My November Starts Today!

In Flander’s fields the poppies blow… It is my custom (as many others do) during the month of November to wear a red poppy all month long. It is a small reminder for me of all the men and women who have sacrificed themselves for those bigger ideals of...

Seniors and Suicide

This article bugged me all weekend. On Saturday morning, the Saturday Life section of the Ottawa Citizen led off with a front page story about the increase in suicide among the elderly – especially men.  While the experts gave varying opinions an underlying...

Alzheimer’s Disease and Coconut Oil

Recently at a presentation I was giving on cognitive interventions with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease I was asked if I’d heard about the use of coconut oil as a treatment regime. I have to admit that I didn’t really have an opinion on it as I...

Home First Policy – Too risky?

Questions are being raised by the Toronto-based Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE)’s counsel Jane Meadus about the Home First Policy being implemented by hospitals across the Province of Ontario. ACE reports they have received about 250 complaints from...

Communication and the Brain – Don’t Give Up!

In remarkable research on-going at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, scientist Dr. Adrian Owen was able to demonstrate using an fMRI that a patient considered to be ‘vegetative’ was actually capable of answering questions. The research...

Technology – Boon or Bane?

It is interesting that both scientific research and life experiences underpin the necessary concept that having meaning and purpose are fundamental needs for our human psyche. Brain health is important – but for what purpose? I would argue it is to discover...