Everyone should have a voice in health-care decisions, not just health-care providers – on that point, cancer survivor David Durksen is adamant.

Twenty years ago, David was living in Victoria and on time for a routine doctor’s visit. When he arrived, David’s doctor announced he’d had several cancellations and was going to do something he rarely had the chance to do any more.  He reviewed David’s complete medical history.

A psychiatrist who has worked with challenging patients for 17 years without one violent incident might be excused for forgetting all safety protocols when a teenage patient suddenly attacked him.

Dr. Michael Ocana learned many lessons that day, six months ago, and he has been sharing them with his colleagues in hopes of helping them avoid the potential negative consequences of such an event. He also hopes to help them avoid a similar situation.

It’s Valentine’s Day and Cupid’s arrow will strike far and wide. So let’s take advantage of this love-themed month to debunk a few myths about sex and older adults.

Sexual feelings do not disappear as you age

There are many taboos around sex and older adults. One such myth is that older people should not, cannot, or would not want to have sex.

While Merle Crawford was in palliative care at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH), the former pediatric nurse did her best to remain bright and cheerful.

But there were days when it was a struggle; times when she needed someone to cheer her up.

Enter Saylor the therapy dog.

Saylor brought a bright smile to Merle’s face, and to her family’s, when he appeared in the room.

Two weeks before his 71st birthday, Les Fiedler suffered a heart attack while playing pickleball in his community of Creston.

Thankfully, his friends and family knew how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use the facility’s automated external defibrillator (AED) machine – a medical device that can analyze the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help get the heart back in a regular rhythm.

As she tells her story, Shelley Rowe’s eyes well up with emotion. Her stress level spikes momentarily, which triggers a slight cough. Yet in spite of an occasional flare-up, her breathing is more relaxed than it’s been in years.

At 81, Alan Samuelson is in a unique position to share his story and tell others what he knows about living well with HIV.

In the early 1980s, he was admitted to an Alberta hospital with a ruptured stomach artery. After an urgent call went out through the hospital, staff and visitors provided 29 units of blood. But before 1985, no test existed to screen for HIV and he received a transfusion containing the virus.