January 2013 - Alzheimer Awareness Month – Let’s talk about dementia

January marks Alzheimer Awareness Month. In Canada, 747,000 people currently live with dementia and one of the major challenges they and their families face when they receive the diagnosis is the stigma associated with it. In fact, according to a recent poll by Alzheimer's Disease International, 40 per cent of people with dementia reported they had been avoided or treated differently after diagnosis. That's why, this January during Alzheimer Awareness Month, the Alzheimer Society Canada is launching a nation-wide campaign called "See me, not my disease. Let's talk about dementia." CIHR is proud to team up with the Alzheimer Society to further inform Canadians about the myths and stigma surrounding the disease.