This month at the Alzheimer Society.

Led by a pair of experienced improvisers from Tightrope Impro Theatre, this webinar will introduce people affected by dementia to improvisation. Through a combination of demonstrations, games and exercises, participants will build new skills, share their creativity and laugh together! This webinar will focus on using improv as a tool for communication between people living with dementia and their care partners by exploring saying yes, listening, and imagination.

Dr. Lillian Hung and her team at UBC’s IDEA Lab work closely with people with the lived experience of dementia. Join Lillian and advocate Jim Mann as they highlight how assistive robots, virtual reality and virtual team-based care are helping to address the unique care challenges faced by persons living with dementia and their families.

Dementia will affect a person’s ability to drive and for many people this represents a loss of independence. Discuss strategies for how to have the conversations about the topic early and ease the transition when it’s time for someone to retire from driving.

It can be frustrating and upsetting when someone living with dementia is behaving in an unexpected way; their words and gestures are often a response to something important in their environment. Explore responsive behaviours, what causes them, your own reactions, and strategies for maintaining well-being.

Explore various changes in behaviors caused by dementia and learn practical strategies for responding in supportive ways.

Dementia affects how a person conveys their thoughts and feelings; common behaviours can include mixing up words (word salad) and creating false memories without motivation (confabulation) which can lead to misunderstandings and frustrations. Learn how to address these behaviours and respond to other questions, like wanting to go home and asking about deceased relatives.