Alzheimer Society Blog | Page 16 of 42 |

Left to right: Bill Heibein, Senator Kelvin Kenneth Ogilvie, Phyllis Fehr, Bea Kraayenhof, and Senator Nancy Greene Raine.

The Ontario Dementia Advisory Group challenges us to think differently about a diagnosis

June 7, 2016

In February 2016, the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology started investigating the issue of dementia in Canada , with the aim of producing a final report by November 30, 2016. They’ve met with myriad witnesses representing many aspects of the complex network of health agencies, experts and researchers who can lend insights into the state of dementia. Executive directors, doctors, and other professionals helped to guide and inform the course of the study as Witnesses. But…

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What do you want your legacy to be?

May 20, 2016

What is it about human beings that we all want to be remembered, be known as more than merely ordinary, be seen as someone who truly made a difference, leave a mark and maybe even make the future a little brighter? I have been working in the area of estate planning for many years, and I have asked the question – “What do you want your legacy to be” to thousands of people. But I had never been asked that…

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People with dementia speak to Senate Standing Committee

May 19, 2016

In February 2016, the Canadian Senate asked that the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology study the issue of dementia in our society and to provide a final report in January 2017. On May 18, Mary Beth Wighton and the other members of the Ontario Dementia Advisory Group (ODAG) presented to the committee. View the presentation on SenVu or read her remarks: Good afternoon, Thank you for inviting us to appear before you this afternoon. It’s…

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Finding Your Way® – Living Safely in the Community

May 18, 2016

The Alzheimer Society of Ontario hosted its second annual Finding Your Way® Provincial Forum on Thursday March 10th. Close to 100 people came together to see how we all can help people with dementia live safely in the community. Many partnering organizations were represented – supportive housing providers, retirement home staff as well as paramedics and other first responders. The Alzheimer Society was happy to see such an interest from our partners. The Hon. Mario Sergio, Minister Responsible for Seniors…

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Mirror Images and Memory Loss

May 6, 2016

Reflecting on Communication Tips and Medical Appointments I was raised to be a people pleaser, and I am unapologetic about it, unless I offended you by writing this, to which I would say, “I’m sorry”… And so begins my early saga of treading lightly, and being careful to find ways to keep the peace, by pre empting and reducing opportunities for conflict. Little did I know this skill set would serve me well, as a daughter to a mom living…

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Cornwall community stepping up to become Dementia Friends

March 29, 2016

One of our core objectives here at the Alzheimer Society of Cornwall and District is to continue to look for new ways to make life better for those living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. One way we are looking to bring people closer together is through the Dementia Friends campaign. As many of you already know, a Dementia Friend is someone who learns a little bit more about what it’s like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding…

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Explaining dementia to kids

March 24, 2016

My mom was diagnosed with young onset dementia shortly after my son was born in 2005. My daughter had just turned two. It was not a surprise as mom had been showing signs, but it was heartbreaking – she was only 62. Despite the disease, my kids were still able to connect with their Nana in many ways. They shared simple activities like colouring, singing, blowing bubbles or picking flowers. In fact, I found that having young children around really…

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Claiming Full Citizenship

March 21, 2016

The Centre for Inclusion and Citizenship at the University of British Columbia, together with a variety of partners, was pleased to host “Claiming Full Citizenship: an international conference on self-determination, personalization and individualized funding”, in Vancouver, BC October 15 – 17, 2015. Fifteen years after the landmark 2000 Seattle Conference on Self Determination and Individualized Funding, the desire for people living with dementia, intellectual, cognitive and physical disabilities to claim full citizenship and seek clarity on what that requires, remains. …

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The gift

March 1, 2016

Of all my personal experiences with Alzheimer’s disease, the memory of one is especially powerful. Sometimes gifts arrive to us when least expected if we open our hearts to possibilities… I believe mom’s early emotional responses were shaped by her environment and cultural upbringing. Raised during the depression, she often spoke about missed opportunities and leaving school to help support her family. Her stories were not coloured with resentment or pessimism because she accepted with stoic resolve what had to…

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Introducing the 2016 Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) Community Representatives

February 25, 2016

This year the Alzheimer Society celebrates 28 years of funding research through the Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP). The peer review panel meetings were held in February 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, and included the role of Community Representatives. Community Representatives are members of the general public who are not currently involved with research who are given the opportunity to comment on the intent, purpose and on the clarity of the language used within the lay summaries of research applications that are received by the Society. Their involvement in peer review serves as a mechanism for public accountability by providing feedback on the ASRP peer review process.