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Women urged to learn the signs of Alzheimer’s disease Lindsay Chung
THE CHRONICLE
Muriel Copp has always been very independent. But she’s been losing things. She says she now knows she is living with dementia, and it can be really hard. Copp, who is going to be 85 at the end of this month, was learning more about dementia and brain health earlier this month during an information session put on by the Ladysmith Seniors Office at the Ladysmith Eagles Hall. January is Alzheimer Awareness Month, and Jane Hope, the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s support and education co-ordinator for Ladysmith and the North and Central Island, gave the presentation, and Copp was happy to find out more. “Eighty-four has been a bad year and getting worse,” said Copp. “Up to then, it’s been pretty good, but I’m definitely living with it now. It helps to know this kind of thing. I can image in the olden days when people couldn’t know — at least we know. I gave up my driver’s license because I was afraid I’d hit somebody. It’s kind of scary in one sense, but I’m not scared, I think.” Women represent 72 per cent of Canadians living with Alzheimer’s disease, and 70 per cent of caregivers are women. The Alzheimer Society’s annual Alzheimer Awareness Month campaign has adopted the theme “The 72%.” The campaign aims to inform women in their 40s and older about the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, brain health and how the programs and services of the nonprofit Alzheimer Society of B.C. can help. “The main reason that women are more impacted than men by Alzheimer’s is that women live
longer, and the biggest risk factor for dementia is age, so the older we get, the more at risk we are of developing some form of dementia,” said Hope. “What’s important for people to know, and especially women, is we’re trying to get the message out there that it’s important they are aware of what are the 10 warning signs, what are the things they need to look out for. And then if you are suspicious, go in and try to get a diagnosis, because the earlier you get a diagnosis, the more you can plan.” Hope says that in Canada, more than 700,000 people — and she has heard that it’s now 747,000 — have been diagnosed with some form of dementia or mild cognitive impairment. “It’s 1.5 per cent of the population,” she said. “In Canada, somebody develops dementia every five minutes. They figure that by 2038, these numbers are going to double.” Hope explained that “dementia” is really an umbrella term for a set of different diseases. “Technically, it’s the term that we use to describe the symptoms, so memory loss, confusion, lack of judgment, trouble with language,” she said. “When we put all those symptoms together, we usually tend to call that dementia. These symptoms are caused by changes in the brain or brain damage.” The most common of dementias is Alzheimer’s disease. “It also seems to be the one that scares people the most, but it really is the most common dementia that occurs,” said Hope, noting that Alzheimer’s disease impacts memory, judgment and reasoning and causes a lot of mood changes. “About 65 per cent of all dementias are caused by Alzheimer’s.” Hope says that seven per cent of See 72% Page 3
Four-year-old Bryson Gendron listens as Colin Pickell reads his new children’s book, Who Will Tuck Me Into Bed?, during the Family Literacy Day celebration Jan. 24 at the Ladysmith Library. The Family Literacy Day celebration featured Pickell’s book reading, face painting, an imagination station and the launch of the library’s new Children’s Literacy Kits, which were purchased with funds donated by the NanaimoLINDSAY CHUNG Ladysmith Literacy Council, not Ladysmith Family and Friends, as previously reported.
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