Caring across generations
How one family came together to honour and support their father and grandfather.
A connection between Grandson & Grandfather
In February 2022, Manjit’s son, Gursangeet Singh Chana, was just about to turn 21, and chose to donate his birthday money — over $3,000 — to the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, in honour of the family’s father and grandfather, Gurnaib Singh.
Gursangeet has special memories of time spent with his grandfather, who would take him to the park in their St. Vital neighbourhood as a child and chauffeur him and his younger twin sisters to school.
Manjit recalls the success of his father’s career in Punjab, India. Despite having no formal education, Gurnaib Singh became a project manager in a large construction company. It runs in the family: Manjit is a civil engineer and Gursangeet studied engineering at the University of Manitoba.
“When my father retired in 2003, he and my mother moved to Winnipeg to live with our family,” explains Manjit. “He never learned to speak English, but he loved his long daily walks in the neighbourhood. He had a smile for everyone, and everyone knew him and smiled back.”
In the winter, his father walked on the treadmill. He’d also spend lots of time chatting on the phone with friends and relatives in Canada and India, and he’d go to the local Sikh Temple every Sunday to socialize.
Family facing dementia together
One day, Manjit noticed a change in his father’s behaviour. He would forget things and mix up his words. On a flight to India in 2016, his father thought he was on a “bus” taking them to their home town.
As time progressed, the disease became even more obvious, and Manjit’s father was finally diagnosed in 2018.
From that time on, Manjit and his family focused on ensuring their patriarch’s safety. Manjit would go for walks with his father and continued to take both his parents to the Temple on a regular basis.
As Gurnaib Singh became more confused, more demands ensued, and pressure grew for Manjit, his wife and his mother. However, Manjit and his family were determined to uphold the Indian tradition and values of providing a home for his parents for as long as they’re alive. “That is our intent. That’s the way it is,” he says.
Together, Manjit and his family cared for Gurnaib at home until his very last day. He passed away peacefully in August 2025 at the age of 87.
Today, Manjit continues to give back to the Alzheimer Society through his workplace United Way pledges. The Society’s in-person and online education seminars, monthly eNewsletters, and information packages helped him and his family learn more about dementia and provide the best care possible to Gurnaib.
