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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, January 29, 2014 | 6 January is Alzheimer Awareness Month, a time to draw attention to dementia, those who suffer from it and the loved ones who care for them. As our population ages, it's something we should all consider. Late in 2013, health ministers from G8 countries held the rst-ever Summit on Dementia in London, England. Among 12 declarations coming out of the conference was that world governments must start developing plans to "tackle the spiralling human and economic costs of dementia." That set the stage for Alzheimer Society of Canada CEO Mimi Lowi-Young to ask Ottawa to make dementia a priority in the 2014 federal budget by committing $3 million toward developing a national plan. Canada's dementia gures are staggering. As of 2011, the Society estimated nearly 750,000 Canadians -- roughly one out of every 46 of us -- were living with some form of dementia -- an umbrella term used to describe a variety of brain disorders whose symptoms include loss of memory, judgment and reasoning, as well as changes in mood and behaviour. In dementia patients, brain function is impacted enough to interfere with the ability to work, maintain relationships and perform everyday activities most of us take for granted. Several conditions produce symptoms similar to dementia. These can include depression, thyroid disease, infections or drug interactions. Early diagnosis is essential to ensure the right treatment. If the symptoms are caused by dementia, an early diagnosis will mean early access to support, information, and available treatment options. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for almost two-thirds of all cases. It is irreversible and eventually fatal. Canadian family caregivers spend an estimated 444 million unpaid hours a year looking after someone with dementia. That represents $11 billion in lost income and the equivalent of 227,760 full-time jobs. Left unchecked, the Society estimates 1.3 million Canadians will be affected by dementia by 2031, with economic costs soaring to $293 billion per year by 2040. "Canada has excellent resources, skills and research capital," said Lowi-Young. "What we need now is a comprehensive plan to pull these elements together." For its part, the Society offers advice and services for people affected, directly and indirectly, by Alzheimer's. That's everything from the top warning signs, to education, referrals and other resources. It also offers funding for research, raised through fundraisers that take place across this nation. The hope is to improve quality of life for those living with dementia and nd a cure. The Society and its various representative local societies also offers ways for people to get involved -- ways to raise their voice, be a fundraiser or share their experience. For everyone's sake, we hope Canada takes a similar leadership role in pulling together a comprehensive plan to pull resources, skills and research dollars to move forward positively in establishing a national plan of action when it comes to dementia. National action plan needed Editorial B R R R B E A U T I F "Connected to your Community" U L 447 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 52 | Number 12 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN A girl and her caregiver stand by the shores of Lake Ontario in Oakville earlier this month as temperatures of -21 C felt like -31 C with the windchill. Not much has changed several weeks later as the same frigid temperatures have a continuing grip on Oakville, leading Halton Region to issue its fourth cold weather alert this year -- as temperatures yesterday were expected to reach a high of -17 C (feeling like -36 C, with the windchill). | photo by Jayson Mills ­ special to the Beaver RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS My View MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution Parents and caregivers must be literate Ann Bowman Oakville Literacy Council CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member A s Family Literacy Day was celebrated this week (Monday, Jan. 26) across the country, the president of the Oakville Literacy Council is reminding us to think about the literacy skills of parents and caregivers, too. "Family Literacy Day is about encouraging children and parents to read and write together, which is as much about the adults as it is about the children," said Ann Bowman, volunteer president of Oakville's adult literacy tutoring program. Bowman also said spreading the word about the challenges adults face is a dif cult task, yet four out of 10 adult Canadians, aged 16-65 -- representing nine million Canadians -- struggle with low literacy. "Think about the diversity of complex tasks we have to do every day," she said. "Literacy is not something you have or don't have. It's continuously evolving as you face new opportunities in your life. And one of those is becoming a parent." Results of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) showed quality of life for families, including income levels and employment status, is directly related to the literacy levels of parents, and that improving parents' skills directly and positively affects the language development of children. "We have no doubt that when we help the caregiver to build skills and con dence, we help the family as a whole. It's not just about encouraging more literacy-building activities in the home, which is wonderful and important. Parents need to be able to understand notes coming home from school and report cards. They need to be able to help children with their homework. That's what we mean when we talk about learning for life." The Oakville Literacy Council is a charitable organization providing personalized tutoring to adults in reading, writing, and math, as well as small group computer classes for beginners. To learn more, call 905-469-8528, visit www. oakvilleliteracy.ca, or follow OLC on Facebook or Twitter (@OakLiteracy). Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 5040 Mainway, Burlington ON, L7L 7G5, or via e-mail to ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.