Alzheimer Society Challenges You To Walk In the Shoes of a Person with Dementia: Jan. 30, 2016.

Dementia – In celebration of Alzheimer Awareness Month, the Alzheimer Society of Windsor and Essex County is asking everyone to experience firsthand some of the challenges of the disease.

On Saturday, January 30, 2016, the Alzheimer Society, with support from Amy’s Helping Hands, is challenging everyone to take the Dementia Challenge at Devonshire Mall from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm.

Participants will use special goggles, gloves and other accessories to simulate impaired vision, auditory confusion, and loss of fine motor skills. They will then carry out everyday tasks.

“Aside from developing compassion for persons with dementia, the Dementia Challenge sends out the message that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are nothing to be ashamed of,” explains Sally Bennett Olczak, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Windsor and Essex County. Bennett Olczak adds, “The perceived stigma of dementia prevents many people from seeking help and getting diagnosed. This, in turn, delays their access to information, support, and services that can help them live better with the disease.”

As the number of dementia cases increases, so does the need to educate everyone about the disease and remove the stigma attached to it. To date, over 7,120 individuals in Windsor and Essex over the age of 40 have been diagnosed with some form of the disease.