Alzheimer Society of KFL&A website has moved to: www.alzheimer.ca/kfla MedicAlert® Safely Home®   Exciting news! The Alzheimer Society is partnering with Canadian MedicAlert Foundation to improve the Safely Home program, incorporating the best features of both Safely Home and MedicAlert services.   People with dementia may lose the ability to recognize familiar places, to communicate or to remember their own name or address. They may leave home, become confused and get lost. MedicAlert Safely Home is a nationwide program designed to help identify the person who is lost and assist in a safe return home.  Members receive an engraved identification (over 100 styles of IDs available including bracelets, necklaces, watches and more), which allows police and emergency responders to quickly identify the person who has wandered and bring the family back together.   Call 1-855-581-3794 ·         to sign up for MedicAlert Safely Home ·         to update your existing record ·         for more information Note:  If you are a police officer or working in a long term care home and you are interested in accessing our online training tools, please note that they are not currently available as their content is being updated. WORLD ALZHEIMER’S REPORT 2012 REVEALS STIGMA AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION ARE MAJOR BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA AND THEIR CARERS Click here to read the full report A new way of looking at the impact of dementia in Canada The number of Canadians with cognitive impairment, including dementia, is rising sharply According to a new study commissioned by the Alzheimer Society of Canada, the number of Canadians living with cognitive impairment, including dementia, now stands at 747,000 and will double to 1.4 million by 2031. These figures comprise not only Canadians diagnosed with dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease, but also those with cognitive impairment, which frequently leads to the more degenerative forms. Canada’s health-care system is ill-equipped to deal with the staggering costs Today, the combined direct (medical) and indirect (lost earnings) costs of dementia total $33 billion per year. By 2040, this figure will skyrocket to $293 billion per year. Pressures on family caregivers are mounting In 2011, family caregivers spent 444 million unpaid hours per year looking after someone with dementia, representing $11 billion in lost income and 227,760 lost full-time equivalent employees in the work force. By 2040, they will be devoting a staggering 1.2 billion unpaid hours per year. Canada needs a dementia plan – now The Alzheimer Society wants a national dementia plan to help reduce the burden of dementia and to support more people with the disease across Canada. Health-care providers, politicians, and policy makers need to focus on: Increasing funding for research into all aspects of dementia Promoting earlier diagnosis and intervention Strengthening the integration of primary, home and community care Enhancing skills and training of the dementia workforce Recognizing the needs and improving supports for caregivers About the new study The new study is based on analysis conducted for the Mental Health Commission of Canada in an effort to obtain prevalence and economic projections for selected mental disorders, including cognitive impairment. The prevalence data was derived from a health research study done in 2004 by the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy that determined the number of people treated by physicians for cognitive impairment, including dementia, in that province. These prevalence rates were applied to Canadian population data to derive national prevalence figures which were, in turn, applied to the Rising Tide direct cost drivers to project economic impact. This research informed the development of the Mental Health Strategy for Canada released in May 2012. The Alzheimer Society commissioned RiskAnalytica to expand on the data to estimate indirect cost projections and costs associated with caregiving.   I Will Remind You This song is a tribute to those affected by Alzheimer's Disease and their families. I will donate half of all proceeds from this song to the Alzheimer's Society of Canada to help continue research so one day we can hopefully cure this illness. You can purchase the song on iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, or at www.brianasselinmusic.com.  Click here to view the video.   Learn about Ontario's strategy:  10 steps by 2020 click on the image below.  Learn the signs of dementia.   Donate now to help us support families living with dementia.