With the ever-changing COVID-19 landscape and Public Health recommendations, the Alzheimer Society of Durham Region is committed to ensuring the safety of our clients, staff and volunteers.
For anyone interested in attending one of our programs or accessing any of our services in-person, please visit our website for the latest up-to-date information about pandemic protocols and policies. If you need to reach our counselling staff, or have general questions about programs and services, please call 905-576-2567 or 1-888-301-1106, or contact us by email at information@alzheimerdurham.com.
We hope this newsletter finds you well. We also invite you to keep checking the online calendar to catch up on any newsletters you may have missed.
Happy reading!
In this edition:
What’s happening in Durham Region? Local, social recreation programs, webinars, and more!
Thank you for making kind-nections with us!
Lisa shares her connection to the Alzheimer Society
BrainsCAN survey shows Alzheimer Society support leads to $1.3B in health-care savings
February is Black History Month
Send a little love this Valentine’s Day!
Tax Season is Upon Us! Are You Prepared?
What’s happening in Durham Region? Local social recreation programs, webinars, and more!
NEW Office Hours!
Support Groups
For more information about the following support groups, please email intake@alzheimerdurham.com or phone 905-576-2567 ext. 5233
Drop-in Care Partner Social and Support Group
Online available: Wednesday, February 9 and 23, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Facilitated by staff or qualified volunteers, drop-in sessions provide opportunities for care partners to share their experiences and navigate available resources.
Peer-Led Care Partner Support Group
Available online: Wednesday, February 16, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Available online: Wednesday, February 23, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Shared and lived experiences provide the foundation for this peer-led care partner support group. This group offers an opportunity for care partners to engage with peers in a supportive, social setting.
Men’s Breakfast
Online: Wednesday, February 2, 9, 16 and 23, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Men’s Breakfast is a peer-led group, which provides peer-to-peer support for male care partners in a casual, comfortable setting.
Care Partner Support Group for Caregivers Providing Care at Home in the Community
Online: Friday, February 11 and 25, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
This safe online forum is led by a trained and experienced Counsellor and offers an opportunity to learn about topics relating to caregiver coping and connecting with community services.
Care Partner Support Group for Those Supporting Residents in Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
Online: Monday, February 7, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Online: Tuesday, February 15, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
This safe online forum is led by a trained and experienced Counsellor and specifically focuses on topics and strategies that affect those supporting residents in LTC/RH such as stress, communication and responding to behaviours.
Education Sessions
For more information or to register for the following education session(s), contact intake@alzheimerdurham.com or phone 905-576-2567 ext. 5233
Early-Stage Dementia Program—Building Resilience
Online: Thursday, February 10, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
For people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias and their care partners. Learn how to adapt to change by improving coping skills with a focus on personal strengths, optimism, social supports and managing (regulating) emotions.
Online: Tuesday, February 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
This introductory workshop provides an opportunity for persons living with dementia to attend with a care partner who supports them. Participants will receive information and have an opportunity to share and learn about symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and the impact of receiving the diagnosis. They will also be encouraged to explore and build on coping skills and strengths.
Care Essentials
This four-part series offers care partners of persons living with dementia an opportunity to explore an overview of the dementia journey in an interactive and supportive atmosphere. Each session features a workbook and helpful resources.
Care Essentials: Responding to Behaviour
Online: Tuesday, February 1, from 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Third in our four-part series, this session will explore whole-person care, behaviour changes and how to use problem solving solutions in your caregiving journey.
Care Essentials: Supporting Daily Activities
Online: Tuesday, February 8, from 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Fourth in our four-part series, this session will help care partners explore meaningful activities, ways to support daily living and will discuss local resources available.
Spotlight Series
Join us for our new monthly spotlight series featuring guest speakers sharing their knowledge and expertise on various topics to help you through the dementia journey.
Understanding Vascular Dementia
Online: Monday, February 28, from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This session will provide a general overview of Vascular Dementia (VaD), recognizing it as a distinct form of dementia, in terms of its causes/risk factors and its effects on brain and behaviour. Typical management and supportive strategies will also be covered.
Gentle Persuasive Approaches (GPA) in Dementia Care
Supporting Persons with Responsive Behaviours. (fees apply)
Online: Tuesday, February 15, and Friday, February 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Registrants must attend both sessions.)
GPA Basics is a two-part online evidence-based education session designed for team members who care for older adults who display responsive behaviours associated with dementia. GPA teaches care providers across disciplines how to use a person-centred, respectful, compassionate and gentle persuasive approach to respond to the behaviours associated with dementia. Registrants must attend both sessions. Cost $125 per person.
Active Living Programs
Recreation Kits
Bringing Recreation to You—Our recreation kits are designed to engage people living with dementia in a fun and purposeful task, providing cognitive stimulation and social connection. Each themed kit will include dementia-friendly resources and easy-to-follow instructions, along with information about the benefits of each activity.
For more information or to register for a kit, please contact our Intake Coordinator at 905-576-2567 ext. 5233 or 1-888-301-1106 or email intake@alzheimerdurham.com
Minds in Motion®
Online: Wednesday, February 2, 9, 16 and 23, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The Alzheimer Society of Durham Region is currently recruiting participants to join our pilot project to learn about the impacts of Minds in Motion offered virtually (on the computer). The pilot program will occur on a web-based platform such as Zoom.
Online: Monday, February 14 and 28, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Minds in Motion® is a physical activity and brain-stimulation program for people living with dementia and their care partners. This will be a great environment to establish new friendships with others who are living with similar experiences. Combining physical, mental and social stimulation improves brain health and may slow the disease progression and can improve mood and decrease the risk of depression among both persons living with dementia and their care partners.
Minds in Motion® is delivered by our experienced staff, community partners and dedicated volunteers. Pre-registration required. Phone 905-576-2567 ext.5003 or email recreation@alzheimerdurham.com for more information.
Events and Fundraising
Are you ready for the 2022 IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s?
Save the date! Last weekend in May 2022.
Pending Public Health guidance, we hope to meet in-person! Stay tuned for updates.
For questions or for more information on how to register, contact Michelle Taylor, Director, Community Engagement / directrice, participation de la communauté by email at mtaylor@alzheimerdurham.com or call 905-576-2567 ext. 5222.
Thank you for making kind-nections with us!
Our first-ever Quest for Kindness was a huge success and we have YOU to thank!
Together, thousands of kind-nections were made across Canada, and thanks to the support of Healthing, we were able to stay connected virtually and see our communities light up the Kind-nections Map one act at a time!
Every dollar that was raised is going to make an immediate impact in your community by allowing people living with dementia, their care partners, and their families access the education, counselling, and social recreation programs they need most.
Thank you for choosing kindness for over 500,000 people living with dementia in Canada—a number that will continue to rise.
Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts. We look forward to seeing you again at next year’s Quest for Kindness!
Lisa shares her connection to the Alzheimer Society
WRITTEN BY LISA MACHADO
There’s never a time when losing a loved one is easy. But over more than a decade that my dad lived with dementia, the sense of grief was uniquely devastating. Watching someone you love slowly disappear intellectually — their memory, their smile, their voice — while their physical being remains is a most exquisitely painful mourning process. It was the longest goodbye — and it took a huge toll on our family.
For my mom especially, who was my dad’s primary caregiver, it was the connections with others who shared our experience with dementia that helped her to not only keep her life moving forward during a very difficult time, but this support also guided us in navigating the long-term care system so that my dad, and others like him, could get better care. These connections also helped us to advocate for improved health policy around the treatments for brain diseases and raise awareness of the importance of dignity and humanity for those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia and their families.
This is the mission of Healthing — connecting Canadians to the information, resources, and people they need to navigate the difficult health issues they and their families are facing, while inspiring the need to advocate for a better healthcare.
Check us out at healthing.ca, I’d love to hear what you think. And if you have a story you think we should be telling, we’d love to know about it.
BrainsCAN survey shows Alzheimer Society support leads to $1.3B in health-care savings
A new survey report from Western University’s BrainsCAN, in partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, found programs and services provided by the province’s 27 Societies deliver savings of $1.3 billion for Ontario’s health-care system.
To access the full report and to hear Deb and Bruce’s story, click here.
February is Black History Month
Based on information collected from the US & UK, did you know that dementia impacts Black communities at higher rates with some studies showing they are two times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia?
This Black History Month, we honour all Black Canadians and those who may be living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. To learn more about the work we’re doing in regards to race and dementia in Canada, please visit our webpage here.
Send a little love this Valentine's Day!
Celebrate Valentine's Day by sending a heart to residents of long-term care homes in your community! 💕💖💘
Send a little love with our printable Valentine's Day cards and add in your own personalized message to show them how much you care.
It’s that time of year again—tax season. Whether you love it or hate it, the best thing to do is be prepared—especially if you’re a caregiver living in Ontario! You may even be eligible to receive tax credits.
Not sure what information you’ll need? Check out our blog series on everything a caregiver should know before doing their taxes!
People living with Alzheimer’s disease 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.
