March 11, 2014 - 2:18 PM
VERNON, B.C.—Councillor Catherine Lord presented a motion in Council Chambers today in support of Bill C-356, and recommended that the City of Vernon join a call to all levels of government and the Federation of Municipalities to adopt a national dementia strategy in response to national figures on the impacts of Alzheimer’s disease. Included in the motion was a call to action for citizens within Canadian communities to become more aware and engaged about the far-reaching effects of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Alzheimer's disease and other dementias take a tremendous toll on hundreds of thousands of families and caregivers, and an estimated 3 million Canadians face challenges of providing care for those suffering.
“It's devastating to the patient, particularly early in the diagnosis, but once the disease progresses, it makes virtual prisoners of the caregivers, particularly in a two-person family,” said Lord. “We need a strategy not just for the patients, but for the caregivers as well. This disease is becoming more prevalent as our population ages, and we need a plan to deal with this so that we all share in the caregiving and give some relief to the immediate family whose lives are greatly impacted.”
Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are progressive, degenerative diseases of the brain that cause thinking and memory to become seriously impaired. The disease most often occurs in people over the age of 65 but can strike adults at any age. Currently, dementia affects more than 500,000 Canadians and this figure is projected to reach 1.1 million within a generation.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014