World Alzheimer’s Disease Month – Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer’s
September is World Alzheimer’s Month, an international campaign to raise dementia awareness and challenge stigma. Each year, Alzheimer’s and dementia associations, alongside all those involved in the treatment, care, and support of people with dementia, from around the world unite to organize advocacy and information provision events, as well as Memory Walks and fundraising days. This month marks the tenth World Alzheimer’s Month campaign, an international campaign to raise dementia awareness and challenge stigma.
The Caring for the Caregiver program is a community-based program housed in the UT Health School of Nursing and through our program, we are committed to serving our community and supporting programs and initiatives like World Alzheimer’s month. The mission of the Caring for the Caregiver program is to improve the quality of life for family caregivers and those they care for with evidence-based education, support, and research. We envision a community where family caregivers are valued, respected, and supported with compassion. We are committed to values of social justice, collaboration, and family-centeredness in research and practice. At the Caring for the Caregiver and through our awareness programs such as Dementia Friendly San Antonio, Dementia Friends, and our work with community partners we strive to destigmatize dementia in our community. ADI also engages in awareness raising and the destigmatization of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia through various activities but most notably through its World Alzheimer’s Month campaign.
Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) is the international federation of 105 dementia and Alzheimer’s associations from around the world and is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). ADI’s vision is prevention, care, and inclusion today, and cure tomorrow. ADI advocates for the implementation of the WHO Global plan of action on the public health response to dementia 2017-2025 universally adopted by WHO member states in May 2017. The Global plan committed all 194 member states of the WHOt o seven action areas: dementia as a public health priority; dementia awareness; risk reduction; diagnosis, treatment, and care; support for carers; data and research. It contains targets for each area that individual governments should meet by 2025.
Every year since the launch of the WHO Global plan on Dementia, ADI has published a progress report entitled ‘From Plan to Impact’ documenting the progress of Member States towards achieving the targets set out in the plan. You can read the full report by clicking HERE.
This year’s World Alzheimer’s Disease month’s them is Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer’s:
- Every 3 seconds someone in the world develops dementia.
- Dementia is the 7th leading cause of death worldwide.
- Informal dementia care provided is equivalent to 40 million full-time workers.
- Most people with dementia do not receive a diagnosis.
Through the Caring for the Caregiver programs, we offer opportunities for caregivers and persons living with dementia to become more involved in their care and community. We accomplish this by offering education such as the Essentials of Caregiving and Learning Skills Together Workshop, social activities such as the SA Amigos Memory Cafe, opportunities for advocacy through community advisory councils, and research. By participating in programs like ours and those offered by the Alzheimer’s Association caregivers and persons living with dementia can become better informed and active in their communities.
