Dementia numbers growing, but there is help available

By Lethbridge Herald on September 30, 2025.

Joe Manio
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Over 60,000 individuals in Alberta and the Northwest Territories (NWT) are currently living with a dementia diagnosis, while many others go undiagnosed. Dealing with the disease can be quite challenging for both those diagnosed and their families.

People with dementia face numerous challenges, including memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and communication issues like trouble finding words and following conversations. They may also experience emotional challenges, feeling insecure, fearful, or confused, which can lead to behavioral changes like aggression, shouting, or withdrawal.

The Alzheimer Society of Canada projects that in Alberta the rate of dementia diagnoses will increase by 286 per cent (almost triple) by 2050–only 25 years away.

At present there is no cause or cure for dementia, but there is support available through organizations like the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories whose motto is: “Help for Today and Hope for Tomorrow.” 

The Society provides help for today by providing resources, education, and support for people living with dementia and their carepartners, while its research program provides hope for tomorrow.

“One in three Albertans know someone who is impacted by dementia. That’s fairly significant,” says Vice-President, External Relations and Chief Development Officer Holli Bjerland. “People can be reluctant to share their experience because there is a lot of stigma  that surrounds the disease. We aim to change this by creating awareness.”

Dementia is an umbrella term for symptoms of declining memory and cognitive abilities, while Alzheimer’s disease is the most common specific disease that causes these symptoms. 

“There are many forms of dementia,” says Bjerland. “Dementia is the umbrella term while Alzheimer’s Disease is one type of dementia. Think of cancer as the umbrella term and all the various types of cancer there are such as breast, prostate, bladder, etc.” 

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, irreversible neurodegenerative disorder that causes memory loss and a gradual decline in thinking and reasoning abilities, ultimately leading to an inability to perform even simple daily tasks. 

It is the most common form of dementia, characterized by the build-up of abnormal protein plaques and tangles in the brain, which damage and kill neurons, leading to impaired communication between brain cells.

Alzheimer’s is  diagnosed predominantly in individuals 65+ years of age. However, there are individuals under 65 years of age who are diagnosed with Young Onset Dementia which represents about three per cent of individuals diagnosed with dementia.

The youngest documented case of Alzheimer’s disease involves a 19-year-old man from China diagnosed in 2023 after experiencing symptoms like memory loss and difficulty concentrating starting at age 17. 

This case, reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, is considered rare and puzzling because he had no known genetic markers for early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Early dementia symptoms often involve memory loss of recent events, increased confusion, difficulty with complex tasks like planning or managing finances, trouble finding the right words, disorientation, and changes in mood or personality, such as becoming withdrawn, anxious, or experiencing apathy. Social withdrawal, problems with judgment, and misplacing items are also common early signs.

If you notice signs of dementia, you or a family member should consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and to rule out other conditions.

“We encourage people to talk to their healthcare provider and share their concerns and experiences,” says Bjerold.  

The Alzheimer Society offers programs and services and dementia-related information; provided free of charge through donations to the organization. As with other degenerative diseases, the search for a cause and a cure is ongoing. 

Researchers have identified new therapeutic drug targets along with non-pharmacological interventions. They have also expanded the growing list of genetic factors and molecular pathways involved in these disorders and mapped the progression of dementia in the brain.

Anyone wishing to donate can visit the Society’s website at alzheimer.ab.ca or call the office.

For more information about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease visit: helpfordementia.ca or call the Society’s toll free line from anywhere in Alberta & NWT to speak with someone at 1-866-950-5465. You can also email help@alzheimer.ab.ca.