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All Caregivers

All Caregivers - Vancouver Honourees

2021 IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer's

Each year communities across B.C. choose to honour someone special through the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s. The honouree could be an individual or group of people who have been affected by dementia, or who have valuably contributed to the lives of people living with the disease. This year, in Vancouver, we are proud to honour all caregivers, in order to bring attention to and show our appreciation for the tremendous work they undertake.

Caring for someone living with dementia is a physically and emotionally demanding challenge that often leaves care providers feeling alone and under extreme stress. Of Canadian caregivers surveyed, 87 per cent of them said they wish that more people understood the realities of caring for someone living with dementia. Two-thirds of them find it isolating. During the COVID-19 pandemic, caregivers have faced even more isolation, with many losing respite care or other programs and services they rely on. Caregivers continue to provide care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They selflessly commit to this work with empathy, determination and kindness. They are the hidden heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Through these unprecedented times, caregivers have continued to show resilience, compassion, patience and determination,” says Amelia Gilles, on behalf of all Support and Education Coordinators at the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s Vancouver Resource Centre.  “Caregiving along the dementia journey is challenging, and that has only been amplified by COVID-19. Every caregiver’s journey is uniquely challenging, regardless of who they are caring for, in what capacity, for how long and whether they are accessing the Society’s English or Chinese supports. 

“The care and energy caregivers contribute is multifaceted and the depth of support they provide can often go unnoticed or unacknowledged, yet it is essential for ensuring the wellbeing and quality of life for individuals living with dementia and the stigma associated with the disease. While everyone’s experience as a caregiver is unique, the one constant is that all caregivers are deserving of acknowledgement and praise for their efforts.”

People living with dementia, their caregivers and family members experience a variety of highs and lows as they live through changes along the dementia journey, a journey now made more difficult by the challenges of providing care during the pandemic. The Society is here to help and has adapted to COVID-19 restrictions by providing  a variety of remote support and education resources for caregivers and people living with dementia, including virtual caregiver support groups, weekly webinars on topics of particular interest at this time and virtual sessions of Minds in Motion®, a social and fitness program for people in the early stages of the disease and a care partner.

“The social aspect of Minds in Motion® and being with people who understand is so important,” says Terry Waines, member of a virtual Minds in Motion® group with her husband Bob, who lives with dementia. “It can be a lonely journey if you’re isolating yourself. You really struggle in this, unless you feel like you’re struggling along with someone else.”
 
Vancouver, show all caregivers that you stand with them. Who are you walking for?

Join all caregivers this May for the Vancouver IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer's. Together, we make memories matter.

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