As many Trail families know, dementia doesn’t just affect the person diagnosed.
Caregivers, family members and friends are also impacted, and care giving is often required 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. It’s a hugely challenging responsibility -- and one that requires a variety of support.
So it’s fitting that Trail caregivers are among the honorees for the Investors Group Virtual Walk for Alzheimer’s. The innovative fundraising event for the non-profit Alzheimer Society of B.C. allows residents to get involved online.
All they have to do is visit www.walkforalzheimers.ca and sign up for a Virtual Walk. Residents can then take a stroll with family and friends on Sunday, May 1 and collect pledges, or make a donation to the campaign.
Residents can also participate in person at a Walk in Nelson. Details are on the website.
The Virtual Walk is province-wide, and uses the theme “Make memories matter.”
Care giving affects people emotionally and physically. It requires determination, empathy and kindness. And caregivers require support for everything from assisting with legal and financial decisions to helping with everyday tasks. The journey of dementia can’t be made alone.
Walk for Alzheimer’s is Canada’s biggest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Already approximately 747,000 Canadians have the disease, with 70,000 of them living in British Columbia. That number will nearly double in the next 20 years, as age is the biggest risk factor and people are living longer.
Residents who are interested in starting a Walk in the community next year can contact Daphne Tsai at dtsai@alzheimerbc.org for more information. For more information on local resources, visit www.alzheimerbc.org.
Ben Rawluk
Alzheimer Society of B.C.
Coordinator of Marketing & Communications