McGill Cares

Pam Orzeck, MSW, PhD, is Associate Professor in the McGill School of Social Work and part of the coordination team at the Caregiver Grief Connexion project. Her latest research focuses on women's bereavement experiences after caregiving. She has published several articles and co-edited a book on professional interventions with caregivers. Zelda Freitas, BA, BSW, MSW, is Adjunct Professor at the McGill School of Social Work and part of the coordination team of the Caregiver Grief Connexion project. Ms Freitas’ expertise involves caregivers and caregiving, psychosocial practice, including palliative care and end-of-life care, countering adult mistreatment and older adults. Ms. Orzeck and Ms. Freitas will speak about the Caregiver Grief Connection project, a new initiative that offers free and accessible educational resources on caregiver grief and bereavement for health and social service professionals and care providers. They will discuss their motivations for founding the project and what they hope it will achieve. McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Stephanie Geller, MSW, is the Team Lead, Clinical Social Worker, at Lianas Senior Transition Support. She has been working with seniors for the last 25 years, helping them and their families with caregiving issues, including navigating social services, work-life balance issues, stress, anxiety, burnout and coping through major life decisions. Anna Kamateros, Notary, TEP, is Department Head, Wills Estates and Planning at KRB Lawyers. Me Kamateros provides estate and later-life planning services that optimize wealth transfer and reduce estate conflicts. Her work with respect to estate planning, including the preparation of final wills and testaments and protection mandates, includes advising liquidators on their duties administering the estate. She is also a researcher for the Chaire de recherche Antoine-Turmel sur la protection juridique des aînés and a consultant on the multisectoral team to help counter the mistreatment of older adults. She is part of the expert committee for the Quebec Chamber of Notaries on the implementation of the law to better protect vulnerable persons. This webcast's goal is to provide clarity on the assessments and legal documentation required to make decisions on behalf of a person who is no longer able to make important decisions for themselves. ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Andrea Warnick, RN, MA, is a Registered Psychotherapist and Registered Nurse who supports individuals, families and communities who are grieving illness or death in their lives. She co-owns AWC Grief Support, a group practice of over 30 therapists who provide grief therapy across Ontario and grief consultation and education across Canada. Ms. Warnick developed the five-day Children's grief and bereavement certificate program at SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Learning Institute. She also hosts Kids Grief Q&A, a free monthly webinar offered by Canadian Virtual Hospice, where she responds to questions from families and professionals from across the country about supporting grieving children and youth. Ms. Warnick will answer questions about how to speak to children about grave illnesses and how to recognize and address grieving in children. This webcast is in English. ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Julie Bickerstaff, MSW, is Director of Caregiver Support & Knowledge Transfer at l’Appui pour les proches aidants, a caregiver support organization. Over the past 20 years of working in the health and social services network, public health, territorial organization and community sectors, she has developed a rich and varied expertise in consultation and mobilization, social development and program management. Ms. Bickerstaff will speak about the services offered by l’Appui pour les proches aidants that are available throughout the province of Quebec in English and French. This webcast is in English. ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Marie-Eve Bolduc, PhD, is Assistant Professor (professional) at the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University. Her research interests are directed toward brain-based disabilities, pediatric outcome research and simulation education. Using her experience as an occupational therapist, curriculum lead and simulation educator, she has been involved in developing material for the McGill Dementia Education Program since 2019. During the pandemic, Prof. Bolduc supervised the creation of a Dementia Activity Booklet for caregivers of people living with dementia by four of her students. The booklet has been very popular and so, with her guidance, and funding from the Petro-Canada Caremakers Foundation, we have brought some of those activities to life in videos. Prof. Bolduc will explain why continuing to participate in leisure activities and activities of daily living is important for people living with dementia and will share ideas for adapting activities to a person’s abilities. She will show some of the new dementia activity videos which we will be launching on our website. This podcast is available in English and French. ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Marie-Eve Bolduc, Ph. D., est professeure adjointe à l’École de physiothérapie et d’ergothérapie de l’Université McGill. Ses intérêts de recherche touchent particulièrement les troubles d’origine cérébraux, les troubles développementaux et l’enseignement par simulation. Forte de son expérience d’ergothérapeute, de responsable de programme et d’éducatrice en simulation, elle participe depuis 2019 à l’élaboration de matériel de formation sur les troubles neurocognitifs majeurs au sein du programme de formation sur les troubles neurocognitifs de l’Université McGill. Pendant la pandémie, la Pre Bolduc a supervisé la création, par quatre de ses étudiantes, d’un livret d’activités pour les personnes atteintes de troubles neurocognitifs et leurs proches aidants. Le livret a été très populaire et grâce à ses conseils et au financement de la Fondation proches aimants Petro-Canada, nous avons pu donner vie à certaines de ces activités en vidéos. La Pre Bolduc expliquera pourquoi il est important pour les personnes atteintes de troubles neurocognitifs de continuer à participer à des activités de loisirs et aux activités de la vie quotidienne. Elle donnera aussi des conseils pour adapter les activités en fonction des capacités de la personne. Puis, elle présentera quelques-unes des nouvelles vidéos sur les activités liées aux troubles neurocognitifs que nous lancerons sur notre site web. Ce balado est disponible en français et en anglais. ______________________________________ McGill à vos côtés est parrainé par le programme Engagement communautaire Amelia Saputo pour les soins de la démence. McGill à vos côtés est une initiative du programme de formation sur les troubles neurocognitifs de McGill, qui est financé par des dons privés. Pour contribuer ou pour en savoir plus sur notre programme, rendez-vous au www.mcgill.ca/demence. Cette page contient également un lien vers des ressources fiables spécifiques à la démence. Si vous souhaitez nous voir aborder des sujets et des questions spécifiques durant nos webémissions, écrivez-nous à dementia@mcgill.ca.

Jocelyn Downie is a Professor Emerita in the Faculties of Law and Medicine at Dalhousie University with a particular interest in end-of-life care. She served as Special Advisor to the Canadian Senate Committee on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide and was involved in several national and provincial expert panels that address end-of-life decision-making and physician-assisted dying. Professor Downie is the author of Dying Justice: A Case for the Decriminalizing Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide in Canada, which was awarded the Abbyann D. Lynch Medal in Bioethics from the Royal Society of Canada. She was named a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and made a member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her work advocating for high quality, end-of-life care. Professor Downie discusses whether, and how, people living with dementia can request Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD). ____________________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

McGill Cares was launched by the Dementia Education Program during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, on May 13, 2020, while many of us were isolating at home. Claire Webster, Founder of the Program, had the idea to record short interviews with different experts on topics of interest to care partners of people living with neurocognitive disorders to help educate and support them during this difficult time. On November 15, 2023, we aired the 100th episode of McGill Cares! Dr. José Morais, Dr. Serge Gauthier, Dr. Pedro Rosa-Neto and Claire Webster looked at highlights from the past three years and answered questions. If you were not able to join us for the live webcast, it was recorded and is posted here and on our website to listen to or view at your convenience, like all past episodes of McGill Cares. Since launching McGill Cares, we have had over 70,000 views of our free online webcasts. Thank you for being an important part of our success. Original air date: Nov. 15, 2023 ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Lucy Barylak, MSW, is a social gerontology consultant for the CIUSSS-West-Central Montreal and a graduate of the McGill University School of Social Work, where she is also a liaison supervisor. Ms. Barylak has developed evidence-based training for seniors and caregivers, and she lectures in the field of social gerontology and knowledge transfer. She facilitates “Dear Lucy,” an online show about caregiving funded by the WellMed Foundation in the U.S. She founded and, for many years, managed the Caregiver Support Centre at the CLSC Rene-Cassin, a multi-service respite centre for family and informal caregivers. Ms. Barylak received the Queen’s Jubilee Award for her role in developing a national coalition to support caregivers across Canada. Lucy will discuss why people living with dementia might refuse personal daily care and provide some tips for what caregivers can do when faced with those situations. ____________________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Corrie Sirota is a clinical social worker and sessional lecturer at the McGill School of Social Work who specializes in loss, bereavement. Corrie is also a TEDx speaker, the Clinical Director at Myra's Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports bereaved children and their families and the author of Someone Died...Now What? A Personal and Professional Perspective on Coping with Loss and Grief. Ms. Sirota will speak about the types of loss triggered by a diagnosis of dementia, the varied emotions that accompany it and ways to cope with anticipatory grief. ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Mr. Matt Del Vecchio is a Certified Professional Consultant on Aging (CPCA). He is the owner of Lianas Senior Transition Support, which provides families with guidance and support in navigating home care and senior living communities. Mr. Del Vecchio is also co-host of a popular weekly radio show, “Life Unrehearsed” on CJAD800 in Montreal and writes for The Suburban newspaper as their "Seniors and Aging" columnist. There will come a point in time when one needs to consider a transition from home into a senior-living community. These decisions can be filled with emotion, guilt and anxiety. What can be done to avoid crisis mode? Mr. Del Vecchio will discuss the steps that can be taken to allow for a smooth and less stressful transition. ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Nancy Mayo, PhD, is a Distinguished James McGill Professor in the Department of Medicine and the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University. She is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE) at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, where she leads a research program on Function, Disability and Quality of Life for vulnerable populations. She is Co-Founder and CEO of PhysioBiometrics Inc., a McGill spin-off company dedicated to developing accessible wearable technologies targeting vulnerable populations so people can move better to move more. Prof. Mayo will discuss best practices for walking in order to avoid falls as we age and explain how wearable technology can help improve gait and movement. McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Serge Gauthier, MD, is a clinical neurologist specializing in the development of new tools for diagnosis and treatments for people living with Alzheimer’s disease. He is the Academic Co-Lead for the Dementia Education Program and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery and the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University. Dr. Gauthier was the Director of the McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging from 1986 to 1997. His accomplishments led to him being appointed to the Order of Canada in 2014 and the National Order of Québec in 2017. Dr. Gauthier will provide an overview of new pharmaceuticals on the market, including how they obtained Health Canada and/or FDA approval, how they work, who is eligible, side effects, availability and cost. This podcast is also available in French. ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Serge Gauthier, MD, est neurologue clinicien spécialisé dans le développement de nouveaux outils de diagnostic et de traitement pour les personnes souffrant de la maladie d’Alzheimer. Il est coresponsable universitaire du Programme de formation sur la démence et professeur émérite au Département de neurologie et neurochirurgie et au Département de psychiatrie de l’Université McGill. Le Dr Gauthier a été directeur du Centre de recherche et d’études sur le vieillissement de l’Université McGill de 1986 à 1997. Ses travaux lui ont valu d’être décoré de l’Ordre national du Canada en 2014 et de l’Ordre national du Québec en 2017. Le Dr Gauthier fera le point sur les nouveaux produits pharmaceutiques sur le marché, présentant notamment les processus d’approbation de Santé Canada ou de la FDA, leur fonctionnement, les personnes admissibles, les effets secondaires, la disponibilité et les coûts. Cette webémission est aussi disponible en anglais. ______________________________________ McGill à vos côtés est parrainé par le programme Engagement communautaire Amelia Saputo pour les soins de la démence. McGill à vos côtés est une initiative du programme de formation sur la démence de McGill, qui est financé par des dons privés. Pour contribuer ou pour en savoir plus sur notre programme, rendez-vous au www.mcgill.ca/demence. Cette page contient également un lien vers des ressources fiables spécifiques à la démence. Si vous souhaitez nous voir aborder des sujets et des questions spécifiques durant nos webémissions, écrivez-nous à dementia@mcgill.ca.

Zahinoor Ismail, MD, is a clinician scientist and Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, Epidemiology, and Pathology at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary. He is also Chair of the Canadian Conference on Dementia, and Chair of the Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia, which generates Canadian dementia guidelines, the most recent iteration of which were published in 2020. Dr Ismail was also recently appointed as Co-Chair of the Government of Canada Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia. Dr. Ismail will provide a novel approach for reviewing the causes of stress in dementia care partners. He will describe an overall framework for assessing stress, provide clinical examples, and review preliminary data from formal and informal Canadian care partners. _______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Pedro Rosa-Neto, MD, is Director of the McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging (MCSA). He is a Professor of Neurology at McGill University and a clinical neurologist with expertise in the quantification of dementia pathophysiology and preclinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease using biomarkers. He is also affiliated with the Douglas Research Institute, the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, the Department of Psychiatry, and the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at McGill University. Dr. Rosa-Neto will talk about the type of research that is undertaken at the MCSA, the role of research volunteers, and how to become a research participant. _______________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Marie Moliner is a full-time caregiver for Kevin Whitaker, her true love who has Parkinson’s disease and dementia. She participated in the making of Still Headroom: Parkinson’s and the Power of Care, a short documentary about her life with Kevin. She is writing a book about her experience and volunteers as Assistant Editor for the Townships Sun. Before she retired at 55 to look after Kevin, she was a lawyer and public servant who volunteered extensively. In this special edition of McGill Cares, we will present Still Headroom: Parkinson’s and the Power of Care and Ms. Moliner will speak about the importance of documenting the journey she is on with her husband. The McGill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences has launched a special crowdfunding initiative in collaboration with Marie Moliner and Kevin Whitaker to raise funds towards the Dementia Education Program. We hope that you will consider making a gift to help us reach our goal of raising $50,000. If you are interested in donating, please visit https://crowdfunding.mcgill.ca/ui/main/p/mariemolinerkevinwhitaker . ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Maria Natasha Rajah, PhD, is Full Professor and Vice-Dean, Academic Affairs at the McGill University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Douglas Research Centre. She conducts sex and gender research in the cognitive neuroscience of memory, aging and dementia prevention. She also studies how biological sex assigned at birth, gender, and social determinants of health affect brain health and memory over the adult lifespan. Prof. Rajah will talk about the differences between how men and women’s brains age, and the implications in terms of developing Alzheimer’s disease. ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Louis Bherer, PhD, is Full Professor at the Department of Medicine at the Université de Montréal and the Director of the Centre ÉPIC at the Montreal Heart Institute, where he holds the Mirella and Lino Saputo Chair in Cardiovascular Health and Prevention of Cognitive Disorders. He is also a researcher at the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal. Prof. Bherer’s research examines how cognitive health can be improved and maintained as we age. In particular, he is looking at the impact of physical fitness on cognitive vitality in late adulthood. Prof. Bherer will talk about how maintaining an active lifestyle can help prevent and delay cognitive decline in normal aging and dementia. Original air date: May 31, 2023. ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.

Serge Gauthier, MD, is a clinical neurologist specializing in the development of new tools for diagnosis and treatments for people living with Alzheimer’s disease. He is the Academic Co-Lead for the Dementia Education Program and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery and the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University. Dr. Gauthier was the Director of the McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging from 1986 to 1997. His accomplishments led to him being appointed to the Order of Canada in 2014 and the National Order of Québec in 2017. Dr. Gauthier will provide an overview of the research into natural cognitive decline and how to maintain brain health as we age. This podcast is also available in French. Original air date: May 17, 2023 ______________________________________________ McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care. McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia. This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia. If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia@mcgill.ca.