Happy Weekend!

It might be Friday the 13th, but with all of the sunshine out there, it feels like our lucky day!

Enjoy this collection of great reads from around the web as you wind down this weekend:

The Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan provides an opportunity for people with dementia and their partners in care to reconnect through art. (This reminds me of Gather at the Gallery, a program that our Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Lisa Meschino, is involved with).

What an interesting and creative campaign for Alzheimer's awareness. What do you think?

In Canada, dementia will directly affect 1.1 million people in less than 25 years. The rising economic cost of the disease will increase tenfold to a staggering $153 billion per year. Why doesn't Canada have a national dementia plan? The Alzheimer Society is encouraging you to add your voice to the discussion here.

A lovely video that reminds us of the powerful impact that music can have on quality of life (you can also read about it here).

(Images from top: New York Times; Alzheimer Society of Canada; The Stir)

Have a Nice Weekend!

I woke up to a winter wonderland! Brrr, hopefully the Sunday sun melts the snow away.

In the meantime, here are a few interesting reads from around the web:

Via Way Wild Pets

Channel the therapeutic powers of your four-legged friends for use in elder care settings.

A recent letter to the editor about treating older adults with respect.

Understanding your risk for for dementia.

Some helpful strategies to communicate more effectively with a person who has dementia.

The Alzheimer's Disease International 2012 Conference is taking place this week. MAREP Director, Sherry Dupuis, and our Associate Director of Research, Lisa Loiselle, are presenting. Take a look at the book of abstracts to see if any sessions interest you, or follow the #ADI2012 hastag on Twitter for live tweets from the event.

Wishing you all a happy, safe weekend from the team at MAREP.

Happy (belated) New Year!

Well, here we are, almost two weeks into 2012 (time flies when you're having fun!).

In the spirit of new year's resolutions, I would like to share this article about seven health risks that may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's Disease.

Regardless of our age, we can all focus on a happier, healthier lifestyle in 2012.

Via NutriHealth

All the best for the new year (and the upcoming weekend).

Here are some interesting bites from around the web:

Is it normal age-related memory loss or something more serious? This article helps you make decisions about when to get help for your loved ones.

A quick and easy applesauce bread recipe that packs a nutritional punch.

Get a glimpse of living life with dementia through Twitter. The tweets are based on the journal of Jim Mann, diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease at the age of 58, and will be shared throughout January. To learn more, follow @AlzheimerBC or search the #injimshoes hashtag.