The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

4 Friday, January 24, 2020brooklintowncrier.com 905.655.6200 • www.brooklineyecare.ca January is Alzheimer's Awareness month. We all have a role to play in mak- ing our communities safe and inclu- sive for people living with dementia. By taking a moment to learn more about the disease, we can all better understand and be able to support those living with Alzheimer's dis- ease and other dementias. People with lived experience can educate us; we just need to listen. Individuals living with dementia can, and are, making great contributions to our communities. It is possible to live well with dementia with the right sup- port and an edu- cated community. Even as the dis- ease progresses, people can still lead active lives as they continue their hob- bies and enjoy fam- ily and friendships. Everyone's ex- perience with de- mentia is unique. If you've met one person living with dementia, you've only met one of the many faces of the disease. However, dementia's impact reaches far beyond those diagnosed with the disease; care partners, fami- lies and friends live with dementia as well, and they all need our compassion, understand- ing and support. There are currently 564,000 Ca- nadians living with dementia, a number expected to double within 10 years. For the over 10,000 resi- dents living in Durham Region who have been diagnosed with demen- tia, it's essential that we reduce the stigma and make our communities safe and inclusive for people living with dementia. Local families have come to rely upon the many programs of the Alzheimer Society including indi- vidual, group, family and care part- ner support, public education, as well as social and recreational pro- grams. With the prevalence of the disease steadily increasing, the Al- zheimer Society is planning now to ensure it can continue to meet the rising demand on its services. If you would like further information on how the Alzheimer Society of Durham Region can help you and your family, please contact our of- fice today at 905-576-2567, or visit our website at www.alzheimer.ca/ durham. If you would like to learn more from those living with demen- tia and find out how you can help in the fight against stigma, visit the dedicated campaign website at ili- vewithdementia.ca. Municipalities Proclaim Alzheimer's Awareness Month By Denyse Newton, CEO Alzheimer Society of Durham Region