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) 🙂
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
I came across a short article on the US Against Alzheimer’s website, where they pose the question:
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 