Dementia Society of America (DSA) has designated May as America’s National Dementia Awareness Month. This will establish an annual period on the calendar and help drive an intense, national focus on providing education and information that would assist individuals and families facing dementia.
It is believed that more than 9 million Americans live with some form of dementia today. When all forms of dementia are combined, it has been estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be the second leading cause of death globally, behind heart disease in high-income countries.
“National Dementia Awareness Month in May will be a time of year to turn the spotlight on this condition that impacts so many families. We look forward to dedicating this month to delivering much-needed education and resources and spreading life-enrichment information to the public, especially to those individuals and families impacted by dementia,” says Kevin Jameson, volunteer, president, and founder of Dementia Society of America. “As a national organization, we have an opportunity to help large numbers of people learn more about dementia in a way that not only informs them, but also offers them hope and improves the quality of life.”
The scope of National Dementia Awareness Month will include all causes of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal degeneration and many others. Increased education is vital because dementia is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and can be subject to stigma, fear, taboo, and apathy. This effort aligns with an important part of the Dementia Society’s stated mission to “create a ready, supportive and informed environment committed to truth, love, and compassion.”
This first Dementia Awareness Month Remember and Reflect Ceremony will officially open with a Bucks County event on May 25 in Doylestown, where the Dementia Society of America’s home office is based. The event will honor those whose lives have been affected by dementia.
For more information about this event, visit DementiaAwareAmerica.org.
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