As March is Brain Health Month, it is an opportunity showcase one of the 21 charities that Federated Health Charities supports with your donations.
Alzheimer’s is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. The Alzheimer’s Society of Ontario (ASO) is the province’s leading care and research charity committed to helping people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Founded in 1983, the ASO leads a network of 29 societies across the province that offer programs and services for people living with dementia, both those affected and their family and caregivers. ASO provides ongoing education, support and guidance as families deal with the disease as it progresses.
According to the Government of Canada, the number of Canadians affected by dementia and Alzheimer’s is expected to increase to nearly 1 million people by 2030. The ASO expects that number to increase to two million by 2050.
The work of the Society focuses on four key areas:
- providing care support, information, and education for people living with dementia across Ontario.
- funding research to find a cure.
- educating decision-makers about the need for improved healthcare services and qualified healthcare workers to support people with dementia.
- increasing the awareness of dementia and its impact on families.
Programs like the Society’s First Link connects individuals living with dementia and their families to vital resources and support at the time of diagnosis or as early as possible after diagnosis, which is why the society is often among the very first calls people make after receiving a diagnosis.
Many ASO resources are also translated through the Chinese language and Punjabi language hubs. Certain other resources are also translated into Spanish, Hindi and Portuguese. Other countries sites also have resources in other languages such as Greek, Italian, Ukrainian and Korean.
The 10 Warning Signs of Dementia
Sign 1:
Memory changes that affect day-to-day abilities such as remembering appointments or phone numbers.
Sign 2:
Difficulty doing familiar tasks such as preparing a meal or playing a game.
Sign 3:
Changes in language and communication such as forgetting simple words or substituting words which make no sense.
Sign 4:
Disorientation in time and place to the point of forgetting how to get home or not remembering how they got to a certain place.
Sign 5:
Impaired Judgment such as being taken in by scammers or investing in risky causes.
Sign 6:
Problems with Abstract Thinking such as more complex mathematic or ideological ideas.
Sign 7:
Misplacing things and not remembering where they were put or putting them in inappropriate places.
Sign 8:
Changes in mood, personality and behaviour that causes confusion, withdrawal, depression, etc.
Sign 9:
Loss of Initiative and desire to become engaged which leads to isolation, depression and disinterest.
Sign 10:
Challenges Understanding Visual and Spatial Information which can cause problems with vision, depth perception and movement.
Federated Health Charities Supporting Brain Health
Federated Health Charities helps people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias through support for the Alzheimer Society of Ontario. Now, or during the campaign (April 1 – June 28), you can donate to the Society and other brain health focused charities through Federated Health Charities.