The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday March 4, 2006 - 29 Caregiver joins Alzheimer board By Wilma Blokhuis OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF After three years of being his wife's sole caregiver as Alzheimer's wasted away her memory, Bill Burns has decided to give back to the organiza tion that was his salvation. Respite services provided by the Alzheimer Society of Peel gave Burns the much-needed breaks he needed. "My wife Sue started having memo ry problems in the late 1990s," said Burns who now sits as the Oakville rep resentative on the Alzheimer Society of Peel's board of directors. "At first we refused to seek help, we were in denial." However, by early 2000, Burns grew so concerned that he began searching for answers, and three years later he got his answer when Sue was "finally diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's" at Sunnybrook Health Centre. Fearing this diagnosis, Burns acted on the advice of a friend and called the Alzheimer Society of Peel and asked for some counseling. Burns joined one of its support groups. "This was extremely valuable to me as I was with people who were in the same situation and we supported each other," he said. "Sue was offered a support group for patients, but was terrified to go because of the age difference. She was only 57 while the others were in their 70s and 80s." Nevertheless, in the fall of 2004, she attended the society two days a week. Burns was relieved she 'was comfort able with the location and the people." Sue also spent four respite weekends at the society's Port Credit facility. "This was really good for me because one needs to get some muchneeded time off," said Burns, adding friends also assisted him with the care giving. "The respite weekends allowed me to realize the real me," he said philo sophically. "I would not have survived without the Alzheimer Society and my friend's. You can't go 24/7. "Caregiving is absolutely horren dous. With no time off you get so tired looking after somebody with Alzheimer's." Putting his wife of 36 years into a nursing home was not an option for Burns. "One of the most rewarding jobs you can do is look after your spouse. But you have limited energy and you need some time off just to rejuvenate. By December of that year, Sue had progressed to "moderately severe. The disease was diagnosed as progressive." She died last May at age 58. "She died still knowing us and some of her friends," Burns reflected, adding she died of various medical complica tions - not Alzheimer's. "She never went into that big dark hole." Respite care is an option now more readily available thanks to Nora's House, Ontario's first hospice facility for Alzheimer patients. After becoming involved with the society, initially as a support group member, he became aware of its plans to develop this hospice. "When the house was being reno vated, there was so much interest that we opened temporary respite beds in our day program in Port Credit," said Burns. Nora's House opened almost a year ago in a renovated Mississauga bunga low. "It took more than a year to reno vate the house the society purchased in September 2003," said Burns, adding it was named Nora's House in honour of a large donation received from the family of an Alzheimer patient. The house has five rooms and six beds -- it has one double room -- and provides respite care for up to six nonmedically challenged people at a cost of $75 a day. The minimum stay is one week, the maximum two weeks. Its catchment area includes East Oakville, Mississauga and West Etobicoke. Burns described Nora's House as "absolutely marvelous" that will enable the Alzheimer Society of Peel to relieve other caregivers. For information call 905-278-3667 or visit www.alzheimerpeel.com. RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER ALZHEIM ER VOLUNTEER: Bill Burns of Oakville, who NORA'S HOUSE: This picture of Nora's House, Ontario's first respite facility for Alzheimer patients in Mississauga, appears on an Alzheimer Society of Peel brochure. looked after his wife who suffered from Alzheimer disease, is now on the board of the Alzheimer Society of Peel.s Colon Health and Digestion tract, and help restore a ^glance that in practice as a Naturopathic and felt sluggish or had headaches Cleaning time is here for both Doctor fo r over 7 years. He cur can overcome mild constipation or your home and body. There are vari throughout the first week, you are irregular bowels. 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