2025 January Alzheimer's Awareness Month
Three ways to get involved and raise awareness during Alzheimer's Awareness Month
3 ways to get involved this January.
THREE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED IN ALZHEIMER'S AWARENESS MONTH
1. BOOKS A FREE WORKSHOP OR LUNCH AND LEARN
Raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias among your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues. The Alzheimer Society of York Region public education team provides free lunch & learns to York Region companies and free workshops to community groups. Learn more below.
2. LEARN ABOUT BRAIN HEALTH AND REDUCING YOUR RISK OF DEMENTIA.
Find some simple strategies below as well as some links to further resources on the Alzheimer Society of York Region website.
3. DONATE TO SUPPORT LOCAL FAMILIES IMPACTED BY DEMENTIA.
You can help ensure that people living with dementia and their care partners will have the programs and services they need in 2025 despite the donation shortfall caused by the December postal strike. The Canadian Government recently announced that they intend to amend the Income Tax Act to extend the deadline for making donations eligible for tax support in the 2024 tax year, until February 28, 2025.
1. Booking a free workshop or lunch and learn with the AS York public education team....
- How to support a person living with dementia
- How to support someone caring for a person living with dementia
- Brain health
- The dementia umbrella
- Or have the public education team tailor a topic to your groups needs!!!
If you’re interested in hosting a speaker to talk about dementia, caregiving, research or advocacy, AS York has staff and volunteers who are willing to help. Contact Jaime Cruz at [email protected] or call 905-726-3477, ext. 232, who can tailor a session based on your needs.
Learn more about the public education program at the Alzheimer Society of York Region.
2. Learn more about brain health and reducing your risk of dementia.
Why brain health is so important
While there are some risk factors you cannot control for dementia, such as age and genetics, reducing the effects of risk factors that can be controlled is possible.
By following these tips and strategies, you're not only reducing your risk of dementia, you're also:
- Looking after your long-term brain health,
- Reducing your risk of other cognitive and chronic diseases, and
- Protecting your overall health
Be physical active
Physical activity pumps blood to the brain, which nourishes the cells with nutrients and oxygen. As well, regular exercise helps to reduce stress and improve your mood.
Being physically active can reduce these risk factors for dementia:
- Depression
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Lack of physical activity
Be socially active
Staying connected socially helps you stay connected mentally. Research shows that regularly interacting with others may help reduce your risk of developing dementia.
Having an active social life also can reduce your stress, brighten your mood and keep your relationships strong.
Follow a healthy diet that you enjoy
We know that healthy eating can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. These conditions are risk factors for dementia.
Healthy dietary choices not only improve your general health, in the long-term nutritious food helps maintain brain function and fight cognitive decline.
Eating healthily can reduce these risk factors for dementia:
- Diabetes
- High alcohol consumption
- High cholesterol
Learn more about these strategies here
Access more resources from the national resource library at the Alzheimer Society of Canada here.
3. Make a gift so critical programs and services are available when families impacted by dementia need it most.
Like other charities across the country, the Alzheimer Society of York Region has experienced a donation shortfall due to the December postal service disruption.
Please help ensure that local families impacted by dementia start 2025 knowing that they have the programs and services they need as they navigate a dementia diagnosis. You can make a gift here:
We are excited to learn about the Government of Canada's announcement regarding the extension of 2024 charitable donations. Read the full announcement here:
As it becomes available, the team at AS York will update this page with more information regarding this announcement and how it applies to donations made to the Alzheimer Society of York Region during January Alzheimer's Awareness month and the month of February.
For further information about donations please contact the fund development team at [email protected] or
call (905) 726-3477 ext. 231