Alzheimer's awareness low: poll

About 500,000 Canadians live with Alzheimer's and related diseases, but most Canadians don't really know much about it, a new poll suggests.

The survey by the Alzheimer Society suggested 23 per cent of baby boomers can't name any of the early signs of Alzheimer's, even though their risk of suffering from the disease doubles every five years after age 65.

Participants were quizzed about four aspects: early warning signs, later-stage symptoms, key risk factors and the benefits of early diagnosis.

Of those surveyed, half identified memory loss as a key symptom but weren't aware of other critical signs.

About one in four people surveyed could not name a single symptom of the degenerative brain illness, which can lead to wandering, repetitive behaviour and disorientation.

"Boomers are their own best detectors of Alzheimer's," Mary Schulz, national director of education at the Alzheimer Society, said in a statement.

"Sudden changes in mood, misplacing common household items (like keys in the refrigerator), repeating words or statements or difficulty with everyday tasks like getting dressed can all be warning signs that need to be discussed with a doctor."

1,000 people surveyed

Every day, Jennifer Hall visits her husband Tom Hall, who has advanced Alzheimer's, at a nursing home in Mississauga.

His wife never saw the heart-breaking reality coming. But looking back, she and her daughter Lisa recall seeing red flags: grasping for words, and odd behaviour such as shovelling the grass and paranoia around old friends.

An earlier diagnosis could have meant quicker access to drugs that can slow the slide into advanced Alzheimer's. Knowing more about the disease helps caregivers to cope and plan ahead, the society said.

"It would have given us another year," says Jennifer Hall. "I mean being able to maybe wrap our heads around what was going on."

When prompted, most survey respondents could identify age and genetics as risk factors for dementia. But awareness fell off sharply for other key risk factors, such as having suffered a head injury, a history of depression, heart disease and high blood pressure.

In later stages of Alzheimer's, people might experience hallucinations and have to completely depend on others for basic care, such as dressing and bathing.

Tom, 74, is now in the last stages of the disease and is being cared for in a long-term care facility.

In releasing the poll, the Alzheimer Society said it wants Canadians, especially those 40 and older, to practice prevention by learning the risks and making simple lifestyle changes:

• Eat a heart-healthy diet.
• Stay active.
• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Monitor blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Dementia cost the Canadian economy about $15 billion last year, and that number is expected to jump to $153 billion by 2038.

This year's campaign was funded through an unrestricted educational grant by Pfizer Canada.

Vertex Consultants conducted the online survey of 1,006 Canadians age 45 to 65 in July 2010.