CORNWALL, Ontario – Two Alzheimer’s Awareness Month events drew interest in the community on Tuesday, Jan. 22.
For the second year, Soup’s On showcased local cooking while raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Society of Cornwall and District between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
“It’s a perfect thing to do in the month of January,” said Shelley Vaillancourt, Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Society of Cornwall and District.
Held at the Cornwall Civic Complex, 20 chefs from Cornwall, SDG and Akwesasne cooked up an array of soups for an expected crowd of 500 plus attendees. Tickets to enjoy a few soups were just $5. Professional chefs, as well as community chefs, volunteered their time and competed for best soup or people’s choice soup.
“We are hoping to make this one of our signature events,” said Jennifer Weeks, Alzheimer’s Society Communications and Campaign Coordinator.
Vaillancourt explained that school busses were canceled the day of last year’s event, as well as this year’s event, so she was happy to see some families enjoying soup together. Last year, $5,000 was raised to support a number of community services, like one on one sessions with families, group training exercises and a music campaign involving iPods for individuals with Alzheimer’s.
At 1 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre, the Family Council of the Centre hosted their first ever Dementia Awareness information session, striving to better inform community members about the disease and celebrate caregivers.
“We have to be out there and we have to be able to respond to our families with dementia,” said Madeleine Lepage, Chair of the Family Council.
According to Josée Desrochers, Education Coordinator with the Alzheimer’s Society, three out of four Canadians know someone with dementia. Desrochers was looking forward to speak with the public to explain methods of care that contribute to better quality of life for those who suffer dementia. She believes that learning more about the disease will reduce the stigmatism.
Amelie Gove, Resident and Patient Relations Advisor at the Centre, was looking forward to informing the public about the Butterfly Project adopted by the centre.
“It is creating more of an atmosphere that is familiar to something they (residents) could have experienced at home,” said Gove, who explained the Butterfly Project aims to deinstitutionalize long term care.
“The staff wear jeans, eat with residents, engage in conversation (in these spaces). It’s a really lovely initiative. It has been about a year in process so far and it is branching out throughout the (centre),” said Gove.
According to statistics, 85 per cent of residents in long term care facilities in Ontario suffer some form of Dementia.
To read testimonials and follow the stories of individuals affected by the disease, visit www.Alzheimer.ca
