Public awareness and community groups

Speaker's Bureau

The Alzheimer Society of Perth County offers a Speaker’s Bureau which provides presentations to businesses, community and special interest groups. These sessions are flexible and designed to meet your needs. They can range in duration and can be offered during the daytime or evening.

Topics can include:

• Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,
• Aging with vitality,
• Heads Up for Healthier Brains,
• Ways to help a person living with dementia and their family,
• Recent research and treatment updates,
• What is normal memory loss?
• Communication with the person living with dementia,
• Living safely in the community and
• Programs and services supported by the Alzheimer Society of Perth County.

More topics are available upon request. If your group is interested in a presentation, please contact the First Link/Public Education Coordinator at christyb@alzhp.ca or by phone at ext. 21.

Reducing the Risk of Dementia Series

The Reducing the Risk of Dementia Series is an interactive six-hour educational series based on Heads Up for Healthier Brains.

This Series encourages adults to reduce their own risk of dementia by maintaining their brain health. A brain-healthy lifestyle includes exercise, healthy eating and mentally stimulating activities.

This Series is held in partnership with other agencies throughout Perth County.

School Education Program

The Alzheimer Society of Perth County offers a School Education Program designed to raise awareness of the effects of dementia and reduce stigma associated with dementia in our younger generation. This program is interactive in nature and is available to both elementary and secondary school students.

The goals of this program are to:

• Increase general awareness and understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and it's impact in Society,
• Support younger people who are coping with this disease within their family,
• Encourage healthy choices and lifestyles associated with long-term brain health and
• Dispel myths and reduce stigma associated with dementia.

Heads up for Healthier Brains

Heads Up for Healthier Brains is free for all interested classroom teachers and meets the curriculum requirements for Grade 5 Science and Technology as well as Health and Physical Education.

Dementia 101

Dementia 101 is free for all interested senior elementary and secondary school students. It is presented in an interactive format to meet the learning goals of both the Alzheimer Society of Perth County School Education Program and the classroom teachers.

Youth Philanthropy Initiative

The Alzheimer Society of Perth County is a proud supporter of the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) project hosted by the Grade 10 Civics program at Stratford District Secondary School.

If you are interested in hosting a presentation at your school or booking an appointment to discuss your YPI project, please contact the First Link/Public Education Coordinator at christyb@alzhp.ca.

Open public information sessions

Open public information sessions are held throughout the year, with a particular focus on Alzheimer's Awareness Month each January.

Sessions focus on a variety of topics including:

• Warning signs,
• Diagnosis,
• Treatment,
• Risk factors and
• Research updates.

Sessions are advertised in local media and free to the general public.

Please see our events calendar for information on upcoming public forums.

Lending Library

The Alzheimer Society of Perth County's Lending Library includes a comprehensive collection of books, pamphlets, information sheets, videos, DVDs and audio tapes about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

The Lending Library is open during our regular office hours, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.