All Caregivers - Whistler

2023 IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer's

Each year communities across B.C. choose to honour someone special through the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s. The honouree could be an individual or group of people who have been affected by dementia, or who have valuably contributed to the lives of people living with the disease. In Whistler this year, we are proud to honour all caregivers, in order to bring attention to and show our appreciation for the tremendous work they undertake.

Caring for someone living with dementia is a physically and emotionally demanding challenge that often leaves care providers feeling alone and under extreme stress. In 2022, more than 50,000 care partners in B.C. provided an estimated 1.3 million hours – per week – of support to the people in their lives who are living with dementia. Most say they wish more people understood the realities of caring for someone living with dementia. Caregivers, family members and friends continue to provide care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They selflessly commit to this work with empathy, determination and kindness.

“We often hear from caregivers that they wish they had a roadmap of what to expect as they care for their friend or family member,” says Morgan Donahue, a Support and Education Coordinator for the Alzheimer Society of B.C on the North Shore. “The dementia journey can be one full of twists and turns and lots of unknowns. More often than not, we hear people struggling with knowing where, or who, to turn to as their relationship starts to change. Our programs and services, like our support groups and workshops, aim to empower caregivers with information, strategies and connection so they can more confidently walk alongside the person they are caring for, while also taking care of themselves. The resiliency, creativity and strength that we see our clients embody inspires us in the work that we do every day.”.

People living with dementia, their caregivers and family members experience a variety of highs and lows as they live through changes along the dementia journey, a journey that was made more difficult by the challenges of providing care over the past few years. The pandemic required the Society to adapt its programs and services by introducing virtual options for programming, including regular education, support groups for caregivers and people in the early stages of dementia, and Minds in Motion®, a social and fitness program for people living with dementia and a care partner.