates her formidable experiences accompanied by the emotional chaos of caregiving for her loved one. In part two, Did You Hide the Cookies? (2020), Shone reflects candid and personal experienceswith later stages ofAlzheimer's. To help promote Alzheimer's awareness, "A Conversation for Caregivers with Judy Shone," a YouTube video, with Alzheimer Society Halton, was produced by Halton Hills Library and is online to view. Shone's caregiving journey includes the support she received from the Alzheimer Society, the many trips to the hospital, searching for answers for unfamiliar behaviours and the emotional twists and turns she encountered. "Beingacaregiverhasmademe recognize the importance of human connection," says Shone. Readers choose to follow Shone's journey for amyriad of reasons.Her books help other caregivers discover options for support, explore different perspectives of being a caregiver and feel the comfort of knowing someone else has walked the same path. Shone's books are inspired by her partner and her desire to help other caregivers. "Meeting someone new who I might be able to help by suggesting they call the Alzheimer Society or call their family doctor is rewardingwhen they tell mewhat a perfect connection it had been," says Shone. "Problem solving with other caregivers and helping them with immediate issues is important to me." Shone's journey continues. She says there may be other books in the series. "A third book is in progress and is related to caregiver support, and who knows following that. The keyboard is going to be clicking for some time ahead." Blog: AcceptingTheGiftOfCaregiving.com caregiver-books.com caregiveralzheimerstory.com eBook, paperback and hardcover online ordering Understanding caregiving Halton's top doctor is sounding the alarm as the number of COVID variant cases in the region continues to rise. Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Medical Officer of Health, said that 36 per cent of the reported new cases of COVID-19 in Hal- ton -- by mid-March -- were confirmed or likely variant cases, compared to almost none back in early January. "It's now taking only about 1.7 weeks for the count of new variant cases reported since Jan. 1 to double, compared to 12.6 weeks for non-variant cases," she said. Meghani also explained that the major- ity of Halton cases likely acquired the vari- ant strain infection from community transmission in the province. As for the weekly COVID-19 cases, the region's website shows that from March 19 to 25 there were 366 new cases in Halton, up from 299 the previous week. As of March 26, the number of active cases stood at 334, including 91 in Oakville, 115 in Milton, 84 in Burlington and 44 in Halton Hills. There have been 10,628 CO- VID-19 cases in Halton since the pandemic started, with 10,094 marked as resolved and 200 deaths. -- With files from Melanie Hennesse WEEKLY ROUNDUP: COVID-19 VARIANTS CAUSE OF CONCERN BAMBANG SADEWO bsadewo@metroland.com Here's a look at Halton's weekly COVID news and cases. Metroland file photo NEWS SCAN FOR MORE to view Halton's COVID cases tracker.