Friends, families and members of the West Kootenays communities all experience the personal and social impact of dementia. It’s not just their disease. It’s ours too.
That’s why the Alzheimer Society of B.C. is asking Slocan Valley residents to be #InItForAlz and show support for people affected by the disease in the community.
“It’s about making dementia not just someone else’s problem but everyone’s concern. Dementia should be cause that we can all rally around because we embrace people living with the disease,” says Julie Leffelaar, the society’s support and education coordinator for Nakusp and the West Kootenay region.
“Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias affect thousands of families in British Columbia,” says Health Minister Terry Lake. “Alzheimer’s Awareness Month is an opportunity to learn more about how we can support people in our community who are living with the disease.”
Dementia doesn’t discriminate and can affect anyone. That’s why actor and writer Jill Daum is getting behind #InItForAlz. Jill’s husband, John Mann of Spirit of the West, was diagnosed with young-onset dementia in 2014.
“This is a cause that’s close to my heart and I’m proud to lend my support to the campaign,” Jill says. “John felt that there was a stigma attached to it and he wanted to be able to be honest, open and not feel any shame around his diagnosis.
“We need to get over our uneasiness about dementia and start to recognize and talk about it more openly,” says Jill, who lives with John in Vancouver.
Slocan Valley residents, too, can be #InItForAlz. Visit alzheimerbc.org to learn about the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s support services in the area and make a donation to help people in the province who are living with the disease. You can also use the hashtag #InItForAlz to spread the word that “it’s not just their disease. It’s ours too.”