Alzheimer Society finding people living with dementia have become more isolated due to pandemic
January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. The Alzheimer’s Society of Sudbury-Manitoulin North Bay & Districts is helping clients with Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related issues stay connected. Many have become isolated due to COVID-19 restrictions throughout the pandemic.
Rita Brousseau, 93, is surrounded by a loving family, including her daughters Chantal and Johanne. Rita was diagnosed with age-related dementia in her late 80s.
"Throughout this journey, we have learned as a family that we need to rely on each other for support and not be afraid to ask for help when needed," Chantal said.
To keep busy, Rita spends time with her family and also participates in activities at the Alzheimer’s Society’s 'Health Bistro' twice a week for social interaction. She’s been attending for the last three and a half years. The family nicknamed it the "coffee club."
Rita said participants do various crafts, such as painting and colouring, and also play bingo and other games.
The Alzheimer’s Society is finding a lot of people living with dementia have become isolated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, most activities were forced to move virtually.
"Being able to continue going for your morning coffee, or your walks, going to social groups and day programs are all ways persons living with dementia can keep engaged," said Jessica Bertuzzi, the Alzheimer Society’s public relations and education manager.
As part of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, the organization is offering online learning sessions about dementia while at the same time keeping programming steady for clients.
"We’re doing health promotion programs," said Bertuzzi. "We have a wonderful team conducting our ‘Minds of Motion’ program virtually."
For those living with the disease, like Rita and her caregivers, the pandemic has been a struggle at times. But the family is doing all it can to navigate through it.
"There’s a lot of planning and creativity and phone calls and scheduling happening behind the scenes to make sure every day goes by smoothly to assure mom’s safety and well-being," Chantal said.
As part of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, the organization is encouraging those who know someone living with dementia to reach out to their friend or family member or even lend a helping hand.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.