We hope you are staying safe and 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 705-722-1066.
We also invite you to keep checking our website to learn about upcoming online and in-person events and programs. You will also be able to catch up on any newsletters you may have missed.
Happy reading!
The importance of supporting local communities, businesses, and charitable initiatives has been amplified throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
This holiday season is no different. Celebrate the season of giving and be there for your community and the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County by making a special, year-end gift. With your holiday gift, you will be giving the over 10,000 people living with dementia in Simcoe County access to the education, support services, and social recreation programs they rely on most.
While kindness means something different to each of us, it is a universal language that everyone understands. To the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County, kindness is all about making our connections matter by doing good and creating friendlier communities for those impacted by dementia. There are so many ways that you can help make your community a friendlier place for those living with dementia! The easiest way? Registering for the Quest for Kindness and making at least 30 kind-nections from January 1 to 29!
ONLY DAYS LEFT TO PURCHASE YOUR 2022 ROTARY CASH CALENDAR!
Purchase a Rotary Cash Calendar and support the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County!
A great Christmas gift - not only is it a calendar, but it includes 365 chances to win cash prizes throughout the year! The cost is only $20.
For every calendar sold, the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County receives a minimum donation of $5. If we sell 100 or more, we will receive $10 per calendar.
Consider selling the calendars to your family, friends, and co-workers, or purchase a few to give as gifts that show you care this holiday season!
Our latest Programs Guide, covering the months of December 2021 to March 2022, will be available soon. Check our website for the latest updates.
If you are a new client or are returning to previously enjoyed programs, you can expect smaller group sizes, but the same great program and enthusiastic, supportive staff and volunteers.
At all program locations, screening for COVID-19 is mandatory, as is physical distancing, mask wearing, and following cleaning and sanitization practices. We are working to keep you and our staff safe! At some locations, proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required. All necessary information required for program registration and participation can be found in our Programs Guide. Please note that online options are still being provided.
We are looking forward to meeting and seeing you again in person!
Our Minds in Motion® programs have resumed in-person and will be running in Barrie, Bradford, and Orillia in the new year. We are still offering online options as well. Minds in Motion® is an 8-week program that combines physical, cognitive, and social elements. It provides an opportunity for persons living with dementia and their care partners to improve their physical and mental health while building a stronger social network with fellow participants. The fee is $20 per person for the 8-week course. To register for the program or for more information, please view the website or contact Leigh Ann Febrey, Program Coordinator at 705-795-6259.
We are pleased to share another story from one of our amazing volunteers! This month’s story is about someone who realized his career and life experience could benefit others. He tells us why he wants to volunteer with the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County and what it means to him to volunteer. Click here to learn more:
Volunteers & Their Stories | Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County
Our spotlight this month is on all our donors, event participants, and supporters! We are sending a big thank you to each and every one of you for supporting the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County over the past year.
Because all of you care so deeply about the work we do, our organization can continue to pursue our mission to improve the quality of life of persons living with dementia, and care partners, through the provision of support services, education, social programs, and research support. With your generosity, you have allowed us to continue to offer our essential programs and services free of charge. We wouldn’t be able to do any of this without your help!
If you have specific questions about how your gift is being used or want to know how to get involved, feel free to reach out at fdo@alzheimersociety.ca or through visiting our website HERE. We look forward to staying in touch - be sure to connect with us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for updates on our work.
We wish you a wonderful holiday season enjoyed with family and friends, and we look forward to seeing you all next year. We have exciting things planned for 2022!
Be safe, stay well, and thank you so much for your generous donations and ongoing support.
The Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County will be closed for the holidays from Friday, December 24th to Monday, January 3rd inclusive. We will re-open Tuesday, January 4th at 8:30 a.m. to resume our regular hours of operation.
If you need dementia advice and support during the holidays, please call Telehealth Ontario toll-free at 1-866-797-0000, and in case of an emergency, call 911.
If you would like to make a charitable donation that is eligible for a 2021 tax receipt, you may send a donation up to midnight, December 31st.
Making the holidays meaningful for a person living with dementia, as well as creating an environment that minimizes the mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that comes along with being a care partner can be a challenge, and even more so this year with the pandemic. The holidays can bring additional feelings of stress, so to help you create meaningful holiday celebrations for the person you care for, and help you feel less overwhelmed, we have put together some tips that you can implement this holiday season!
Do only the occasions and traditions that are most important to you and your family like watching holiday movies, listening to holiday music, or decorating cookies!
Keep celebrations short.
Involve the person living with dementia in the preparations and decorating.
The Alzheimer Society of Canada is looking for individuals living with Alzheimer's disease, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and individuals who have been treated with Aduhelm (aducanumab) to talk about their experience.
The Alzheimer Society will be making a submission to CADTH to ensure that the voices of people with lived experience are represented and considered during the review process. We would like to speak with people with Alzheimer's disease or MCI and people who have treatment experience with Aduhelm (aducanumab).
You do not need to live in Canada to respond to this survey.
The English survey is available here.
The French survey is available here.
Specific caregiver surveys are linked within each of the surveys. Please complete this survey by December 16.
The data will be used in submissions to the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health and the Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux.
It’s hard to believe 2021 is almost over, bringing an end to yet another challenging year as we continued to navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic. Our incredible team of staff and volunteers went above and beyond to maintain the delivery of dementia programs and services to support some of the most vulnerable people in our community. They met with persons living with dementia and their care partners over the phone and online right across Simcoe County to provide education, support, and social programs.
With 2022 on the horizon, we are excited that we have started to resume the delivery of in-person programs and services and are optimistic that we will be able to continue along this path into the new year.
We acknowledge and thank our many community partners and all those working in the broader health care system for everything they have done over the past year to provide excellent care and to keep us safe. We are also grateful for our supporters and donors who have demonstrated their ongoing commitment to our important cause.
From our family at the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County to yours, we wish you a healthy, joyous, and peaceful holiday season!
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.
