Newsletter - Winter 2013

Transcription

1 Newsletter - Winter 2013 In this issue... Presented by: Walk for Memories Message from the Executive Director Programs & Services Awareness & Education Events Sunday, January 26th, :00pm - 3:00pm Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex The Walk/Skate for Memories is the Alzheimer Society of Kitchener- Waterloo s largest fundraising event. We invite you to partner with us for a worthwhile afternoon of fun, with the added option of bringing your skates. Registration is easy! You can register as an individual or organize a team, create your own personal page and recruit pledges from family and friends. It s easy and fun! For more information, visit our website, kw, events@alzheimerkw.com, or phone Every dollar raised will continue to provide counseling, education, and support for people in our community affected by Alzheimer s disease and other dementias. Register Online! You can register online, either for yourself or for a team: Local sponsors: Chartwell Retirement Residences Westhill by Sifton Media sponsors:

2 MESSAGE From the Executive Director It s hard to imagine that we are already entering into the holiday season. I feel it was just the other day when we were pulling together our spring/summer newsletter! The holiday season is generally a time filled with a lot of excitement and activity - family visits, crowded malls, bright lights, and the sounds of music. At the Alzheimer Society, there is just as much excitement going on, with many new and exciting changes and opportunities happening. Both Jennifer Gillies, Executive Director, and Claire Brown, the Alzheimer Society of Cambridge s Dementia Support Counselor are going on Maternity Leave. I know you join me in wishing them both well. Alanna Reid has joined the Alzheimer Society team as a Dementia Support Counsellor while Claire is on leave, and I am excited to come on board as the Interim Executive Director. I have worked for 20+ years within the charitable sector, including consulting, and I am delighted to share my experience as we work towards amalgamation with the Alzheimer Societies of Guelph-Wellington and Cambridge. I have a deep respect for this work we do and the clients we serve. There has been a lot of excitement and improvements happening across our region related to our programs and services. As you know, the Alzheimer Society of Kitchener-Waterloo will be amalgamating with the Alzheimer Societies of Guelph-Wellington and Cambridge. In this newsletter, you will see some of the ways in which amalgamation has enabled us to increase capacity and better serve our communities. For example, we have found ways to better reach out to our rural clients by offering support groups and office hours located throughout our rural communities (see following page). We have also partnered with the cities of Guelph, Cambridge and Kitchener to offer Memory Fit, a program previously run in KW designed for persons living with dementia and their care partners. Memory Fit: Living Well with a Dementia Diagnosis is a 7-week program for people with early stage dementia and their care partners. The program is designed to help persons with dementia to build a network of social support and develop strategies for living well with dementia. Kitchener has also been chosen as a pilot site for an innovative program called Minds in Motion which blends physical and social activity. After just three weeks with the Alzheimer Society, I am in awe of the commitment I have witnessed to supporting persons living with dementia and their care partners. It has been an honour to meet a number of you already and I look forward to crossing paths with so many more good folks. I wish you all a safe and happy holiday and I look forward to meeting all of you over the next eight months! Sincerely, Anne MacKay Interim Executive Director Alzheimer Society of Cambridge Alzheimer Society of Guelph-Wellington Alzheimer Society of Kitchener-Waterloo We want to hear from you! If you have any questions or comments, please let us know by sending an to: amackay@alzheimerkw.com HOLIDAY HOURS: Our office will be closed from December 24, at 2pm until January1st. We will re-open on Thursday, January 2nd.

3 PROGRAMS & SERVICES Increasing Our Presence in Waterloo Wellington As we work towards our amalgamation with the Alzheimer Societies of Guelph-Wellington and Cambridge, we have spent a significant amount of time developing strategies for improving the delivery of our programs and services. One of our major goals has been to increase our outreach into our communities, especially in rural areas. With this in mind, we have partnered with other organizations in the Waterloo Wellington region who have provided us with opportunities for our family support workers to travel offsite and provide direct services in new areas. Our family support workers will now host scheduled office hours in various rural locations across the Guelph-Wellington area. Persons looking to connect with us and receive supportive counseling can schedule an appointment at one of our off-site locations by calling our office at This will help provide our clients with choice on where they would like to receive their service, making us more accessible and connected to our communities. These sites and times are available to clients throughout the region to accommodate your schedules. Below is our monthly off-site schedule. Meetings at these off-site locations are by appointment only. Also note that we are working to add more rural dates and locations throughout the Waterloo Wellington community, and that our monthly schedule may change in the future. MON. TUE. WED. THU. FRI. 1st Week Erin Fergus 2nd Week Elora New Hamburg 3rd Week Elmira 4th Week Mount Forest Fergus Out of Office Service locations We would like to thank the following community partners for helping us to increase our community outreach:, Upper Grand Family Health Team, East Wellington Family Health Team, Mount Forest Family Health Team, Community Care Concepts.

4 AWARENESS & EDUCATION Awareness Month and Upcoming Education Opportunities Through Our Eyes: Living with Dementia Wednesday, January 15, pm to 6pm An afternoon of learning and sharing through the arts. Please join us for the premiere of MAREP s video series Living Well with Dementia with director Chris Wynn followed by a panel discussion with the persons featured in the video. There will also be a keynote address and presentations, including the presentation of the Kenneth Murray Partnership in Dementia award. Chris Wynn renowned for his film Forgetful Not Forgotten, will join us as our keynote speaker. The art exhibition will include a photographic exhibition by Diego Quattrociocchi, and an art installation by Dr. Lisa Meschino. Please register at the Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP) website. This event is free! Location: Luther Village On the Park, Great Hall, 139 Father David Bauer Drive, Waterloo. Memory Fit: Living Well with a Dementia Diagnosis An 8-week program for people with Early Stage Dementia and their Care Partners Receiving a Diagnosis: What Was it Like? Building a Network of Social Support Strategies for Living Well with Dementia Maintaining Physical, Mental, & Brain Health Goal Setting and Next Steps Mondays from 10:00am - 11:30am February 3 to March 24, 2014 Cost of program is $60.00 per couple To register for this program: Please call Carolyn Cormier at the City of Kitchener: ext 5345

5 PUBLIC EDUCATION Family and Public Learning Series Information Family Learning Series: For family & friends of people living with dementia January 8th to February 12th (Wednesdays) - 9:30am to 11:30am OR March 5th to April 9th (Wednesdays) - 5:30pm to 7:30pm Week 1 - Next Steps: What is Dementia, Brain Changes, Treatment Week 2 - Next Steps: Building Resources for Support Week 3 - Care Essentials: Understanding Cognitive Loss and Associated Behaviors Week 4 - Care Essentials: Communication and Connection Week 5 - Care Essentials: Supporting Daily Activities Week 6 - Options For Care: Planning for Increased Care Needs There is no charge but registration is required. Please call to register and receive location details. First Steps Learning Series An education series for individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer s disease or another dementia and their spouse or family member. February 4th to February 25th (Tuesdays) - 10:00am to 11:30am What is Dementia? Planning Ahead Adapting to Brain Changes Building a Circle of Support There is no charge but registration is required. Please call to register and receive location details. Did you Know The Alzheimer Society of Kitchener-Waterloo is committed to increasing public awareness and decreasing the stigma associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Our Public Education Coordinator is available to provide education to your community group, retirement home, family council, community centre or workplace. Presentations can be tailored to the individual needs and interests of your group. Contact the Alzheimer Society of Kitchener-Waterloo for more information: or askw@alzheimerkw.com

6 EVENTS Information on Upcoming and Past Events Special thank you to all our sponsors for participating in our Allies in Aging Conference: Platinum Sponsor: Gold Sponsor: Bronze Sponsors: Chartwell-Westmount, Seniors for Seniors, The Dunfield, Pfizer, Retire-At-Home We also wanted to extend our thanks to the display table attendees: First Link, CCAC, Community Support Services, MAREP, Osteoporosis Canada, Waterloo Wellington Diabetes-Self Management Care Program, KW Seniors. And thanks to our St. Louis PSW faculty and students for the wonderful display boards that were inside the conference area. SAVE THE DATE Evening of Thurs. March 6th, 2014 Whiskey tasting at the Tannery in Kitchener Tickets: $100 Please call for information. Sponsorship Opportunities Available! 2013 Annual General Meeting The Alzheimer Society of Kitchener-Waterloo held its 28th Annual General Meeting on October 2nd, 2013, at the Bingemans Conference Centre. The evening began with a reception at 6:30, and was followed by a ceremony where top volunteers and fundraisers were recognized for their contributions to the Society in 2012 and Following this was a special presentation given by Ann Marie Wilson on the topic of Finding Your Way, a new program from the Alzheimer Society of Ontario that offers practical advice on how people with dementia can stay safe while staying active in their communities. Ann Marie s presentation was very well received, and slides can be obtained by visiting along with copies of the annual report. The Society would like to thank all of the individuals, groups, and community partners that helped make 2012/2013 a year of growth. Ann Marie Wilson presents on Finding Your Way.

7 ADVERTISEMENTS

8 Board and Staff BOARD OF DIRECTORS Pamela Krauss Iuliana Constantine President Director In Memoriam Melanie McKellar Vice-President Kurt Wissent Past-President Neel Aggarwal Director Sue Hart Director (On leave) We would like to express our sincere sympathy to those who have lost loved ones, and we gratefully acknowledge donations made to the Society in their memory. Your generosity helps our chapter continue to provide education and support in our community to people with Alzheimer s disease and other dementias, and their partners in care. Our sympathy is expressed to the many family members and friends, and our thanks is extended to those who made in memoriam donations. Alzheimer Society of Kitchener-Waterloo 831 Frederick Street Kitchener, Ontario N2B 2B4 The Alzheimer Society of Kitchener-Waterloo wishes to acknowledge the generous support of askw@alzheimerkw.com STAFF of the Alzheimer Societies of Cambridge, Guelph- Wellington, Kitchener-Waterloo, serving the region of Interim Executive Director Anne MacKay Director of Fund Development Paul Visschedyk Professional Practice Lead Angela Yenssen Volunteer Companion Program Coordinator Gina Brohman Events and Fundraising Coordinators Melissa Campion Rachel Hopf Regional Finance Coordinator Jill Ross Public Education Coordinators Charlotte Sider Robin Smart Janine Wilson First Link Coordinator Thayna Walter Dementia Support Counselors Cara Dowhaniuk Lynelle Drudge Alanna Reid Lindsay Wilson Volunteer Coordinator Barbara Eastman-Lewin Administrative and Communications Coordinator Kevin Barrie Administrative Coordinator Alyson Camara Program Coordinator Ashley Flanagan Help for Today. Hope for Tomorrow...