January is Alzheimer's awareness month and the Alzheimer Society is trying to spread as much awareness as possible. Regional Coordinator for North/Central Manitoba Donna Frost says they have a lot going on on their website, including updates with a few families they’ve been keeping up with.

“On our website, there are four different families we’ve been following for three years and each year they tell us where they’re at in their journey,” Frost explains. “They’re all very different, so they’re all very interesting. We are just trying to make people more aware that there are an awful lot of people out there dealing with dementia in some way or another.”

Frost says dementia cases have been on the rise. She notes, while some of this can be attributed to people living longer, there are other factors.

“We’re also seeing the numbers go up because the care partners of people with dementia are more likely to get dementia themselves from the stress and on-going, 24-hour support they give,” says Frost. “Stress is definitely a factor.”

She says Alzheimer's can occur in people as young as 35 (in extreme cases) and is not just a disability that sets back the elderly, it can come at any point in time.

Frost notes they’re mainly just hoping to get the word out this month and have people think about dementia. She says because there aren’t any physical tells, oftentimes you may be unaware that someone you’ve encountered has dementia. 

“We’re just trying to make people more aware that if you do see someone out in the community and they seem hesitant, are struggling at the till, or look a little lost consider that they might be dealing with some form of dementia,” Frost explains. “Just offer a hand and say ‘Is there anything I can help you with?’”

For more information on Alzheimer's click here.