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I am  Living with Dementia

I am a person living with dementia. Whether I have been given a formal diagnosis or I'm concerned about my cognitive health, I could be living with dementia.

Summary of what Living with Dementia is:

You've likely been worried and anxious about the changes you're seeing in yourself. Now that you've been diagnosed, know that there are education and resources to support you. If you've just been diagnosed with dementia, you may need some time before sharing the news – or you may want to talk about it right away. Dementia impacts your cognitive, emotional, physical and social abilities. Understand how these changes can affect you and know how you can prepare and adjust accordingly to live well with dementia.

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Living With Dementia

Education

Whether you have a diagnosis or are just browsing, know that there are education and resources to support you.
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Living with Dementia

Live Events and Meetings

Stay updated with our latest videos and insights on dementia care.
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Discover more Past Live Meetings:
Past Live Meeting
Minds in Motion® - Activities for the home!
Come join us to celebrate Brain Health Awareness Month, and to experience our trademarked Minds in Motion® program. Learn more about how we offer it virtually and how you can adapt some of the activities for some in-home fun!
Mar 3, 2022
60 minutes
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Past Live Meeting
Creating a Life Story
Join Christene Gordon, Lead of Client Services at the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and NWT as she leads you the essential elements of developing a "Life Story". Creating a "Life Story" can help us to learn about what the person values in life, what they see as important in themselves, in others, and in the world around them. However, it is important that we recognize that people continue to change, as do their tastes, opinions and interests. It is important that life story work is seen as a process, and not a one-of.
Feb 16, 2022
60 minutes
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Past Live Meeting
Understanding Dementia - Tips and Techniques
In this session, you will learn techniques to help you support your family member or friend living with dementia. As care partners, it can be challenging to know what the "right" thing is to say or not to say. Tips and examples will be provided. Communication is key when it comes to helping support someone living with dementia, but communication is more than us speaking to a person. Join us to learn other communication strategies.
Jan 19, 2022
60 minutes
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Past Live Meeting
Demystifying Neuropsychology presented by Dr. Robert Frerichs
A person who experiences changes in memory or other thinking abilities may be referred to a neuropsychologist for an in-depth evaluation. Join us as Dr. Frerichs, a geriatric clinical neuropsychologist, shares details about these assessments and how they shed light on understanding what happens to brain functions in a person with dementia.
Jan 13, 2022
60 minutes
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Past Live Meeting
Dementia, Depression, Diabetes, a 3D Presentation presented by Dr. Leon Kagan
Dr. Kagan will examine the clinical and research relationship between the 3D's as well as the epidemiology. He will also discuss treatment options and future treatment developments regarding the 3D's.
Dec 15, 2021
60 minutes
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Past Live Meeting
Demystifying Neuropsychology presented by Dr. Robert Frerichs
A person who experiences changes in memory or other thinking abilities may be referred to a neuropsychologist for an in-depth evaluation. Join us as Dr. Frerichs, a geriatric clinical neuropsychologist, shares details about these assessments and how they shed light on understanding what happens to brain functions in a person with dementia.
Nov 17, 2021
60 minutes
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Past Live Meeting
Unraveling Capacity Assessment presented by Dr. Jasneet Parmar
Come and learn more about what is capacity assessment, when is it done and who does it?
Oct 20, 2021
60 minutes
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Past Live Meeting
How do you evaluate information about dementia research that you find on the web? Presented by Dr. David Hogan
Every month there appears to be an announcement about a new way to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease. How can you evaluate this information? What questions should be asking? In this webinar we will go over how you can assess the credibility of the information you find and determine if it is for you.
Sep 28, 2021
60 minutes
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Past Live Meeting
The Art and Science of Mindful Aging presented by Dr. Thamarai Moorthy
Mindfulness is the ancient art of paying full attention to what is happening around us. Mindfulness can be practiced in many ways. It is a skill that can be learned by anyone regardless of age or health status. Research shows that practicing mindfulness as we age can help us live happier and healthier lives. Mindfulness helps us embrace both the benefits and challenges that come with getting older.
Sep 21, 2021
60 minutes
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Past Live Meeting
Adopt Routines for Better Brain Health
Having a daily routine can reduce stress, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.Learn how Zamplo can help you create and maintain healthy routines when it comes to medication compliance and activity tracking.Recognizing patterns allows us to predict and expect what is coming.See how recording and graphing your data routinely can help detect patterns in your mental and physical health.Use your health data for proactive brain health.
May 25, 2021
60 minutes
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Past Live Meeting
Watching and Listening - Finding Enjoyable Ways to Spend Time Together
Sometimes it's the little things we can miss which can change moments in the day for example turning our chair to face a window or using the internet to rediscover a favourite song or comedy sketch to share with a loved one. When our world felt a bit smaller with the Covid 19 pandemic, we had to find creative ways to spend our time which didn't involve going out and meeting others. So what can we find in our homes and on our doorsteps which will lift our spirits and bring back positive memories? In this presentation, Sally will be sharing a range of practical ideas particularly those tapping into the two sense of sight and sound.
May 19, 2021
60 minutes
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Past Live Meeting
Maintaining the Connection - Successful and Meaningful Visits with Individuals Living with Dementia
What does "Quality of Life" mean to you? Join us for a discussion on how to use the 5 senses to help identify meaningful activities to do during visits with your loved ones.
Apr 21, 2021
60 minutes
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Living with Dementia

Resources

Our Society links individuals and families affected by Alzheimer's disease and other dementias to a community of learning, information and support.

I have a young child/teen who wants to know what is happening to their grandparent. How do I handle this?

The most important way to help children or grandchildren cope with dementia is to talk openly and be willing to listen. They need the opportunity to ask questions and express their feelings without fear of a negative reaction.  Take a look at our resources below for more tips.   

 

Focus - Helping Children Understand Alzheimer Disease

 

Focus - Helping Teens Understand Alzheimer Disease

What are some tips for traveling with someone who has dementia?

We all enjoy a change of scenery and a break from routines. However, as Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias progress, changes in abilities can make it difficult to get away.

Careful planning will help you manage the changes in surroundings and routines. Here are some tips to make the trip easier:

Have a plan

  • Include the person with dementia in your planning. Give them a copy of the trip itinerary for her reference.
  • If you are planning to visit friends and family, tell them about the changes since your last visit.
  • Learn as much as you can about the place you’ll be visiting, so you can anticipate what you’ll need.
  • Think ahead about activities that may need to be adjusted.
  • Consider a holiday package, where everything is organized for you.
  • Enroll the person living with dementia in MedicAlert’s Safe & Found Program. Members receive an engraved identification bracelet, which allows police and emergency responders to quickly identify a person who gets separated.
  • Carry recent photographs, details of what the person is wearing, and preferred places of interest. This will help during a search if one is necessary.
  • Keep a copy of the name and number of your hotel in a familiar spot in the person’s purse or pocket, so they can ask for help if needed.

Simplify

Aim for as few changes in their routine as you reasonably can.

  • Try to get a direct flight.
  • If you’re traveling by car for a long distance, consider extending the time to get there and driving shorter distances each day.
  • Ask for help
  • If possible, have an additional person travel with you to help.
  • Make sure that your travel agent is aware of any special needs.
  • Inform the airline that you are traveling with a person with dementia. You may want to request early boarding, a wheelchair, transportation upon arrival, help getting on and off the plane or with stowing carry-on baggage.
  • Request seating near washrooms.
  • If you are staying at a hotel, let the staff know about your needs and explain some of the possible difficulties you think you might encounter.

Should my partner still be allowed to drive? I don’t want to tell him or her that they can’t and yet I think they shouldn’t. What can I do?

Alzheimer's disease and other dementias cause changes that affect a person's ability to drive a motor vehicle safely. A diagnosis of dementia, however, does not automatically mean that a person is incapable of driving. Some people may be capable of driving safely for some time after the diagnosis, depending on when in the disease progression the person has been diagnosed and the rate the disease progresses. Eventually, however, people with Alzheimer's disease must stop driving, as it will no longer be safe.

Look into special testing to assess the driving abilities of a person with dementia. This could be a driving simulation test and/or a road test, carried out by someone with experience in testing drivers with cognitive problems.

Use the search bar above to find a driving assessment service (such as DriveAble or MARD) in your area. If it is not available, ask a doctor to determine if and when the person is no longer able to drive.

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