A recent B.C.-wide campaign is hoping to end the stigma and increase the awareness around dementia in Sooke and throughout Greater Victoria.

The campaign called, I Live With Dementia, Let Me Help You Understand, began this month on Jan. 8, and will run over the course of three years.

Dementia is a disease that affects the brain, causing memory loss, impaired judgment, and changes in behaviour and personality.

B次元官网网址淓veryone is affected differently, but in our society as soon as we hear the word dementia or AlzheimerB次元官网网址檚, we tend to make an assumption that the person diagnosed is going to be what we see in the movies, in the later stages of the disease,B次元官网网址漵aid Meriel Randerson, support and education coordinator for the Alzheimer Society of B.C.

B次元官网网址淲ith that assumption, all of a sudden people start treating that person differently or excluding them, but thereB次元官网网址檚 so much more to a person than the disease itself.B次元官网网址�

She said the Alzheimer Society would like to look at creating B次元官网网址渄ementia friendlyB次元官网网址� communities where people can identify themselves as dementia friends, and understand and support each other.

B次元官网网址淲e need to end the stigma around dementia so that people with the disease can live good, meaningful lives and stay involved in their community. We wouldB次元官网网址檛 be embarrassed to talk about kidney disease or a heart condition, so it shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be any different with dementia as itB次元官网网址檚 just a different organ in the body thatB次元官网网址檚 sick,B次元官网网址� said Randerson.

B次元官网网址淎 big part of the message we want to get out, especially to a small town like Sooke where people can be very private, is that dementia is not something to be embarrassed about.B次元官网网址�

The Alzheimer Society of B.C. has paired up with people who are living with dementia, to give them a voice and help give people a better understanding of the disorder.

One example is Cindy Player from Victoria, a spokesperson for the campaign who was diagnosed with dementia in 2016, says she has experienced stigma first-hand from people as she has battled mental-illness throughout her life.

B次元官网网址淚 think it would be easy to get bogged down and feel negative about it when you have dementia, but I try to take each day as it comes and try not to worry,B次元官网网址� said Player.

Player said she wanted to get involved in the campaign because the affects from the stigma around a mental illness can be more harmful than the actual illness.

She explained that when she needed time off work while struggling with bipolar disorder, no one tried to contact her, but when she was diagnosed with cancer later in life, she had tons of people reaching out to her and offering support.

B次元官网网址淭he contrast in reactions was so strong for me, from struggling with mental illness compared to a different kind of illness,B次元官网网址� she said.B次元官网网址淚 think with dementia there are many of the same characteristics, people are afraid of it, so I think itB次元官网网址檚 really important to talk about it and for people to learn enough to let go of some of the stigmas.B次元官网网址�

Players added that she believes stigmaB次元官网网址檚 are just created from stereotypes and misinformation, and hopes that with multiple people living with dementia speaking up throughout the campaign, some of the false assumptions will diminish.

B次元官网网址淚 feel more myself when IB次元官网网址檓 open about living with dementia,B次元官网网址� said Player. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 risks for me being open, but I think in the end it feels better to be honest about my experiences.B次元官网网址�

The Alzheimer Society of B.C. will be hosting a session in Sooke called Getting to Know Dementia on Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. until noon at SEAPARC. To register contact SEAPARC at 250-642-8000.

To learn more about the content of the session, contact the Alzheimer Society of B.C. at 250-382-2052.