Title: You’re not alone with Alzheimer Disease

Kerri Sutherland, Support & Education Coordinator for the Alzheimer Society of B.C. - North Shore & Sunshine Coast, makes sure you’re not alone with Alzheimer Disease or other related dementias.

Last spring, the Daybreak team attended the North Shore Outlook Women of Excellence Awards. Not only did we attend, but we nominated a winner! Kerri Sutherland won the Excellence Award in the Community category.

I had the wonderful experience of meeting Kerri while attending one of her Dementia Education Series for Caregivers. I recall those Saturday mornings in November to be damp and dreary, but Kerri’s spirits were always positive and upbeat. I was so impressed by her engaging manner and compassion as she taught people about the process of A.D. and Dementia and how to cope as caregivers.

Kerri offers expert advice and resources through her education and support groups. There are courses for both people with the disease, as well as separate classes for families and caregivers. Kerri’s passion and enthusiasm is certainly raising awareness for North Shore community members, as the numbers in her classes have doubled in the past year.

But other numbers are doubling too… frightening numbers. In 2008 in Canada there were 103,700 new cases of Alzheimer Disease (AD) & related dementias. That’s one every five minutes! In 30 years, researchers suggest that number could more than double to 257,800, or one new case every two minutes! In 2008 there were 480,600 Canadians diagnosed with AD and related dementias. That’s 1.5% of the population. Again, in 30 years, that number could almost double to represent almost 3%.

So what can we do to prevent from becoming one of those statistics?

We can start by practicing the Healthy Brain Program. By making healthy lifestyle choices, you can reduce your risk of developing AD and related dementias and also improve your brain’s ability to sustain long-term health.

The Healthy Brain Program recommends:

Challenge your brain

Be physically fit

Be socially active

Make Healthy Food Choices

Reduce your stress

Protect your head from injury

We can all do that! And we should! Check it out @ www.alzheimer.ca

You can also find other education and support groups throughout B.C. on this website.