Are you #InItForAlz? Alzheimer Society kicks off Alzheimer Awareness Month with new campaign

VIDEO: Darren Dreger, a Hockey Insider at TSN, gets behind Alzheimer Awareness Month.

TORONTO, Jan. 10, 2017 /CNW/ - Each year, 25,000 Canadians hear the words, 'you have dementia.' But dementia is more than just numbers. Friends, families and members of our communities all experience the personal and social impact of dementia. For our health-care system and economy this means higher demand for services and soaring costs. It's not just their disease. It's ours too.

That's why the Alzheimer Society is asking Canadians to be #InItForAlz and support vital research to eliminate this disease and its impact on Canadians. Through this campaign, the Alzheimer Society also hopes to change the conversation about a disease that continues to be shrouded in silence.

Dementia doesn't discriminate and can affect anyone. It's one of the fastest-growing diseases of our time, but still has no cure or effective treatments. It can only be beat if everyone takes action.

That's why Darren Dreger, a Hockey Insider at TSN, is getting behind #InItForAlz. His 76-year-old step father, Ervin, who lives in Saskatchewan, was recently diagnosed with dementia. "This is a cause that's close to my heart and I'm proud to lend my support to the campaign. We need to get over our uneasiness about dementia and start to recognize and talk about it more openly. Research is a top priority if we're to find a cure for people like my step dad. And, we need to turn research into better resources for caregivers like my mom," says Dreger, who makes his home in Toronto.

You, too, can be #InItForAlz and make a difference right from your computer. Visit alzheimer.ca/initforalz to watch a video about Darren and his family, read the personal stories of other Canadians impacted by dementia, and donate to support research. You can also use the hashtag #InItForAlz to spread the word that "it's not just their disease. It's ours too."

Quick facts

• Right now, 564,000 Canadians are living with dementia.
• In 15 years, this number will increase by 66%, to 937,000.
• For every person with dementia, one or more family members provide care.
• Dementia doesn't define a person. They're still the same individual as they were before their diagnosis.
• People with dementia can continue the things they love and remain active in their communities with the right help and support.
• Alzheimer Societies across Canada provide programs and support services to help people with all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and their caregivers to live as well as possible.
• The Alzheimer Society is a leading Canadian funder of dementia research. Since 1989, it has invested over $50 million in bio-medical and quality-of-life research through its Alzheimer Society Research Program.

SOURCE Alzheimer Society of Canada

Media contact: Rosanne Meandro, Director of Communications & Media Relations, Direct: 416-847-8920, Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected], Website: www.alzheimer.ca

Related Links

http://www.alzheimer.ca