After Karen Green was diagnosed with dementia more than three years ago, nearly every aspect of her life changed. But one of the few things that remained the same was the love between her and her husband, Kevin.

“There’s still a warm, feeling person in there,” Kevin says. “We love each other. She’s my sweetheart.”

Kevin stresses the importance of love and compassion as the best way to support someone on their dementia journey. He recently started learning how to play the guitar and ukulele because he knows how much his wife loves music.

As Karen’s condition continues to progress, Kevin adapts to the changes day by day, but their love never falters: “If she’s happy, I’m happy.”

That said, the couple understand the challenges of being an around-the-clock caregiver. To help them better balance their lives, Karen has been attending the Perley-Rideau Adult Day Program for two years now, where she stays socially connected and physically active.

“It’s wearing, [and] it winds up being a lonely journey. If not for outfits like Carefor … it would be unbearably lonely … so it’s a very valuable thing,” Kevin admits. “I think Carefor is doing something right. There’s a lot that other people can learn from them.”

People with dementia live meaningful lives. Our charity needs your help to support our clients and caregivers. Give at www.carefor.ca/donate.