Submitted by Dolores Young
On Thursday, Feb. 28, a presentation on the ABC’s of Dementia was held at the Legion Hut in Carlyle. Abby Wolfe, Public Awareness Co-ordinatior with the Alzheimer’s Society of Saskatchewan gave the presentation. Following is what she touched on:
10 WARNING SIGNS
Warning signs must be a change from normal function for the person
1. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
2. Disorientation in time and space
3. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
4. Memory loss that affects day-to-day abilities
5. Misplacing things
6. Impaired judgement
7. Changes in personality, mood and behavior
8. Loss of initiative
9. Problems with language
10. Problems with abstract thinking
Outlined is some of the key messages of our warning signs campaign:
• By providing individuals and families with key information and support, the Alzheimer Society empowers people to live well with dementia.
• Dementia is about more than just memory loss. There are 10 evidence-based changes that have been identified as warning signs for dementia. The warning signs involve a change in an individual’s abilities, behaviours or communication.
• It is important to learn about all of the warning signs because different types of dementia can affect the brain differently and may cause different warning signs. Alzheimer’s disease is just one type of dementia.
• To learn more about the warning signs, visit www.ABCDementia.ca or contact the Alzheimer Society today. The Alzheimer Society provides information about dementia free of charge. Individuals can call the Alzheimer Society toll free via the Dementia Helpline at 1877-949-4141.
• The www.ABCDementia.ca website also offers a downloadable Getting a Diagnosis Toolkit that can assist individuals that are concerned about warning signs to prepare for a conversation with their doctor or health care provider.
More about the Dementia Helpline:
• The Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan’s Dementia Helpline offers a way for individuals to connect to information and individualized support, to ask questions, and to talk to someone that understands. This toll free Dementia Helpline is one of the ways the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan connects to individuals in areas around the province.
The Dementia Helpline is available Monday to Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm.
