September 2024 - New "CLBDI Talks", an upcoming anniversary, October plans, and more...

Hello Lewy Warriors!

We hope everyone had a wonderful summer and you're all ready for the holiday season. We are so excited to enter the last quarter of the year and have lots to update you on and announce. Let's get right into it!

Firstly, we have released a new episode of the "CLBDI Talks" interview series on our YouTube channel. This month, we sat with Michelle Martin, Executive Director of the Alzheimer Society Waterloo-Wellington, to talk about the Alzheimer Society, their two Landmark Studies on dementia, and the future of the disease in Canada. This was a wonderful and interesting conversation that also covered a wide variety of subjects including how the Alzheimer Society operates, what they offer people in the region and across Canada, advocacy, education, support, and so much more. You can watch it above or on our YouTube channel! We've got another episode coming in October featuring a conversation with our founder Carol Schmidt about CLBDI, our journey, and the future.

We're celebrating five years of CLBDI this October with a small celebration, more CLBDI content, and more ways to support. Our founder will soon be walking what she dubs the "Loonie Loops" in Uptown Waterloo to raise awareness about and donations for LBD research in Ontario. We will be posting updates on our Facebook and Instagram, so be sure to check us out and give our page a follow.

Want to donate and support LBD research in Ontario? Click here: The LBD Research Fund & Donations

We also have new merchandise coming very soon, if that's something you're more interested in. You'll soon be able to get some spiffy new CLBDI toques to keep your head warm this winter. Plus, with the holidays coming, they'll make a wonderful Christmas gift that you can feel good about. Half of all sales goes directly to Dr. Pasternak and his research team at UWO. More information, including pricing and design, will be released over the coming months.

We are also working to create a local support group for LBD patients and caregivers to connect, share stories, and find other Lewy Warriors in the Waterloo Region. If all goes well. we plan to expand to online support groups as well. This initiative won't launch until 2025 but we're so excited to offer a place for people to find support and community locally. Keep your eyes peeled for more updates as we get closer to the end of the year.

Lastly, we urge everyone to check out our CLBDI Advocacy Letter 2024 and consider sending a copy to your MPs and MPPs. If you've been following what's been happening with LTC homes and medical/support workers in our province, you will realize how important it is to start the conversation and call our politicians to action to improve the systems of support for people with dementia. It's only going to get more challenging from here and these discussions should have started years ago. Join the chorus of voices asking for accountability, change, and support from our politicians today.

That's all from us! We hope everyone has a wonderful October and we'll see you in a month.

Best,
Joe