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:
Our Newsletter is Moving Monthly!
Celebrating 153 Years of Canada
Tips for Care Partners: Stretching
Online Programs and Workshops
Community Friends: Bedford Medical Alert
Our Newsletter is Moving Monthly!
Beginning with the July issue of our newsletter, you can expect our weekly newsletter to be sent to your inbox monthly. But don’t worry! Our monthly newsletters will still be filled with helpful tips, resources, online activities and workshops, the latest news, and more!
This July, Canada is celebrating its 153rd birthday! While Canada Day celebrations may have looked a little different this year, you can celebrate Canada’s birthday all month long at home with these activities:
Make Your Own Bannock - A traditional food for Métis, try this traditional recipe (page 54) to bring new flavours into your home!
For more information or activities you can do to celebrate, visit the Government of Canada’s Celebration Kit website here.
Tips for Care Partners: The Importance of Stretching
Stretching is often overlooked in the world of physical exercise however, it has numerous health benefits. Did you know that stretching can:
Increase your flexibility
Increase your range of motion
Improve your performance in physical activities
Increase blood flow to your muscles
Improve your posture
Help to heal and prevent back pain
It can also be a great stress reliever and help you calm your mind.
The National Institute on Aging has a helpful series of short videos that can help you through a variety of stretches. Watch them here!
Please remember it’s important to listen to your body and only do what feels comfortable.
Online Programs and Workshops
Register for U-First!®
When: Three-week program starting on July 6
Are you a frontline care provider looking to enhance your skills in caring for people living with dementia? Register for our next three-week online U-First!® course that starts July 6!
U-First!® is a training program that helps frontline staff to develop a common knowledge base, language, values and approach to caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias by:
Understanding the person living with dementia and associated behaviour changes
Working as a team to develop individualized support strategies
For more details and to register, head to u-first.ca.
Workshop: Supporting Communication
When: Monday, July 13, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
This presentation discusses the changes in communication that occur in people living with dementia and provides strategies to communicate and support the individual using a person-centered approach.
Learning Objectives
Recognize different ways in which communication occurs
Explain how communication changes in a person with dementia
Describe strategies that can support communication with a person with dementia
Recognize the benefits of validating a person’s feelings when trying to communicate
This workshop will be presented online using Zoom. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link.
For more programs, including education webinars, support groups, and recreational activities, coming up in July, please visit the online calendar here.
Community Friends: Bedford Medical Alert
In this section we will be highlighting the incredible work being done by our community partners in this time of COVID-19. We invite you to get to know them and learn about the programs and services they are offering.
In keeping with their dedication to premium service, Bedford continues to take precautionary measures to help ensure the safety of those who are at higher risk of serious illness, including COVID-19. Devices are a good way to keep exposure to viruses down. They allow our loved ones to have remote access to help without someone having to enter their home to check on them. Bedford is now offering Phone Consultations and Remote Set-Ups so that visits are not necessary to set up a device. Alternatively, their Care Consultants can keep your loved ones safe by following Bedford Safety Policies and Procedures, which include the use of face masks, latex gloves, and disinfectant wipes. They are also offering a new service, Caring Calls, which are daily interactions to keep our loved ones engaged and their minds active if they are feeling isolated during this time.
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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