Alzheimer Society kicks off Alzheimer Awareness Month with new campaign
Each year, 25,000 Canadians hear the words, “you have dementia.” But dementia is more than just numbers. Friends, families and members of our communities all experience the personal and social impact of dementia. For our healthcare system and economy this means higher demand for services and soaring costs. It’s not just their disease. It’s ours too.
That’s why the Alzheimer Society of New Brunswick is asking fellow New Brunswickers to be #InItForAlz and support vital programs and services offered to the 16 900 families throughout our province.
Dementia doesn’t discriminate and can affect anyone. It’s one of the fastest-growing diseases of our time, but still has no cure or effective treatments. It can only be beat if everyone takes action.
That’s why Darren Dreger, a Hockey Insider at TSN, is getting behind #InItForAlz. His 76-year-old stepfather, Ervin, who lives in Saskatchewan, was recently diagnosed with dementia. “This is a cause that’s close to my heart and I’m proud to lend my support to the campaign. We need to get over our uneasiness about dementia and start to recognize and talk about it more openly. Research is a top priority if we’re to find a cure for people like my stepdad. And, we need to turn research into better resources for caregivers like my mom,” says Dreger, who makes his home in Toronto.
You, too, can be #InItForAlz and make a difference right from your computer. Donate to support our local initiatives, become a volunteer in your community, host a Coffee Break at your place of work or take part in our 14th annual Walk for Alzheimer’s. You can also use the hashtag #InItForAlz to spread the word that “it’s not just their disease. It’s ours too.”
The Alzheimer Society of New Brunswick has six Resource Centres around the province and runs numerous monthly Caregiver Support Networks for people with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia and their families. The Alzheimer Society of New Brunswick provides support and information through a toll free bilingual 1-800 line, and provides comprehensive information kits to help families navigate their way through a diagnosis or suspicion of Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer Society provides in-office and telephone support, and organizes various fund development activities to help fund the national Alzheimer Society Research Program.
Through its many programs like their First Link Program, Annual Conferences for health care professionals, Memory Cafés, and education programs, the Alzheimer Society is working every day to defeat dementia’s dark shadow.
Our Vision:
We see communities where no one suffers from dementia – we have taken a stand against the disease, defied its predicted path, and defeated its dark shadow.
Giv’er Miramichi is about “What’s up, what’s new, what’s happening”. We are focused on building people up, supporting one another and celebrating our successes.