Alzheimer Society of TorontoAlzheimer Society - Connexion
October 2020 - Issue 19
Hello, Friend!
We hope this newsletter finds you well.
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 416-322-6560.
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:
Tips for Care Partners: Fun Fall Activities
Join us for Caregiver Day on October 20!
Help Us Support You Better — Your Feedback Wanted
New Resource: Together Apart A Guide to Visiting from a Distance
Celebrating the Power of Music and Memory TranzitionzJazz presents, Remember the Music
Social with a Purpose: Baking Edition
Caregiver Strategy: Health Service Provider Focus Groups
Online Programs & Webinars
Tips for Care Partners: Fun Fall Activities
Fall is a wonderful time of year that brings lots of pretty changes in nature that can offer us many thoughtful activities to embrace. This month, we invite you to experience some of the best that fall has to offer!
Pumpkin Spice Season
There are many tastes that are associated with the fall season like pumpkin pie, stewed apples, roasts, and pot pies! Food has always been a pillar in keeping people connected. To help you get into the fall spirit, we have included a recipe for pumpkin spiced lattes and pumpkin spice! You can even use these recipes as a gift for family and friends!
Instructions
Mix altogether and store in an airtight container.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup milk (plant-based milks just wont foam as well)
2 tablespoons pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2-1/4 cup espresso or strong drip coffee
Instructions
Combine all ingredients except for the coffee in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once mixture is heated, whisk vigorously until it becomes foamy.
Pour coffee into a mug and add the foamed milk. If you’re feeling decadent, add some whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice.
Fall Activities
Get creative by decorating pumpkins with upcycled items from around your home. Think ribbons, leaves, seeds from pumpkins/apples, buttons.
Gather your own pinecones to create a wreath or table centrepiece. Collect fallen pinecones to keep them in a home for natural air freshener.
Harvest pumpkin or apples! There are many ‘pick your own’ farms near Toronto. We advise to phone in advance as some businesses have changed their operations for 2020. Click here to find a Pumpkin Picking location in Toronto somewhere near you.
Join us for Caregiver Day on October 20!
When: Tuesday, October 20 from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM
While Family Caregiver Day usually takes place on April 3, due to COVID-19, celebrations had to be postponed. On October 20, we invite you to join us online for the City of Toronto Caregiver Day to celebrate the resiliency and spirit of caregivers during these unprecedented times!
This year’s event will feature speakers from the health care industry and people with lived experience, presentations from community organizations, as well as self-care activities, entertainment, and raffle prizes! Come for one session or stay for all!
About Caregiver Day: On this day, Toronto residents are encouraged to recognize the contribution of caregivers and to demonstrate their support and appreciation for their efforts. Caregiver Day is a day for connecting, learning, and hearing inspiring stories from fellow caregivers, as well as having the opportunity to speak with health care professionals about services and resources that are available to caregivers.
Help Us Support You Better — Your Feedback Wanted
We know that so much has changed due to COVID-19 and we want to be able to support you as best as we can. We would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to let us know how things have changed for you and what you need as either a person living with dementia or someone who cares for them. Please click here to fill out the survey.
We have seen that technology has been a lifeline for so many throughout the pandemic and we would like to know if you have any barriers to accessing technology. Please take 5 minutes to give us your feedback about any barriers you face here. We hope to help you overcome them and if you’d like, get you online.
New Resource: Together Apart A Guide to Visiting from a Distance
People living with dementia faced social isolation regularly before COVID-19, but with physical distancing now a requirement, this isolation has intensified.
That’s why the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, the Alzheimer Society of Oxford and the Alzheimer Society of Ontario have written and produced this resource guide in response to COVID-19 to help reduce the social isolation people living with dementia are facing.
You can download a digital or printable version of the Guide here.
Celebrating the Power of Music and Memory — TranzitionzJazz presents, Remember the Music
TranzitionzJazz presents, Remember the Music, a special online jazz benefit concert supporting Alzheimer’s research at U of T Faculty of Music and St. Michael’s Hospitaland the Alzheimer Society of Toronto.
Promising an amazing show, live emceed by Jazz.FM91’s Laura Fernandez, Tranzitionzjazz has invited feature artists, Ilana Waldston and Sam Broverman as well as the Jazz Project, a Toronto jazz chorus to sing with them. Tranzitionzjazz artists Jim Thomas (flute), Richard Uglow (keyboard) and Jasmin Uglow (vocals and percussion) will perform several favourites including Funny Valentine, Blue Rondo and others.
There will be a special performance by Cuban jazz pianist Hilario Durán who will perform a song from the soundtrack of the award-winning movie, The Cuban. There will also be an interview with The Cuban’s Director, Sergio Navarretta.
Join us for an evening of remembered music!
When: Sunday, October 4, 2020 from 5:00 PM to 6:15 PM
Questions? Please reach out Holly Groeneveld, Special Events Coordinator at hgroeneveld@alz.to.
Social with a Purpose: Baking Edition
For those of you who don’t know, Social with a Purpose (formerly known as Coffee Break), is our NEW DIY fundraiser. To find out more about how to register your Social with a Purpose, please click here!
It’s time to get baking! We are inviting you to participate in Social with a Purpose: Baking Edition! Narmatha Jayakumar, owner of BN Sweets N’ Cakery, will be leading two sessions in decorating cookies and cupcakes via Zoom. These classes are free and open to the public.
Event Details
Social with a Purpose: Baking Edition - Fall Cookies
Date/Time: October 26 at 6:30 PM
Social with a Purpose: Baking Edition - Holiday Cupcakes
Date/Time: November 26 at 6:30 PM
Can’t attend but still want to support? Click here to donate. Your donation will help us continue to provide virtual social and recreational programming which helps alleviate the feelings of loneliness and isolation felt by people living with dementia and their care partners.
Questions? Please reach out to Holly Groeneveld, Special Events Coordinator at hgroeneveld@alz.to.
Caregiver Strategy: Health Service Provider Focus Groups
If you are a health service provider working in the Toronto seniors sector, we invite you to take part in a virtual focus group to share your experience and knowledge. Your feedback, along with that of caregivers, will provide input and direction in the development of the City of Toronto Caregiver Strategy.
Scott Russell, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Toronto, will facilitate a space for you and others to discuss your experience on the support lines with particular emphasis on how COVID-19 has impacted you, your work and the system, what challenges you face, and how the City of Toronto and other community agencies can better support caregivers.
Focus on wellness and create informal connections among people who are on the same journey as you with The Boomers Club!
In this online series, engage in a variety of recreational activities including art, games, exercise, food, social chats and more. The program is flexible and can be modified based on the needs and interests of the group participants.
Please join our facilitator, Cathy Barrick from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
When: Sunday, October 18th from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Join us for this special fall concert online featuring jazz vocalist, Jenna Marie Pinard and Jay Yoo on guitar. Jay and Jenna have collaborated for several years. In November of 2019 they released an album entitled "Here, Now", featuring their original compositions as well as their unique arrangement of standards.
This program will be held on Zoom. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link to participate. Please register here.
Thank you to our partnership with Xenia Concerts and George C. Hunt Family Foundation for sponsoring this special event.
About the Performers:
Jenna Marie Pinard possesses a signature jazz and blues voice that hints at Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Aretha Franklin, but is distinctly her own. She is best known for her smooth-sounding jazz vocals and her passionate performances. Originally from Montreal, Jenna Marie now lives in Toronto and plays weekly all over the city. She has also performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the House of Jazz Montreal, and at the Arts Court Theatre in Ottawa.
Jay Yoo is a guitarist, composer, and arranger originally from South Korea and now based and active in Toronto. He is a versatile musician, active in a number of projects that explore multiple musical genres ranging from jazz, funk, rock and R&B to musical theatre.
Alzheimer Society Speaker Series Presents: Recent Breakthroughs in Alzheimer's Disease
When: Wednesday, October 14 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
In this free online presentation, Dr. Cohen will walk participants through the latest developments in Alzheimer's disease research, and ways that everyone can take action against the disease.
Guest Speaker: Dr. Sharon Cohen, MD, FRCPS
Dr. Sharon Cohen, MD, FRCPC, is a behavioural neurologist known for her excellence in patient care, teaching, and clinical research. She has over 28 years of experience in clinical research and has been a site PI for over 100 pharmacological trials. In addition to her focus on Alzheimer’s disease, she has also participated in pharmacological trials for acute stroke, fronto-temporal dementia, Parkinson’s disease dementia, Lewy body disease, Huntington’s disease, and vascular dementia.
Registration is required to receive the link to participate. Please register here.
AlzEducate: Free Online Courses
Did you know you can take dementia courses on our AlzEducate platform on your own time? Choose from hour-long courses like the Dementia 101 learning series and Finding Your Way Living Safely in the Community, that are tailored for people with dementia, family members and friends, health care professionals, and to improve your knowledge of dementia care.
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.