Pembroke Regional Hospital is hosting a free public education session on dementia on September 10, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Quality Inn Pembroke, 900 Pembroke St. E. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The session, called Understanding Dementia, will feature three local healthcare professionals who will explain signs, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and community resources.
The presenters are Dr. Linde Corrigan, a family physician who specializes in elderly care; Kandis Meilleur, a Behavioral Support Outreach Nurse with the hospital’s Geriatric Mental Health program; and Mary Mullin, a Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Nurse and Psychogeriatric Resource Consultant at the hospital. President and CEO Sabine Mersmann and Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive Beth Brownlee will moderate.
The event comes as dementia rates rise sharply. As of January 1, 2025, about 771,939 people in Canada are living with dementia, and more than 414 develop it every day. Ontario is expected to see a 202 percent increase in cases between 2020 and 2050, reaching roughly 756,000 people. In Canada, the chance of having dementia more than doubles every five years after age 65, from under 1 percent for ages 65 to 69 to about 25 percent for those 85 and older.
Nine community and healthcare partner organizations will host information booths, including Eganville & District Seniors, Ontario Health at Home, and the Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team. This gives families a chance to connect directly with local support services.
Residents can register by emailing [email protected] with their name and number of people attending, or by calling 613-732-2811, extension 6165. The hospital serves about 55,000 people in Pembroke and Petawawa.
