Alzheimer’s Awareness Month 2022: Community Changes Everything

The Alzheimer Society is your First Link® to a community of support, resources and a wealth of knowledge to help you in your dementia journey.

Throughout January, we are sharing stories from people living with dementia who have discovered that support from the Alzheimer Society changes everything – people like Joyce, Gary, David and Luc, the “laughing” Support Group for People with Dementia.

Read their stories, watch the videos, educate yourself and discover more about the disease and the people affected by it every day. For more stories throughout the year, we encourage you to visit and subscribe to our monthly eNewsletter for up-to-date information and services available from the Society.

Thank you for taking a moment to understand.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn all month long for highlights, videos, education and more!

Index

Discover Their Stories
First Link® Program
Online Family Education – January 2022
Register Now for Minds in Motion®
Help Create Dementia-Friendly Communities
Tips on How to Live Well with Dementia
Let Us Help You Understand Dementia
Don’t Face This Alone – We’re Here To Help
About the Alzheimer Society
Get Involved with the Alzheimer Society
Media
Follow us on Social Media


Discover Their Stories

They would like to share more with you on their experience with dementia and how reaching out to the Alzheimer Society has changed everything for them.



Luc Lemoine

Watch Luc’s Story on YouTube

Joyce Sewell

Watch Joyce’s Story on YouTube

David Jacobs

Watch David’s Story on YouTube

Gary Quinton

Watch Gary’s Story on YouTube

Bob & Roberta Stout

Read their story

Debbie Rotoff and Dolores Lavalee

Read their story

 

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First Link® Program

First Link is a national Alzheimer Society program that connects people with dementia and their families to information, support services and education as early as possible and throughout the progression of the disease. To learn more about the program, please visit our national website.

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Online Family Education – January 2022

Families face many challenges when living with dementia. It helps to have an understanding of what is to come, along with reliable information about the resources available. Below are some upcoming education opportunities happening this January.

LIVING WITH DEMENTIA: FIRST STEPS – PART ONE
Sponsored by Edison Properties

An online education workshop via Zoom for care partners supporting a person recently diagnosed with dementia. Topics include:

  • Overview of dementia
  • Activities to experience what it might be like to have dementia

SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 10 am – 11:45 am
Online session via Zoom
Click here to register online or call 204-943-6622.

 

A RESIDENT IN DISTRESS: LESSONS FROM 3 PERSPECTIVES
Sponsored by Edison Properties

From the viewpoint of a nurse, educator and daughter of a person with dementia, Sheila will share the experiences of a person with dementia in distress. This session will help you understand the cognitive changes related to the progression of dementia, learn techniques to identify the causes and approaches to behaviour changes.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2 – 3 pm
Online session via Zoom
Presented by: Sheila Smith, RN, BN, Regional Educator, Long Term Care Program, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority

Click here to register online or call 204-943-6622.

Click here for more upcoming education dates/topics taking place in Winnipeg.
For education opportunities happening across the province, please contact your local office.

Online Family Education sponsored by:

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Register Now for Minds in Motion®

Minds in Motion® is a weekly fitness and social program offered both online and in-person (in accordance to provincial health regulations). It is designed for people with early to moderate symptoms of dementia to attend with a family member or friend. You and your partner will experience physical activity, games that challenge your brain and opportunities to socialize with others in the group.

For a full list of virtual and in-person events, please visit the Minds in Motion website to register today.

Please note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, times and dates for this season’s sessions of Minds in Motion are subject to change. Please visit the Minds in Motion website for the most up-to-date information.

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Help Create Dementia-Friendly Communities

Our vision is of a community that respects, supports and empowers people with dementia; a community in which people with dementia are socially and culturally valued; a community where people with dementia actively participate in a safe environment.

Click here to learn more about how you can help.

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Tips on How to Live Well with Dementia

There are some practical things you can do to help you live as well as possible with dementia.

For example, you can keep stimulated, focus on the things you can and want to do, maintain a healthy lifestyle and try not to become isolated.

Click here to learn more about how to live well with dementia.

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Let Us Help You Understand Dementia

Living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia is unique to every individual and their families. What can you do? Keep reading to learn more and help make your community more dementia-friendly.

Communication

Respectful, sensitive communication is the key. Be supportive and use things that are familiar to the person to create a reassuring environment. If their perception of reality becomes confused, try to be creative rather than contradictory in your responses. Click here for more communication tips from our National website.

Behaviour

How dementia affects behaviour varies from person to person, and these symptoms can change over time. Always try to remain calm and reassuring, and never judge or scold. Your local Alzheimer Society can provide information and strategies to help you understand and respond to various behaviours. Click here for more about behaviour changes from our National website.

Safety

We all have an important role to play in making our communities safe for people with dementia. Having dementia presents challenges, but there are things we can all do to manage the risks and promote safety at home and in the community. Click here to learn more about safety from our National website.

Myths and Realities

Myths and misconceptions about Alzheimer’s disease abound – what it is, who gets it, and how it affects the people who have it. These myths stand in the way of understanding the disease and helping those affected. Click here to read the facts from our National website.

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Don’t Face This Alone – We’re Here To Help

A diagnosis can be challenging for both the person with dementia and their care partners. You are not alone – the Alzheimer Society is here to help. Here are a few of the services we offer to help families face the challenges ahead:

Supportive Counselling. To access one of our client support staff, call 204-943-6622 in Winnipeg, the Regional Office nearest you or call toll free at 1-800-378-6622. You can also send an email to alzmb@alzheimer.mb.ca. The responding staff member will assist you in a caring, confidential manner.

Online Education Sessions. The journey with dementia poses many challenges. Having an understanding of what you are facing, along with reliable information about the types of help available to you, will make a difference. Click here for a list of the Alzheimer Society’s upcoming topics and sessions.

Virtual Support Groups. Support groups are there for people who want to inform themselves with current information that will help improve quality of life with the disease. It’s a safe environment where you can learn, laugh and help each other through mutual understanding. Click here for support groups for family and friends. Click here for support groups for people with dementia.

Website Information About Dementia and Strategies for Caregivers. For a comprehensive list of resources, click here. This page on the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba’s website includes links to a variety of resources, including: topics for further reading; the national Alzheimer Society website; other national and international websites containing dementia-related information.

The Alzheimer Society of Manitoba’s eNewsletters. These eNewsletters contain information about topics of interest to care providers and those with dementia, current research, upcoming education events and much more. Click here to access links to several back issues of the eNewsletter. Click here to subscribe so you will never miss an issue.

Care Partner Support: Care partners are encouraged to access support in ways that work for them. To learn more about care partner support and education provided by the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, check the programs and services page at www.alzheimer.mb.ca/we-can-help/programs-and-services/

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About the Alzheimer Society

Founded almost 40 years ago, the Alzheimer Society exists so that all Manitobans affected by dementia receive the help they need today and have hope for the future.

As a province-wide organization, the Society seeks to achieve its mission through: community awareness; individual, family and professional education; support programs; and research funding.

Click here to read more about the Alzheimer Society.

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Get Involved with the Alzheimer Society

Whether you volunteer your time or make a donation, we need your support.

Click here to find out how you can help.

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Media

Watch and listen to this year’s media coverage for Alzheimer’s Awareness Month featuring our spokespeople and Alzheimer Society staff.

CTV Morning Live, January 5th – https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2354083&binId=1.1206882&playlistPageNum=1

CJOB Morning Show, January 5th (9:05 am) – https://globalnews.ca/pages/audio-vault-cjob/

Global News Morning, January 7th – https://globalnews.ca/video/8495295/alzheimers-awareness-month-2022

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Follow Us On Social Media

Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn for the most current news, information and resources. If you’re already follow us on social media, invite your friends to do the same!

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