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Category: Programs and Services

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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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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Boost your brain with Minds in Motion®

Boost your brain with Minds in Motion®

We all know that a healthy lifestyle is important for reducing our risk of dementia and many other chronic diseases. But did you know that it’s equally important for people who already have a diagnosis of dementia? Research shows that lifestyle choices such as healthy eating, staying social, challenging your brain and being physically active can improve quality of life, may help to slow the progression of the disease and can improve your capacity to cope with some of the…

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CarePartners has taken action for dementia!

CarePartners has taken action for dementia!

With over 200,000 people in Ontario living with dementia today, we need an Ontario dementia strategy to make sure that our communities receive the support they need. The Alzheimer Society of Ontario has led the movement to have a fully-funded dementia strategy included in the Ontario government’s 2017 budget, and we are now awaiting the upcoming announcement of the budget. In support of our initiative, CarePartners has generously donated not only financially, but their time as well, to help build…

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‘We have so much to learn from our grandparents’: A teen’s perspective on Alzheimer’s

‘We have so much to learn from our grandparents’: A teen’s perspective on Alzheimer’s

Marilyn Lemay loved the outdoors and would spend every waking moment there. Inherently creative, she crafted, embroidered, quilted and painted everything in sight. If you stand still for more than a moment, her 17-year-old granddaughter Deborah jokes, Marilyn just might paint you. Some of that changed eight years ago, when Marilyn was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Deborah’s grandfather Ron moved from their beloved Elliot Lake home to be closer to Deborah’s mother and family. Managing Marilyn’s care himself wasn’t an…

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Dementia under 65: Where do they fit in?

Dementia under 65: Where do they fit in?

It was love at first sight when Sandy met Doug. They had both ended long marriages. They shared a passion for work, a love of travel, and had compatible plans for retirement. They clicked instantly. The McLean’s married two years later and were in the midst of living the lives they’d dreamed of when Doug, a top executive, lost his job because of increased anxiety and diminishing cognitive abilities. Things didn’t get better. Doug became depressed and delusional. He could no longer tell time or do math, and he struggled with his…

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Finding Your Way® – Living Safely in the Community

Finding Your Way® – Living Safely in the Community

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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Cornwall community stepping up to become Dementia Friends

Cornwall community stepping up to become Dementia Friends

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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Alzheimer Society of Ontario receives accreditation!

Alzheimer Society of Ontario receives accreditation!

Hello supporters, I’m excited to share some great news with you! Late last year, staff at the Alzheimer Society of Ontario voluntarily put our key processes, services and strategies through a rigorous assessment by Accreditation Canada. We were evaluated in all aspects of being both a health-care organization and a non-profit. And we have just heard that we have received a full four-year Accreditation! This is a great accomplishment for our organization and demonstrates to you our commitment to being…

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Minds in Motion® boosts brain health

Minds in Motion® boosts brain health

At the Alzheimer Society of London-Middlesex we have many social recreation programs such as art, gardening, cooking, knitting, and scrapbooking. But before Minds in Motion®, we did not have one that focused on group exercise and healthy living. This has been a great addition. Since we started Minds in Motion, people are seeing how exercise makes a huge difference for people with dementia. Just today I received a call from a client interested in the program. I had asked her…

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