Archive Archives | Page 7 of 19 | Alzheimer Society Blog

Redstone Lake Hockey Tournament raises $13,000

February 12, 2014

On January 24, Peter de Maio held the second annual Redstone Lake Pond Hockey Classic. The tournament had been turned into a fundraiser for the Alzheimer Society, through our Memory Makers website, after Peter’s Father, Dominic de Maio, passed away from Alzheimer’s disease the previous year. The participants raised over $13,000 to help fund programs and services provided by the Alzheimer Society and research for a cure. Outstanding work everyone! Your generosity has made a difference. Here are some photos…

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How I helped a senior find her way

February 8, 2014

Last summer, I was sitting with friends on a balcony facing the entrance to a Toronto subway station. We watched as an older woman walked back and forth across the street next to the subway station. She seemed confused, walking against the light, and in pain. Alarmed, we went down to the street to see if we could help. After speaking with her for a minute or so, I was sure she had some kind of dementia. Although she knew…

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Behind the scenes at the Finding Your Way phase 2 launch

January 28, 2014

On January 28, 2014, the Alzheimer Society of Ontario launched phase 2 of Finding Your Way, an innovative public safety initiative to help people with dementia stay safe while staying active. Portuguese, Italian and Spanish were added to the program, which already consists of French, English, Punjabi, Traditional and Simplified Chinese. These were the photos I took in the midst of the media scrum.

Susan Parish: Champion for Dementia

January 24, 2014

As a graduate from nursing at Western, Susan understood the devastating impact of dementia. Prior to retirement, she worked for ten years in a long-term care home in Lindsay, where many residents had Alzheimer’s disease. It was after retirement that Susan noticed unsettling cognitive changes. During the summer and fall of 2009, Susan began to feel very nervous when driving. Her husband Brian also noticed subtle changes in spelling, numeracy, comprehension, memory and coordination. After a prompt referral to a…

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On-ice showdown for Alzheimer’s disease

January 22, 2014

On January 24, I will be hosting the fifth annual Red Stone Lake Pond Hockey invitational, an outdoor hockey tournament on Piccadilly Bay in Haliburton, Ontario. But this classic Canadian weekend of intense on-ice competition is about more than victory. Through Memory Makers for Alzheimer’s, we’ve turned the tournament into a fundraiser in honour of my father, Don de Maio, who passed away from Alzheimer’s disease last year. Our house on Piccadilly Bay once belonged to my father, who always…

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How a diagnosis helped my mom

January 17, 2014

At first, it was small changes. My mother was losing things and getting on the wrong bus. But then I began to notice more unsettling changes. She wasn’t taking care of herself, slept a lot during the day and was becoming even more confused. I knew something was wrong. I took her to her doctor. We got the always shocking, but ultimately expected news. She had dementia. I felt mixed emotions. But knowing the source of my mother’s difficulties was…

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2014 Walk for Memories: meet walker Casey Peters

January 14, 2014

It all started with her cookies. My Nonna (grandma in Italian) made the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They were a staple of my childhood. One day, when I was a teenager, the cookies tasted different. It was such a small thing, but I noticed, because they had always tasted the same. When I started working part-time after school, I couldn’t bake with her as often. And the cookies changed even more. She started forgetting small details things, not remembering…

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Questions for your doctor when seeking a diagnosis

January 9, 2014

My mother is 82 years of age and she is becoming much more forgetful. She constantly repeats herself and forgets everything that I say. She is also more argumentative lately and when I ask her what is wrong, she gets upset and says she is fine. What can I do? Many families are forced to confront difficult situations like this when their aging parents display signs of dementia. It’s best to see your doctor for help and a diagnosis. According…

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Walk for Memories: meet Walker Kim Zuliana

January 2, 2014

Alzheimer’s affects me both personally and professionally. The Walk For Memories is a great way to gather many who are affected by this disease to help promote awareness, raise funds and to just support each other by sharing stories. Everyone is affected one way or another and with an aging population. This walk allows us to take the next steps to help cure Alzheimer’s disease or related Dementias. I walk for my beautiful Grandmother Cecile Bertuzzi. She has always been…

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Tips caregivers can share at a holiday gathering

December 23, 2013

The holidays are all about spending time with friends and family. Including a person with dementia in these events is important because it helps them connect, through familiar faces and objects, to their past. And create new memories too. Including people with dementia in a social gathering, especially a large one, can be challenging. The extra stimulation may be difficult to manage. Most people with dementia still enjoy socializing. Sometimes it is friends and family that may feel uncertain in…

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