About us
The Alzheimer Society of Chatham-Kent is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to helping people living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, their families and their care partners.
Mission
To improve the quality of life of people affected by Alzheimer's disease and related dementias through education, outreach, effective programming and research.
Vision
To foster a community where people affected by Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are accepted and fully supported to maximize their quality of life and well-being.
Core Values
Collaboration
Collaboration will be inclusive of clients, care partners, program staff and external health and non-health care partners to ensure exceptional care facilitated by a team approach through listening, education and a mutually agreed upon care plan through the continuum of the disease.
Accountability
Accountability is inclusive of clients, care partners, health care partners, funders, donors, board of directors and each other, and demands responsibility for decisions, actions, behaviours and performance.
Respect
Respect considers equity, diversity, cultural humility, inclusion, dignity and privacy by modelling positive behaviour through front-line training and targeted education. Approaches to all partners will be accepting, considerate, attentive, encouraging and appreciative.
Excellence
Excellence will be fostered by all health and non-health care partners through continuous education, training and best practices in providing outstanding services for clients and care partners while minimizing risk. The Alzheimer Society of Chatham-Kent will be the gold standard in services and integrity driven by community needs and engagement. Leadership and governance will guide excellence for all.
A Brief History of Our Chapter
The Alzheimer Society of Chatham-Kent was started by a group in 1983 that was affected by Alzheimer's disease. It was identified that there was a lack of resources and support services available. Informal meetings were first held at the home of Grace LaMarsh.
In 1986, the Alzheimer Society of Chatham-Kent received its charitable registration number and achieved full chapter status. The first office opened that year with funding secured from the Ministry of Community and Social Services. The first Board President was instrumental in advocating for funding for the Day Program.
After much negotiating and several moves, we are proud of our locations at both 36 Memory Lane in Chatham and 212 Elizabeth Street in Wallaceburg. The Chatham location houses our Day Program, Support Services and administrative staff. The Wallaceburg location houses our Day Program for residents in the northern part of Chatham-Kent.
The Rising Tide Study, published by the Alzheimer Society of Canada in 2010, clearly demonstrates that the need for our services is increasing steadily. With the assistance of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, we now have First Link® funding which is a province-wide program designed to make connections with clients earlier in the disease process in order to provide the best supports at the best time and avoid a crisis situation.
In January of 2012, the Alzheimer Society of Chatham-Kent was selected to be the Lead Community Agency for the Behavioural Supports Ontario Program for the Windsor-Essex, Sarnia-Lambton and Chatham-Kent regions. The amount of $2.41M of new annualized funding has been dedicated to the program creating 25 new jobs to assist those with responsive behaviours in our communities. In March of 2013, an additional $200K was added to sustain the program.
The Alzheimer Society of Chatham-Kent is grateful to the Ministry of Health and Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team for their continued support in ensuring that those affected by Alzheimer's disease or related dementias have much-needed services available to them.
Organizational Chart
