All the latest news and stories about Alzheimer's disease, dementia and the brain.

Powerlessness, guilt, frustration – these past few months have heightened the many emotional challenges that long-distance caregivers experience. This sense of powerlessness is something that Masami Yakata has felt acutely while living and working in Langley, B.C., thousands of kilometres away from her birthplace of Kyoto, Japan, where her mother Masako is living with dementia.

Since Jim Mann, a marketing and communications professional from Surrey, was diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer’s disease at 58 years old, he’s been on a mission to make life better for other people affected by dementia.

Not many ten-year olds would consider spending their birthday climbing the 2,830 steps up the notoriously challenging Grouse Grind® – but young fundraiser Talia Yorish is determined to make a difference.

People living with dementia and their families often find that their health-care decision-making rights are not respected. The common misconception that people who live with dementia can’t make choices about their care is the background to a new series of short videos and brochures produced by the Canadian Centre for Elder Law to inform people living with dementia of their legal rights.

The provincial government has announced changes to the visitor guidelines for long-term care and assisted living facilities. Under the phased approach beginning in July, one designated friend or family member will be able to visit.

Marilyn and Wally Garrod have always lived an active lifestyle with their family, packing up to spend time in their summer cabin each year and kayaking on the lake. In the years following Wally’s diagnosis of dementia, they continued to stay active and engaged in the activities they loved with the support of friends and family – until a sudden decline in Wally’s motor skills this spring when he began requiring more support than Marilyn was able to provide, which left Marilyn feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for this next level of care.

Starting this Tuesday, July 21, the Climb will be running throughout the summer until Monday, September 21, 2020 – World Alzheimer’s Day. We’re calling on the province to come together and climb or hike trails across B.C. to raise funds in support of the Alzheimer Society of B.C. and to show that the thousands of people affected by dementia don’t need to make the journey alone.

The world of running and challenge events, like everything else, has experienced dramatic changes this year. Physical distancing protocols have seen running events from across the world postponed, cancelled or adapted to become virtual events.

Learn to step out of frantic task completion into more genuine moments of living, and work towards building resilience on the dementia journey – all from the comfort of your living room!

At the Alzheimer Society of B.C., we want to learn more about the impact COVID-19 has had on people affected by dementia and health-care providers to improve our First Link® dementia support, as well as our resources for health-care providers.