SPECIAL
PROJECT OF THE
WORTHY GRAND MATRON & WORTHY GRAND PATRON
2008-2009
ALZHEIMER SOCIETY
HELP FOR TODAY HOPE FOR TOMORROW
Our Special Project will be the
Alzheimer’s Society, the Society is committed to giving support, information
and education to people with Alzheimer’s Disease, to their care workers, their
families and their health care providers. It is a charity which we should all
familiarize ourselves with and know the perils of dementia. we probably know
someone who has dementia, a relative , a friend , a neighbor or Sister or
Brother in the Order.
What is dementia, it is a
devastating brain disorder for which there is no cure. It is a progressive
disease, which means it gets worse over time. With Alzheimer’s Disease the nerve
cells in the brain, called neurons, collapse and die, making it difficult for
the brain to function. Dementia it is a set of symptoms that include loss of
memory, understanding and judgment.
65% of all Dementia is Alzheimer’s
Disease.
Nobody knows why or when
Alzheimer’s Disease will strike, but when it does, the effects are felt by those
with the disease and everyone around them
Many scientists and researches are
calling Alzheimer’s Disease the Silent Epidemic that is affecting our society,
With people living longer the greatest risk factor for the disease are those
being older than sixty-five years of age.
Presently we do not know what
causes Alzheimer’s Disease and the sad news is that there is no known cure, the
damage done to the brain can not be repaired but researchers are working hard to
find the answers.
Here are some statistics that many
interest you:
One (1)in thirteen (13) Canadians
over the age of sixty -five have Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia.
One (1) in three (3) Canadians over
the age of 85 have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.
Thirty-six (36) percent of
Canadians know someone with Alzheimer’s and seventeen (17) percent have someone
with Alzheimer’s.
There are 14,120 cases of
Alzheimer’s Disease in Nova Scotia and 9,400 cases in Prince Edward Island.
These numbers are expected to
double by 2031, mainly due to the aging population.
More women than men have the
disease, half of the people with dementia live at home the other half are in
nursing homes.
Here are some of the warning
signs:
Memory loss that effects day
to day function.
Difficulty performing familiar
tasks.
Problem with language.
Disorientation about time and
place.
Poor or decreased judgment.
Problems with abstract
thinking.
Misplacing things.
Changes in mood and behaviour.
Changes in personality.
Loss of initiative.
The Alzheimer’s Society is a
not-for-profit health organization dedicated to helping people affected by
Alzheimer’s and related diseases.
The Society receives no government
funding and rely totally on the generosity and support of the community in
raising funds.
The Society and its volunteers host
various events as a method to receive this needed funding, here are just a few,
The Halifax Duck Derby in September, the Memory Walks in June, Door to Door
Campaign, in October, Awareness Month Breakfast in January and a Corporate Lunch in
March.
What I have outlined here is a
synopsis of the overall structure of the Society. There is so much that I want to share with you
regarding the disease itself, its symptoms, its three stages, its fears, its
programs, its myths and much more, but one evening will not allow me enough
time to provide you with all this information, so it is my intention is to give
you some bite size bits of information in every Chapter I will visit in your
particular district.
Information on Alzheimer’s Disease
can be obtained by visiting their web site at www.Alzheimer.ca
The Society this year is
celebrating twenty-five (25) years of service to the people of Nova Scotia and
their theme is “Help for Today and Hope for Tomorrow”
The ‘Forget Me Not Pin” is the
symbol of Alzheimer’s Society, we encourage you to support our Special
Project by purchasing the Forget Me Not Pins as well as the planners.
Thank you Sisters and Brothers
Worthy Grand Matron Worthy Grand Patron
Sister Edith Conrod Brother Tabor “Ted” Caulier
Providing 25 years of Help for Today and Hope for Tomorrow
Over
14,000 Nova Scotians are currently diagnosed with dementia. This is second only
in prevalence to cancer. Dementia is not a normal part of aging. It is a
devastating, degenerative brain disease that lasts an average of 8 years and
eventually robs a person of their cognitive and physical abilities. The
Society, with its hundreds of volunteers and supporters, offers Help for Today
and Hope for Tomorrow to individuals and families facing the challenges of
living with dementia.
We are
small, but mighty, in that with only nine full time staff equivalents and
volunteers (including programs and services, fund development and
administration) we are truly making a difference. With an aging population and a
pressured formal health system, demand for our services is increasing. To
highlight our activities:
we have 23
support groups for family caregivers throughout the province
we answer
900 calls for support and information per year on our 1-800 line
we provide
over 50 public education sessions per year
we host an
annual research breakfast profiling our wonderful local researchers in dementia
best practices
we host an
annual health care professional conference on dementia best practices primarily
for nursing home staff (this year our main item was on managing challenging
behaviours; 350 doctors and nurses attended)
we host
three family education nights (between 50-100 family members attended)
throughout the province incorporating a panel of health professionals available
to answer family related questions
we work
with police assisting in training them in the search and rescue of persons with
dementia called Safely Home
we work
with numerous other health organizations and government on many best practices
in dementia care
we
promote research into treatments and a cure for dementia, not simply through our
research breakfast, but also by participating in the National Dementia Research
Program, by providing the annual Phyllis Horton bursary to Nova Scotia students
conducting research in dementia and by, funding the Maritime Brain Tissue Bank
In
closing, we are very grateful to the members of the Order of The Eastern Star
for selecting the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia as their charity of choice
for 2008.
Sincerely,
Menna
MacIsaac
Executive
Director
Alzheimer Society of Canada:
