Photo courtesy: United Way of Peterborough & District
A documentary created by Port Hope resident, physician and dementia specialist Dr. Jennifer Ingram is helping communities across Ontario rethink how families living with dementia are supported.
No More Silent Battles follows four Canadian families navigating dementia care while exploring the emotional, social and health-care challenges many families face behind closed doors.
The documentary was inspired in part by what Ingram witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people living with dementia became increasingly isolated from the personal connections they relied on most.
The film also examines broader issues within Ontario’s home care and long-term care systems, including caregiver burnout, limited home supports and the growing pressures facing families trying to help loved ones remain at home safely.
Ingram says the project evolved into both a documentary and an advocacy initiative.
Those reforms focus heavily on strengthening home care, improving caregiver support and building more community-based dementia care systems.
Ingram says the urgency behind those conversations is only increasing as Canada’s population ages.
Since its release, the documentary has been screened in communities across Ontario and continues to spark conversations about dementia care, caregiver support and health-care reform. Upcoming screenings include a presentation in Peterborough on June 17 and another in Cavan Monaghan Township on June 24, giving residents in the broader region an opportunity to view the film and participate in discussions about dementia care and support services.
Ingram says the film’s title reflects the idea that families caring for loved ones with dementia should never feel isolated or unsupported.
More information about the documentary, advocacy initiative and upcoming screenings is available at nomoresilentbattles.ca.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
