The IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s Grey-Bruce is happening “virtually” on Saturday, May 29th 2021. This is the area’s largest fundraiser in support of local families living with dementia. Covid-19 and all of the restrictions that have come along with it have placed a special burden on local families living with dementia and they need your support.
The pandemic has meant creative new ways of operating for the Alzheimer Society of Grey-Bruce. The organization’s Community Development Coordinator, Chris Doyle, said “it’s really been about doing whatever we can to make things easier for people. Whether that’s providing some key information or creating a space to connect. There’s a lot of listening and a lot of laughing and both of those things are incredibly important.”
The Society has pivoted all of its services. Anything offered in-person is now offered online or over the phone. The organization quickly moved support groups, Minds in Motion, and Memory Café to Zoom before adding Coffee Connect, Active Living and a dedicated Sing-A-Long time. The organization even went so far as to launch a new website www.ActiveLivingGreyBruce.org where they publish weekly activity ideas and schedules. Doyle said “the internet has been tremendous and many clients have really taken to it. Still we have to recognize that it doesn’t work for everyone so there’s also been a big focus on tangible analogue help as well.”
With the help of grants the Society has invested heavily in physical objects that can bring comfort to local families living with dementia. Customized activity kits, robotic companion pets, unique playlists loaded onto iPods, the Society owns and is lending more physical things than ever before. Doyle said “These have been a big hit. So many clients don’t have the financial capacity to just go out and trial all of these different things to see if they will work or not. It can be a challenge to find the right activity and present it in the right way and that’s where the staff suggestions and expertise really shine. Every person living with dementia is unique and the things that will help engage them are unique. To have a service like this locally is really amazing.”
Local programs like this can only exist because of fundraising and the best opportunity to get involved is the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s Grey-Bruce. Go online to www.alzheimergreybruce.com to register, raise funds and help local families living with dementia. With the province under stay-at-home order people are being asked to participate virtually by walking, dancing, running, biking, swimming doing whatever activity makes sense to them. People can also enter the 30 Days 30 Minutes challenge by doing 30 minutes of activity for 30 days and submitting a record to the local Grey-Bruce Alzheimer Society. Anyone who registers for the Walk and submits a full 30 day record will be entered into a draw for a pair of Air Pods donated by Bruce Power. This draw will take place in the middle of June with full details available on the Society’s website.
First founded in 1986 the Alzheimer Society of Grey-Bruce is a registered charity with a local board that works to alleviate the personal and social consequences of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The Society offers early stage education workshops all the way through the changes that occur and finally late stage decisions. If you or someone you know is living with dementia the Society encourages you to call (519) 376-7230 or email [email protected]. It is never to early or too late to make this connection.
source: media release, Alzheimer Society of Grey Bruce
