Living With Dementia During a Pandemic

I had the privilege of joining @angieseth on @ctvtoronto to further the discussion around living with dementia during the pandemic. Navigating this “new normal” has been challenging for all of us; however, for those living with dementia, the impact has been especially life-changing and in many cases has exacerbated symptoms and the need for increased medications.

To watch the full CTV clip, please click the button below:

Antipsychotic medications are commonly used to treat the Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia; however, many families rightfully have concerns about their side-effect profile. For some individuals, cannabinoid-based medicines can offer an effective alternative that is worth discussing with your care team, as we look ahead to several more months of disrupted routines in long term care and out-patient dementia services. Combined with other non-pharmacological therapies, I have seen positive outcomes in many of my patients – including improved responsive behaviours and reduced side-effects.

If this is an issue that is important to you, check out our latest webisode of The Lockdown Learning Series, which can be viewed here: www.drblakepearson.org/events.