We hope this newsletter finds you well. Take some time to read through the content and implement some of these tricks into your daily life. If you have feedback or suggestions on content you would like to see, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know at info@alzheimerjourney.ca. We would love to hear from you.
During this time, our phone lines remain open. If you need to reach our counselling staff, or have questions about programs and services, please call 705-748-5131 (Peterborough) or 705-878-0126 (Kawartha Lakes & Haliburton).
We also invite you to keep checking the online portal to learn about upcoming online events and programs. You will also be able to catch up on any newsletters you may have missed.
Happy reading!
In this edition:
10 Tips to Help Care Partners Stay in the Moment
Keeping Safe from Fraudsters: Update from Minister of Seniors
National Indigenous History Month
Webinar: Long Distance Caregiving
Online Programs
Fun Online Activities
Community Friends: AGE
10 Tips to Help Care Partners Stay in the Moment
According to the team at the Reitman Centre, there are 60 easy tips to help manage stress, communication, and visits, when it comes to caring for someone living with dementia. This week, we’re sharing the 10 tips they recommend to help you stay in the moment.
Breathe: Focus on your belly or chest and notice the physical feelings of breathing in and out.
Take more moments to pause: Before answering your phone or leaving the house, take 3 breaths to calm and re-center yourself.
Notice your food: Take a moment before your next meal to notice your surroundings, the colour and texture of the food.
Eat without distractions: Put your phone down, turn the TV off and just enjoy the simplicity of a meal.
Walk with all your senses on: Using your senses, take note of the sounds, sights, and smells that you surround you.
Everyday activity with full awareness: Complete a household task with full attention, using all senses.
Change a routine: Changing routines help break automatic thinking and doing habits we all have.
Do one thing at a time: Pay attention to what you’re doing, using all 5 senses to help focus your attention.
Get off the runaway train of thoughts: When you notice getting lost in your thoughts, take note of what took your attention away.
Practice: Repetition and practice helps bring focus.
For more helpful tips, visit the Reitman Centre’s brochure here.
Keeping Safe from Fraudsters: Update from Minister of Seniors
The COVID-19 pandemic has put seniors at increased risk of abuse since so many are living in isolation. Minister Schulte is asking all Canadians to check-in on our parents, grandparents, neighbours and friends. Please see her video here.
Keeping Seniors’ Benefits Safe from Fraudsters
With new financial supports being provided to seniors during the pandemic, they may face an increased risk of being targeted by fraudsters.
Here are a few tips to help protect yourself from financial fraud
You may get phone calls, emails, and texts about COVID-19. Be cautious when receiving them and:
Remember that if you didn’t initiate contact with a person or a business, you don’t know who you are dealing with.
Never click on links or attachments in unsolicited or suspicious emails.
Never give out your personal or financial information by email or text.
Remember that financial institutions will never ask you to provide personal, login or account information by text or email.
When banking online, enter your financial institution’s website address in your browser yourself.
Beware of questionable cures for sale if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Alongside all Canadians across the country throughout the month of June, the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton celebrated the history, heritage, and diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada in honour of National Indigenous History Month. This month, we took the time to learn about, appreciate, and acknowledge the contributions the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples have made in shaping Canada.
If you are looking for additional resources and fact sheets regarding dementia within the Indigenous Communities, please go to https://www.i-caare.ca/factsheets. These resources were developed by the Indigenous Cognition & Aging Awareness Research Exchange (I-CAARE) with the help of Indigenous people living with memory loss, their Elders, and caregivers.
Webinar: Long-Distance Caregiving
When: Tuesday, July 14 - 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Explore some of the unique challenges and issues that can arise when caring from a distance, as well as identify the different ways caregivers can provide support and be involved in the person’s life.
This webinar is for family care partners caring from a distance.
When:: Every Thursday until July 16 - from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
In this ‘Painting What I See’ online arts series, participants will explore thematic collections of photographs as a source of inspiration for their individual painting projects.
We provide participants with a set of images (using a PowerPoint slideshow), and together we discuss and analyze the elements of design. As participants progress, they will create small drawings, sketches, and paintings to help collect and share their visual ideas.
This series is appropriate for learners at all levels and will be rich in collaborative and creative problem solving.
When: Every Monday until August 31 - 10:30 am to 11:00 am
The Alzheimer Society of Durham Region invites you to take a virtual trip to the country and visit WindReach Farm in Ashburn, Ontario!
Happening every Monday until August 31, you will be taken on a guided local tour of WindReach Farm to see the animals on the property, as well as learn about harvesting, horticulture, and plants.
For more programs, including education webinars, support groups, and recreational activities, coming up in June, please visit the online calendar here.
Fun Activities
Let’s Develop! Creating a New Performance of Ageing, Memory Loss & Dementia
Join this free online workshop on Wednesday, July 22 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm presented by Flourishing Lives and East Side Institute. In this workshop, you’ll be using improv games, creative exercises & performed conversation to create a “dementia ensemble.”
Across the globe, improvisational play and other expressive arts are challenging the stigma-inducing ‘tragedy narrative’ of ageing and memory loss/dementia. Play can support everyone to develop and create with dementia in new and more positive ways. Play helps challenge the concepts self, memory, loss, decline, etc. that distort our view of what is possible for people of a ‘certain age’ or with cognitive limitations. It also challenges the medicalized and individuated lens through which ageing, and the memory loss spectrum are now viewed.
We welcome everyone looking for new and more creative ways to approach ageing, memory loss and dementia; who are interested in using diagnosis as a starting point for creativity and who want to learn more about improvisational play as a valuable tool for navigating the dementia experience and empowering us to embrace both “I’m still here” and “We’re still developing!”
The workshop is created and facilitated by Mary Fridley and Susan Massad, M.D.
Relax with the Sounds of Nature
Nature can have powerful healing qualities. Even just a few minutes spent outside on a nice day can make you feel reinvigorated and recharged. If you feel like you need to take a break from it all or simply want to reconnect with the sounds of the outdoors, we have the perfect activity for you!
Pick a quiet spot, put up your feet and tune into the mellow and relaxing sounds of nature here.
Tease Your Brain!
Our friends at the Alzheimer Society of London & Middlesex have put together some fun trivia activities that are sure to challenge you. Give them a try! The answers are included, but don’t peek!
Community Friends: Advanced Gerontological Education (AGE)
This week we’re highlighting the incredible work being done by our community partners at Advanced Gerontological Education (AGE).
About AGE
AGE Inc. is a national non-funded not-for-profit social enterprise committed to enhancing the care of older adults through dementia education products and services, with profits reinvested to further advance their social mission.
To learn more about the work AGE does in our community, visit https://ageinc.ca/.
GPA eLearning
Do you work with older adults living with dementia and responsive behaviours? Register for GPA eLearning Online Dementia Education for Care Providers!
GPA eLearning is a practical evidence-based dementia care curriculum that will increase your knowledge, skills and confidence in person-centred dementia care and responsive behaviours. Session time: 2.5 to 3 hours. A manual is included. For learning continuity and strong knowledge retention, AGE highly recommends you complete the session in one sitting. You will receive a GPA eLearning Certificate of Completion at the end of the session.
Register for GPA eLearning dementia education here.
People living with Alzheimer’s and dementia are especially vulnerable at this time, if you are able to, please consider supporting the essential services and programs that benefit this community.
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