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Canby Connection • november 2013
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Thelma’s Place
When you think of someone who is living
with Alzheimer’s disease you are probably
thinking of someone in their 80’s or 90’s who
lived a long, happy life. You may be picturing
someone who retired while they were in their
late 60’s and traveled the United States in their
RV or went to faraway places that had been
their dream all their working lives.
You are probably not thinking of someone in
their early 50’s that has not even come close to
realizing their retirement dreams. You are not
thinking of someone with so much hope for the
future that has had their life forever changed by
an insidious disease that robs people of their
memory at an early age.
A face like Dan Barrett’s probably isn’t even in
your thoughts when you read that 5.4 million
American’s are living with Alzheimer’s or other
dementia and that 200,000 of them are diag-
nosed in their 40s, 50s, and 60s when they still
have a career and may still be a caregiver to
their family when Alzheimer’s strikes them.
You see, Dan had just turned 50 when he and
his wife, Jenni, began to notice huge changes in
Dan’s thinking and in his ability to make sound
judgments. He was doing a job he loved writ-
ing computer programs for an insurance com-
pany. In 2008 he lost that job due to the econo-
my. However, to this day he wonders if mistakes
and his slow thinking were contributing factors
to his layoff.
Dan was only 53 when he and Jenni sat in
the doctor’s office as they listened to the doctor
say that the recent memory tests indicated
Early Onset Alzheimer’s disease. Jenni remem-
bers just looking at Dan in shock as tears began
to stream down their faces.
Several attempts at employment followed
and each ended the same—Dan couldn’t think
or comprehend instructions fast enough to
hold onto any job. He was beginning to lose all
hope.
Instead of giving in to his feelings of depres-
sion he reached out to Thelma’s Place in 2011
for help in understanding his diagnosis. He left
that meeting encouraged to become a volun-
teer at the Adult Day Respite Program. He was
thrilled to think that he could make a difference
somewhere again. It began a happy, new phase
in Dan’s life.
Dan continues to volunteer at the Adult Day
Respite Program located at 352 NW 2nd Ave. in
Canby. In one year it has grown from two days
a week to four. With help from the program
facilitators, Patsy Dean and Lindsay Brady, Dan
and up to 12 other individuals enjoy stimulat-
ing activities in a safe environment focusing on
socialization, playing memory enhancing
games, enjoying a
variety of music
and participating
in physical activi-
ties. Their care-
givers are able to
have that time to
themselves as a
respite to take care
of their own
errands or
appointments or
just to have a few
hours to relax and
have lunch with a
friend.
When you picture the face of someone with
Alzheimer’s disease, you can now picture Dan
Barrett. He is the “Face” of Alzheimer’s for
Thelma’s Place. If you’d like to help us continue
offering the Adult Day Respite Program to peo-
ple like Dan and to families like his who really
count on it on a daily basis please go to
and make a tax
deductible donation.
You can also mark your calendars to attend
the “Sound of Music” fundraising dinner and
auction on Saturday, February 22, 2014 from 6-
9PM. Keynote speaker Dr. Larry Sherman will
fascinate you with his expertise at playing the
piano and explaining how music influences
brain function and healthy brain aging. Go to
or call 503.266.3031 for
more information or to buy tickets.
With the addi-
tion of so many
great medical
advancements,
we are thrilled
that our pets are
able to live
longer lives. At
Sequoia
Veterinary
Clinic, we find
that a longer life
expectancy is
linked to indi-
vidualized
healthcare for senior pets.
We provide long term treatment
for animals with chronic kidney
and liver disease and place special
focus on preventative care for pets
ages 7 years and older. Sequoia
Veterinary Clinic will be celebrat-
ing our senior patients during the
entire month of November.We
invite you to celebrate Senior Pet
Month with us by taking advan-
tage of special discounts on
selected services.
“At what age is my pet consid-
ered a senior?”
Generally speaking, how quickly
a pet ages depends on the breed,
health condition, and size of the
animal. Since our furry family
members age 7 times faster than
we do, any changes to their health
care, obviously needs to happen
just as fast. For any animal over the
age of 7 it is ideal to have biannual
exams. There are many problems
that can arise as your pet gets
older. For instance, some of the
common problems associated
with age are dental disease, heart
related problems, thyroid prob-
lems, changes in behavior and
awareness, incontinence and diffi-
culty getting around. Examining
your pet often as they age is
just one of the steps we are
taking to ensure that your
pet is with your family as
long as possible.
At each senior pet exam
the doctor will do a thor-
ough exam that will evalu-
ate your pet for heart prob-
lems, dental disease, weight
management issues, behav-
ioral changes and any other
potential problems. Routine
blood tests may be recom-
mended to screen for under-
lying conditions that can be
better managed if detected
early. We will discuss senior
pet management solutions
with each individual to
determine the best health
care options for you and
your pet.
Sequoia Veterinary Clinic
is located at 195 Hazel Dell
Way, in the same parking lot
as Wilco.
We look forward to see-
ing and serving you in the
near future. You can call us
at (503) 266-6090 for more
information or to schedule
an appointment.
Sequo ia Ve t er inary Cl ini c
Dan Barrett
To schedule your appointment call:
503-266-7443
452 NW 1st Avenue, Canby, OR 97013
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