Leading the Way
Communities in Yorkton, Melville, and the surrounding rural areas are working towards better meeting the needs of people affected by dementia. Read how here.
With the calendar flipped over to 2023, we want to take a moment to reflect on our growth and thank everyone who contributed to our success in Yorkton, Melville, and the surrounding rural communities in 2022. When community members take interest in learning more about dementia and how to reduce stigma around the disease, it helps make our communities more welcoming and accessible to people living with dementia and their care partners.
Over the past year, we:
- Travelled to and connected with eight communities across the Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan project region;
- Delivered more than 15 presentations to a variety of organizations and community groups to help increase their understanding of dementia and dementia friendliness;
- Supported more than 20 businesses, organizations, social clubs, and shared interest groups to enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of their social and physical environments to become more dementia friendly;
- Hosted a informational luncheon for 25 of our important stakeholders in Yorkton and area in November where representatives from Yorkton RCMP, Yorkton Public Library, Yorkton Tribal Council and other local organizations learned how to incorporate dementia friendly considerations into their roles and work environments.
We are excited to get out to more communities and connect with more organizations in the project area in 2023! If you would like more information about the Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan project, please contact:
Jackie Hofstrand
Dementia Community Coordinator
Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan
(306) 783-6606
jhofstrand@alzheimer.sk.ca
Other Projects Involved in Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan
Belong Where You Find Yourself
The Godfrey Dean Art Gallery is spearheading Belong Where You Find Yourself, a project that directly involves people living with dementia and their care partners in community-engaged art. Local artists meet with participants to share stories, identify personal interests and talents, and collaborate on art mediums of the participants’ choice.
Our Dementia Community Coordinator has supported the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery throughout the project by providing information and resources on dementia and consulting with staff on increasing the gallery’s dementia friendliness. This spring, the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery will host an exhibit for Belong Where You Find Yourself artwork and we look forward to supporting the event however possible.
Rural Dementia Action Research (RaDAR) Memory Clinics
In collaboration with primary health care professionals and Saskatchewan Health Authority leadership, the RaDAR Team from the University of Saskatchewan is bringing rural memory clinics to the Yorkton area. Memory clinics involve an interdisciplinary team that focuses on the diagnosis and management of atypical and complex cases of suspected dementia. An Alzheimer Society representative is also present during the clinics to help provide support to individuals and their care partners. Memory clinics will soon be held every one-to-two months in the area.
For more info on RaDAR Memory Clinics, see the Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan website.
Cognitive Kitchen: A Virtual Culinary Intervention for Dementia Prevention
Cognitive Kitchen is a pilot project through the University of Saskatchewan aimed at communicating evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle practices that have been shown to play a role in dementia risk reduction. Participants learn more about how to reduce their risk of dementia while taking part in a virtual cooking and nutritional education program.
The Cognitive Kitchen project is led by Dr. Allison Cammer, a PhD candidate in Nutrition and registered dietitian working at the Rural and Remote Memory Clinic at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Cammer is also one of the guest presenters at our upcoming Spotlight on Research Event.
For more details and to register for Spotlight on Research, please click here: Spotlight on Research Event | Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan
Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan is led by the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU) at the University of Regina and is funded by the Government of Canada.
