By Tina Brajic
CALEDONIA—Bumblebee Memory Group of Caledonia hosted a very successful fall barbecue social to connect members of the community living with cognitive challenges and dementia with other individuals experiencing the same journey.
Approximately 50 people from Haldimand, Halton, and Hamilton were present on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at the Community Support Centre of Haldimand-Norfolk to meet and connect with the Bumblebee Memory Group (BMG), along with community agencies such as the Alzheimer Society and McMaster University Gilbrea Centre for Studies on Aging.
BMG is the newest independent, self-run community-based initiative in Haldimand, thanks in part to some administrative, organizational, and financial support from the Dementia Empowerment Network (DEN).
BMG joins Memory+ Inclusive Communities Everywhere (MICE+ Haldimand) within the local DEN network. They are both Engagement and Empowerment groups led by people who live with dementia. The inspiration for this new type of self-run, peer-to-peer support group stems from similar groups in England and Ireland, which empower those with dementia to be leaders and have a collective voice when advocating for dementia-friendly initiatives. These groups are best suited for community members who have early to moderate onset dementia.
CALEDONIA—From left, Halton residents Pasha and Rubina Qureshi and Kush Saiyed visit with Anita Gombos Hill. —Haldimand Press photos by Tina Brajic. 
CALEDONIA—Dunnville MICE+ members Karen D. (standing) and Richard K. enjoyed socializing at the Bumblebee barbecue. 
CALEDONIA—About 50 people came out to the Bumblebee Memory Group’s fall barbecue in Caledonia on October 8, 2024. Shown above is the Turkey family, who came out to support the BMG.
Anita Gombos Hill and Tracy Gibbs are Project Co-Leads for the Empowering Dementia-Friendly Communities Project (EDFCP) at the Hamilton Council on Aging (HCoA), a non-profit with “a desire to advance positive aging experiences for all seniors.”
Joining them are Project Co-Leads Andrea Bridge and Phyllis Fehr, who both live with dementia and are advisors to DEN, helping shape its development.
DEN was developed in May 2024 thanks to a Public Health Agency of Canada grant.
“The aim of the DEN is to be independent from the HCoA and operate with the leadership of people who live with dementia,” explains Gombos Hill. “The DEN supports independent, self-run community groups of people who live with dementia in Ontario.… This is great news for people with memory issues and dementia because it provides them with an opportunity to connect with people with similar experiences.”
Currently EDFCP supports eight active groups and project partners spanning Haldimand, Halton, Hamilton, and Six Nations, as well as an Ontario Youth Dementia Empowerment Group. The project is in the process of supporting a new group at Haldimand-Norfolk Senior Support Services. To date, the project has provided $2,500 of seed money to financially assist the groups.
Each Empowerment and Engagement group is unique in how it connects with the community. For instance, Six Nations uses a cultural heritage approach. Some groups will meet in-person for coffee and other social activities, while others link up through newsletters and Zoom. The Caledonia BMG meets in-person on Tuesdays from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Community Support Centre, while MICE+ meets casually at The Minga Café in Dunnville for events such as paddle painting, poetry, and sing-a-alongs.
Gombos Hill notes that the aim of the DEN is to reach across Canada. They recently had interest from groups in British Columbia and Thunder Bay in joining.
Such groups are increasingly important as the Alzheimer Society website indicates nearly one million people will be living with dementia by 2030. Groups like BMG will help ensure that those living with dementia will feel supported and continue to have meaningful interactions with their community. Gombos Hill notes that 61% of seniors with dementia live at home and Pauline Tardif, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Canada, states, “Canadians living with dementia want to maintain their independence; they want to live at home and engage with their community.”
Gombos Hill has had positive feedback from members who have attended the Engagement and Empowerment groups so far, as they “form strong friendships and receive support from one another…. They are able to talk about their experiences openly without being judged.”
Virginia Bandy, a current member of BMG, says that the thing she likes the most about the group is “that we are like a family, and we look after and support each other in a non-judgmental way.”
Husband and wife team Pasha and Rubina Qureshi came from the Halton area through a project partner of EDFCP and the Halton area Alzheimer Society. Rubina, who has been diagnosed with early onset dementia, shares that she hopes she can “help others living with Alzheimer and fight the stigma and not hide from it, especially those from diverse populations.”
Rubina and Pasha have made a video for the Women’s Brain Health Initiative describing Rubina’s personal journey and dispelling some myths about the disease, while Pasha discusses what it’s like to be a caregiver and to support your loved one. Find it online at
womensbrainhealth.org/mind-over-matter-video/living-with-alzheimers.
Kush Saiyed, the Coordinator for Outreach and Diversity for the Alzheimer Society of Brant Haldimand Norfolk Hamilton, says they have partnered with the HCoA “to address stigma in diverse populations.”
As a founding member of BMG, Bridge shared of the initial BMG barbecue event, “(I) really wanted to reach out to the community and wasn’t sure what to expect, but am very happy with the turnout. I also want to thank Cypress 55+ (of Community Support for Haldimand-Norfolk) for their support.”
It was evident during the event that BMG members have a special bond as they cheerfully engaged with each other and their guests from the community.
The event provided a special opportunity for those members who are experiencing cognitive challenges and their caregivers to be in an inclusive space where they could socialize, give and receive support, and find new friendships.
For a current listing of upcoming BMG activities, visit Community of Haldimand-Norfolk at cschn.org.
Information and resources on dementia and other cognitive challenges can be found at denvoices.ca and alzheimer.ca.
