For more than 50 years, Sylvia gave her time to help others. A former teacher and lifelong volunteer, she devoted herself to her children and grandchildren, her community, and causes close to her heart, including hospice care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Small changes in Sylvia\u2019s behaviour would begin to affect her day-to-day life. Around 2019, the first sign came when Sylvia spent several hours wandering around a store in London, Ontario<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt the time, I had no clue what was going on,\u201d recalls her husband of 53 years, Neil. Over the next couple of years, those small signs started happening more often. In February 2022, after a series of assessments and a CAT scan, Sylvia was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease at age 71.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As her condition progressed, Neil became her full-time caregiver, eventually realizing it was no longer safe to leave her alone. Seeking answers and support, Neil connected with the Alzheimer’s Society in late 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through them, he learned about The Salvation Army London Village\u2019s Adult Day program that supports individuals living with Alzheimer\u2019s disease or related dementia. Participants benefit through a variety of therapeutic recreation activities, which promote social interaction and meet their spiritual, cognitive, physical, and emotional needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At first, he was hesitant about the idea of leaving Sylvia in a place she didn\u2019t know. That changed when they visited and met with the caring staff in January 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe came in, and Sylvia was calm. She was accepting all of this,\u201d,\u201d Neil recalls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Program supervisor Katelyn Rozenveld remembers that first visit and the initial anxiety Sylvia felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSylvia was quiet. When she first came, she stood at the back, but by the end of the day, we could get her into the room, and it\u2019s been smooth sailing ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The foundation of the Sylvia comes to the program four days a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s happy. She loves coming here. There\u2019s never a question of where we\u2019re going, she knows. She\u2019s got friends here,\u201d Neil says.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Though her verbal communication is limited, Sylvia\u2019s personality is shown through her creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe loves to do art, colouring and painting. She enjoys looking at her reflection in the mirror and dancing,\u201d Katelyn says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neil says that while they can\u2019t carry on with a conversation, he has noticed an improvement in Sylvia since she started attending the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHer demeanor is better; her anxiety is lower. This has given us huge happiness,\u201d he says. \u201cI honestly can’t even think about how bad it would be without this.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The experience has also been life-changing for Neil, as he can pursue his hobbies and meet up with friends, knowing that Sylvia is safe and in good, caring hands. His connection with the staff has become a meaningful part of both of their lives. Neil has found peace in knowing Sylvia is content and surrounded by individuals who care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI say it just about weekly. I thank them tremendously. I bring them snacks all the time,\u201d Neil says. \u201cThey are warm and welcoming. I have zero concern with her being here. We\u2019re just so appreciative. I\u2019m just hopeful this can continue for years. It\u2019s been a godsend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your contribution ensures vital Salvation Army programs and services support people like Sylvia. Donate today online at www.SalvationArmy.ca or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For more than 50 years, Sylvia gave her time to help others. A former teacher and lifelong volunteer, she devoted herself to her children and grandchildren, her community, and causes close to her heart, including hospice care. Small changes in Sylvia\u2019s behaviour would begin to affect her day-to-day life. Around 2019, the first sign came […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":3102,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-3099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hope-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
Support That Changes Everything<\/h5>\n\n\n\n