EDITOR,
Re. Smoking senior barred from Hilltop.
I am writing in support of the 80-year-old smoker who has been told he cannot attend at Hilltop House. He is not the only smoker at Hilltop House.
I am a reformed smoker and very much against smoking, but when you are 80 years old and suffering from dementia, I am sure that is one of the only "pleasures" in life that is familiar and comforting to him and should not be taken away.
I cannot imagine how horrible having your mind fading in and out of reality.
My husband and I have the known the individual of whom this is all about. His condition has been steadily worsening for the last four or five years. He cannot be left on his own for very long periods of time.
He did enjoy and look forward to his trips to Hilltop, something different in his everyday life in a safe environment
His wife talks about being able to take time off, since he can't go to Hilltop for daily visits, he also cannot spend time in respite. It is very difficult chore to care for someone with this type of disease 24/7. She needs to have time, for her own health and sanity, away where she knows he is safe and cared for. Any of us would need a break from the stress level, worry, and physical caring for him.
It would wear down the strongest of us and would take a toll to our health and welfare as well.
By the time we are 80 years old we are pretty stuck in our ways, and he, I'm sure, cannot understand why he can't go outside for a cigarette like he did before. I don't think it is fair to expect or ask a person with this disease to give up one of his last few comforts. Now his interests in life are very few, not much stimulation, no matter how hard his wife works at it, he seems to have no reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Thank you for letting us air our opinion. We understand that policies are important but sometime you have to bend the rules just a "titch."
Please don't take away one of the last few pleasures this gentleman has. Susan BruvallSquamish
