Baycrest Bulletin - May 2008

DECEMBER 2007
SEPTEMBER 2007
New Centre for
Brain Fitness
Meeting a
21 st century
challenge
MAY 2008 VOL. 06 06 ISSUE 02 03
VOL. 06 I S 0 1
New Ideas. New Tools.
Geriatric Geriatric Health Health Care System System • Research Research Centre Centre for Aging Aging and the Brain Brain • Centre Centre for Education Education on Aging Aging • Baycrest Baycrest Foundation
Foundation

Brain tissue loss greatest in most severe
injuries, Baycrest-led study finds
In a rare, large-scale study of patients with
traumatic brain injury (TBI), researchers
have found that the more severe the injury,
the greater the volume loss of brain tissue,
particularly white matter.
“This is an important finding as TBI is one
of the most common forms of disability,” says
Dr. Brian Levine, senior scientist at Baycrest’s
Rotman Research Institute and lead author of
the study which was published in the journal
Neurology in March.
TBI causes both localized damage through
bruises or bleeds, as well as more diffuse damage
through disconnection of brain cells, which ultimately
causes cell death. The localized damage
is easier to detect with the naked eye. Yet both
kinds of damage contribute to difficulties with
concentration, working memory, organizing and
planning—vital skills for holding a job—and to
mood changes often experienced by people
following a brain injury.
According to Dr. Levine, “it can be hard to
determine why patients are so disabled, and
this study offers a clue to the nature of the
brain damage causing this disability.”
In the study, 69 TBI patients were recruited
from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre one
year after their injury. Eighty per cent had been
injured in a motor vehicle accident. Some had
minor injuries and were discharged immediately,
whereas others had more severe injuries with
extended loss of consciousness lasting weeks.
Subjects’ brains were scanned with high
resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
which provides the most sensitive picture of
volume changes in the brain. Analysis of the
scans revealed widespread brain tissue loss
that was closely related to the severity of the
ON OUR COVER
From left, announcing
his government’s
$10-million investment
in Baycrest’s Centre
for Brain Fitness,
Minister for Research
and Innovation John
Wilkinson is joined by
Baycrest Board Chair Dr. Tony Melman and
Dr. Jon Ween, medical director of the Louis
and Leah Posluns Stroke and Cognition Clinic,
where the computer tablet tool seen here is
being developed for assessing various brain
functions. Photos by BDS Studio
2 Baycrest Bulletin
News Briefs
injury sustained one year earlier. “We were
surprised at the extent of volume loss, which
encompassed both frontal and posterior
brain regions,” says Dr. Levine. He is leading
follow-up studies on the same group of TBI
patients to examine more closely how the
localized loss of white and grey matter volume
affects behaviour.
The research team included Dr. Sandra
Black, research director of the Neurosciences
Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre,
and a senior scientist at Sunnybrook and the
Rotman Institute.
The study was supported by grants from the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the
U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Mayo Clinic geriatrician shares
Alzheimer’s expertise
People with dementia do well in care environments
designed to help them function to the
best of their ability. That was the central
message of a guest lecture delivered at Baycrest
on January 28 by the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Eric
Tangalos.
Dr. Tangalos is a noted geriatric care specialist
and Alzheimer’s researcher, and one of two
physicians invited by former U.S. President
Bill Clinton to take part in the Whitehouse
Conference on Aging in 1995.
In his presentation to Baycrest staff, Dr.
Tangalos talked about the memory and problemsolving
difficulties that Alzheimer’s patients are
subject to, particularly as the disease progresses
and their ability to speak and perform tasks
declines. The environment of care should
therefore be designed to maximize “functional
successes” while minimizing opportunities to
fail, he said. “We want people to function, and
caregivers need to pay attention to non-verbal
clues from their patients.”
Dr. Tangalos discussed ways to create a
safe environment that helps patients deal with
memory and problem-solving challenges. He
showed, for example, how a curved sidewalk in
one nursing home helps walkers return safely
to where they began. He noted the value
of teaching Alzheimer’s patients to relearn
meaningful tasks such as folding clothes. He
described how assistivetechno-logies such as
tags in clothing, monitors, motion detectors, and
amplifiers for the hearing-impaired can improve
patient safety and functional ability.
Avoid presenting residents with too many
food choices at one meal, Dr. Tangalos advised,
adding that residents who share the company
Mural to hide door helps prevent Alzheimer’s
patients from wandering.
of staff at mealtimes stay longer at the table
and eat more.
Bathrooms in long-term care facilities, he
noted, are shifting from sterile spaces with
stainless steel tubs to more home-like rooms with
showers that are easier for residents to get into.
Dr. Tangalos praised Baycrest’s unique day
program for dementia patients, noting that the
Centre has the advantage of being a single
campus with a common focus.
Israeli consul general visits Baycrest
Amir Gissin, the newly-appointed consul general
for Israel in Toronto, recently toured Baycrest
to learn about the organization, particularly its
global telehealth activities. A former head of
public relations for the Israeli foreign ministry,
Gissin’s primary mandate here is to promote the
State of Israel. He says he also hopes to raise
awareness of Baycrest’s collaborative health-care
initiatives with organizations in his home country.
Amir Gissen (far right), the consul general for Israel,
chats with (from left) Dr. Morris Freedman, head of
the Division of Neurology at Baycrest; Tim Patterson,
co-ordinator of Baycrest’s telehealth program; and
Baycrest president and CEO Dr. William Reichman.

Ontario Government invests $10 million
in new Centre for Brain Fitness at Baycrest
In the last century, science and medicine
aligned to combat the scourge of heart disease.
Today at Baycrest, researchers and clinicians
are developing innovative responses to an
emerging 21st century menace—Alzheimer’s
disease and other disorders of the brain.
In April, in recognition of its position as a
world leader in aging brain research, Baycrest
received $10 million from the Ontario Government
to create a groundbreaking
Centre for Brain Fitness (CBF).
As the province braces for a
doubling of its senior population
over the next 20 years, the CBF
will develop and commercialize
a range of products designed
to improve the brain health of
aging Ontarians and others
around the world.
“Our government is proud
to support Baycrest and its
invaluable work, which is
already leading to the discovery
of important new tools and
approaches to treating brain
diseases associated with aging,”
said Minister of Research and
Innovation John Wilkinson.
The minister noted that the focus will shift
from cardiac disease research in the last century
to brain research in the 21st century. “Just as
we have increased our understanding of how
the heart ages, and the role that staying fit plays
in keeping the heart healthy, we need to understand
how to keep the brain fit as we age so
that each of us can lead a happy, fulfilling and
productive life for as long as possible.”
“There are few things as frightening as the
With the support of the Ontario
government, the new Centre for
Brain Fitness will allow Baycrest
to "give the world a whole new
understanding—and new hope—
about interventions and preventions
that could transform aging,"
said Baycrest President and CEO
Dr. Bill Reichman.
prospect of declining brain fitness as we age
and the loss of our mental faculties,” said
Dr. Tony Melman, chair of the Baycrest Board
of Directors. “Baycrest’s strengths in aging
brain research, cognitive assessment and
rehabilitation make it well positioned to
develop innovative, market-driven research
products that will transform the way we age.”
Dr. Melman also noted that the Centre for
Brain Fitness could save the
Ontario health-care system
an estimated $1 billion
annually by delaying the
institutionalization of one
third of dementia patients
for one year. In addition,
he said, the government’s
investment will help Ontario
participate in the global
brain fitness market,
which is expected to
reach $4 billion by 2010.
Baycrest will partner with
the Toronto-based MaRS
Venture Group to develop and
market scientifically-proven
products for the clinic, workplace
and home environments. MaRS connects
communities of science, business and capital to
stimulate innovation and to accelerate the creation
and growth of Canadian enterprises.
“Loss of memory and brain functioning is
the number one health concern of the aging
population,” noted Dr. Don Stuss, vice president
of research and academic education at Baycrest.
“But through the Centre for Brain Fitness our
future will see the research knowledge we
generate transformed into new diagnostic tools
The Minister of Research and Innovation John Wilkinson
(left) takes part in a demonstration by Baycrest’s Dr. Jon
Ween of a computer-based cognitive assessment tool
currently in development in the newly-created Centre
for Brain Fitness.
such as a computer tablet that allows clinicians
to measure—in a simple and rapid manner—
memory and processing and reasoning in
people who have had a stroke, or may have
Alzheimer’s or other memory challenges.”
What the blood pressure cuff did for cardiac
assessment, this cognitive assessment tool
has the potential to do for brain health, added
Dr. Stuss. “Today, our ability to detect brain
health issues related to aging is minimal, slow
and cumbersome. In the near future it is going
to become highly effective and efficient and,
most importantly, accessible to caregivers in
their office, in the Emergency departments,
and in the home.”
The province’s $10-million investment
matches $10 million of secured and pledged
commitments from private donors. “The Ontario
government and our donor families understand
how important it is to invest in brain research
and the development of innovative products for
the future benefit of all Canadians,” said Mark
Gryfe, president of the Baycrest Foundation.
“These funds will provide a strong foundation
for a major campaign to raise additional
funding for the Centre for Brain Fitness, to
address the fastest growing healthcare concern
of our time.”
Dr. Tony Melman, Chair of the Baycrest Board of
Directors, welcomes (from left) MPPs David
Zimmer, Monte Kwinter, Mike Colle and John
Wilkinson, Minister of Research and Innovation.
The Minister was joined by his government
colleagues in the Baycrest Winter Garden April 7
for his announcement of $10-million in funding.
May 2008 3

Minding memory
Baycrest offers wide range of innovative programs
There is no denying that our brains, like the rest
of our bodies, change over time. But it’s not all
downhill. Emerging research shows that many
brain functions hold up well into old age, and
some—like vocabulary—actually get better. Our
creative talents and jobs skills also stay with us,
even into advanced age. Think of Michelangelo
who was working on a sculpture when he died at
age 89, or Winston Churchill who remained a
member of Parliament until he was 90, or George
Burns, the “poster boy” for aging well, who made
his last film at age 98.
Still, the changes in memory and attention
that come with normal aging can be downright
frustrating—annoyances like finding our misplaced
reading glasses on top of our head, or a
4 Baycrest Bulletin
name that we can’t get past the tip of our tongue.
The good news is that while there is no “botox for
the brain,” there are several research-supported
strategies for keeping our memory in good shape
as we age (see pages 11 and 12 for advice
from Baycrest experts).
Baycrest Programs
Baycrest’s Memory and Aging program is
tailored for people of retirement age and upward
and teaches strategies for helping people increase
memory performance. The first part explains
what is normal in brain aging and what is not.
The second part focuses on practical strategies
for functioning better in daily life.
The Memory at Work program, provided to
Leading the way in memory research
Baycrest scientists have developed imaging techniques for detecting signs of dementia in
individuals in their 40s, and have demonstrated that age-associated neurocognitive decline can
be modified, reduced and, in some cases, even reversed. Here is a summary of research that
has focused on the maintenance of brain health as well as the rehabilitation of brain disorders.
• Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute found the first direct evidence that people with early-stage
Alzheimer’s can engage additional areas of the brain to perform successfully on memory tests.
• A study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) identified subtle changes in brain
activity that begin gradually in middle age and may explain why people over 60 find it hard to
concentrate and are easily distracted.
• Rotman scientists were much encouraged by the results of a clinical-experimental study they
conducted on 49 healthy older adults with normal cognitive decline. The participants underwent
a 12-week cognitive rehabilitation program and showed significant improvement in memory,
practical task planning and psychosocial function. The rehabilitation program is now being
provided to outpatients who have suffered a stroke.
• Findings from an early intervention study indicate that providing practical memory strategies and
lifestyle education for patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment can potentially slow the
onset of dementia. Individuals with MCI have a 50 per cent risk of developing Alzheimer’s within
five years of diagnosis.
• A groundbreaking study that examined the diagnostic records of 184 patients of Baycrest’s Sam
and Ida Ross Memory Clinic found that lifelong bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia.
• Baycrest scientists have good advice—based on current scientific research—for people
concerned with how their diet might be affecting their brain function. They recommend
eating fish, fruits and vegetables, legumes, grains and olive oil to preserve a healthy brain.
The research shows that adults with diabetes are especially sensitive to the foods they eat
with respect to cognitive function.
• A joint Baycrest/York University study found that people who have lost all their autobiographical
memories due to a severe brain injury may still be able to understand other people’s feelings and
intentions. Known as the theory of mind, the ability to relate to others in this way is the basis of
our socialization and what makes us human. The researchers say that the preserved ability to
infer other people’s feelings and intentions may be related to semantic memory (knowledge
of general facts about the world and people) left intact after the injury.
Cedillo/Veras
Housed in glass cabinets outside the doors of
Arantxa
residents’rooms in the Apotex Centre, personal
treasures serve as memory aids. Photo:
workplaces by a Baycrest psychologist, is geared
toward active working people who are interested
in developing memory-enhancing skills.
There is a fee for the Memory and Aging and
the Memory at Work programs. For more
information, call 416-785-2500, ext 2445.
The Memory Loss and Dementia program
is an online education tool that explains the difference
between normal memory changes and
changes that would indicate a potential disorder
such as mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
Practical strategies for better functioning in daily
life are discussed. Access the program at
www.baycrest.org/memoryandaging.
The Memory Intervention program is for
people who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
(Cognition is the ability to think, process, store
and retrieve information in order to solve
problems.) The program helps clients with MCI
improve functional memory and maintain their
independence in activities of daily living, such as
keeping track of appointments and tasks that need
to be done, and the timing of medications. For
more information, call 416-785-2500, ext. 2445.
The Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic,
which is part of the Brain Health Centre at
Baycrest, assesses and treats older adults who
are having problems with cognitive function or
who exhibit abnormal behaviours associated with
brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s and other
dementias (see Alzheimer’s story on page 10).
Dementia is very different from the normal
memory loss that can be triggered by aging,
stress, fatigue, depression and certain medications.
It is characterized by a progressive deterioration
in mental functions, such as memory, language
and reasoning, caused by a disease process
in the brain.
For information about the Sam and Ida Ross
Memory Clinic, call 416-785-2444 or visit
www.baycrest.org/memoryclinic.

Unlocking mysteries of the brain
Dr. Endel Tulving is one of the world’s foremost figures in the science of memory
and the brain. His research is transforming the way people age at Baycrest, and
around the globe.
A casual conversation over a beer in the faculty
lounge at the University of Toronto in 1992 led
to Baycrest’s recruitment of one of the world’s
most influential scientists in human memory of
the past 50 years. Undecided about where he
wanted to continue his research after reaching
retirement age at U of T, Dr. Endel Tulving
asked fellow psychologist Dr. Donald Stuss for
his advice. Dr. Stuss suggested he come to
Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute, the
fledgling brain research institute where he was
director, and the rest is history.
“Endel provided an immediate stamp of external
credibility that gave us a huge leap
forward in terms of recruiting exceptional
scientists and in bringing in donor money for
research chairs,” Dr. Stuss explains. Dr. Tulving is
the Anne and Max Tanenbaum Chair in Cognitive
Neuroscience at Baycrest and U of T, the first of
seven endowed research chairs at Baycrest.
A world-renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Tulving
recently added Officer of the Order of Canada to
the long list of distinguished awards he has
received for his contributions to memory
research, and was inducted into the Canadian
Medical Hall of Fame. In 2005, he received
the prestigious Gairdner International Award,
considered a precursor to the Nobel Prize.
The significance of Dr. Tulving’s findings
date back to the 1950s when experimental
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Q What was the reaction to your theory that
there are different types of long-term
memory — episodic and semantic?
A In the early 1970s, everyone was happy
with the idea that there is one kind of
long-term memory, so the majority of
psychologists thought my theory was
nonsense. People are not used to new
ideas. But in science, the originators of a
new idea have to present to the rest of the
scientific community and then it is the duty
of the community to prove you wrong. So
all the skeptics did their duty and tried
very hard. Of course, I thought that the
distinction I made was so simple and so
obvious, why fight it; let’s just move on.
psychologists did not deal with concepts such
as memory. “Behaviourists looked at what
people did and how they behaved and were
very much against looking at the mind or
mental processes,” explains Dr. Fergus
Craik, a Rotman scientist and former head
of the psychology department at U of T. “His
influence was very marked at that stage in
pushing the field toward thinking of the mental
processes by which we lay down and retrieve
memories.”
“His next great achievement was distinguishing
between two kinds of memory that work in
parallel; memories of which we are consciously
aware and memories of which we are not aware,”
adds Dr. Morris Moscovitch, a Rotman scientist
and U of T psychology professor. “At Baycrest,
our psychologists have developed programs of
memory rehabilitation that build on this notion
to help people with memory disorders.”
One of Dr. Tulving’s most contentious
theories, which is now widely accepted,
proposed a distinction between two kinds of longterm
memory—episodic and semantic. Episodic
memory, a term that he coined, is the memory of
events that we have personally experienced or
witnessed, such as visiting the Eiffel Tower in
Paris. Semantic memory refers to general facts
and knowledge we have about the world, such
as knowing Paris is the capital of France.
An interview with renowned memory scientist Dr. Endel Tulving,
the Anne and Max Tanenbaum Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience
Other branches of neuroscience were
okay with it. Even now, there are still
those who do not think this distinction
is real. Thirty-five years later, I have
convinced myself that it is really real.
Q What was the turning point
for you?
A Probably the decisive turning point was
finding real physiological evidence for the
distinction when we started using PET
scans to measure brain activity. In 1994,
I published a paper on a study that found
differences between episodic and semantic
memory retrieval in the frontal regions of the
brain, and at about that time, the same kind
of discovery was made in England. It was
Dr. Endel Tulving is presented with the Order of
Canada by her Excellency the Right Honourable
Michaelle Jean at Rideau Hall in 2006.
“Most people have one or two good ideas in
their lifetime,” adds Dr. Moscovitch. “But every
decade, from his 30s to his 80s, Endel has come
up with some major insights.”
“What he does best is to take large ideas and
bring them down into ideas that can be measured
in small ways, and that is genius,” Dr. Stuss
explains. “Not many people can do that.”
Lawrence Tanenbaum, whose mother Anne
endowed Dr. Tulving’s research chair in honour
of her late husband, says, “We continue to be
both pleased and proud of the work Dr. Tulving
has done, and continues to do, in unlocking the
mysteries of human memory. In a rapidly aging
population, the work of Baycrest researchers
is more important than ever, and our family is
privileged to be able to play a role in facilitating
this important research.”
very gratifying. Now everyone more or less
accepts the distinction.
Q What is the significance of this distinction
in terms of helping people with memory
loss?
A We now know that episodic memory is more
vulnerable to damage and breakdown than
semantic memory. It is the first thing to go
in dementia. People suffering from diseases
such as Alzheimer’s remember information
from their past but don’t know what they did
the night before. At one time it was thought
that if there was no episodic memory, there
could be no learning. This was the accepted
dogma. But now we know that under proper
continued on page 8
May 2008 5

Baycrest International Pro-Am Hockey Tournament
Bigger and better than ever
This May, close to 900 players, including NHL
alumni and dedicated enthusiasts, will be taking
to the ice to help raise funds for care and
research in Alzheimer’s and related disorders
at Baycrest. The Pro-Am raised $2.8 million in
From left: Mark, Daniel and David Goodman from
Team Dynamic pose with draft pick Doug Gilmour
(2 nd from left) minutes before their first game.
When Scotiabank was searching
for a unique way to touch the lives
of Canadians, they looked to the
Baycrest International Pro-Am
Hockey Tournament.
As a result, notes Baycrest
Foundation president Mark Gryfe,
“The Pro-Am is proud to welcome
the Scotiabank Group as the
presenting sponsor for the tournament.”
“The Pro-Am fits with Scotiabank’s objectives
of enriching the lives of Canadians in local
communities through hockey, while at the
same time, engaging community members in
a philanthropic cause to raise funds for an
important charity,” says Joe Brandt, Scotiabank
senior vice-president, Toronto Region.
6 Baycrest Bulletin
Photo: Images by Jack Beker
its first two years. This year, the sky’s the limit.
“We know the hockey will be great,” says
Baycrest Foundation president Mark Gryfe, “but
even more important is the number of sponsors
on board. After all, the more funds we raise in
the fight against Alzheimer’s and the many other
disorders that rob people of their memory, the
better.”
The word is out that the Pro-Am was the
event to support this spring, with many new
sponsors attaching their name to Baycrest. “It
gives us great pleasure to welcome Scotiabank
Group as the presenting sponsor of the Pro-Am,”
says Gryfe. “They joined media sponsors
Cineplex, the National Post, CTV, TSN, AM640
and The Globe and Mail, helping us get our
message out to a broader audience than ever
before.”
The action-packed tournament begins with
a Draft Night extravaganza, where players mix
and mingle with their favourite NHL alumni and
other hockey celebrities. Lanny McDonald and
Mike Gartner are just two of the many new
players this year. They join returning hockey
heroes Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark and Borje
Salming, among others.
Sponsors, hockey enthusiasts and NHL
alumni alike eagerly anticipated the tournament
at Canlan Ice Sports. In fact, NHL Hockey Hall
of Fame great Paul Coffey sums up the Pro-Am
experience as one great event. “Everybody
makes a big deal about us so-called celebrities
and alumni being here. But we really play a small
Scotiabank is the official bank
of the National Hockey League,
the National Hockey League
Players Association, and the
Canadian Women’s Hockey
League.
“We’re excited by the opportunity
to engage more than 50 NHL
alumni together with all the
hockey enthusiasts—including Scotiabank’s
Red Devils and Scotia Capitals teams—for
two days of hockey for Baycrest,” says Brandt.
He has the job of filling the Scotiabank teams,
made up of representatives from branches,
Commercial Banking, Scotia Private Client
Group and ScotiaMcLeod.
It’s important for Scotiabank to support
Scott Tomenson (left) and Ward Seymour of Team
ASA Alloys (right), the number one fundraiser two
years running, with their top draft choice, former
NHL defenceman Paul Coffey.
part in it compared to the people who raise the
funds and the worthy cause it goes to.”
This year, out of the total funds raised,
$700,000 will support scientists researching
Alzheimer’s and related disorders, $300,000
will support the Sam and Ida Ross Memory
Clinic, and the balance will support direct
patient care.
Beginning May 2, you can register a team
to play with and against your favourite NHL
greats in the 2009 Baycrest International
Pro-Am. Visit www.baycrestproam.com for
more information.
Pro-Am welcomes presenting sponsor Scotiabank
organizations like Baycrest that touch members
of the community of all ages. “Alzheimer’s and
related memory disorders affect a growing
number of people and the need for research
grows stronger,” he says. “It’s important for
all of us to play our part, to help improve the
quality of life for people affected by these
conditions.”
Brandt notes that Alzheimer’s and other disorders
that affect people’s memories transcend
borders. “As Canada’s most international bank,
it makes sense for us to support programs
that reach beyond our national borders to
help families in need around the world.
“At Scotiabank, we are proud to help support
some of this country’s best and brightest in their
search for new treatments.”

Decorium Gala scores
Hockey fans, their friends
and families enjoyed a lively
night out while raising funds
for Baycrest at the recent
Decorium Gala. Organized
as part of Decorium’s participation
in the Baycrest
Pro-Am, the gala was held
at the Paradise Banquet and
Convention Centre in Concord
and featured a silent auction,
a live auction, music, dancing,
refreshments and more. Some
of the items auctioned included
holiday cruises, jewelry, cottage
packages, as well as sports memorabilia.
Decorium COO Howard Forberg was thrilled
with the event. “It was a great excuse for a
night out, while raising money for Baycrest.”
He’s looking forward to the 2008 Pro-Am,
especially the draft night party. “Last year’s
party was like Disneyland,” said Forberg. “You
got to meet NHL heroes like Doug Gilmour,
Wendel Clark and Borje Salming.”
Howard is a long-time Baycrest supporter,
Team captains get pumped
“It was my lucky day,” Pro-Am participant Howard
Detsky says of being measured for his own pro
hockey stick. Howard was among 17 winners on
the Geri-Hat-Tricks team who received a custommade
stick.The team had all their players signed
up by December 31, 2007, thereby qualifying for
the hockey stick draw. The sticks were donated by
Joel Majer, owner of hockey retailer Majer Hockey,
which also donated custom-made hockey gloves for
Steve Forberg (left) and Howard Forberg (third from left) strike a pose with Team Decorium at the recent gala.
The energy at the team captains’ meeting in March, which launched the
2008 Baycrest Pro-Am, could have lit up the entire Air Canada Centre.
An enthusiastic crowd of team captains converged on Baycrest’s Loftus
Hall, exchanging fundraising tips, jokes and hockey brag stories over
breakfast. “It’s a great opportunity to see what everyone else is doing,”
says Team One captain Stan Feldman. “Plus it gets those competitive
juices flowing.”
The captains’ meeting is also an opportunity to make announcements
and award prizes. In November, Eric Van Ginkel of the Maple Reinders
won a signed jersey from Nick Kypreos, a former left-winger for the
Toronto Maple Leafs and a hockey analyst for Sportsnet and Hockey
Central.
Maple Reinder team captain Eric Van Ginkel beams as former Maple Leaf
and television and radio personality Nick Kypreos holds up the autographed
Pro-Am jersey he won in November.
Pro-Am is custom-made for winners
the top fundraising team in February. “I like
treating the prize winners like pros,” says Majer.
Majer Hockey is sponsoring the Baycrest Pro-Am
at the superstar level. Majer credits his brother
Dave, who once played hockey at the semi-professional
level, with getting him involved in the Pro-Am.
“Dave said it was the best organized tournament
he’d ever played in. Plus the funds raised go to
Baycrest, which really makes it a winner.”
From left, Geri-Hat-Tricks players David Sharpless, Michael Spigelman and Howard Detsky show off
the custom-made hockey sticks they won last December for being the first team to sign up all their players.
The sticks were donated by Pro-Am sponsor Joel Majer (right) of Majer Hockey.
and can remember when his great-grandmother
celebrated her 100th birthday there more than
30 years ago. “It’s a staple of our community,”
he says. “Everyone knows someone who has
benefited from Baycrest.”
May 2008 7

Canada’s newest geriatrician joins Baycrest
Only 200 doctors nationwide specialize in this field
Baycrest recently welcomed to its medical
staff Canada’s newest geriatrician, one of only
200 such specialists in the country.
Dr. Thiru Yogaparan, who is Tamil, was born
and raised in Sri Lanka. Under the mentorship
of Dr. Terumi Izukawa, interim physician-inchief
in the Department of Medicine at Baycrest,
she completed a geriatric residency at the
University of Toronto and was hired by
Baycrest as medical program director of
its Complex Continuing Care program.
“We were so lucky to be able to recruit Thiru
because fewer than a handful of geriatricians
are certified in Canada each year,” notes
Dr. Izukawa. “To become a geriatrician is a
calling—it is challenging work because we
care for the most complex patients in the
health-care system. As the baby boomers age
the demand for this expertise will skyrocket.”
Dr. Yogaparan’s journey to where she is today
was filled with challenges that would have driven
many others to give up. At age 19 she was a
medical student at the University of Jaffna when
the civil war between the Sinhalese government
and the Liberation Tamil Tigers was in full force.
The young medical student risked her life each
day riding her bicycle between the university
and the hospital. “From our bikes we could
see helicopters coming down, bombing and
shooting,” she recalls. “Complete strangers
would urge you to come into their house to
take cover. You would hide there, with people
8 Baycrest Bulletin
you didn’t know, and then go to classes.”
Because of disruption caused by the war,
it took Dr. Yogaparan nine years to finish her
degree. She later specialized in internal
medicine.
“Even with all the tension going on, I was
still living a good life in Sri Lanka. As doctors,
you are respected as if you are a god,” she says.
However, other family members were not so
fortunate. Dr. Yogaparan and her husband
decided to leave after her sister-in-law lost her
one-month-old baby during a mass military
movement in Jaffna. The couple opted for the
first country that granted them visas, arriving
in Toronto in 1997.
Even though she had been a senior registrar
(equivalent to an attending physician) in Sri
Lanka, she wasn’t permitted to practice in
Canada unless she went back to being a medical
student. “The demotion would have been too
much for me,” she says. Instead, she successfully
wrote exams to obtain a three-year residency
in internal medicine at Bridgeport Hospital,
affiliated with Yale, in Connecticut.
It was while she was in Connecticut that
Dr. Yogaparan became interested in geriatric
medicine. “I would see patients in nursing
homes, suffering, and I thought that I could make
a difference. In internal medicine your focus is
the immediate problem, you treat the disease,
you do not have the time or the means to treat
the whole person. With geriatrics, you take care
TULVING IN HIS OWN WORDS continued from page 5
conditions, individuals with amnesia can
acquire new information and knowledge,
despite the fact that they cannot remember
anything about the occasion or occasions
when they did such acquiring. Sometimes
people who have lost their episodic memory
relearn all or much of their own past. But
when they do so, they know their own
past the way you and I know Greek and
Roman history, or any history we have
learned from books. What remains lost is
the warmth and intimacy that comes from
true episodic memory. Episodic memory
(the highest system) is special. Yet, this
highest system cannot work independently
of the lower systems (such as semantic
memory), although the lower systems
can work perfectly well without the higher
system.
This insight has led to cognitive rehabili-
tation strategies that help people with
memory loss learn new information.
Q What are you currently
working on?
A I am looking at what I call mental time travel—
the ability of the human mind to think about
the past and think about the future. A normal
person can travel back in time and also think
about what they will do tomorrow, and we
take this for granted. But many individuals
with amnesia who do not remember their own
past also cannot think about their own future.
Thus, remembering the past and thinking
about one’s future seem to be closely related.
This is such a deep mystery and miracle
because there is no known physical basis
for it yet, but there must be. It is impossible
for anything to happen in the mind that
doesn’t happen in the brain, and we haven’t
Dr. Thiru Yogaparan, medical program director
of Complex Continuing Care
of the whole patient, aiming to improve their
quality of life. At this point, I thought of doing a
geriatric medicine residency.”
Dr. Yogaparan completed her residency when
she returned to Canada. She says she feels she
is finally in the right place at Baycrest and is
grateful to Dr. Izukawa for helping her become
a geriatrician.
“I think Thiru’s story is very powerful and
inspiring to other young medical students and
doctors across the world to never give up,”
says Dr. Izukawa. “She is a perfect example of
courage, strength and overcoming incredible life
challenges. Her reasons for choosing geriatrics
really mirror the kind of person she is—
thoughtful, caring and wanting to help the
whole person.”
got a clue. Brain processes having to do with
pure thought about the future have not been
studied before. We’re doing it now, using
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
to look at the brains of young, healthy people
while they think of the past and the future.
It’s fascinating but challenging.
Q Has working at Baycrest had
an influence on your work?
A Yes, it has definitely had an impact. Being
surrounded by real-life problems has made
me think more about the life cycle and
the development of memory. My general
education in my own field has improved
greatly by being here. And getting older
myself has also helped.
Article reprinted from BREAKTHROUGHS, published
by the Baycrest Foundation. To read the latest issue,
visit www.baycrest.org/breakthroughs

January
The Globe and Mail featured Dr. Randy
McIntosh among a group of leading Toronto
scientists breaking new
ground in different areas.
Dr. McIntosh, a scientist
with Baycrest’s Rotman
Research Institute, explores
brain network flexibility in
an effort to predict which
people have the most
Dr. Randy McIntosh potential for cognitive
(brain function) recovery after an injury.
The New York Times asked Rotman
scientist Dr. Brian Levine to comment on a
New England Journal of Medicine study that
looked at concussion effects on cognition and
mental health in combat soldiers returning from
Iraq. Dr. Levine is an expert in understanding
how traumatic brain injury affects cognitive
functions.
OMNI TV aired a series of interviews on its
Italian Afternoon program with Baycrest
geriatrician Dr. Fabio Varlese who discussed
the most common health problems in older
adults.
Andy Barrie, host of CBC Radio’s Metro
Morning, interviewed Dr. Michael Gordon
on the challenges of caring for aging parents.
Dr. Gordon recounted his own experiences with
his aging father who lives in the United States.
Chum Ottawa’s Sunday
program Doctor in the
House aired a 15-minute
interviewwith Rotman scientist
Dr. Bruce Pollock about
a Baycrest-CAMH (Centre
for Addiction and Mental
Health) study that showed
Dr. Bruce Pollock
that an anti-depressant may
be as effective as an antipsychotic in treating
agitation and aggression related to dementia.
The Epoch Times, in New York, interviewed
geriatrician Dr. Paula Rochon about the dangers
of inappropriate use of antipsychotics in the
elderly.
Dr. Michael Gordon, Medical Director, Palliative
Care, was interviewed for a story in Lawyers
Weekly that questioned the effectiveness of
living wills. Detailed advanced directives are
inherently designed to fail, cautioned Dr. Gordon.
Baycrest Making News
Because of its reputation for excellence in geriatric care, research and education, Baycrest is often called upon
by local, national and international media to share its expertise. The following is a sample of recent media stories
in which Baycrest scientists and clinicians were featured:
February
Canadian Press interviewed Dr. Morris
Freedman, head of the Sam and Ida Ross
Memory Clinic at Baycrest about the potential
benefits of a new “skin patch” formulation of an
Alzheimer’s drug brought to market in Canada.
As one of Canada’s foremost authorities on
diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s and other
dementias, Dr. Freedman discussed the medication
challenges with this patient population.
He described how a skin patch is an effective
alternative to a capsule for those with swallowing
problems, who are resistant to taking pills,
or who can’t tolerate the pill form.
Rotman Research Institute senior scientist
Dr. Fergus Craik was interviewed by Nick
Purdon, of CBC Radio’s Definitely Not
The Opera, for a feature on souvenirs and
memory on Feb. 23. Why do we feel the need
to collect souvenirs of places we’ve
visited, past relationships and our childhood?
Dr. Craik talked about what happens in the
brain when we look at these objects.
March
Baycrest neurologists Drs. Tiffany Chow and
Keith Meloff were interviewed by The Globe
& Mail for a story on CBC Radio personality
Andy Barrie and his personal journey with
Parkinson’s disease. Barrie has discovered
the benefits of dance therapy.
The Freedmans are
attached to Baycrest!
The Freedmans are proud supporters
of Baycrest’s Annual Campaign,
and inaugural members of the
prestigious Circle of Honour.
“We’ve never had a family
member at Baycrest, but we
know the work Baycrest
does in memory, stroke
and mental health will
affect all of us as we age.
We’re proud to count
ourselves among the many
who support this important
community resource,” say
husband and wife team
Jeremy Freedman and
Judith Finer-Freedman.
Attach your name to Baycrest
by making a donation to
the 2008 Annual Campaign.
Please call Margi Oksner at
416-785-2500, ext. 2038 or
visit www.baycrest.org/Donate
to make your gift today.
May 2008 9

Slowing down Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers at Baycrest have made great strides in recent years in understanding
this crippling disease but much more is needed to beat it
At Baycrest, research on Alzheimer’s disease is
ongoing and some headway is being made in two
vital areas: delaying the onset of this debilitating
disease, and slowing down its progress once a
diagnosis has been made.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form
of dementia—a term used for a number of conditions
that lead to a progressive deterioration in
our ability to think, remember and perform daily
tasks. Researchers are discovering that long
before symptoms of the disease appear there are
small changes in the brain that may foretell the
onset of dementia.
It is therefore vitally important to identify
these brain changes as early as possible so that
medical intervention can be quickly and aggressively
put into effect. A recent Baycrest study has
been targeting this issue and a new diagnostic
breakthrough tool offers some hope for a more
timely intervention.
Dr. Paul Verhoeff is a clinician-scientist at
Baycrest’s Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied Research
Unit (KLARU) and staff psychiatrist at Baycrest’s
Brain Health Centre. “I could not imagine anything
worse happening to me than a decline in my
brain functioning,” he says, when asked what
drew him to this area of research. “The brain
defines who we are and helps us to maintain
our independence.” Nevertheless, he points
out that, while there is to date no cure for the
disease, there have been important advances
made in recent years.
Gauging the risk
“Age is the main risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease,”
he explains. “People, particularly women,
are living longer in our society and Alzheimer’s
is a bit more prevalent in women than in men.
But the increased prevalence may also be
gender-related, as opposed to age-related.”
Genetic predisposition is another factor in
determining risk. Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s
are not always directly related to deterioration
in cognition. An uncharacteristic apathy or an
increase in anxiety levels can sometimes be early
signs of the disease.
Researchers have discovered a link between
depression and Alzheimer’s, says Dr. Verhoeff, to
the extent that people with a history of depression
have a two-fold greater risk of developing
the disease.
Clinical guidelines mark the onset of
Alzheimer’s from age 45, but physicians sometimes
see people with dementia even earlier,
particularly those with a hereditary factor. “Most
people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s after the
age of 65,” Dr. Verhoeff reports. “If it occurs
before that age, it is considered early onset.”
The numbers of people afflicted with this
disease are quite stark. At age 60, Alzheimer’s
affects approximately one per cent of the population
and it doubles every five years, so that at
age 65 the chance is one in 20, at age 75 it is
one in 10, at 85 it is one in four and at 90 the
prevalence spikes to one in two people.
continued on page 16
Handheld computer assists with mild memory problems
As you age, it’s normal to have trouble remembering
the name of a person you seldom see.
However, if you start forgetting things you used
to remember easily, you may be experiencing
Psychologist Dr. Brian Richards demonstrates an
electronic memory aid.
10 Baycrest Bulletin
mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which for
some is an intermediary stage between normal
aging and dementia.
People with MCI retain sharp thinking and
reasoning skills, but they may have problems
with short-term memory.
“They still have several years of pretty healthy
living but with their memory letting them down,”
explains Dr. Eva Svoboda, a psychologist
(supervised practice) at Baycrest. “If someone
doesn’t remember one detail, such as where to
meet a family member picking them up from an
appointment, it throws everything into disarray.”
Having successfully trained people with
amnesia to use a Palm handheld computer as a
memory aid, Baycrest psychologists approached
their MCI patients with an offer to train them on
the device as well. “We wondered if they would
embrace that technology and want to use it if
we provided one-on-one training,” says Dr. Kelly
Murphy, coordinator of the Memory Intervention
Program.
Five people from the program in their mid-60s
to late 70s took part in a one-year pilot project
and with much practice, they are now using
the Palm to keep track of appointments; record
phone numbers, addresses and directions;
remind them to take their health card or
questions to the doctor; make phone calls; and
even take photos and videos. Dr. Svoboda says
that taking a photo of where your car is parked
is useful to MCI clients. The audio feature can
be used to tape a doctor’s comments to play
back later for family members.
Before learning to use the Palm, one participant
explains that he used to write things down
or rely on his wife’s memory. “I used to ask her
what we were doing on the weekend and when
my appointments were,” he says. “Now I can
keep track myself and it gives her a break.”
“Our goal was to make them proficient in
the use of the Palm so they could maintain
their independence for as long as possible and
improve their quality of life,” says Dr. Svoboda.
In the future, Drs. Svoboda, Murphy and Brian
Richards hope to develop customized software for
the Palm to help people with MCI use internal
memory techniques to acquire new knowledge,
minimize memory slips and delay the onset of
more significant problems. “We’re in the very
early stages but I think it has real promise,”
Dr. Murphy adds.

Report on Healthy Aging
Boost your brain power: Tips to improve your memory
Along with healthy eating and regular exercise,
there are a number of evidence-based strategies
that can help boost memory performance as we
age—and it’s never too early, or too late, to start.
Lists, notes and organizers
Keeping lists, writing reminders on Post-it
notes and sticking them where you’ll see them,
taking a portable day planner with you at all
times, and keeping medications in a pill organizer
are all helpful external aids to jog your
memory. So are other people (“Hey honey,
remind me to pick up the dry cleaning”) and a
“memory place” in your home to keep things
that you need every day like your keys, wallet
and glasses, according to Baycrest psychologist
Dr. Nicole Anderson.
Creative activities help keep the brain sharp
Teach yourself memory tricks
Make associations between something you are
trying to remember and something you already
know. When you meet someone new, think
about whom else you know with that name, or
what that name means. If the person’s name is
Rose, associate it with the flower.
Use visual imagery. Make a mental picture
of something you are trying to remember. When
you go to get a book from your bedroom, picture
yourself picking it up from the night table.
Repeat new information, but be sure to
do so at multiple, spaced time points—repeating
it over and over without a break won’t help.
If someone introduces herself as Susan, say,
“Nice to meet you, Susan.” Later on, use her
name in conversation, such as, “How do you
know John, Susan?” Do this a few more times
and her name will stick.
Chunk information. Instead of trying to
remember a phone number or string of information
all at once, break it down into chunks.
Organize yourself. To avoid constantly
searching for the remote control, always keep
it in a logical place.
Pay attention. We’re more susceptible to
distraction as we age, so you may need to turn
off the radio when you’re trying to concentrate.
Use it or lose it
Stimulate your brain with activities you enjoy
like playing bridge, doing crosswords, reading,
going to the theatre, playing an instrument or
learning a language or new skill. Challenge
yourself and try to learn something new every
day. Social interaction is also important so keep
in touch with friends and family, join a club or
work as a volunteer.
Self-help books and courses
Books and courses on improving memory may
offer valuable information. Baycrest’s five-week
Memory and Aging program (fee $95)
describes normal and abnormal memory
changes and offers strategies to improve memory
function and delay the onset of dementia.
For information, call 416-785-2500, ext. 2445.
Stay active and keep fit
Moderate physical activity promotes brain
health. It increases the supply of blood and
nutrients to the brain and may even encourage
the development of new cells. After a 20minute
walk, older adults perform better on
memory tests. People who exercise regularly
are also less likely to develop heart disease,
stroke and diabetes—conditions associated
with an increased risk for dementia. Check
with your doctor for the type of physical
activity that might be right for you.
Eat healthy
Research has found that a long-term healthy
diet can help maintain brain function, slow
memory decline and may help reduce the risk
of Alzheimer’s disease. Eat a diet high in fruits
and vegetables, and low in cholesterol and
saturated fats. Drink plenty of water, don’t
smoke and limit salt, alcohol and caffeine.
Reduce stress
Stress can cause vascular changes and
chemical imbalances that impact the brain. Try
to reduce the harmful effects of stress through
techniques such as deep breathing, massage
and exercise or ask your doctor for advice.
Buckle up
To protect against head injuries that could
increase your chance of developing dementia,
buckle your seat belt when traveling in a car
and wear protective headgear during activities
like biking.
Warning signs
for dementia
See a doctor if you notice any of these
symptoms, in yourself or a loved one.
Memory loss that affects daily living
If you forget the name of your spouse or
loved ones, it’s a sign of a more severe
problem.
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
A person with dementia may have trouble
with tasks that have been familiar to them
all their lives, such as preparing a meal.
Problems with language
A person with dementia may forget simple
words or substitute words, making their
sentences difficult to understand.
Disorientation of time and place
A person with dementia can become lost
on their own street, not knowing how they
got there or how to get home.
Poor or decreased judgment
A person with dementia may have
decreased judgment, for example,
not recognizing a medical problem
that needs attention or wearing heavy
clothing on a hot day.
Problems with abstract thinking
Someone with dementia may have
significant difficulty with a task such
as balancing a cheque book.
Misplacing things
A person with dementia may put things in
inappropriate places: an iron in the freezer
or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
Changes in mood and behaviour
Someone with dementia can exhibit varied
mood swings—from calm to tears to anger—
for no apparent reason.
Changes in personality
A person with dementia can become confused,
suspicious or withdrawn. Changes
may also include apathy, fearfulness or
acting out of character.
Loss of initiative
It’s normal to tire of housework, business
activities or social obligations, but most
people regain their initiative. A person with
dementia may become very passive and
require cues and prompting to become
involved.
[Source: Alzheimer Society of Canada]
May 2008 11

Art and design play important role in care
“Confused minds are too often the result of
disabling environments and crippling attitudes,”
said Dr. Guy Proulx, director of Psychology at
Baycrest and a specialist in the assessment and
rehabilitation of brain disorders.
Dr. Proulx made that provocative statement in
a recent presentation to students of the Ontario
College of Art and Design. He described how
architects and designers are working with clinical
experts to create more supportive and caring
environments for residents of long-term care
facilities. He challenged the students to consider
how they could use their creative skills to help
residents participate in life to the best of their
abilities in spite of the severe cognitive impairments
associated with brain disorders. He noted
that the need for such care is growing because
by 2047, an estimated 21 per cent (two billion)
of the world’s population will be over 60,
compared to 10 per cent (600 million) today.
Dr. Proulx described how environmental
supports are used at Baycrest to help people
who have suffered significant memory loss to tap
into what still remains intact. Sensory memory,
for example, tends to stay robust despite
dementia and can be stimulated by well-planned
environments such as the light-filled atrium
that graces the Apotex Centre, where olive
trees, artworks, the aroma of coffee, and
gathering places combine to create the sense
Can we reduce our risk of developing dementia?
A Baycrest expert says we can
Dementia is a general term to
describe progressive changes
in memory and thinking that
are serious enough to interfere
with daily life. While
Dr. Guy Proulx
dementia is not a normal
part of aging, advancing age is a risk factor for
the condition. What can we do to reduce our
chances of developing dementia, and when
should we start? Dr. Guy Proulx, director of
Psychology and Neurorehabilitation at Baycrest
and an expert in cognitive impairments and
early interventions, addressed these questions
in a recent interview.
Is it possible to prevent or delay the onset
of dementia as we age?
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon that
we’re just beginning to unravel. At Baycrest,
our researchers and clinicians are looking at
12 Baycrest Bulletin
of an outdoor space, like a village square.
The artwork displayed throughout Baycrest
helps trigger past memories in people with
Alzheimer’s, Dr. Proulx noted. While the disease
strips away a person’s ability to create new
memories, long-term memory and entrenched
habits can still function until the disease is well
advanced. Visual art can evoke an emotional
response in a damaged brain.
Baycrest is unique in its extensive use of artwork in the care of clients. The “3 sisters” group of paintings
seen here is one of many examples of how art helps with orientation to place, fosters identity and
attachment, promotes interaction, helps trigger long-term memory, and stimulates emotions. Even with
advanced cognitive decline, regions of the brain like those responsible for emotions can remain intact.
the continuum between normal aging, mild
cognitive impairment and full-blown dementia to
learn why some people develop dementia and
others do not, how we can predict who will get it
and how we can delay or prevent its onset. We
know there are lifestyle changes that you can
make to reduce the risk of developing dementia
and to delay its onset if you are at risk.
How can we maintain good brain health
as we age?
There are four basic ways to maintain cognitive
function as we age:
1. be physically active;
2. keep our brains stimulated and challenged;
3. engage in social activities;
4. control risk factors such as smoking,
alcohol, inactivity, high blood pressure,
diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, and
dietary fat intake that increase the risk
of vascular dementia (caused by reduced
blood flow to parts of the brain) and
Alzheimer dementia.
At what age should we begin?
It’s never too early to start living a healthy life,
and it’s never too late to start. Healthy lifestyle
choices—eating well, staying active and avoiding
stress—play a major role in preventing or
postponing age-related medical conditions that
put you at risk of developing dementia. If more
people practiced good nutrition and stayed
physically and mentally active throughout their
lives, from youth to old age, it could significantly
reduce the rate of chronic diseases in later life.
Even if you already have diabetes, you can make
lifestyle changes to improve your health.
The important thing is to teach children and
young adults that their lifestyle choices will have
a dramatic impact on their health as they age.
Photo: Arantxa Cedillo/Veras

Monthly “Spark” program
benefits both volunteers
and residents
One Sunday morning each month, volunteers from synagogues across
the community meet at Baycrest where, over coffee, they discuss
various Jewish texts. Following the guided discussion, each volunteer
visits with a resident of the Apotex Jewish Home for the Aged. The
group comes back together later in the morning to reflect again on the
text and to talk about issues that may have arisen during the visits.
These volunteers are participants in Baycrest’s Spark program.
Now in its second year, the program combines Jewish learning with
community service. Collectively, the volunteers represent Temple
Emanu-El, Temple Har Zion, Beth Tikvah, Kehillat Shaarei Torah,
Shaar Shalom and UJA Impact Toronto,
“Each month the volunteers perform a mitzvah by visiting with
Apotex residents and in turn they enrich their own lives,” says Spark
program coordinator Bev Devins.
Volunteers are carefully paired with residents based on personality,
mutual interest or the particular needs of the resident, explains therapeutic
recreationist Cheryl Fisch.
“A key part of the program is to match the right volunteer with
the right resident. The residents really get so much out of it that
I encourage the volunteers to visit more than once a month if they
can—it is so greatly appreciated—and some do.”
The program “has enabled us to combine our resources and to
build and enrich our community,” notes Devins. “The residents have
benefited tremendously. The friendly visiting has enabled close bonds
to be formed between the volunteers and the residents and I’m not
entirely sure who actually looks forward to the Sunday visits more.
The volunteers say that the program has made them better listeners
and helped them develop leadership skills within the group.”
If you would like to volunteer for the Spark program or want more
information, please contact Bev Devins at Baycrest, 416 785-2500,
ext. 3005 or e-mail her at bdevins@baycrest.org.
Spark participants, back row from left, are Harold Oppenheimer, Gloria
Shere, Margaret Klompas, Rochelle Schneider, Ken Stewart, and, front
row, Bev Michaels, Geri Stewart, therapeutic recreationist Cheryl Fisch,
and volunteer coordinator Bev Devins.
Volunteers Needed
for Home Visits
Baycrest is looking for volunteers to visit adults with
early memory loss who live in the community and
attend the Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic
With training and support provided by a Memory Clinic
occupational therapist, the volunteer will visit clients in their
homes to provide social contact and to encourage them to
participate in activities that are specific to their needs.
For more information,
call 416-785-2500
ext. 2250.
May 2008 13

All that glitters is gold
at new WA fundraiser
If you were looking for a great way to beat the winter blahs this past
February, a new fundraiser by the Women’s Auxiliary was the place to
be. Co-chaired by Debra Alexander and Janice O’Bright, Lounge WA
was held Feb. 27 at Toronto’s
chic new venue Six Degrees.
Top kosher caterers went all
out serving savoury tapas-style
cuisine, while more than 300
guests, dressed in their best
“jeans and jewels,” swayed
to the soulful tunes of jazz
chanteuse Jeanine Mackie
and saxophonist Pat Perez.
Special thanks to event
sponsors Designing Trendz,
Six Degrees and Soul Power.
14 Baycrest Bulletin
Lounge WA co-chair Janice
O’Bright (right) with fellow
co-chair Debra Alexander
modelling a mink jacket for
the evening’s live auction.
Elkie Adler MS Clinic
A proud legacy
One evening last November,
Warren and Ronald Kimel gathered
with relatives and friends to officially
open the Elkie Adler MS
Clinic at Baycrest, named in honour
of their late sister. “Throughout her
courageous battle with multiple
sclerosis, Elkie always found ways
to help others,” said her brother,
Warren Kimel. “This clinic will
continue her proud legacy.”
The clinic offers leading-edge
equipment and
services for the
treatment of multiple
sclerosis,
and was made
possible by a
generous donation
from the Kimel
family.
From left, Baycrest
Board immediate
past chair Fran
Sonshine joins
long-time Baycrest
supporters Warren
and Debbie Kimel
and Vanessa and
Ronald Kimel at the
opening of the Elkie
Adler MS Clinic.
Exercise your body and
brain to boost memory
It’s important to give your body and
brain a good workout to improve
your memory, explained Dr. Nicole
Anderson, a Baycrest cognitive
rehabilitation scientist, at a recent
luncheon for donors interested
in memory and brain research.
Attendee Dr. Arthur
Cohen said that “seeing
an actual brain scan and
learning how different
parts of the brain relate
to memory was very
exciting.”
A series of luncheons
on a wide variety of
Baycrest services and
programs is being
offered by the Baycrest
Foundation to interested
donors. These luncheons
give supporters an
opportunity to see behind the
scenes, and also meet key
Baycrest personalities.
For more information,
contact Rochelle Little
at rlittle@baycrest.org or call
416-785-2500, ext. 2045.
Dr. Nicole Anderson and donor Dr. Arthur Cohen
chat at a recent luncheon for Baycrest supporters.

Gift honours wife and benefits day centres
The Baycrest Parkland and Oceanview day
centres now have attractive and comfy new
furniture, thanks to a generous donation from
retired businessman Sid Brown.
Brown’s late wife Jean attended the day
centre for only three months, but the experience
made a big impression on her.
So, when he was ready to honour his wife’s
memory, Sid Brown established an endowment
fund at the Baycrest Foundation to support the
program. At the reception celebrating the gift,
he said, “Jean really enjoyed coming here, and I
wanted to help Baycrest continue its good work.”
April 2008 Bulletin Ad:Layout 1 2/19/08 11:40 AM Page 1
♦
✿
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THE BAYCREST WOMEN’S AUXILIARY INVITES YOU TO
girls play
Join us for an evening of
✿ Mahj ✿ Bridge ✿ Scrabble ✿ Canasta ✿ Pan ✿ Stitching
Bring your own group andgame or we'll make the match.
Thursday June 5 @ 6:30 p.m.
✿ Light Dinner ✿ Noshes ✿ Wine Bar ✿ Prizes ✿ Loot Bags ✿ Free Parking
• $72 Admission
tax receipt for maximum allowable amount
Reserve your seat today by calling 416-785-2500 x2045
Joyce Lagunoff, the director of Baycrest’s
Day Centre for Seniors, which includes the
Parkland and Oceanview centres, said “We’re
A new route for advertising
Pharmacist Aaron Mandlsohn has never taken the same path as everyone
else—and that applies quite literally to his advertising.
Intrigued by a new opportunity to blend business with community service,
a large image of Aaron and his fiancé Leilany in his Forest Hill Apothecary
now graces the back panel of a Baycrest shuttle bus. The bus travels through
central and northern Toronto
five days a week. “This is a
great way to advertise and help
Baycrest at the same time,”
says Mandlsohn. He remembers
volunteering in Baycrest
Hospital as a teenager and
the care his bubbie and zaide
received there, and he believes
in supporting Baycrest. “It’s not
only a gift for the present, but
an investment in the future.”
To find out more about
placing your ad on a Baycrest
bus, contact Jared Drewnowsky
Aaron Mandlsohn and his fiancé Leilany at jdrewnowsky@baycrest.org
Albarran beside Baycrest’s first bus wrap.
or call 416-785-2500, ext. 2025.
so thrilled Mr. Brown is honouring his wife by
contributing to the continuity of this important
family resource and respite program.”
Baycrest’s Community Day Centre for Seniors
provides day programs to older adults who are
physically frail or cognitively impaired.
Funds from the endowment were used to
purchase new chairs and couches and refinish
dining room tables.
From left, Phyllis Dubin, Sid Brown and Rochelle
Waxman gather around a new plaque in Baycrest’s
Parkland and Oceanview day centres honouring
Jean Brown.
B2B celebrates
bar/bat mitzvah year
Now in its 13th year, B2B will mark its bar/bat mitzvah year with a
new format. Instead of individuals riding and fundraising on their own,
participants will be grouped into 10 teams of four, with each team
competing for top fundraising honours. “Our goal this year is to
raise $1 million,” says event co-founder and organizer Stan Feldman.
Since its first year, B2B has raised $8 million for Baycrest’s most
pressing needs.
For more information about the 2008 Barrie to Baycrest ride,
which takes place on Sunday, Sept. 7, visit www.baycrest.org/b2b
or call Stan at 416-785-2500, ext. 2432.
April 2009 Breakthroughs Bulletin Ad:Layout 1 2/19/08 11:37 AM Page 1
BaycrestBREAKTHROUGHS
Share your message with 40,000 GTA households!
Place your corporate ad or personal message in BREAKTHROUGHS,
Baycrest's newest health-care magazine in support of care and
research in Alzheimer's, stroke and mental health.
The BREAKTHROUGHS Advantage
• 160-page health-care and research news magazine
• 40,000 GTA household distribution • Major Toronto newspaper insert
• Corporate sponsorship opportunities on the web
Take a sneak peek at www.baycrestbreakthroughs.com
or call Jared Drewnowsky 416-785-2500, ext. 2025
May 2008 15

New psychiatric nursing model values individuality
Greater say in their own care helps severely ill patients recover
A new approach to nursing care in the inpatient
psychiatric unit at Baycrest is challenging the
belief that people with severe mental illness do
not recover.
In most traditional mental health care models,
the patient is instructed on what to do. The Tidal
Model focuses on the person rather than the
symptoms or illness. This shift in thinking has
reshaped mental health policy in many countries.
Developed from research into the role of
nurses in psychiatry, the Tidal Model gives
patients control over decisions about their care.
It values each patient as unique and stresses an
empowering interaction between the individual
and the nurse. It tailors care to fit each patient’s
specific needs, story and lived experience. The
patient is the key driver of the recovery process,
with the health-care practitioner helping to
unlock his or her potential for recovery.
Slowing Alzheimer’s disease... continued from page 10
Reducing the odds
With such dramatic statistics, you might be
wondering if there is any good news out there.
Yes, say researchers and clinicians at Baycrest
—it appears that our lifestyle can affect our ability
to withstand Alzheimer’s. “It is important to mention
that there is some hope in the fact that you
16 Baycrest Bulletin
To help people adequately express the magnitude
and complexities of their lived experience,
the model uses water as a metaphor and
describes how people in distress can become
emotionally, physically and spiritually “shipwrecked.”
It sees the experience of health and
illness as fluid rather than a stable phenomenon
and life as a journey undertaken on an “ocean”
of experience. Nurses and other caregivers gain
a greater understanding of the situation when
the patient uses images such as being “washed
ashore,” “drowning” or being “marooned” by their
problems. “When you are okay, it is like you are
sailing in open waters,” explains clinical coach
Ursula Dengedza. “When you need repairs
because the water is too rough or you hit a rock,
you dock. This psychiatric unit is the dock.”
Traditionally in psychiatry, “the patient’s story
is ‘translated’ into our professional version,” adds
can probably stave off the onset of Alzheimer’s
by making lifestyle changes,” notes Dr. Verhoeff.
“People who perform regular physical exercise
are less likely to develop heart disease or stroke.”
Epidemiological studies suggest that, as with
our bodies, the ‘use it or lose it’ approach is
worth adopting for brain health. Studies show a
decreased risk for dementia in older adults who
exercise their brain—and the earlier you begin
the better.
Researchers have learned that a lifestyle of
greater mental challenge can actually affect the
system of connections in our brain, thereby giving
us more ‘muscle power’ to withstand cognitive
deterioration. Put another way, Dr. Verhoeff says,
“We might need greater brain damage before we
see or experience the tell-tale signs of Alzheimer’s
or other dementias.”
Developing early diagnostic tools
Although early detection and aggressive treatments
to preserve cognitive function are vital
for Alzheimer’s sufferers, to date doctors have
had no laboratory test either for diagnosing or
for monitoring the progression of the disease.
Together with researchers at the Centre for
Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and the
University of Toronto, Dr. Verhoeff has been
engaged in research that involves using Positron
Emission Tomography (PET) scanning to detect
brain deposits associated with Alzheimer’s.
Previous research has revealed that these
nurse manager Judith Thompson. “In the Tidal
Model, we preserve the patient’s own story, in
his or her own words. We encourage patients to
write about their life experiences, challenges and
expectations. We ask them to write about what
has worked for them in the past, and what they
need to do now to get better. The nurse records
for those who cannot do so for themselves, in
their own words. Using the person’s natural
language shows simply and powerfully respect
for the person.”
The Tidal collaboration allowed one patient
to think, decide and act for herself. She
describes being treated as an equal in her own
care. She says she felt valued as a person and
her experiences were respected. Since she did
not feel threatened, she was open with staff.
“It does not feel as if I am being treated, it
just feels as if someone is listening to me.”
deposits, known as beta-amyloid plaques, were
unusually high when autopsies were performed on
Alzheimer’s victims. Scientists believe that abnormally
high levels of beta-amyloid are found in the
brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers well before cognitive
symptoms appear.
Until recently, no reliable test for detecting this
substance in the brain existed, but a research
study by Dr.Verhoeff and his partners successfully
injected patients with a compound that attaches
itself to amyloid deposits and sends out harmless
radioactive signals that can be detected with a
PET scan.
As with the levels found in Alzheimer’s victims,
abnormally high beta-amyloid levels were found in
living subjects and it is hoped that this promising
new compound might be a reliable predictor of
early changes in the brain that might lead to
Alzheimer’s. Such a predictor would help doctors
arrive at an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, which
would, Dr. Verhoeff reports, “allow for a more
timely initiation of preventative treatment
strategies aimed at delaying the onset and
decreasing the severity of Azheimer’s disease.”
If you would like to know more about funding
research in Alzheimer’s and related diseases at
Baycrest, please contact Florence Weinberger
of the Baycrest Foundation at 416-785-2500,
ext. 2055.
Article adapted and reprinted from BREAKTHROUGHS,
published by the Baycrest Foundation. To read the latest
issue, visit www.baycrest.org/breakthroughs

Oral health important for seniors, say Baycrest dentists
Keeping a healthy mouth is an important part of leading a healthy
life. Poor oral health can affect a person’s physical, mental and social
well-being.
Dentists at Baycrest’s Dental Clinic point out that while visiting the
dentist is important at any age, older adults in particular need regular
care. Seniors are often at risk for oral health problems due to certain
medical conditions or medications.
Daily brushing and flossing of natural teeth is essential to keep them
in good health. although arthritis in the hands and fingers can make this
challenging. Plaque can build up quickly on the teeth of older adults,
especially if oral hygiene is neglected. To maintain healthy teeth and
gums, it is important to brush at least twice a day with fluoride-containing
Israeli quilt is donated twice…
the second time to Baycrest
A quilt depicting a Mediterranean village scene has been donated
to Baycrest’s palliative care unit. How the quilt came to the unit is
an inspiring story of giving.
The quilt had originally been donated by the Israeli fabric artist
Rachel Covo to the Toronto alumni chapter of Alpha Omega Dental
Fraternity in appreciation of its support of her husband Shlomo’s
orthodontic studies at the University of Toronto several years ago.
The couple enjoyed their time in Toronto and became good friends
with many Alpha Omegans.
In turn, the dental fraternity, with the couple’s support, decided
to give the quilt to Baycrest Hospital.
Entitled “Village,” the quilt is inspired by the local Israeli landscape
and is displayed for all to enjoy by the elevators in the
Palliative Care Unit on the 6th floor of the hospital.
Palliative care nurses Susan Baltazar and Mernell Cooper admire the
quilt with Ian Braverman, president of Toronto Alpha Omega.
toothpaste and to floss at least once a day.
Seniors visiting the dentist should
expect a thorough oral examination and
to be asked about their dental history.
Tell your dentist if you have noticed any
of the following:
• recent changes in your mouth
• loose or sensitive teeth
• difficulty tasting, chewing or swallowing
• pain, discomfort, sores or bleeding
• lumps, bumps or swellings
Baycrest’s Dental Clinic provides a full
range of services for adults including:
• X-rays, assessments
• cleanings
• new crowns, bridgework, dentures
• fillings
• extractions
A referral is required for clients
under the care of a physician.
For more information,
call 416-785-2500, ext. 2600 or visit
on-line at www.baycrest.org/ dentistry.
If arthritis is making it difficult
to brush and floss your teeth,
consider using an electric
toothbrush. Or, drill two
holes in a tennis ball (one at
each end) and insert a regular
soft-bristled toothbrush to
allow for an easier grip.
May 2008 17

18 Baycrest Bulletin
Sharing Expertise
Israel launches Hebrew edition
of acclaimed Baycrest book
The expertise of Baycrest continues to be
felt around the world. Recently, senior social
worker Paula David traveled to Israel for
the launch of the Hebrew edition of Caring
for Aging Holocaust Survivors: A Practice
Manual. David co-edited the original English
version which was published by Baycrest
in 2003. The launch was part of a one-day
conference organized by JDC-ESHEL, the
Association for the Planning and Development
of Services for the Aged in Israel.
The manual, which is a rich source of information and reflects
Baycrest’s world-renowned expertise in caring for aging Holocaust
survivors, is intended for health-care professionals, families and
caregivers of aging survivors. The information is presented in a
way that sensitizes and educates caregivers about the challenges
associated with this special population. It provides invaluable advice
and strategies that may be adapted to help victims of any war or
genocide.
“Our aim is to help caregivers provide the most sensitive care possible
and thus enhance the quality of life for survivors everywhere,” says
David, who spearheaded the project as Baycrest’s Holocaust
resource coordinator. Several Baycrest health-care professionals
have articles in their area of expertise included in the manual.
While in Israel, David met with faculty from the University of Haifa’s
gerontology program to facilitate the joint Collaborative Network
on Aging Holocaust Survivors. She also met with professionals she
had met “virtually” earlier in the year through telehealth neurology
rounds.
“This was an exciting trip with some great learning and sharing
opportunities,” David says. “It is always a terrific experience to
present Baycrest to our colleagues around the world and to
actually see the impact of the work that we do.”
Dr. Michael Gordon, medical program director, Palliative Care,
recently conducted a workshop for medical students at Ben Gurion
University in Israel. His topic was “Ethical Issues: Religion vs. the
Secular World of Medicine.”
A One-Bedroom Efficiency
Suite at Reuben Cipin
Healthy Living Community
is available for rent to friends and relatives
visiting a Baycrest resident or patient.
Awards recognize staff’s special endeavours
Dr. Bill Reichman, Baycrest president and CEO, noted at this
year’s Annual Awards and Recognition ceremony that the recipients
are “the most special of the special.” Here are this year’s awardees:
Group Achievement
Food & Nutrition Services:
Beltline Safety
Information Technology:
Help Desk/Customer Service
Nursing Practice Network
Nursing Staffing Office
Excellence in Leadership
Pat Howard, Organizational
Effectiveness
The Nursing Practice
Network includes, from
left, Carol Ragoonath,
Mary Boudart, Aurora
Aglipay, Dorothy Kerr,
Don McKibbon, Marjorie
Hammond, Jacquiline
Smith Madarasz and
Sandra Law.
Staff Appointments
The Baycrest Board of Directors is pleased to
announce the appointment of Dr. David Conn
as Vice President, Medical Services. An internationally-renowned
academic geriatric psychiatrist,
Dr. Conn is psychiatrist-in-chief at Baycrest and
an associate professor in the Department of
Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He is
co-chair of the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’
Dr. David Conn
Mental Health and chair of its National Guidelines
Project. He is past president of the Canadian Academy of Geriatric
Psychiatry and a recipient of the Academy’s award for outstanding
contributions to geriatric psychiatry in Canada. Dr. Conn’s academic
interests include the psychiatric consequences of brain disease in
the elderly, nursing home psychiatry and pharmaco-epidemiology.
He has published widely in these areas.
Staff Achievements
Outstanding Innovation
Imran Somji, Patricia Van Roon
and Shamindra Fernando,
Research Division
Excellence in
Sharing Learning
Eileen Chang, Safety & Risk
Management and Gary
Rosborough, Organizational
Effectiveness
Visitors can book The Glassman Overnight
Residence Suite for a 3-day minimum stay.
Features:
Reasonable rates, Fully furnished, Meat & dairy dishes
in kitchen, Washer & dryer, Close proximity to Baycrest.
For more information or to make a reservation,
call: 905-850-7750
The Glassman Suite is available thanks to the generosity of Baycrest
supporters Dr. Max and Gianna Glassman

Baycrest tests best way to implement
new mental health guidelines
An inter-professional team at Baycrest is
examining how best to implement new national
guidelines for assessing and treating mental
health issues in long-term care homes where
the incidence of depression is three to four
times higher than in the general population.
The guidelines were developed by the
Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health
(CCSMH) in 2006.
As a leader in the delivery of mental health
services to the elderly, Baycrest is well-placed
to test the most effective ways to implement
CCSMH guidelines, specifically for the assessment
and treatment of mood and behavioural
symptoms. More than 50 per cent of residents in
long-term care suffer from some form of dementia.
Symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease
and
and related dementias include verbal, physical
and sexual aggression, agitation and insomnia.
“Good mental health is just as important as
physical health for individuals in long-term care,”
observes Dr. Sid Feldman, program director of
Family Medicine at Baycrest. “This project will
help to define best practices in mental health,
which in turn will provide more complete care
for the person overall.”
An implementation pilot project, supported
by funding from HealthForce Ontario, is now
underway in the Apotex Jewish Home for the
Aged. Taking part are residents, family members,
and staff from all disciplines, including dieticians,
family physicians, personal support workers,
pharmacists, psychiatrists, registered nurses,
registered practical nurses, clinical nurse
Baycrest is grateful for these new funds
All funds listed were established between July 1, 2007 and January 31, 2008
Pillars
$1-million Plus
Sam & Ida Ross Fund
for Alzheimer’s Research
Sam & Ida Ross
International Prize in
Alzheimer’s Research
Founder
$250,000 to $499,999
Lynn & Brent Belzberg
& Family
Guardian
$18,000 to $35,999
Rose Brown
Patron
$10,000 to $17,999
Bertha Cozman
Joanne & Garry Foster
Sarah & Jacob Gordon
Morris & Ruth Korman
Sara (Sal) & Ted Sidon
& Family
Luigi Tatangelo
Emma Weiss
Saul & Jean Weisbrod
Covenant Funds
$1,000 to $9,999
Joseph M. Abraham
Elsa Allen
Ronnie & Bunnie
Appleby/Robins
Appleby & Taub LLP
Cantor David &
Klara Bagley
Sophie & Sid Baker
Domenico & Maria
Colaiacovo
Dover Family
Claire Feldman
Morris & Rose Glick
Jack Goldberg
Ann & Percy Grafstein
Hildebrand Family
BSD
Sarah & Percy Kassel
Jane & Israel Katz
Isadore & Sarah Kerzner
Esther Bluma Krakowski
Anna & Harvey Lerner
Fran Mann
Joseph & Molly Moses
Beatrice & Joseph
Rosenberg
Josef & Fela Rosenthal
Harry Rubenstein
Nathan & Clara Stein
Edith Swartz
Chana Wallace
Belle Green Wax
Mietek Weinreich
Memorial Funds
Sophie Baker
Jean Barrett
Amy Beatty
Anna Bernstein
Belle Berger
Sollie Berman
Percy & Lillian Bloom
Sadie & Irving Bowman
Florence Cadesky
Samuel and Ruth Caplan
William Chase
Domenico Colaiacovo
Leila Conn
Martin Dover
Danny & Sylvia Dubinsky
Ben Edelberg
Sylvia Fairweather
Pearl Feldman
Solomon Fleisher
Nathan Fox
Leon Franklin
Rachel Frydberg
Murray Glicksman
Robert Hay
Sydney Herman
Sylvia Herberman
Rachel Kaplan
Harry Kates
Miriam Katz
Lillian Kestenberg
Arthur Krangle
Esther Bluma Krakowski
Max Lipovitch
Rosemary Lippa
Claire Mandell
Evelyn Mayers
Margaret McCreight
Ruth Mirsky
Jeno Mittelman
Ann Moran
Renee Nadal
Bernie Nathanson
Arthur Nixon
Courtney Noel
Mannie Perry
Emil Remez
Egga Riebeek
Raye Rosen
Edith Rowan
Archie Rubinoff
Sara Shapero
Fred Sheldon
Helen Shleser
Isaac Shleser
Edward Silver
Helen Singer
Claire Spring
Rachel Stern
Mary Sugar
Edith Swartz
Harry Tepperman
Louis Tureck
Jack & Celia Ungerman
Cheiva Vaisman
Ethel Wasserman
Mietek Weinreich
Sadye Wintre
Fanny Zaidenberg
Anny Zumer
Celebration Funds
Vera & Arie Avraham
Jack Baker
Tobie Bekhor
Gerald Biderman
Max & Anna Milgram
Sonya Slater
Bernard Weinstein
Kate Witkin
For information about establishing a Baycrest Fund, call Lyn Ben-Dat at 416-785-2500, ext. 3409.
specialists, social workers and therapeutic
recreationists.
The project committee is gathering feedback
from all participants. Interviews were held with
residents and families, for example. “We want
to hear the residents’ perspective on care that
supports their mental health and well-being. We
want to hear of their experiences and hear their
suggestions as well,” explains senior social worker
Ruth Goodman. And feedback from staff focus
groups will help guide the implementation of
recommendations that are more relevant to “real
life” daily clinical practice, say the project leaders.
This is “both a client and staff-centred
initiative in how mental health care is delivered—it
will offer more choice in delivery of
care,” explains Dr. Maria Huijbregts, director
of clinical evaluation at Baycrest, and co-chair
with Dr. Sid Feldman of the mental health
guidelines implementation working group.
May 2008 19

Volunteer opportunities at Baycrest
Join our dedicated volunteer team. Just a few hours of your time means so much.
Meal time: Many Baycrest clients can’t
feed themselves and volunteers are
needed to help. By volunteering at
mealtimes you can help make each
meal a celebration for our clients.
Training will be provided.
Youth opportunities: If you are
between 13 and 24, we have many volunteer
opportunities in the evenings
and on Sundays assisting in recreational
programs. The Baycrest Summer Youth Volunteer
Program for university and high school students
begins in May, 2008. For more information visit
our website at www.baycrest.org/Volunteerism.
Musicians are needed to play musical
instruments, and to help lead sing-a-longs.
Baycrest
Lifeline
Personal Response and Support Services
Providing independence
and peace of mind
for today’s seniors
and their families.
Caregiving is made
easier knowing that
BAYCREST LIFELINE
will be there in an
emargency.
Available in over
130 different languages.
24 hours a day/7 days a week.
Discount available to veterans who qualify.
CALL TODAY!
Phone: 416-442-5547
Revenue assists in maintaining services at Baycrest
EDITOR: Paula Halpin
CONTRIBUTORS: Elayne Clarke,
Kelly Connelly, Pam Feldman,
Krystyna Lagowski, Joan
Mortimer, Cindy Weiner
Baycrest is an academic centre
affiliated with the University of Toronto
Volunteer
Vanessa Lourenco
The Terraces of Baycrest/Wagman
Complex is looking for volunteers:
• to assist with the Arts & Crafts
program;
• to visit residents and help in programs
such as flower pressing, greenhouse,
and movie night.
The W.A. Café is looking
for cashiers and people to
help prepare food behind
the counter on weekdays.
Assist in the Gift Shop or in the
Lottery Booth.
Dog visitors are needed to
brighten up the days for our
animal-loving clients.
Baycrest Bulletin is published by
the Public Affairs Department to
keep readers up to date on the news,
people and events at Baycrest.
Please address your letters,
comments or ideas to the Editor at:
Volunteers Manny
Hoffman (right)
and Nat Lidsky.
Baycrest, Public Affairs Dept.
3560 Bathurst Street
Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1
or call: 416-785-2500, ext. 2479
www.baycrest.org Printed on recycled paper PM40010444
Baycrest
Home Care
Services
Brings the Best of Baycrest to you…providing a
helping hand whenever & wherever you need it most.
We can provide male
and female staff for:
Nursing
Personal care
Caregiving Relief
Housecleaning /
Homemaking
Short-Term Respite Care
Escorts for:
■ medical appointments
■ lifecycle celebrations
■ travel assistance
A program in co-operation
with Spectrum Health Care
The Community Day Centre needs:
• patient, kind, caring individuals to assist daily
with programs, serve morning coffee and chat
with members. Knowledge of Russian, Hebrew,
Polish, Romanian or Hungarian an asset;
• a Yiddish-speaking discussion group leader.
Friday and Saturday Sabbath Service:
Volunteers are needed weekly.
Friendly Visitors and Program Escorts
are always needed.
For information about all volunteer
opportunities, please call: 416-785-2500,
ext. 2572, or email us at
alefkovitz@baycrest.org. Visit our website
at: www.baycrest.org/Volunteerism
Whether you are:
• Living at home
• Caring for a family
member at home
• Waiting for placement in
a long-term care facility
and need temporary help
• In need of extra help at
Baycrest or any other
facility or hospital
• Just home from hospital
and temporarily need a
helping hand
For information on
Services & Rates call:
416-964-6402
To report a change of address, or to remove your name from the
mailing list, please call Kris Shenvi in the Baycrest Foundation
at 416-785-2500, ext. 2261 or email: kshenvi@baycrest.org