26 ~ Sunday, October 27, 1991 - North Shore News

HELP’S AT Hand, by North Shore Community Services (NSCS), is a forum for discussing government policies and - pro- grams, benefits, consumer and legal rights, taxation and public services.

Answers are intended only as a general guide and should not be applied to individual cases without further consultation.

Question: I have been following your last two columns about the woman who is being physically abused by her husband with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).

You have said that so far he can't be stopped by the law or put in a hospital. I agree that his wife shouldn't care for him any longer, but hew exactly can she get ont of it? It seems that without the law on her side, she is stuck in the situation.

Answer: You're right that the

wife seems stuck. She may want to care for her sick husband, but by doing so, is jeopardizing her own life. Let’s look at some of the concrete possibilities.

First of all, the doctor must be informed that his or her patient is being violent and may be consid- ered a risk to others.

Although the police who were called probably didn’t charge the husband, they may be requested to inform the doctor of his behavior. The wife should also discuss the situation with the physician,

This cousse of action might alter the assessment of the pa- tient’s mental capability. Or, with an awareness of the abuse taking place, the doctor may decide to have a frank discussion with the patient to point out the damage of his actions and have him recon- sider giving consent to be:ng ad-

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mitted 10 a care facility.

Another consideration is whether the husband has become violent with the onset of AD. We're told that a large percentage of people who have become ag- gressive. with the disease will change their behavior once some skills and techniques of relating to them are used.

The wife may want to contact the Alzheimer caregivers’ support group in North Vancouver by call- ing the Margaret Fulton Centre at 980-6116.

As her husband has undoubted- ly undergone personality changes with the disease, she is probably grieving the loss of the relation- ship they had before he became ill.

If there has been a history of abuse in the marriage, that issue should not be ignored or camou- flaged by the disease.

HELP’S AT HAND

People are conditioned to assume that the wife must care for her husband regardless of the way he treats her.

No one should be permitted to sacrifice heaith and safety trying to care for a violent person.

In our opinion, this frail elderly woman can no longer care for her spouse. Her neighbors, family members and friends must tell her this and become part of a team to support her.

People in this situation would also benefit from knowing their legal rights and options. The Lawyer Referral Service offers a one-half hour consultation for $10. The telephone number ‘3 687-3221.

Legal information counsellors are also available at our office to explore choices and issues.

We're hopeful that within the next few years laws and policies

@2 2 PLYMOUTH SUNDANCE

will change and there will be more help available regarding this prob- lem.

This column is prepared with finaicial assistance from the Notury Fovadation. For more in- formation call NSCS at 985-7138.

SHORE

CONTINUING | UAT

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