Alzheimer’s Awareness Month 2023: Community Changes Everything

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

Throughout January, we are sharing stories from families living with dementia who have discovered that support from the Alzheimer Society can change everything.

Read their stories, 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 our January eNewsletter 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
Family Education – January 2023
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

Read their Stories

Take a moment to learn what it’s like to live with dementia. Below are links to stories of four Manitobans who have come across dementia in some way: two are diagnosed and two are care partners.


MARCEL is a caregiver for his wife, Ida, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia at 55. He says:

“Reach out to the Alzheimer Society. They’ll help you plan ahead and anticipate things you haven’t even thought about yet.”

Read Marcel’s story here.

 


JABBAR
lives with dementia. He says:

“I want people to understand that I’m still Jabbar, this disease doesn’t change who I am.”

Read Jabbar’s story here.

 


KATHERINE
is a caregiver for her mother. She says:

“I don’t know what I would have done without the Alzheimer Society.”

Read Katherine’s story here.

 

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

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, watch the video below and visit our website.

Discover More Videos

Visit our YouTube page to watch all of our Alzheimer’s Awareness Month videos, featuring spokesperson Marcel and Alzheimer Society staff.

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

 

Family Education – January 2023

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

The first session of a three-part information series for people supporting someone recently diagnosed with dementia.

Learn from health and industry professionals as they discuss the disease progression and provide information on services and resources available.

In this webinar, learn more about:

– The progression of dementia
– Alzheimer Society of Manitoba Programs and Services Overview

Topics include:

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

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 10 am – 11:45 am
Virtual and Seniors for Seniors, 311 Park Ave E, Brandon, MB
Click here to register online or call 204-943-6622.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH CARE DECISIONS & END OF LIFE DISCUSSIONS EARLY IN THE DEMENTIA JOURNEY

Future planning helps reduce suffering and improves the quality of life of both the person with dementia and their care partners. In this session we will discuss topics surrounding health care planning and end of life discussions such as:
• What is advanced care planning?
• What is a palliative approach to care?
• Reasons why you need to engage in advance care planning discussions early on in the dementia journey.
• Strategies on how to engage individuals in the advance care planning discussions.
• Important considerations to take when planning.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Virtual and Deer Lodge Community Centre, 323 Bruce Ave E., Winnipeg, MB
Presenter: WRHA Palliative Care Program
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.

 

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

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 Minds in Motion dates are subject to change. Please visit the Minds in Motion website for the most up-to-date information.

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

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.

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

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.

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

 

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.

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

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.

Family 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. Plus, with virtual and in-person options available, you can learn from the comfort of your home. Click here for a list of the Alzheimer Society’s upcoming topics and sessions.

Support Groups. Our support groups, available virtually and in-person, are here 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. All of our support groups are inclusive environments for people of different ethnicities, cultures or persons who identify as part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Click here to discover all of the virtual and in-person support groups now available.

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/

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

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.

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

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.

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

Media

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

January 4, 2023 – CTV Morning Live 

January 4, 2023 – Shaw Spotlight

January 6, 2023 – Global News Winnipeg

January 19, 2023 – CTV Morning Live (featuring Erin Crawford)

January 19, 2023 – CTV Morning Live (featuring Jessica Harper)

January 19, 2023 – CTV Morning Live (featuring Sarah Dueck)

January 19, 2023 – CTV Morning Live (featuring Nicole McDonald)

January 19, 2023 – CTV Morning Live (featuring Katherine Twaddle)

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

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!

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

LinkedIn

 

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE