Alzheimer's Awareness Month: Advocates continue to educate public on disease
The number of people living with dementia climbs every day.
“In Canada, there’s over 500,000 Canadians living with dementia. In Canada, by 2030, we know this number is expected to grow to over 900,000,” says Michele Heyer, senior’s care chair at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont.
By extension, that means there are millions affected, as family members and caregivers watch as the disease develops in someone they know and love.
That's why Conestoga College's Canadian Remote Access for Dementia Learning Experience (CRADLE) is getting so much attention during Alzheimer's Awareness Month.
“This helps benefit the care provider because it’s going to help them provide the confidence and knowledge and skills they need to support someone living with dementia,” Heyer says.
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease that is caused by complex brain changes following cell damage. It leads to dementia symptoms that gradually worsen over time.
Symptoms of the disease can be difficult to spot early in its development. They include:
- forgetfulness
- misplacing things
- getting lost going to familiar places
As dementia progresses, the signals can be more obvious, including:
- impaired judgment
- challenges with problem-solving
- difficulty completing familiar tasks
- challenges speaking or writing,
- changes in mood, behaviour, and personality
Former Daily Planet host Jay Ingram knows the signs all too well.
A number of his relatives developed dementia, including his mother.
Ingram's parents were married for over 70 years. He says for him, one of the most difficult parts of his mother's fight, was watching his father cope with her decline.
“He was constantly on the lookout for any tiny sign that she was doing better, or at least well, and that honestly could be just a twitch of the mouth. So that could be interpreted as a smile and he would take that as being a good day,” Ingram says.
That's why Ingram is lending his voice to raise awareness about the disease.
Ingram says one of the most important things is improving the quality of life for those living with dementia.
“I think the really important thing is empathy. This is somebody you love. They’re changing. They’re changing in a way that you’re not happy with and in fact, they may not be happy with,” says Ingram.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.