At 21, Alzheimer’s is the last thing on your mind – until your mom gets it

At 21, Alzheimer’s is the last thing on your mind – until your mom gets it

It’s common to think that dementia affects only particular demographics—like seniors—but Kathryn Fudurich’s story reminds us of how this disease can have a huge impact on anyone’s life. When Kathryn was 21 and in her last year of university, her mom, Patricia, was diagnosed with young onset dementia. The signs had been there for a while. Patricia had become anxious about everyday tasks like driving, began buying household items in multiples and struggled professionally. At age 55, she could no…

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Puzzles for Good
Puzzles for Good supports the Alzheimer Society

Puzzles for Good supports the Alzheimer Society

By: Kirsten Wreggitt, Chief Puzzle Constructor at Puzzles for Good My Grandma made me pancakes in the shape of anything I could imagine – giraffes, Mickey Mouse, unicorns, and of course full moons. Those childhood breakfasts are cherished memories of family gathered together with Grandma at the center in her frilly apron. I remember that she laughed easily, always had a lap for you to sit in, and that she loved frogs. Of course, Kermit the Frog was her favourite,…

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highway
Dementia and air pollution: should we flee to the country?

Dementia and air pollution: should we flee to the country?

Could living in a major city increase your risk of dementia? A new study suggests that may be the case. After studying over two million Ontarians over an 11-year period, researchers found that the closer they lived to a major roadway, the more likely they were to develop dementia. Those who had lived in urban areas for a long time were even more likely to develop the condition than those who had moved more recently. These findings suggest one culprit…

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I’ll Love You Forever

I’ll Love You Forever

Follow us, as Elizabeth Murray tells the moving story of her mother’s battle with dementia. In this blog series, Murray explores every part of the experience of caring for someone with dementia, sharing her memories and insights from it all. Her words serve as a great reminder of the many ways dementia affects our lives, and the lives of our loved ones.” I was pregnant when I first read I’ll Love You Forever, Robert Munsch’s book about the unconditional love…

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Caregiver Tips for the Holidays
Make your Holidays stress-free!

Make your Holidays stress-free!

The Holidays are the perfect time of year to bring friends and family together to connect, catch up, and celebrate the coming New Year! For those with dementia it is just as important to be able to spend time with their loved ones. But managing the extra stimulation a gathering can bring and making sure they enjoy themselves can sometimes be difficult. Family and friends may also be uncertain about how to act and what to say. To help with…

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Holiday Reflections – Guarding Memories

Holiday Reflections – Guarding Memories

As a child, I recall the holidays were about family traditions; the plump orange and the red delicious apple in the Christmas stocking, and if luck would have it a chocolate treat. This delicacy was sparingly consumed, to preserve the experience for as long as possible. There was always a small toy to open, and something wearable, and practical. I recall spending hours, staring at the tree with the tangled jumble of coloured lights, and painted bulbs decorated with idyllic…

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Research Video Series: Introducing Marco Prado

Research Video Series: Introducing Marco Prado

Dr. Marco Prado’s research aims to address the mechanisms by which deficient cholinergic circuits contribute to dementia. He is an Alzheimer Society Research Program Biomedical Research Grant recipient and a professor at the University of Western Ontario. Let’s make sure that aging does not mean losing one’s identity. -Dr. Marco Prado Dr. Marco Prado Biomedical Grant Recipient in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia – $149,128 Project: Mechanisms of anti-cholinergic activity mediated dementia and Alzheimer’s pathology Read about more of our grants…

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Finding Your Way through the winter season: tips for staying safe with dementia

Finding Your Way through the winter season: tips for staying safe with dementia

Winter is on its way, bringing with it snow, sleigh bells, and a renewed importance around being safe in our homes and communities. To prepare, we’re putting snow tires on our cars, pulling winter boots out of storage, and stocking up on salt for our sidewalks and driveways – but for people with dementia, those safety steps go a bit further. If you’re living with dementia or helping to care for someone with dementia, here are some important factors to…

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Their memories fade, but love remains

Their memories fade, but love remains

When the doctor first told my Mom, “You have Alzheimer’s disease,” I was numb. There I was, only 30 years old, with a newborn son and a mother whose memory was starting to fade.  I tried to Google as much as I could about the disease, but panic came the second I saw the words: There is no cure. As hard as this is to talk about, I agreed to share my story with you because I want to see…

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Research Video Series: Introducing Laura Hamilton

Research Video Series: Introducing Laura Hamilton

Dr. Laura Hamilton is testing the efficacy of a new therapeutic target (stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD)-1) to improve learning and memory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease using a mouse model. Laura is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Montréal and is this year’s Alzheimer Society Research Program Spark Award Recipient. The potential to contribute to a better quality of life for millions of people motivates me every day. -Dr. Laura Hamilton Dr. Laura Hamilton Spark Postdoctoral Fellowship in Alzheimer’s Disease…

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