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[Please
note that the material on this page was current when
it was first posted. For up-to-date information on this
topic, visit the I Have
Alzheimer's Disease section.]
Voices
of Alzheimer's Disease Media Kit
Jan.
2, 2001
Media
Release
For
immediate release
Jan. 2, 2001
For
more information:
Debbie Krulicki, Manager, Media Relations and Communications,
Alzheimer Society of Canada -- (416)488-8772 or pr@alzheimer.ca
Earlier
diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease leads to demand for new
resources --People in the early stages speak out
An
estimated 110,000 (see note 1 below)
Canadians will develop Alzheimer's disease or a related
dementia this year (see note 2 below).
These numbers are fuelled by an aging population whose
advanced age is, itself, a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
Many
of those newly diagnosed are hungry for information and
support. They are calling their local Alzheimer Societies
saying, "What can you do for me?" Or, "I
need to talk to other people who have this disease."
It's
a stunning reversal of events for the Alzheimer Society,
an organization that was founded, over 20 years ago,
by family members seeking information and support to
care for those who were often no longer able to speak
for themselves.
"People
are getting diagnosed earlier," says Wendy Schettler,
program director, Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, "and
they are taking responsibility for some of the things
they need to do to educate themselves and plan for the
future."
Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative brain disorder with no known
cause or cure. 364,000 Canadians currently have Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Greater awareness of symptoms
and diagnostic improvements are resulting in people being
diagnosed at an earlier stage of the disease, some also
at an earlier age, in their 40s, 50s and early 60s.
Anticipating
an even greater demand for information from people with
Alzheimer's disease and family members, the Alzheimer Society
has published two new brochures that address the kinds
of changes to expect and ways to cope: First
Steps: For Those Recently Diagnosed With Alzheimer Disease and First
Steps: For Families of Those Recently Diagnosed With
Alzheimer Disease.
The
Society has also launched a new section on its Web site,
www.alzheimer.ca, specifically for people with Alzheimer's disease to find information that speaks directly to their
concerns. This includes an exciting new resource written
by early stage support group members from British Columbia.
Early
stage Alzheimer support groups are springing up in various
parts of the country. These groups provide a supportive
environment where people with Alzheimer's disease and related
dementias can talk about their feelings, how their disease
affects them and how they cope. Dale Griffith, 64, of
Victoria Beach, Manitoba enthusiastically supports this
much-needed resource.
"I
have made good friends. It has helped me to accept the
facts and face the disease, so that I am not afraid.
I recommend the early-stage support group to anybody
who has Alzheimer's disease because it really makes a difference."
"We're
seeing more people with Alzheimer's disease who are still
active, physically healthy, some with young families," says
Alzheimer Society of Canada executive director Steve
Rudin. "We need more money to create resources and
programs that are appropriate for these people in the
early stages and we must expand funding of research to
more quickly find a cause and cure."
The
First Steps brochures are available from local Alzheimer
Societies across Canada and are posted on the Alzheimer
Society's Web site. For more information about Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, programs and services,
and how you can help, contact your local Alzheimer Society
or visit the Society's Web site at www.alzheimer.ca.
The
2001 Campaign was made possible through the generosity
of our key partners Pfizer Canada Inc. and Manulife Financial,
and our major contributors Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada
Inc. and Janssen-Ortho Inc.
Note
1: As of November 2001, the estimated number of
new cases of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
is 83,200.
Note
2: The estimate of 110,000 new cases
of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is extrapolated
from 1991 incidence data. The Canadian Study of Health
and Aging report, The Incidence of Dementia in Canada,
was published in Neurology, July 2000.
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