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The Alzheimer Society of B.C. has produced a transcript of its Alzheimer Awareness Month Twitter campaign, "In Jim's Shoes," for download. The tweets published throughout January were based on the personal journal of Jim Mann, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at 58 years old.
Jim shared his experiences with driving, household chores, medical visits and his active social life as a committed Alzheimer Advocate. He shared his private experiences in hope of educating others about the disease and breaking down the associated stigma.
Jim's brave and very personal contribution to Alzheimer awareness has been shared and applauded online by Alzheimer associations around the world. Here in B.C., the content of Jim's twitter entries will even be shared offline--with participants in an Early Stage support group in Kamloops.
"I think the tweets that Jim has been posting would be a very good way to get the conversation started and have the participants of the early stage group feel comfortable to open up. It’s easy for me to ask someone how they may be feeling but I can’t possibly understand what they are experiencing. By being able to use Jim’s words and say to my participants that this is how Jim is feeling…Jim has Alzheimer’s disease, are you feeling this way too? would be much more honest," says Tara Hildebrand, Support and Education Coordinator at the Alzheimer Society of B.C.'s Kamloops & Central Interior Resource Centre. "Our role as a support group facilitator is to be just that, a facilitator. To keep the group managed and effective for all participants involved. When we are able to use real life experiences like Jim’s I believe it will help to make our role even more effective."
To download a copy of the "In Jim's Shoes" transcript, click here. For more resources and support information, follow us on Twitter at @AlzheimerBC.
