A local event last week was a great example of a person making a difference in their community.
As reported elsewhere in this week’s Times-Advocate, Exeter’s Jim Finkbeiner spent his Saturday afternoon in the cold and snowy weather walking from Exeter to Huron Park to raise money for Alzheimer’s disease. So far Finkbeiner has raised $1,100 and he is still collecting donations.
Finkbeiner, 65, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in March and wanted to do something to make a difference. A former member of the Huron Park fire department for 33 years, Finkbeiner was forced by Alzheimer’s to retire from the department but his walk Saturday demonstrated his continuing dedication to and connection with the department — his walk started at the Exeter fire station and ended at the Huron Park station, with both departments participating.
Gestures like Finkbeiner’s — and those of his supporters — deserve thanks and appreciation from the rest of us.
And we’re going to need more such gestures from all of us, in light of projections recently released by the Alzheimer Society.
“Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society” projects that cases of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in Canada will more than double by 2038. The study shows that with 103,700 of new cases per year in 2008, there were 480,600 people with dementia in Canada, or 1.5 per cent of the population. In 2038, it is projected there will be 257,800 new cases per year, or a total of 1,125,200 Canadians with dementia, 2.8 per cent of the population.
While today someone in Canada develops dementia every five minutes, that number will drastically increase to a new case every two minutes by 2038.
There will, of course, be social, emotional and financial repercussions to this. The study states that the economic burden of dementia doubles every decade, with the burden at $15 billion in 2008. That number balloons to $153 billion in 2038, a cumulative total of $872 billion over the 30-year period.
The numbers are staggering, and clearly, something needs to be done. “Rising Tide” makes several suggestions, pointing out the benefits of physical activity in reducing the risk of developing dementia; risk reduction strategies; caregiver training and support; and a system navigator that would help families find the right services when they need it.
Finally, the study recommends a National Dementia Strategy that would include “an accelerated investment in all areas of dementia research; a clear recognition of the important role played by informal caregivers; an increased recognition of the importance of prevention and early intervention; greater integration of care and increased use of chronic disease prevention and management; and a strengthening of Canada’s dementia workforce.”
Clearly, there’s much work to be done. And we all need to do our part. People like Jim Finkbeiner have already started.