Guest Speaker – Robin Smart of the Alzheimer Society of Waterloo Wellington

She spoke to the Club about the different ways in which dementia may present, especially in our aging population.  She spoke of the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s.  She spoke about 4 medication that are available in Canada that may aid in the treatment of Azheimer’s. 

Robin reminded us that “Dementia is a shift in the way that a person experiences the world around them.”  She feels that this is the most useful definition of dementia as a person with dementia’s experience is as real and valid as anyone else’s. 

People with dementia need the following:

Respect

Emotional Closeness

Autonomy

Dignity

Holistic care

In short, they need the same things that all of us do.

Robin also outlined 5 key strategies that can help deal with dementia:

Regular physical exercise

Eat a heart smart diet

Challenge your brain by always learning new things and skills

Maintain or increase social interaction

Protect your head from injury