According to a B.C. survey conducted by Insights West in 2018, more than 70 per cent of respondents felt people living with dementia experience stigma.
Stigma – which is negative attitudes and misconceptions held by family, friends and professionals – can be a barrier that prevents people from seeking out a diagnosis if they are beginning to see possible symptoms, or it may keep them from accessing services.
This January, residents of Barriere and the rest of the North Thompson Valley are invited to take part in Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, a national campaign focused on changing the general public’s perceptions of what it means to live with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Changing perceptions is key to reducing stigma, which ultimately supports people living with dementia to stay active and engaged in the community.
Dementia is a term that describes a general group of brain disorders. Symptoms include the loss of memory, impaired judgment, and changes in behaviour and personality. Dementia is progressive, degenerative and eventually terminal.
Families across British Columbia are affected by Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. The Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s ultimate vision is a world without dementia; that vision begins with a world where people living with the disease are welcomed, acknowledged and included. Working in communities throughout the province, the Society supports, educates and advocates for people with dementia, as well as enabling research into the disease. As part of a national federation, the Society is a leading authority on the disease in Canada.
The Alzheimer Society of B.C. connects people living with dementia, their caregivers and family members to support and education at any point in the disease through First Link® dementia support.
Barriere and other North Thompson Valley residents can connect to support by asking their health-care provider for a referral or by calling the First Link® Dementia Helpline at 1-800-936-6033. To learn more about the Alzheimer Society of B.C. and Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, visit www.alzheimerbc.org
What is dementia?
Dementia is an overall term for a set of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain. Symptoms may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language, severe enough to reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. A person with dementia may also experience changes in mood or behaviour.
Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse as more brain cells become damaged and eventually die.
Dementia is not a specific disease. Many diseases can cause dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia (due to strokes), Lewy Body disease, head trauma, fronto-temporal dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. These conditions can have similar and overlapping symptoms.
Some treatable conditions can produce symptoms similar to dementia, for example, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid disease, sleep disorders, or mental illness. It is therefore important to arrange for a full medical assessment as early as possible.
Getting a timely diagnosis can help you access information, resources and support through the Alzheimer Society, benefit from treatment, and plan ahead.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is irreversible and destroys brain cells, causing thinking ability and memory to deteriorate. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging.
Dr. Alois Alzheimer first identified the disease in 1906. He described the two hallmarks of the disease: “plaques,” which are numerous tiny, dense deposits scattered throughout the brain that become toxic to brain cells at excessive levels, and “tangles,” which interfere with vital processes, eventually choking off the living cells. When brain cells degenerate and die, the brain markedly shrinks in some regions.
“Plaques” are deposits of a protein called “beta amyloid,” or A-beta. When A-beta molecules clump together in the brain, they form plaques which prevent signals from being transferred between nerve cells in the brain, ultimately causing the cells to die.
“Tangles” are fiber clumps of a protein called Tau. Tau proteins can be seen as parallel railroad tracks within the brain. Nutrients and other important material are transported along those tracks, keeping brain cells alive.
In healthy brain areas, tau proteins make sure that nutrients can reach their destination.
In unhealthy brain areas, the tau protein collapses and twists, forming tangles which prevent nutrients from reaching brain cells, resulting in cell death.
The image below shows that a person with Alzheimer’s disease has less brain tissue (right) than a person who does not have the disease (left). This shrinkage will continue over time, affecting how the brain functions.
10 warning signs
Whether you’re experiencing possible symptoms or are concerned for someone you care about, the Alzheimer Society has developed the following list of signs to look for:
• Memory loss affecting day-to-day abilities – forgetting things often or struggling to retain new information.
• Difficulty performing familiar tasks – forgetting how to do something you’ve been doing your whole life, such as preparing a meal or getting dressed.
• Problems with language – forgetting words or substituting words that don’t fit the context.
• Disorientation in time and space – not knowing what day of the week it is or getting lost in a familiar place.
• Impaired judgment – not recognizing a medical problem that needs attention or wearing light clothing on a cold day.
• Problems with abstract thinking – not understanding what numbers signify on a calculator, for example, or how they’re used.
• Misplacing things – putting things in strange places, like an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
• Changes in mood and behaviour – exhibiting severe mood swings from being easy-going to quick-tempered.
• Changes in personality – behaving out of character such as feeling paranoid or threatened.
• Loss of initiative – losing interest in friends, family and favourite activities.
If you are concerned about any of these signs, talk to your doctor.