Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region Comments on B.C. Woman with Dementia Committing Suicide
Toronto, Canada (PRWEB) September 23, 2014 -- Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region (HomeCareAssistance-Toronto.com), the leading provider of non-medical, in-home senior care in the Greater Toronto Area, is weighing in on the recent case of a British Columbia woman diagnosed with dementia taking her own life.
Gillian Bennett was 83 years old when she took her life on August 18, having been diagnosed with dementia three years prior. Prior to the suicide, Gillian Bennett wrote a letter, posted to a site she created called DeadAtNoon.com, in which she wrote “Dementia is taking its toll and I have nearly lost myself. I have nearly lost me.” (Source: Elliott, J., “B.C. woman with dementia pens right-to-die manifesto before ending her life,” CTV News web site, August 21, 2014; http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/b-c-woman-with-dementia-pens-right-to-die-manifesto-before-ending-her-life-1.1969778.)
“We would like to send our condolences to the family of Gillian Bennett,” says Lester Fix, vice president of Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region. “Seeing loved ones deal with dementia is difficult for any family to witness; it is a disease that cripples the mind and can leave the affected individual mentally unrecognizable to anyone close to them. I can’t begin to imagine what this lady was going through to have taken her own life, but fear must have been one of the central emotions.”
In the final letter, Bennett also addressed her opinion on doctor-assisted suicide, saying Canada should legalize the practice. She described the thought of living in a vegetative state for over 10 years as “ludicrous, wasteful and unfair,” not only because of the high cost, but also because of the nurses that would have to care for terminally ill patients while they wait to die.
“While dementia is an enormously challenging disease to live with, we at Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region remind families and those suffering with any type of dementia that strides are being made to help improve the quality of life of those inflicted with the disease. Please keep hope in your hearts.”
“A cure does not yet exist, but improvements have been made in helping to maintain a high quality of life for people with dementia,” Fix concludes. “If someone has questions or is experiencing negative thoughts about the disease, then they should speak to someone they trust or feel free to call any one of our Home Care Assistance offices and we’ll be glad to listen to any and all concerns.”
Serving the Greater Toronto Area, Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region provides older adults with high-quality and consistent care, helping them live happier, healthier lives in the comfort of their home. In an effort to fully address its mobile and homebound clients’ lifestyle needs, Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region provides both hourly home care and live-in home care. On top of that, Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region is so certain its customers will be 100% satisfied with its services that it doesn’t require a long-term contract. To learn more about Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region, visit the company’s web site at http://www.HomeCareAssistance-Toronto.com or call Home Care Assistance – Toronto/York Region at 905-597-5825.
Lester Fix, Home Care Assistance, http://homecareassistance-toronto.com/, +1 416-822-0204, [email protected]
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