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Society seeks to expand program for caregiver support
In 2001, when Gerry Matier and his wife Dede Jamieson received her diagnosis of dementia, they were in shock. Dede was forty-seven.
Like many newly diagnosed families, Gerry didn’t know where to turn.
“When the doctor told me Dede had primary progressive aphasia, a form of dementia, I didn’t know what it was, or how to talk to her about it,” says Matier.
Gerry began doing research and found the Alzheimer Society of B.C. He received one-on-one support and joined a caregiver support group, which he attended monthly for two years.
“People sometimes have the wrong idea about support groups,” says Matier. “Being a caregiver can be a very lonely experience, the group was a place to learn about the disease and talk with others having a similar experience.”
Currently there are over 10,000 people in B.C. under the age of 65 with dementia. As our population ages, dementia is exacting a growing toll not only on the person with the disease, but on caregivers, family and friends.
To increase access to dementia education and services, the Society is seeking funding to expand First Link, an early intervention program. Using referrals from physicians, the program enables us to proactively contact families and connect them with the services they need, as soon as possible after diagnosis.
“A program like First Link would have been wonderful,” says Matier. “To have someone phone and say, ‘There are places and people out there to help you,’ would have helped me manage stress and have more tools to support Dede.”
As a spokesperson for the Society, Gerry who is Executive Director of the Insurance Council of British Columbia, currently gives back to help others understand the caregiver role.
Dede now lives in the Delta View care facility where Gerry spends time with her.
“Dede and I hope that by sharing our story, we can help people to better plan for the challenges of this disease.”
Gerry Matier, who with his wife Dede Jamieson, were the honourees for the Vancouver Investors Group Walk for Memories, cuts the ribbon in Stanley Park to begin the event.
Gerry Matier and Dede (Diane) Jamieson were married in 1980.
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