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What does the Charter mean to Jim?
What does the Charter mean to Jim?

What does the Charter mean to Jim?

Jim Mann resides in British Columbia. He lives with dementia. Jim is a member of the Alzheimer Society’s Advisory Group who created the Charter of Rights for People with Dementia. He is also on the Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia, which will advise on the development of Canada’s first national dementia strategy. Read what Jim thinks about the Charter below: The phrase “actions speak louder than words” was given credence with the development of the Canadian Charter of Rights for…

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Meet our Researchers: Tamara Sussman, McGill University
Meet our Researchers: Tamara Sussman, McGill University

Meet our Researchers: Tamara Sussman, McGill University

I have a long professional and personal history working with people living with dementia. My mother was a gerontological social worker who used to share some of the struggles people with dementia faced including feeling isolated, alone and misunderstood. Following in her footsteps, I too became a social worker for older adults and began to hear those stories firsthand. As I listened, it occurred to me that many of the challenges that persons with dementia faced were created by us…

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Clearing the air about cannabis and dementia, with Dr. Krista Lanctôt, PhD
Clearing the air about cannabis and dementia

Clearing the air about cannabis and dementia

As Canada dives headfirst into the legalization of cannabis, there has been rising interest in its potential medicinal benefits, including its therapeutic use for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Over the past decade, researchers and clinicians have investigated the effects of cannabinoids, the chemical compounds in the cannabis plant that give it its medicinal and recreational properties. One of the things they have studied is whether cannabinoids can reduce agitation. We know that agitation is a common change in behaviour in…

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Let's talk about research
Let’s talk about research

Let’s talk about research

Today, I’m reaching out because I want to know what you think about dementia research in Canada. Your own experience and the wisdom of your insights can help the Alzheimer Society amplify the voices of people like you – ensuring that these voices are heard and action is taken. I hope you will join the conversation. Since coming on board as CEO, the goodwill, expressions of support and advice from individuals across the country have been heartwarming and deeply appreciated….

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Older woman walking down path
How MedicAlert® Safely Home® boosts independence for those with dementia

How MedicAlert® Safely Home® boosts independence for those with dementia

Betty and her daughter Eileen have worked side by side at their rural Ontario bakery for 30 years, singing and dancing as they knead dough and glaze cinnamon rolls. When Betty, 81, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease seven years ago, her daughter knew the best treatment for her mom was to keep working. “Like everyone, people with Alzheimer’s want to be productive, and boy do we have that covered,” says Eileen. Her mom cuts granola bars by the hundreds –…

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Mother and daughter holding hands
After a dementia diagnosis, an easy decision to help with care

After a dementia diagnosis, an easy decision to help with care

When Moira was diagnosed with young onset dementia at the age of 51, she and her family had some difficult decisions to make. She had to take early retirement from her job as a high school math teacher in Brampton, Ontario, designate her oldest daughter and husband as primary caregivers, and enrol in a day program for people with dementia while her family is at work. But there was at least one easy decision: joining the MedicAlert® Safely Home® program,…

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Meet our Researchers: Simon Duchesne, Université Laval
Meet our Researchers: Simon Duchesne, Université Laval

Meet our Researchers: Simon Duchesne, Université Laval

As a biomedical engineer, I don’t have your typical background for someone researching Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. In fact, if you had told me 18 years ago that dementia would be my main field of research, I’d be surprised. Back then, I was most interested in diagnostic radiology—the field of medicine that uses imaging exams to aid in diagnosis—for the planning of epilepsy surgery.

Dan of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Father’s Day 2018: What Dan learned from his Dad

Father’s Day 2018: What Dan learned from his Dad

It’s been four years since my dad, Denis, passed away after living with dementia for 11 years. My family and I did everything to make sure Dad enjoyed life, first during the early stages, and later when he lived in a care home. My experiences with my father inspired me to help others learn to appreciate quality time with a family member with dementia.

Meet our Researchers: Fernanda de Felice, Queen's University
Meet our Researchers: Fernanda de Felice, Queen’s University

Meet our Researchers: Fernanda de Felice, Queen’s University

Who would I be without my memories? I consider the treatment of dementia to be one of the greatest current and future health challenges, and I am keen to find ways to protect the brain from the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease. However, there’s a lot we still don’t about this disease. I think a key step is to try to diagnose the disease as early as possible before a lot of damage occurs in the brain, so you’re able…

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