As another Alzheimer’s Awareness Month draws to a close, we are no closer to finding a cure for this devastating disease.
📈 With more than 500,000 Canadians living with dementia now and an estimated 1 million by 2030, screening for dementia and risk mitigation programs must become integral components in primary health care and social services.
The growth trends in new diagnoses are unsustainable. We must find ways to bend the growth curve downward. One way to do this is to make dementia prevention a healthcare priority.
It appears that researchers are focusing clinical trials more on prevention and early intervention therapies to get ahead of the growth curve.
According to a report in the Journal of Biomedical Science published in October 2023, “The main trends in these (clinical) trials involve pathophysiology-based, disease-modifying therapies and the recruitment of participants in earlier stages of the disease. These trends underscore the significance of conducting fundamental research on pathophysiology, prevention, and intervention prior to the occurrence of brain damage caused by AD (Alzheimer’s disease).”
Until a cure is found, we need to focus on reducing the risks of dementia, without neglecting the application of best practices in the care of persons living with dementia.
👉 The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care found that approximately 40% of dementia worldwide was attributable to 12 potentially preventable risk factors (ie, less education, hearing loss, hypertension, obesity, smoking, depression, social isolation, physical inactivity, diabetes, alcohol excess, traumatic brain injury, and air pollution).
❗ During Alzheimer’s Awareness month January 2024, the Government of Canada launched a public education campaign highlighting the actions that individuals can take to reduce the 12 modifiable risks of dementia.
❗❗ A study conducted in the US in 2023 confirms what we already know in Canada that people know about dementia but they are not taking action to get screened for dementia and to mitigate the risks of dementia.
❗ ❗ ❗ Here in Canada, although the Federal Government has spent most of the $50 million it committed to implement awareness, prevention, and best practices through the national dementia strategy, 1 in 5 Canadians surveyed by Alzheimer Canada in 2017 would avoid seeking help and a diagnosis for as long as possible if they thought they had dementia, perhaps to avoid the associated stigma and embarrassment.
J. W. Van Goethe
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
The time to act is NOW!
It will take the collective efforts of public and private sector organizations, community groups, and citizens of all ages to work towards bending the growth curve in dementia diagnoses.
Consider getting involved in intergenerational activities.
👉Alzheimer’s Disease International identifies infrequent social contact as a modifiable risk of dementia. Social contact enhances cognitive reserve or encourages beneficial behaviors.
👉According to research Psychological Science study, sustained engagement in cognitively demanding, novel activities where new skills are being acquired, enhances memory function in older adulthood.
👉The youth of today will be impacted by dementia, as many of them will become caregivers in the future.
An example of an intergenerational program
The charity Hope for Dementia believes that proactive prevention programs such as youth teaching seniors new skills could potentially reduce the growth in the number of new diagnoses.
Hope for Dementia currently has an Intergenerational Learning Program which has the dual aim of raising awareness among teenagers and young adults about dementia and of reducing the risks of dementia in the senior population. The program bridges the gap between generations, breaks the social isolation experienced by seniors, while providing a mutually beneficial learning experience for both seniors and youth volunteers.
Youth volunteers teach senior citizens how to use various applications on tablets and iPads. This helps to reduce the risks of dementia among seniors, as they learn new skills, continue being cognitively and mentally stimulated, and feel socially connected with their families and friends through digital media. Using their life experience, seniors teach the youth volunteers various skills and provide advice on aspects of daily living. This makes seniors feel valued as citizens actively contributing to the community.
Investing in the health and well-being of our youth and our seniors pays dividends to our communities.
Both youth and seniors love this program! Read more about the experience of the participants.
#alzheimer’s #intergenerations #dementia #preventivehealth
See the BIG picture. Focus on what’s important.
theBIGpicture Camille 