The Alzheimer Society of Ontario is encouraging random acts of kindness in a campaign to raise money for Alzheimer’s research.
January is Alzheimer’s Awareness month, and the Alzheimer Society is about to wrap up their Quest for Kindness campaign, which sought to raise one-million dollars for Alzheimer’s research. The campaign challenged residents to make 30 “kind-nections”, or acts of kindness, throughout the month of January.
Since the beginning of the campaign, the Alzheimer Society has raised almost $226,000 from over 2,300 acts of kindness from residents across Ontario and the East Coast.
Colleen Hill, executive director of the Alzheimer Society’s Ottawa chapter, says that dementia research is “severely underfunded” in healthcare.
“And so the first step is awareness,” says Hill. “And people also need to know about the Alzheimer Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County, and understand the warning signs, and that they can turn to us at any time for help - connections matter.”
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is a neurodegenerative disorder which causes both long and short-term memory loss, confusion and loss of cognitive function, and changes in a person’s regular behaviour or mood.
Although around 40 per cent of people over the age of 65 experience age-associated memory loss, through natural causes, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are not considered part of the natural aging process. In fact, although the majority of people living with dementia are over the age of 65, some people in their 40s and 50s can be diagnosed with young onset dementia.
There are nearly half a million people in Canada living with some form of dementia. According to Ottawa Public Health, there are 78,600 new cases of dementia diagnosed in people over the age of 65 every year in Canada.
Ottawa Public Health also estimates that, on average, family and friends of a person with dementia spend around 26 hours a week caring for that person. Hill says this is commonplace, and the stress can weigh heavily on caregivers.
“Of course, every family is different,” says Hill. “But as a caregiver, many find it challenging to work and care for their loved ones. So they may have to take time off work, there are added expenses to have help, and the financial costs can add up. Many caregivers have a difficult time sleeping, because their loved one wanders in the night. It can affect families very differently.”
The Alzheimer Society of Ottawa offers services to people living with dementia, and their families. As part of a larger, province-wide organization, the Ottawa branch contributes to dementia research, education, and awareness.
The First Link program connects newly diagnosed patients and their families with resources to help them make better informed choices for their treatment and care.
They also offer programs catered to maintaining good physical and mental health.
Minds In Motion is a community-based social program that helps people with dementia to get involved in physical activities, while socializing with others from the dementia community. Additionally, The Music Project allows patients to engage with their favourite songs and create their “life soundtrack” using provided MP3 players.
Hill says the money raised through the Quest for Kindness campaign will aid research efforts, but it will also help fund programming at the Alzheimer Society.
“So you are helping people receive the support they need now, and also to fund researchers through the Alzheimer Society research program,” says Hill. “And research moves us forward.”
Hill says bringing Alzheimer's awareness to the forefront of healthcare discussions is crucial to finding “life altering treatments, better care and cures” for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
Hill says that although the Quest for Kindness campaign only lasts until the end of this month, people can donate, volunteer, and participate in dementia awareness year-round.
For more information on how to get involved, visit the Alzheimer Society of Ottawa online here.
Listen to the CHUO story below: