Although this is a big departure from the usual tone and topics of this blog, I want to share a post I wrote featured today at Kids in the Capital.
Talking to Kids about Alzheimer's
I decided to share our family’s personal experience with Dementia for a few reasons. I wanted to shine a light on the disease, the great work the Alzheimer Society does in communities across Canada, and to promote the Walk for Memories 2011 fundraising campaign.
Statistics from the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
- Today, half a million Canadians have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Approximately 71,000 of them are under age 65.
- 1 in 11 Canadians over the age of 65 currently has Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.
- This year alone, more than 103,000 Canadians will develop dementia. This is equivalent to one person every five minutes.
- If nothing changes, the number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia is expected to more than double, reaching 1.1 million Canadians within 25 years.
I find community support is invaluable managing the devastating impact of this disease. There are helpful, good resources available. As it often happens, stress, strained family dynamics and crises make it more challenging to navigate care and support options for Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers. For more information about the Walk for Memories or for any questions about books I found helpful, support groups or other community resources, I would be happy to share my experiences.
themindfulmerchant (at) gmail (dot) com
Back to the regular stuff next post. I promise.
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It was a great post!
Thanks Brie (and Lara) for the opportunity to shine a light on these issues.