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With more Canadian families becoming caregivers for people living with dementia, it's important to establish positive relationships with loved ones who will be receiving the care, says Dr. Michael Gordon, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and a geriatric specialist at Baycrest Health Sciences.

Over the next 15 years the number of Canadians living with dementia will almost double, , the Toronto Star's weekly column created by ��������οMedical experts. He writes that having the perfect relationship should not be a prerequisite for being a caregiver, but he found with his late parents, his positive relationship with them, as well as his sister’s, helped them navigate difficult next steps.

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As people with dementia experience a progressive decline in their ability to remember, understand, communicate and complete day-to-day tasks, being overprotective can be a common source of conflict, he writes.

“Though dementia hampers a person’s capacities, their independence still matters a great deal," Gordon writes. “Caregivers can overstep boundaries when they take over ordering at a restaurant, criticize clothing choices and arrange activities the person being cared for doesn’t enjoy.”