Alzheimer Society chapter in the northeast pushes for support as cases rise

January marks Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in Canada, which means Alzheimer Society chapters across northeastern Ontario are ramping up fundraising campaigns while reminding residents of the support and education available to them. 

In Sault Ste. Marie, advocates for dementia are encouraging local people to share their stories of the disease through its “Forget No One” campaign. 

Creating more conversation around the subject is imperative as projections for the disease are grim, according to Terry Caporossi, executive director of the Alzheimer Society of Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District.

The Alzheimer Society of Canada estimates more than 1.7 million people will be living with dementia by 2050 — roughly triple the number of cases today. 

A recent poll from the organization also found that more than half of the Canadian population feels worried about developing dementia at some point in their life.

“The numbers are alarming,” Caporossi said. “Our role is to make sure we’re providing adequate levels of support for people living with dementia and their care partners in our community.”

The local chapter estimates there are around 3,500 people currently diagnosed with a dementia-related disease in the Sault, while thousands more live with a cognitive impairment. 

According to Caporossi, one of the biggest challenges facing the Sault’s Alzheimer Society is ensuring people are registering for help at earlier stages of their dementia diagnosis.

He explained that people often wait to ask questions or seek support because they’re afraid of what a diagnosis might mean.

“People who are dealing with memory loss often don’t think about the Alzheimer Society as their first choice,” Caporossi said. “In order for us to be effective, we want to be that outreach to people in our community.”

The executive director noted that if residents living with the disease access their services earlier — such as recreational programming and counselling — the clients can be supported for much longer.

“That means they can live in the community much longer too,” he said. “They tend to do better out in the community with our support. It also helps the care partner as well.”

The Sault chapter is 75 per cent funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Health, while the other 25 per cent — roughly $500,000 — must be raised by the organization annually.

Because of the challenging economic climate in the Sault, most notably because of the upcoming layoffs of 1,000 workers at Algoma Steel, Caporossi said it’s becoming more difficult to raise the necessary funds. 

“Our organization and others in our community are all vying for the same donor dollars,” he said. “We’ve been very fortunate over the years to have wonderful support.”

To ensure his team can keep up with some of the alarming projections in the coming years, Caporossi said he wants to see more support provided to Alzheimer Society chapters in northern Ontario.

“This is about working collaboratively with our ministries so we can ensure people living with dementia get the support and services they need, and they understand the value of the service that’s being provided,” he said. 

Caporossi and his team are asking people to "Turn the Sault Blue" this month as a way to raise awareness for dementia. 

The social media campaign invites residents to put up blue holiday lights at their homes. Businesses have also been asked to display signs that remind customers of the campaign.