KAWARTHA LAKES-This January, during National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, the Alzheimer Society of Canada hopes to connect people living with dementia and caregivers with support, knowledge and a sense of community, so they don’t have to face the journey alone. With more than half a million Canadians living with dementia today, a number expected to reach 1.7 million by 2050, the Alzheimer Society of Canada is continuing to enhance its support amongst people living with dementia to meet their needs early in, and throughout, their journey.
Caregivers for people with dementia provide an average 26 hours of care per week compared to 17 hours per week for seniors with other health issues (coming from data out of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)). Data from the CIHI has shown that 45% of care partners providing care to people living with dementia exhibit symptoms of distress. This is twice the rate compared to care partners of older adults with health conditions other than dementia (26%) and 21% of care partners feel unable to continue their caring activities due to stress
Officials say when you reach out to your local Alzheimer Society, you gain access to dementia-friendly expertise and resources to help you feel understood and supported. At any point in your experience living with dementia or caring for a person with dementia, your local Alzheimer Society is a great place to turn – and the Society’s First Link® program offers services and information to people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias and caregivers. First Link includes information about risk reduction, living well with dementia, the latest research and advocacy efforts, as well as referrals to programs to help you manage the challenges that dementia can present.
The goal of the Alzheimer Society’s First Link®program is to ensure that people living with dementia and caregivers have the right support and information, from the time of an initial diagnosis and throughout the progression of the disease.
To get connected to your local Alzheimer Society for support, visit www.alzheimer.ca/FirstLink
