McGill Cares McGill Dementia Education Program

Christina Smith has been involved in municipal politics with the City of Westmount for over ten years. She was first elected as City Councillor in 2013, then as Mayor in 2017. 



Mayor Smith will share her experience as a caregiver to her late father who recently passed away from Alzheimer’s disease. She will talk about the impact this disease has had on her and her family, and discuss both the challenges and positive encounters she faced with the healthcare system. 



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.  

Joanne Besner, BSW, MBA, ACC, and caregiver, received her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Business Administration from McGill University, and a Professional Coaching designation from the John Molson Executive Centre at Concordia University. Ms. Besner coaches and facilitates workshops for health care professionals and community organizations, including the McGill University School of Social Work, where she is also an internship liaison supervisor. Her 35-year career in Quebec community health care spans many roles including frontline social work, clinical supervisor, manager, researcher and trainer. 

Ms. Besner will explain how negative emotions can interfere with our ability to manage difficult situations and offer tools to help us respond constructively to challenging 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.  

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.