HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-01-26, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012.
Culture Change group
formed in Huron County
Farmers to make choice on
membership on March 1
New doctor’s practice to begin in February
THE EDITOR,
Approximately one in 11 older
adults is living with Alzheimer’s
Disease or a related dementia
(ADRD) in Canada. An
estimated 50 per cent more
Canadian families will be facing
ADRD by 2014.
In order to enhance the quality of
life for persons living with
dementia, a group of clients, family
members, staff and researchers who
are linked to dementia, home and
community care services have
formed the Huron County Culture
Change Coalition. The group
includes representatives from the
South West Community Care
Access Centre, Saint Elizabeth
Health Care, the Alzheimer Society
of Huron County, One Care, the
Geriatric Resource Team, the
University of Windsor and the
Murray Alzheimer Research and
Education Program (MAREP).
The Coalition is discovering the
positive aspects of home and
community care in order to envision
even better possibilities for the
future. The group will then develop
strategies to turn these possibilities
into realities. Authentic partnerships
with all key stakeholders are
fundamental for achieving these
possibilities.
If you or your relative has
dementia, or if you work in a related
field, we welcome you to join our
Coalition, which meets for two
hours once a month. This project is
part of the larger Partnerships in
Dementia Care Alliance (PiDC)
involving three other Culture
Change Coalitions in long-term care
homes across Ontario. Anyone
interested in joining the Coalition,
or knowing more about the project,
can contact Zara Rafferty at 519-
888-4567 Ext. 35280 or at
zerafferty@uwaterloo.ca
Jennifer Gillies, PhD
Murray Alzheimer Research and
Education Program (MAREP)
University of Waterloo.
Dr. Stephen Vander Klippe
recently began working at the
Wingham and District Hospital and
the Wingham Medical Centre and
couldn’t be happier with the career
choice.
“Being a family physician in a
broader rural area lets you
experience more and do more,” he
said. “I run my practice, work in
emergency and have office care and
get to really know my patients.”
Vander Klippe came to Wingham
because he appreciates the rural
setting and was raised near by.“I grew up outside of Lucknowuntil Grade 6, then moved to theNiagara region,” he said. “I’ve
always preferred a rural area.”
The doctor lived on a dairy farm
in Huron County and a broiler-
breeder chicken farm in the Niagara
region, giving him a definite
appreciation for rural lifestyles.
Vander Klippe, his wife and four
children moved to Wingham in early
December and he began practising
on Dec. 29 and “hasn’t looked
back”.
He is currently covering vacations
for some of the other doctors on staff
and will be starting his own practicein mid-February.He says that his focus isn’t goingto be on just treating the disease, but
on keeping people healthy as a
whole.
“I like to focus on holistic care,”
he said. “You have to care for
the whole mind body and spirit.”
Vander Klippe said that he
encourages patients to live both a
physically and mentally healthy
lifestyle to keep them in top shape.
“I have a big focus on preventative
medicine,” he said. “You have to
keep people healthy to stop diseases
and make them easier to treat.”
He said that as a family physician,he can focus on individuals and helpthem over time instead of inindividual instances.
“Ongoing care is a focus of family
care, not one-off visits to the doctor,”
he said. “I tend to prioritize patient
education to get them participating
and interested in their own care.”
The Vander Klippe family has
received a warm welcome according
to the doctor.
“The community has been
exceptionally welcoming,” he said.
“People have helped us move in and
unpack and have been very friendly.
“No one has even commented onmy youthful appearance,” he joked.Vander Klippe held a meeting withsoon-to-be patients early last week
and said that, despite the bad
weather, he had a good turnout and
got to meet and got to know a lot of
people.
“It was good to meet upcoming
patients and tell them how I will
keep them healthy,” he said. “They
were very nice and welcoming.”
He said that welcome has also
extended to the staff and physicians
at the hospital, saying everyone has
been very hospitable.
THE EDITOR,
Agricorp (an agency of the
Ontario Government) has, or is in
the process of sending out Farm
Business Registration Renewal
Notices to Ontario farmers for 2012.
Our Liberal Government and Mr.
McGuinty, have shown their disdain
for rural Ontario and its democracy.
The farmer has three choices: the
Christian Farmers Federation of
Ontario, the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture, the National Farmers
Union - Ontario, when he makes out
his cheque before March 1. Now is
the time. You do still have some
control. Make your decision and take
a second action, letting them know
they are acting on your behalf and
hold them to it. The boards,
representatives and administration of
farm organizations continually
represent us. Membership is very
important to each county in Ontario.
At present a green Ontario means
the wind and solar need land to spin
and energize manufacturing,
industry and jobs, for progress for
the province. Without it, green is a
failure. Urban population numbers,
or lack of, may have little effect for
power and control. Case in point,
threatened, rural blue Ontario
regions after Oct. 6, 2011. Action is
the key.
Repetition, or habit, can have its
stability, but only once a year do we
get to act on our present choice. We
must use the power still at our
authority. Best wishes to rural
Ontario for 2012.
Carol Ryan, RR 5, Mitchell.
Our 44th Anniversary1968 2012
Letters to the Editor
The doctor will see you now
Dr. Stephen Vander Klippe is a new addition to the roster of
doctors at the Wingham and District Hospital and the
Wingham Medical Centre. Vander Klippe’s practice will
begin in February. Until then he is covering vacations for
other local doctors and doing his best to keep North Huron
healthy. (Denny Scott photo)
By Denny ScottThe Citizen
See histories and historic
photographs on the
Huron History section
of our website
www.northhuron.on.ca
The Citizen