Nightmares or the Orange Pill

Nightmares or the Orange Pill

I’m tired this morning. The lingering affects of my nightmares stays with me. One of the characteristics of Frontotemporal dementia is sleep disturbances. In addition to this I have been diagnosed with REM sleep behavioural disorder. This “… is a disorder in which you physically act out vivid, often unpleasant dreams with vocal sounds and sudden, often violent arm and leg movements during REM sleep.” Normally you don’t move during REM sleep. About 20 % of your sleep is spent…

Read More Read More

Why I work for the Alzheimer Society

Why I work for the Alzheimer Society

Elizabeth Barrie is a First Link® outreach worker for the Alzheimer Society of Oxford. She shares her personal connection to the disease. What is your connection to Alzheimer’s disease? My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when I was parenting three young daughters. I had to juggle the expectations of motherhood with the demands of supporting my parents as they navigated the uncharted waters of dementia. Never one to complain or dwell on the negative, Mom continued to participate actively…

Read More Read More

My run for Alzheimer research

My run for Alzheimer research

Chris Dennis is the CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario. Even though I ran half a dozen marathons in my youth, 20 years on preparing for number seven wasn’t as easy as I thought. Since I received my son’s ‘Christmas gift,’ which entailed signing us both up for the Ottawa Marathon six months down the road, I have trained through rain and snow. And then, just to add a little pressure, I decided to turn my run into a…

Read More Read More

What I learned caring for Grandma

What I learned caring for Grandma

It is difficult to understand Alzheimer’s disease until you are living with someone who has it. For me it was when my Grandma got it. She had lived with us for my entire life, and played a huge role in my upbringing. First it was the little things, simple tasks that we take for granted, such as preparing a meal. While I could deal with changes like that, the hardest part was accepting that someone who had always protected and…

Read More Read More

1 million Dementia Friends wanted. Are you in?

1 million Dementia Friends wanted. Are you in?

Dementia Friends Canada is an Alzheimer Society and Government of Canada initiative to help Canadians better understand what it’s like to live with dementia and how they can help those with the disease remain active and carry on with their daily lives.

Al Burridge was a true Dementia Champion

Al Burridge was a true Dementia Champion

When the Alzheimer Society of Ontario began the Champions for Dementia initiative in 2010, we were seeking to engage people with lived experience of dementia in advocacy activities with their Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP) and the Ontario government. I remember receiving notice from the Alzheimer Society of Oxford that they had identified a perfect candidate to be their Dementia Champion – Al Burridge. From day one, Al was a model Dementia Champion. Soon after joining, Ontario had an election….

Read More Read More

Photos from #SeedsofHope day

Photos from #SeedsofHope day

On May 16th, over 1200 people across Ontario planted #SeedsofHope for a world without Alzheimer’s disease. Here are some photos from the day.

On May 16, I’m planting hope for a world without Alzheimer’s

On May 16, I’m planting hope for a world without Alzheimer’s

Every spring, I can’t wait to get my trowel in hand and bring my garden back to life again. It’s a ritual of rebirth that allows me to put even the worst of winters behind me. And it seems as if this interest has finally aligned with another passion: creating a world without Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. That’s what makes me so excited about our campaign. On May 16, we are encouraging Ontarians to plant Forget Me Not seeds. …

Read More Read More

The Power of 10 – National Hospice Palliative Care Week 2015

The Power of 10 – National Hospice Palliative Care Week 2015

One of the best ways to spread an important message is through your social circles, your own sphere of influence. National Hospice Palliative Care Week’s official theme for 2015 is The Power of 10: Let’s talk about Hospice Palliative Care.

Who are you planting #SeedsofHope for?

Who are you planting #SeedsofHope for?

Who are you planting #SeedsofHope for? This is your last chance to get your Forget Me Not seeds and join our hopeful community for a world with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia! Meet some of the others who are planting seeds and find out why they doing so: I’m participating in #SeedsofHope campaign in memory of my Nanny. It’s a great new way to spread awareness of Alzheimer’s. I feel that this campaign was a thoughtful and respectful way to honour those…

Read More Read More