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OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, March 18, 2009 · 14 ElderSafe is in family's corner him, but tears well up in her eyes as she admits that no, it wasn't the scenario the couple envischeduler Anne Pascoe at the ElderSafe office prosioned when contemplating their future. vides a sense of calm, a touchstone of help for Sarah said the family must adjust and compenSarah. sate, often focusing on many issues, such as safety The family receives four hours of care, but for every member. expects that will grow as the family's need changes. "Our roles are reversed, I am the one providing "We will tailor it to suit the clients' needs. There for my family. You grow up thinking your husband are between four and 32 hours available per is the one who's going to do that," she said. month," said Kee. "The fact that John is my husband is good, he's a An assessment, by those certified by the College great guy," said Sarah, who can't help feel of Nurses, is done to evaluate the client and careAlzheimer's is below the surface giver's needs and stress levels. The "We have a lot of good when she watches him play with client has the ability to drive the their children. friends and a good support form of help ElderSafe provides. It does surface however when Re-assessments are done every network, but sometimes you he hands one of his sons a plate, three months to ensure needs and still feel lonely." when he was asked for a cup, she support continue to be suitable. smiles and John grimaces sheep"I work now when the kids are Sarah, wife of a 58-year-old man ishly. at school," said Sarah. diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease The children know their dad "I remember one day I was has Alzheimer's -- Sarah and driving home ... it just gives such John put the proper name to the a sense of relief. It feels like your disease -- and each of their three sons copes with it burdens are shared," said Sarah. in their own way of comprehending what they can. "It feels good to have somebody in your corner. "For me there's a lot more strain and stress," It just feels like you are not alone," said Sarah. said Sarah, adding, "Sometimes I have to watch "We have a lot of good friends and a good supJohn more than the kids and I have to think port network, but sometimes you still feel lonely," ahead." said Sarah. "Sometimes I feel guilty because he (John) may John's diagnosis was a shock. need more, but I'm not able to give that," said "It's unbelievable," said Sarah softly as the couSarah, adding, "Paul has to wait because there are ple clutches hands. three in line already and they even compete." "The most difficult thing is that I remember For John, the loss of his job was tough. what John was like," said Sarah, adding, to her it "I think he's still grieving it," said Sarah, though has underlined her respect for God and the intricaJohn said quietly, "I've given that up." cy with which the brain functions -- something While the family may be giving up on many of that isn't often appreciated until it doesn't function the things they'd planned, they're making the most properly. of what they do have and they have found help in With the shock and disbelief still resounding, doing that through the newly established program the couple is now moving forward. in Oakville. "There's such a different dynamic, you create "I remember driving down the road..." said your own kind of normal," said Sarah. Sarah. Reflecting upon her children and their future, To contact ElderSafe, call 905-825-5567. Sarah said they'll still have their dad, they do have Continued from page 13 Power Trips helps rebuild schools in Dominican Republic By David Lea added by the university students. "We did the finishing of the plaster and then painted and decorated During March Break it's not sur- the four rooms that were effected," prising that many are flocking to the said Warrington. "We carried on and Dominican Republic, however, one painted the whole outside of the group is not heading for the beaches. school and we painted the lines on Power Trips Inc., a volunteer their basketball court and we did a organization, which little bit with their carries out extreme security fencing." school makeovers, is With that task comcurrently on its 22nd plete the group next visit to the developing participated in the Caribbean nation. construction of a playWhile there, the 90 ground in the pediatric participants, including area of the Dr. Ricardo high school students Limardo Public from Oakville Trafalgar Hospital in Puerto High School and St. Plata. The financing Mildred's Lightbourn for this project came School, will engage in from the Oakville numerous school Judy Warrington Rotary Club. restoration projects During this period and make important contributions the group also took shoes and clothto a local hospital. ing, some of which was donated by "We basically find mostly rural the Running Room in Oakville, to a needy schools, in terms of their community near Tamboril where a physical conditions, and we fix them, mudslide had left 400 people living based on the budget that we have to in an emergency shelter huddled work with. In doing that we work within a sports stadium. with students and teachers and it "That was a powerful experience," often spills off into working with the said Warrington. "You see this sort of community," said Judy Warrington, thing on TV, but we actually met Oakville resident and founder of with some of these people and left Power Trips Inc. "Everything we do what we had brought with one of the is done with the local people, not for aid organizations there so it would them. They work hand-in-hand and be correctly distributed." alongside us." While much was done during trip This trip follows on the heels of number 21, trip number 22 promistrip number 21, which saw 16 es to be much more ambitious with Ontario university students spend four schools scheduled for restoratheir February reading week work- tion in the Moca area. Further ing for Power Trips Inc. in improvements to the Dr. Ricardo Dominican Republic. Public Hospital are also on the agenDuring this trip the students da. Power Trips Inc. has been conhelped to restore a school so run- ducting school reconstruction projdown it posed a very real danger to ects since it was founded in 2000. its students. Despite a seemingly never ending "This was a school that had two number of schools in need of help floors. The bottom floor had been within the Dominican Republic built by the local rotary club, the sec- Warrington notes her work is not ond floor had been built by the com- frustrating, but life altering in that it munity when they realized they makes her appreciative of what she needed more classroom space," said has. Warrington. "We come back realizing that we "Unfortunately, when they put would be hugely challenged living in the second floor on they didn't con- the conditions we see people there sult with too many architects and living in," said Warrington. "We engineers and they did it poorly. stand back in amazement and are When I was down there in the fall, we effected by the spirit of the people could see stress fractures and that who continue to get up in the mornceiling was about to fall down on the ing and face a new day with hope and kids below." optimism and a joy for life that With the help of various Rotary sometimes we find difficult to underclubs money was raised to put into stand." the school to properly support the For more information, visit ceiling with the finishing touches www.powertripsinc.org. OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF CLIP THIS AD AND RECEIVE $5 DISCOUNT AT THE DOOR