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PAGE 12, WHITBYF PRESSW NSYP 6,1989 Imagine is a national campaign of The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy to increase Canadians' awareness and contribution to all charitable and volunteer organizations. We support their goals and are contributing space for the Imagine ads on this and other pages. Azheime rs: a dark hole of forgetfulness By Trudie Zavadovics Misplacing keys or glasses, for- getting a phone number or a name, walking into a room and forgetting why, are familiar scenerios to most. Occasional occurrances are bothersome, worrisome and, at best, tolerable. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians go to great pains to conceal their forgetfulness until, at last, it is impossible to con- ceal. They have unwillingly been pitched into the dark hole of forgetfulness that is Alzheimer's disease. Current statistics show that Alzheimer's disease affects some 300,000 Canadians and may be the fourth most common cause of death in Canada. Its major target is senior citi- zens. It is projected that by the end of this century, Canada will have 3.4 million senior citizens. Estimates show that up to one million of those seniors will be affected by Alzheimer's. "Statistics show there are about 3,500 families affected in the Durham Region,» says Aud- rey MacLean, staff administrator for the Alzheimer Society of Durham Region. MacLean sees those statistics as low and feels there are a lot of people in Durham Region who have .the disease and are not aware of it yet. "Statistics show there are about 3,500 families affected in the Durham Region." The Alzheimer Society of Dur- ham Region is 10 years old and has just acquired a home of its own at 40 King St. W., Suite 606 in Oshawa. The group has a volunteer board of directors, a staff of two, and has just acquired funding to hire a part- time person to run family sup- port groups and to perform out- side consultations and referrals to other agencies. Last year, working only on a TAKE THIS AD PERSONMIYI (VOUAI... -have been giving money (YOUR NAME GOES HERE) to for some years (YOUR CHOSEN CHARITIES) now When I stop and think about how much more a.costs (NAME YOUR FAVOURITE CHOCOLATE BAR) now compared to then, I realize I've accommodated to the cost of living and not to the cost of giving. From now on, I'm going to make the adjustment. I know my family won't feel it. Even will eatlas well as ever. (YOUR PET'S NAME) THE GIVING BEGINSIWITH YOU. part-time basis, it serviced 88 families dealing with the trauma of a loved one afflicted with the disease. Betty Marks moved from Toronto to Whitby. Her husband, Bill, was diagnosed to have Alz- heimer's disease four years ago. He is now in Fairview Lodge. "I was aware that somethin was different nine years ago, says Betty. "I began to keep notes. I would ask him to hand me something from the cupboard and he would walk into the living room and bring back the newspaper. He ecame more and more degendant on me to do things. Things didn't seem to be that bad, we did a lot of things together. I noticed when we played golf, he would rely or. me* to keep score." Upon reflection, she says it actually goes as far back as 20 years ago. "He used to always love to, dance. It was about 20 ycars ago, when he got to the pnot of only shufflinghis feet to the music."- Earliest symptoms of Alzhei- mer's disease include impair- ment of recent m.emory, impaired concentration, impaired judg- ment and reasoning, depressed moods, early wakening, altered perceptual abilities and progres- sive difficulty in communicating to continuous repetition of words, questions or gestures. Loss of coordination results in changes in gait, with slow, shuf- flin steps, stooped posture, in- abihty to perorm household chores, rigidity and problems with balance. 'With normal forgetfulness, most of us remember when we're cued," says Karen McMillan, chapter president. "When Alzhei- Mer's progresses, cuing begins not to work. «This is not normal. It is an illness. If people are showing symptoms, have it investigate rule out treatable causes and get it treated," says McMillan. "Because of the incidious kind of onset, families take quite a while to detect it. It is often an outsider who notices the change in behavior." Eventually, things deteriora- ted more rapidly and Betty was finding it harder to cope. She found help and solace in the Alzheimer's, Society of Durham Region. "They would tell me how to handle certain situations and give me the confidence to do it," says Betty. It was a wonderful feeling knowing there was hope and help just by calling. "They also arranged for other services such as community care, to enable me to get out once in a while." Ninety-nine per cent of what the Durham chapter does is help. They hold family support groups which allow famihes to share experiences, and emotional sharing. "People really get the most out of talking to people who know first hand what you're going through," says McMillan. "People who use the support groups are anyone from grandchildren to spouses." They also run public informa- tion sessions, a referral service in which they refer people to appropriate agencies for help, and public an professional edu- cation sessions; and provide Alzheimer Society of Durham Region Purose: To provide family support; educate the general public and professionals; promote research into cause, control and cure of Alzheimer's disease. Membership: Serviced 88 families last year, volunteer Board of Directors. Contact: Audrey MacLean 40 King St. W., Suite 606 Oshawa L1H 1A4 576-2567 workshons (at a nominal fee - most of their funding comes from the Ministry of Health). Although increading in staff, volunteers are still badly needed. Volunteers can help incorporate the needs of famiycaregivers. Help is also needed in the area of fundraising. Betty visits her husband regu- larly, but is also trying to get on with her life. Her main message to other families living with a loved one with Alzheimer's disease is "Don't be ashamed to go for help. Don't try to go it alone." And to those and others in the community she asks "Please don't forget those who can't remember." For more information call 576- 2567. BETTY. MARKS Iooks-at a-picture of husband - disease. - zz j i : M 0~s4 hf%éý