January is Alzheimer's Awareness Month in Canada

by Karen Quemby for MuskokaRegion:

Life doesn’t end when Alzheimer’s begins. There is more to the person than their disease and it's important to be there for those who are #StillHere.

Proof points

• Although dementia is progressive and ultimately fatal, the symptoms and rate of progression varies from person to person. Dementia can last between eight and 10 years, or even longer.

• A diagnosis of dementia doesn’t automatically mean that the person will be unable to carry on with their daily routine.

• Each person living with dementia is different. Getting to know the person and their life is important in order to give them the support they need and want.

• Like anyone else, it takes time to get to know the person well.

• It’s important to understand that the person living with dementia will change with the progression of the disease as will their abilities, wants and needs.

• Seeing the person and not their disease helps focus our attention on what they can do rather than what they can’t do.

• Assumptions about dementia can interfere with the well-being and quality of life and care of people it affects.

• Positive attitudes and engagement of people with dementia in activities that build on their strengths and life history will foster their self worth, maintain their identity and prolong their independence.

Quick facts

• 747,000 Canadians are living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias today, a number expected to increase to 1.4 million in the next 15 years.

• Three out of four Canadians know someone with dementia.

• Women represent 72 per cent of Canadians living with Alzheimer’s.

• For every person with the disease, two or more family members provide care. Women account for 70 per cent of family caregivers.

• 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.

• Dementia costs the Canadian economy $33 billion per year. By 2040, that figure will skyrocket to $293 billion per year.

• Age is the biggest risk factor for dementia. After age 65, the risk doubles every five years.

• Dementia also occurs in people in their 50s, 40s and even in their 30s.

• The causes of dementia are not fully known, and there is still no cure or effective treatment to prevent or reverse the disease.

• Dementia is a collective term to describe brain disorders with symptoms that include: decline in memory, reasoning and communication skills; gradual loss in ability to carry out day-to-day activities; and changes in personality and behaviour.

• Dementia can be present in the brain for up to 25 years before symptoms appear.

Source: http://bit.ly/1RSVQq1