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Introducing the 2014 Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) Community Representatives / Des représentants de la collectivité participent au Programme de recherche de la Société Alzheimer (PRSA)

Introducing the 2014 Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) Community Representatives / Des représentants de la collectivité participent au Programme de recherche de la Société Alzheimer (PRSA)

This year, for the very first time, the Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) invited Community Representatives to participate in the peer review process. Community Representatives are members of the general public who are not currently involved with research. They comment on the intent, purpose and on the clarity of the language used within the lay summaries of the research applications. Their involvement in peer review serves as a mechanism for public accountability by providing feedback on the ASRP peer review process.

Kim dancing at the 2013 Dine and Dance
Dine and Dance 2014

Dine and Dance 2014

“Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.” -Plato The Event The annual Dine and Dance is a fun and elegant event hosted by the Alzheimer Society of Toronto. Held at the St. Lawrence Hall, this social event provides a space for people in the early stages of dementia and their family caregivers to dance and enjoy an afternoon together. Amanda Schmukler, Senior Social Worker at the Alzheimer Society of Toronto is…

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Recording what people with dementia and their caregivers experience

Recording what people with dementia and their caregivers experience

Often times when our families and friends begin to need elder care supports, services and information about dementia, we don’t know where to begin looking for help. By the time we know we need help, we are in knee-deep in the crisis, having to make life changing decisions without enough information. It is a frightening and exhausting time for individuals, their families and care partners. Three years ago the week before Christmas, my frightened and delirious 82-year-old mother arrived –…

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Meet Mahwesh Saleem: the next generation of Alzheimer researchers

Meet Mahwesh Saleem: the next generation of Alzheimer researchers

Brain function has always fascinated me because it’s very complicated. It’s not black and white, and so many things contribute to how you think and how you behave. That interconnection means mental health ties into your physical health, and vice versa. Because I’ve always been an analytical person, I like the challenge of figuring out those connections. Especially when the payoff is a better quality of life. As we all know, Alzheimer’s disease can affect quality of life so dramatically….

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New tax credit for safer homes

New tax credit for safer homes

Have you heard about the Government of Ontario’s Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit?

If you are over the age of 65 or live with someone who is senior, you could make your home safer and more accessible and the Ontario government will cover 15% of the costs.

Tips and resources: making the most of Family Day

Tips and resources: making the most of Family Day

When it comes to visiting Mom, I like the normal days, where my only expectation is to “connect” with my mom. The days I don’t like are holidays: birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Family Day – they all remind me of better times. I feel so overwhelmed by the Mom I have lost, that I don’t have the energy to “find” the Mom who is left behind. On these occasions I enlist my family members or friends to come with me. I…

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Redstone Lake Hockey Tournament raises $13,000

Redstone Lake Hockey Tournament raises $13,000

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

How I helped a senior find her way

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

Behind the scenes at the Finding Your Way phase 2 launch

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

Susan Parish: Champion for Dementia

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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