The Alzheimer Society of B.C is looking to educate the public about dementia during World Alzheimer’s month.
Dementia is an umbrella term that describes many diseases -including Alzheimer’s- affecting roughly 46 million people worldwide.
First Link Coordinator Laurie De Croos says the stigma surrounding dementia still exists, and the Society held a focus group to get an inside perspective.
“We asked people with dementia to talk about the memories they hope to create for themselves and their families. We’ll be thinking about this question and we’ll share some of the responses throughout this month.”
De Croos says the term ‘person with dementia’ is a better choice than words with negative connotations, like suffering and affliction.
“it’s important to know dementia is a brain disease, the people who have the disease are simply people. The best way to erase stigma is to learn as much as you can about the disease, and learn about how to communicate with people who have a dementia.”
Alzheimer’s makes up 65 percent of dementia cases.
The PG Alzheimer Society holding a guided two-hour discussion about the impact of dementia on communication on September 17th.
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