Ontario Government Invests $99,000 For Dementia Care In Peterborough and the Kawarthas

The Ontario Government has invested $99,900 to connect more people in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton to dementia care to provide support and services when needed.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

This funding will support the Alzheimer Society of Ontario’s Peterborough Kawartha Lakes Northumberland and Haliburton services, such as the First Link® Care Navigation program that connects people living with dementia and their families with help navigating care, education and resources.

“As the rates of dementia burgeon across our four-county area, we would like to applaud this investment in care for persons living with dementia and their care partners through the Alzheimer Society’s First Link program,” said Jen Johnstone, Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton executive director. “We welcome the government’s commitment to supporting healthcare navigation and counselling support for people impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, which will aid us in our mission to ensure that no one in our local community has to navigate dementia alone.”

This funding is part of the Ontario government’s $6.9 million investment over two years to support those who have received a dementia diagnosis on their care journey.

“This initiative seeks to improve healthcare for those affected by dementia through programs like First Link,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “The provincial government aims to support individuals and families dealing with dementia complexities, enhance the Alzheimer Society’s capacity, and promote community awareness. These efforts are essential for improving quality of life and addressing the increasing need for comprehensive dementia care as the population ages.”

The funding goes towards hiring 36 full-time equivalent staff members, shortening wait times for existing patients and providing support for roughly 7,000 new clients across Ontario. Clients will have access to a coordinator to assist with care planning, care coordination, and referrals to community services.

“The provincial government is providing funding to the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough Kawartha Lakes Northumberland and Haliburton for the First Link program to further support individuals living with dementia and their families”, said Laurie Scott, Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP. “With this funding, they will be able to hire additional staff members, reduce wait times, and provide timely support for new clients, ensuring the everyone receives the care, education, and resources they need to navigate the challenges of dementia.”

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

8th Annual Fire Truck Pull for Dementia Recognizes World Alzheimer's Day

Teams flexed their collective muscles in a test of strength and teamwork to pull a fire truck for a good cause.

Nine teams of 10-12 ‘pullers’ hit the AON Citi Centre on Aylmer Street on Friday to compete to see who can pull a 44,000-pound fire truck across a 100-foot pull zone the fastest.

Teams included the Dementia Defenders, AON 1 and 2, Day Service and Minds in Motion, Ptbo Axe Club, CIBC Private Wealth, SGS 1 and 2 and Trent Rowing.

Team SGS1 ended up taking home the title of fastest pullers with a time of 19.85 seconds.

All proceeds raised supported local programs and services at the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton.

Local strongman Kevin Fast was in attendance and pulled a truck by himself.

Fast also offered up some advice for teams that attempted to pull the truck as well.

According to a media release on Monday morning, $9,000 and counting was raised from the event.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Hometown PTBO: Alzheimer Society's Jen Johnstone Discusses Alzheimer Awareness Month and a New Virtual Reality Experience With Dementia

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with Jen Johnstone, executive director of the Alzheimer Society Peterborough Kawartha Lakes Northumberland Haliburton about staying in Peterborough following her Trent University tenure, Alzheimer Awareness Month and EDIE, a virtual reality simulation to experience the world with dementia.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Hometown PTBO: Jen Johnstone of Alzheimer's Society Running the 'Pulling for Dementia' Fire Truck Pull

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks to Jen Johnstone of the Alzheimer's Society and Andrew Pyle of CIBC Wood Gundy about the 'Pulling for Dementia' fire truck pull to benefit the Society's programs and services for those living with dementia.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Fleming College Students' Anti-Stigma School Project Earns Partnership With Alzheimer Society To Be Used Throughout Peterborough

Fleming College’s Graphic Design – Visual Communication (GDV) students have partnered in an anti-stigma campaign developed from a class project with the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton in an announcement on Tuesday.

GDV Fleming Students Adam Keizer (left) Mark Dizon (middle) and James Levesque (right) gave presentations to the media and affiliated organizations of their campaigns. Dizon is an international student from the Phillipines and came to Peterborough for school two years ago. Photo by Samantha Bianco.

The ‘Missing Piece,’ campaign was created and designed by Fleming students including international student Mark Dizon. His project was declared the winner and the lead project from six different groups. It will be used throughout the Peterborough region to draw attention to the stigma and bias that can affect those with dementia.

“I just feel honoured and very happy that it’s my first time to be chosen for this,” said Dizon. “It was a contest and I was chosen. I won and I feel like a champion.”

Each year, fifth-semester GDV students were assigned to aid an organization with a design project. Organizations are often from the non-profit sector and the project gives students a chance to experience working with a real-world client from concept to completion.

The Alzheimer Society are using the designs and concepts in a campaign that will stretch across the Peterborough region.

“We were tremendously impressed with the quality of the work produced by the Fleming College students. Dementia in our region is rising exponentially, and unfortunately stigmatizing language is still commonly used around the disease,” said Jen Johnstone, Alzheimer Society executive director. “We are thrilled that our collaboration with Fleming will enable us to launch our anti-stigma campaign Be the Missing Piece in August of this year.”  

“This is a fantastic example of the hands-on, experiential learning that takes place at Fleming College and comes to life in our community,” said Maureen Adamson, Fleming president. “This project has led to a partnership that benefits not only our students but the people that we love and support. We are honoured to be a part of this collaboration.” 

Dizon has been hired by the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Northumberland, etc. in an internship capacity to help oversee the campaign. He is in his fourth week of six of an internship with the organization at the publication of this article.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Truck Pull Fundraiser For World Alzheimer's Day Brings Community Together At Peterborough Airport

The sixth annual ‘Pulling for Dementia Fire Truck Pull’ tested teamwork and strength while raising money for World Alzheimer’s Day at the Peterborough Airport on Wednesday.

Minds and Motion team celebrating their successful truck pull at the sixth annual event. Photo by Felicia Massey.

The event challenged teams to beat each other’s times by pulling the 44,000-pound firetruck the fastest while community and family members watched on and supported the cause.

AON, Trent Varsity and Minds in Motion were among the teams competing at this year’s event which took place on World Alzheimer’s Day on Sept. 21.

“We’re hoping to raise awareness in the community about Alzheimer’s and Dementia and helping our clients live normal, everyday lives,” said Jennifer Watson who pulled with Minds in Motion. “They can do everything just as much as everyone else.”

All proceeds from the Alzheimer’s Society’s Pulling for Dementia Fire Truck Pull support the programs and services of the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton.

The truck pull hasn’t been held since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. That event was deemed a success after raising $40,000.

All photos by Felicia Massey.

“I am supporting all of the wonderful people that my husband and I have met through Minds in Motion before he passed away a year ago,” said truck-puller Diane Knight. “We made wonderful friends and did lots of socializing, it was just nice to all be together. I think it’s the best thing to ever happen.”

“I did it three years ago with my husband and I wanted to come back today and be a part of it,” she said.

Honorary chair of the event Reverend Ken Fast ensured the teams of 10-12 (10 for men, 12 for women and mixed) were ready to pull before they began.

Rev. Fast holds several Guinness World Records and was dubbed the “world’s strongest priest.” He has pulled several fire trucks, a house and a 188.83-tonne Globemaster III plane.

The Trent Varsity rugby and rowing girls getting ready to prove there strength. Photo by Felicia Massey.

“We just wanted to come together and help out, do what we can to raise some money,” said Mobi Tarride, Trent Varsity team member. “Show off our muscles and support the people we can, of course.”

The Trent Varsity rowing and rugby girls finished with a pulling time of 21.17 seconds while the Minds in Motion team finished in 21.53.

The Alzheimer’s Society has raised just under $8,000 of their $30,000 goal through the fundraiser thus far.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Alzheimer Society of Peterborough asks Community to Help a Neighbour on World Alzheimer Day

The Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton is honouring World Alzheimer’s Day by inviting community members to reach out to family and friends that are living with dementia and offer support.

Photo courtesy of the Alzheimers Society of Peterbororough Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton.

More than 8,000 people suffer from dementia in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton according to the Alzheimer’s Society.

“For World Alzheimer’s Day, our goal is to increase the number of people in our community who know that we provide support services—counselling, education, recreational programming—to people living with dementia,” Alzheimer Society Executive Director, Andrea Cant. “Though we try to reach as many people as we can, there are many more that we haven’t connected with. They are trying to manage on their own and could really benefit from our help.”

The Alzheimer’s Society is encouraging community members to become monthly donors. Ten dollars a month provides services like counselling, support groups or an educational workshop for someone in the Peterborough region living with dementia as stated by the organization.

Twenty dollars a month provides access to an eight-week ‘Minds in Motion’ social and recreational program.

Those who sign up to be monthly donors in September will have their donations matched for a year by the Booth family from Woodstock, in memory of their father Walter Booth who was diagnosed with dementia after their mother passed away.

Clients do not need an official diagnosis to access resources offered by the Alzheimer’s Society.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Inaugural Charity Golf Tournament Raises $7,500 for Alzheimer's Awareness

The first annual “Golf for Loved Ones” tournament raised $7,464 for Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton (PKLNH) at The Quarry Golf Club in Ennismore announced Thursday.

Photo Courtesy of Alzheimer Society of Peterborough.

The tournament hosted 98 golfers on June 26. Lori Banks and her family ran the event in honour of her mother Edna Banks as she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s for a decade before passing away in 2017.

“The tournament was about raising money, but also about raising awareness,” said Lori. “I don’t think people realize how many people in our area have dementia.”

The intention was not just to raise money but to raise awareness about the 8,590 people living with dementia in PKLNH. Organizers gave each golfer a purple bracelet and purple ribbon to wear for their round to aid in the campaign.

The event was considered a great success according to both the Banks and Kevin Carter, Quarry Golf Club owner. The event has already been booked for next year.

“Lori and Ron ran a great event,” said Carter. “They were very organized and managed to get a great turnout. The golfers had a great day with excellent weather. Lori and her family raised a lot of money for the Alzheimer Society and the tournament will continue to grow and raise more money down the road. The Quarry was thrilled to be involved with such a great cause.”

“Hopefully we can make it bigger and better. We got a lot of feedback from the golfers saying they would be coming back next year,” said Lori. “We raised a lot of money, but we’d like to double it next time. We’ve already booked the course for next year.”

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

The Alzheimer Society of Peterborough Kawartha Lakes Northumberland and Haliburton Announces New Executive Director

The Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton has announced Andrea Cant as their new Executive Director on Monday.

Photo Courtesy Of The Alzheimer Society PKLNH.

As of May 31, Cant has taken over duties from retiring Leslie Parham, executive director.

Cant has been working in the non-profit sector for 16 years and previously worked for the Alzheimer Society.

She is eager to build on the legacy left by Parham and will be hard at work guiding the organization out of the pandemic which has taken a toll on both clients and their care partners.

“When the pandemic made in-person services impossible Leslie and her team pivoted the organization to include virtual education, activities and support programs,” says Cant. “Now we’re looking forward to getting back into the community in the fall and providing in-person services to community members who are disproportionately isolated and who depend on social engagement for support and to help slow the progression of the disease. They’ve had to endure a long pandemic largely on their own.”

Social connection, physical activity and barrier-free healthcare are essential for slowing the progress of dementia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many vital resources were unavailable to patients living with dementia. Cant hopes that as restrictions loosen, in-person services will resume.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.