January is Alzheimer\u2019s Awareness Month, with this year\u2019s focus on reminding people living with dementia and those who support them that they are not alone.<\/p>\n
Danielle Bywater, a support and education co-ordinator with the Alzheimer Society of B.C.\u2019s First Link program for the West Kootenay region, said stigma and isolation remain major challenges for those affected by dementia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to ensure that people affected by dementia know that they are not alone, that\u2019s both people who are living with the disease as well as their care partners,\u201d said Bywater.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to show that there\u2019s others that have felt meaning, connection, and even joy after a dementia diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite growing awareness, Bywater said many people delay seeking help when symptoms begin because of fear or misunderstanding, sometimes even before receiving a formal diagnosis.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople find that they are increasingly isolated when they get the diagnosis or even before they have that diagnosis and are noticing some changes but are not really wanting to get them checked out,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can lead to that reluctance. And we know that once they get that diagnosis, there\u2019s new treatment options, there\u2019s support options that can make that journey a little bit easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of Alzheimer\u2019s Awareness Month, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. is hosting a public information session in Nelson on Saturday, in partnership with the Nelson Seniors Coordinating Society.<\/p>\n
The session will focus on dementia education and explore simple strategies that can create a more supportive, inclusive and welcoming community for people affected by the disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people reach out to us because they want to help, but they\u2019re not sure how,\u201d Bywater said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll start with some basic information about dementia, including signs and symptoms people might notice in family members or in day-to-day interactions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The session will also address stigma and barriers faced by people living with dementia, including challenges in public spaces.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s environmental barriers for people living with dementia. For example, signage. Is it legible and easy to understand?\u201d Bywater said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA dementia-friendly community goes through the community and works towards making it inclusive so that people living with dementia can thrive in their communities for as long as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The session is open to the public, but caregivers and people in the early stages of dementia are strongly encouraged to attend.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really for everyone, but I especially would encourage those people who are caring for someone or maybe suspect that someone they care for is showing signs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNelson has a really strong sense of community. This session is for anyone who wants to learn more our society and the resources we offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bywater said dementia does not affect only older adults, despite common misconceptions.<\/p>\n
While age is the strongest risk factor, people can be diagnosed under 65, a condition known as young-onset dementia.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are diagnosed as early as in their 30s. It\u2019s not just a disease that affects older people.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Interior Health data, 253 people in Nelson had an official dementia diagnosis as of last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we know that there\u2019s many more,\u201d Bywater said.\u201cDementia doesn\u2019t just affect the person, it affects their entire family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bywater hopes those attending Saturday\u2019s session leave with both knowledge and reassurance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope people leave knowing they are not alone, and for those who aren\u2019t personally affected, I hope they learn that it\u2019s possible to live a fulfilling life with dementia and to create meaningful, supportive connections in the community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The session will run from 2:15 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Nelson Seniors Centre, 717 Vernon St.<\/p>\n
More information about Alzheimer\u2019s Awareness Month events and online webinars is available through the Alzheimer Society of B.C.\u2019s website.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The organization also\u00a0operates\u00a0a helpline for anyone seeking information or support.\u00a0<\/p>\n Want to get your business noticed? Have you considered advertising through your local radio station? Speak to one of our sales agents and find out how radio advertising can boost your business today. Call 250-365-7600 or\u00a0email Vista Radio.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"January is Alzheimer\u2019s Awareness Month, with this year\u2019s focus on reminding people living with dementia and those who…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":416995,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[175068,175069,49,48,175070,175071,84,123662,175072],"class_list":["post-416994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-alzheimer-society-of-b-c","tag-alzheimers-awareness-month","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-danielle-bywater","tag-dementia-session-nelson","tag-health","tag-nelson","tag-nelson-seniors-coordinating-society"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=416994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/416995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=416994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=416994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=416994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}