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Increased caregiver stress. Fewer community support services. Changing restrictions to visiting care homes. Increased cognitive decline for some people living with dementia due to social isolation.
As the list of negative impacts of the pandemic on families affected by dementia continues to grow, so does the demand for Alzheimer Society of B.C. support services in the Okanagan.
“There’s more need for support,” says Maribeth Friesen, Alzheimer Society of B.C.'s manager of regional services for the Interior and North.
“We’re seeing a higher number of calls to our First Link Dementia Helpline and some people need more time on those calls. But we’re dedicated to meet the increasing demand and getting people the help they need.”
On March 3, community members will have the opportunity to help support the work of the Alzheimer Society of B.C. at its Breakfast to Remember fundraiser.
The virtual event will feature a keynote address and live Q&A with Dr. Lisa Genova, neuroscientist, speaker and international New York Times bestselling author of "Still Alice."
This annual fundraiser brings communities together to hear inspiring talks and help raise critical funds for Alzheimer Society of B.C. programs and services, including increased virtual programming. Funds raised will also enable dementia research in B.C.
For society staff members working to support caregivers and people living with dementia, many of whom live independently in the community without a personal network, the event couldn’t come at a better time.
“People in the early stages of dementia don’t always have immediate access to programs in the community that will benefit them,” Friesen says.
“The Alzheimer Society of B.C. offers programs like early-stage support groups and coffee and chat groups to help close that gap. We also need to ask: how can we as a community ensure people feel supported and included at all stages of dementia from the early stages through to the later stages of the disease?”
The Alzheimer Society of B.C. is here to help
In addition to offering dementia support and information in English, Cantonese, Mandarin and Punjabi via the First Link Dementia Helpline, the society now offers both virtual and in-person programming, including support groups for caregivers and people in the early stages of dementia, as well as education sessions and Minds in Motion, a social and fitness program for people living with dementia and a care partner.
In addition to the Breakfast to Remember event, ticket purchasers will also gain access to an exclusive research event on March 4 with a panel of B.C.’s leading dementia researchers.
To learn more, or purchase tickets, visit BreakfastToRemember.ca.
To learn more about the Society’s programming, visit alzheimerbc.org or call the First Link Dementia Helpline at 1-800-936-6033.
About the Breakfast to Remember and speaker Dr. Lisa Genova
Keynote speaker Dr. Lisa Genova holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard University and has captured a special place in contemporary fiction, writing stories that are equally inspired by neuroscience and the human spirit. Her first TED Talk on brain health has been viewed more than five million times, with her most recent talk garnering more than one million views in its first month alone.
Genova’s extensively-researched fiction describes the unique journeys of people living with neurological diseases and disorders. She writes with passion and accuracy to educate, demystify, destigmatize and ultimately inspire support for care and scientific research.
The breakfast is set for Thursday, March 3, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Tickets include access to an exclusive research event, a live discussion about the latest research here in B.C. The research event, slated for noon on March 4, will feature a panel discussion with three of B.C.’s leading dementia researchers:
• Dr. Mari DeMarco, clinical chemist with Providence Health Care
• Dr. Stuart MacDonald, professor at the Department of Psychology at UVic and a research fellow, at the Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health
• Dr. Julie Robillard, assistant professor of neurology at UBC and scientist, patient experience at B.C. Children’s Hospital and B.C. Women’s Hospital
This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
