This information comes to us by way of US Against Alzheimer’s and Alzheimer’s Disease International. USAgainst Alzheimer’s is a US organization committed to stopping dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease International is the federation of all Alzheimer’s Associations around the world, and collaborates with the World Health Organization. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Alzheimer’s Disease International
Remember Me: World Alzheimer’s Month
This bulletin comes from Alzheimer’s Disease International, a fantastic organization that is the umbrella organization for Alzheimer’s Associations around the world. They offer support and information to people with dementia, their carers, and the public. Check out their website and you are sure to learn something!
You can also check out my post on World Dementia Month for more information (I think it should encompass more than Alzheimer’s – one type of dementia) 🙂
World Dementia Month this September
September is World Alzheimer’s Month. While I prefer to have it be known as World Dementia Month, because Alzheimer’s disease is only one type of dementia, this month is a great opportunity to learn about dementia and to educate others about dementia. The post below comes from Alzheimer’s Disease International, a fantastic organization that is the umbrella organization for Alzheimer’s Associations around the world. They offer support and information to people with dementia, their carers, and the public. Check out their website and you are sure to learn something!
September is World Alzheimer’s Month!
September 2015 will mark the fourth global World Alzheimer’s Month™, an international campaign to raise awareness and challenge stigma.
The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month 2015 is Remember Me. We’re encouraging people all around the world to learn to spot the signs of dementia, but also not to forget about loved ones who are living with dementia, or those who may have passed away.
The impact of September’s campaign is growing, but the stigmatisation and misinformation that surrounds dementia remains a global problem. Continue reading
The Role for Dementia Consultant Teams
I came across this article on the Changing Aging website. It’s a great resource on changing perceptions and practices surrounding aging. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed!
The Role for Dementia Consultant Teams
In my last post I criticized a reporter for the Australian Financial Review for his characterization of people living with dementia, and of our aging population in general. My comments were aimed purely at his offensive stereotypes, and did not address deeper issues around the subject matter. Now that the furor over that article has subsided somewhat, it’s time to tackle that deeper concern.
Continue reading
Advocating for better treatment of individuals with dementia
This post is from Dementia Alliance International (DAI), who promote education and awareness about dementia. The original text may be slightly modified for this post.
Kate Swaffer’s keynote speech highlights some of the most relevant issues in dementia care and living with dementia: the need to address the individual, not just their symptoms; human rights issues; balance in dementia research funding; rehabilitation and palliative care in dementia care plans; better diagnostics; delaying institutionalization; inclusion; breaking stigma – I mean, wow, she really gave a great speech! She also touches on two other important topics: psychosocial stimulation and maintaining work and contribution to society, mentioning her own experience and drive to continue contribution through advocacy.
She is a champion in breaking down stigma and raising awareness for people with dementia, particularly young-onset dementia (before age 65). Head on over to her website, have a read, and sign up to follow her.
The World Health Organization and the Global Alzheimer’s Movement
I came across a short article on the US Against Alzheimer’s website, where they pose the question:
Can WHO Lead the Global Alzheimer’s Movement?
And I was relieved they asked it! I had also been thinking about this over the past week but had been hesitant to post about it. I guess I didn’t want to seem jaded since my internship with the WHO on the Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities was a bit on the disappointing side. But, I am glad to see I am not the only one who is skeptical about the WHO leading a global Alzheimer’s movement. Wait…
…I am going to call it a dementia movement. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. But, around 50% of people who meet a dementia diagnosis criteria don’t ever get a diagnosis, so we can really only say that Alzheimer’s is the most diagnosed type of dementia. There are many people who do not have Alzheimer’s disease and will benefit from this movement…
Back to the WHO. They are certainly a global leader in addressing health issues and health promotion, and that the work they do is challenging and important. But large scale, challenging, and important work occurs over a long-term of research, planning, and implementation. Shaping policy and all the work that goes behind that takes a long time. This will be a great help – large scale, challenging, and important work that will affect MILLIONS of people. They can affect the movement in their own way, but I hesitate to call them THE leaders.
In addition to the long-term project cycles, and to the criticisms in the article below, I also wonder: Isn’t there already a global dementia movement?
Doctor Dementia and the Dementia Adventure 