Maureen Fox knows all too well the heartbreaking impact that Alzheimer’s disease can have on a family.
The Flin Flon resident’s husband, Dennis Fox, has suffered from dementia for several years and now lives in the Northern Lights Manor.
“It is hard,” says Maureen Fox. “To me [dementia] is the worst disease because they are in their own little world.”
She says that while she worked with patients with dementia during her time as a nurse, it is much more difficult to see a loved one lose so much of his memory and go through personality changes due to the disease.
Those are familiar feelings for the hundreds of thousands of Canadian families touched by Alzheimer’s, a chronic neurodegenerative condition.
In connection with Alzheimer Awareness Month, observed each January, the Alzheimer Society of Canada (ASC) has launched an educational campaign called #Stillhere.
#Stillhere highlights true stories of people with dementia and their caregivers, attempting to capture the feelings of invisibility experienced by many of the 747,000 Canadians who live with dementia.
“They treat me differently; they act like I don’t understand,” states a video message on the ASC website. “When people find out I have Alzheimer’s, it’s as if I’m suddenly not there.”
“The goal of our campaign is to create awareness about this disease and encourage all of us to see the person beyond the condition,” says Wendy Schettler, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.
Twyla Storey, communications coordinator for the Northern Health Region, says a number of resources are available locally for patients with dementia and their caregivers.
“Homecare is usually involved in one way or another,” says Storey, “whether that involvement is to assist with daily living tasks, personal care tasks, respite, nursing or assistance with completing application for long-term care.
Storey adds that the NHR aims to “make it easier and safer for people to live at home longer” through services such as Lifeline, an emergency response program, occupational therapy and an adult day program.
Local residents can learn more about dementia through a series of Telehealth seminars offered by the Alzheimer Society in partnership with the Northern Health Region.
The seminars will be held at the Flin Flon Primary Health Centre in February, March and April.
According to the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, dementia is a term that refers to a variety of brain disorders. Different physical changes to the brain cause different dementias.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for almost two-thirds of all cases. It is irreversible and eventually fatal.
Dementia is progressive. Its causes are not fully known, and there is no cure or effective treatment to prevent the disease.
Progression varies greatly from person to person and can last between eight to 10 years – or longer.
Symptoms worsen over time and include loss of memory, changes in judgment and reasoning, difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language, and changes in mood and behaviour.
Age is the biggest risk factor for dementia. After age 65, the risk doubles every five years. Dementia can occur in people in their 50s, 40s and even in their 30s.
To learn more about dementia and the #Still here campaign, visit the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba website at www.alzheimer.mb.ca
Alzheimer’s: Quick facts
More than 747,000 Canadians are living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias today, a number expected to rise to 1.4 million in the next 15 years.
That includes 22,000 Manitobans who have dementia. By 2038, this number is expected to reach over 40,700.
Last year alone saw more than 4,500 new cases of dementia in Manitoba.
Forty-three per cent of Manitobans have a family member or close friend with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.
In a recent Omnibus survey, an estimated 124,000 Manitobans reported to have used the services of the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.
The total economic burden of dementia in Manitoba is close to $1 billion and is expected to grow to more than 4.4 billion by the year 2038.
Nationwide, women represent 72 per cent of Canadians living with Alzheimer’s.
In 2011 alone, caregivers spent 444 million unpaid hours providing care. That’s the equivalent of $11 billion in lost income or 230,000 full-time jobs.
Source: Alzheimer Society of Manitoba
