Our brother, Robert, was the oldest of three boys in our family. When he passed away, it felt like we had lost a leg of our tripod, a corner of our triangle. Committed to his family and friends, Robert was always willing to offer extra support during difficult times—like when his own family was touched by dementia. After witnessing the heartbreaking effects of the disease, Robert decided to leave a generous gift to the Alzheimer Society of Canada in his…
We all know that a healthy lifestyle is important for reducing our risk of dementia and many other chronic diseases. But did you know that it’s equally important for people who already have a diagnosis of dementia? Research shows that lifestyle choices such as healthy eating, staying social, challenging your brain and being physically active can improve quality of life, may help to slow the progression of the disease and can improve your capacity to cope with some of the…
Jordan Ali is working diligently to give voice to the experiences of those with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). This PhD student from the University of Victoria aims to develop profiles of individuals with this condition, which may signal early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This can be helpful to general practitioners and front-line support workers in identifying individuals who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Video Transcript: Hi, my name is Jordan Ali. My work relates to a phenomenon called…
Life can change direction drastically when a family member or close friend is diagnosed with a chronic health condition like Alzheimer’s disease, another form of dementia, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s disease. Your suspicions that something is wrong have been confirmed; now, you have to figure out how to support the person. You may have never had personal experience with any of these conditions. Suddenly, you find yourself going along to doctor’s appointments and feeling as if the doctor is speaking…
If you’re 65 or older, chances are you may have started noticing changes in your hearing: people mumbling when they talk, or needing to crank up the radio and television. Hearing loss as we age is common. But did you know that it’s also a risk factor for dementia? In a recent Lancet report which summarized nine key risk factors for dementia, hearing loss was ranked second on the list. The study found that addressing mid-life hearing loss alone could…
By Nalini Sen, Director, Alzheimer Society Research Program I had the opportunity to attend this year’s annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in London, UK. This conference brings together some of the world’s leading researchers and clinicians in dementia treatment, detection and prevention. And with a record number of presentations—3300 in all—I have to admit, I was awestruck. Here are a few takeaways I would like to share with you: Stress can age your brain How we manage stress is even…