KAMLOOPS — Across Canada, January is recognized as Alzheimer Awareness Month.
In Kamloops, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. is working to decrease stigma while working closely with caregivers of Alzheimer patients.
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia and a progressive terminal illness.
The Alzheimer Society of B.C. puts on a number of workshops to aid caregivers.
Support and Education coordinator Tara Hildebrand says families of a person with Alzheimer’s still face stigma.
“We hear in our society, unfortunately, lots of jokes and things about, ‘oh, it’s old-timers’ and they make jokes about memory loss, or they say, ‘oh, well we all forget’ and things like that,” she said. “But, the problem with that is this is much different. This is a different kind of forgetfulness and this is a loss of brain function. So, it’s not okay to make jokes about it and make light of it, it doesn’t allow that person with the disease or their families quite frankly to be taken seriously.”
Approximately half a million people across Canada are living with Alzheimer’s, and Hildebrand says that number will climb to close to a million in the next 15 years.
Hildebrand says it’s important that everyone learns a little about the disease, adding there are some workshops coming up at the end of the month.
“So, we have a workshop coming up on January 30 from 7-9 p.m. at the Big Little Science Centre. To register you can call Susan Hammond at 250-554-2572. Call Susan and register, we’re partnered this month with Susan, you know based on the science part of the brain and all of that kind of stuff too and then us at the Alzheimer Society trying to raise awareness for what we can do to hopefully reduce our risk and a little bit more about dementia.”
Another workshop called the Family Caregiver Series will begin on the 31st.
For information on how to register go to the Alzheimer Society’s website.
