Canadians Ignoring Early Signs of Alzheimer’s

Canadians are overlooking the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, wasting precious time before seeking medical help and missing out on early treatment and support says a new study by the Alzheimer Society of Canada. The web-survey of almost 1,000 caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients found that “almost half of respondents waited a year or more before visiting a doctor because they thought their symptoms were just signs of “old age,” or they did not take the symptoms seriously because they only happened from time to time. Over a quarter didn’t see a doctor until their symptoms grew worse. Dementia is NOT a normal part of aging. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive degenerative disease so it is important to be aware of the early signs and to get help early,” the survey said.

“A delayed diagnosis results in a huge treatment gap and prevents people from getting valuable information about medications, support and better disease management,” the study concluded. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia but there are new drug therapies that help some patients. Contact the Alzheimer Society of Canada for further information and support.