April 2025
With the increasing numbers of dementia cases in Canada many condominiums are dealing with residents who have the disease.
Guidance is required for other unit owners in how to deal with persons with dementia who wander unsupervised especially in pool and hot tub areas with a high risk of drowning and overheating, get lost within the building, try to latch onto random neighbours, and cause other hazards including with their vehicle.
It is one thing to help a neighbour with a physical task such as holding a door open, helping a person put on a winter jacket in the lobby or reading a notice out loud if the person is coherent.
However, many neighbours who are aging themselves cannot cope with persons who have dementia that are not family members, nor should they have to.
I would like an article on how condominium high rise buildings should deal with the legalities of dementia.
As many of my elderly neighbours have stated, ‘we are not babysitters’. Family members need to step up and take responsibility.
No sane parent would allow their preschool age child to wander around the building unsupervised and many preschoolers have greater cognition than some residents with dementia.
T. W.
Response from Toronto Condo News
You have identified an important topic in our communities. Toronto Condo News has published numerous articles on this subject which include:
- Condos and Aging Part 1
- Condos and Aging Part 2
- Elder Care in High-Rise Communities
- Medical Health Challenges
- Aging in Place
These and other articles can be found in the Condo Archives under Condo Life – Seniors which can be directly accessed at https://tocondonews.com/archives-category/seniors/
