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During the month of January – Alzheimer Awareness Month – the Alzheimer Society of B.C. will be tweeting day-to-day life experiences from the perspective of a person in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The tweets are based on the personal journal of Jim Mann, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the early age of 58. His experiences range from issues with driving to losing count of change while paying for a newspaper.
“This journal has helped me since my diagnosis in 2007 to consider and clarify situations as they occurred and has ensured accurate information to pass to my medical team,” said Jim. “Though there is no cure yet for Alzheimer’s disease, I believe getting an early diagnosis has given me a more fulfilling life because it gave me the opportunity to make important choices about how I want to live my life on the dementia journey.”
Jim hopes that by sharing this personal information it will help to break down barriers of stigma associated with the disease.
“There are so many stereotypes and misconceptions associated with Alzheimer’s disease that they become barriers to seeking information, support, and even a diagnosis,” he explained. “We need to face this disease and talk about it openly so that people can have greater awareness and are motivated to do something about it.”
Learn more about this disease first-hand or simply support us in our efforts to raise awareness. Follow us, and Jim, on Twitter at @AlzheimerBC or #injimsshoes.
