The Barbados Alzheimer???s Association will celebrate World Alzheimer???s Month in September with a number of events.
This year???s theme is Dementia ??? A Journey of Caring. The activities will begin with a ???Forget Me Not Ball??? at the Hilton Barbados, Needhams Point, St. Michael, on Saturday, September 7, beginning at 6:30 p.m. It will feature the Royal Barbados Police Force Band and will be held under the patronage of Dame Patricia Symmonds. Tickets are available at the Association???s Black Rock, St. Michael office.
There will also be a health fair in Independence Square, The City, where, in addition to the regular health checks, persons can also be screened for alzheimer???s or dementia. On Sunday, September 15, there will be a church service at the St. Philip Parish Church beginning at 9:15 a.m. to mark the month.
A seminar on alzheimer???s is slated for Wednesday, September 18, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael, starting at 8:30 a.m. In addition, Dr. Howard Chertkow of the Jewish General Hospital and McGill University, Canada, will deliver a lecture on the disease on Thursday, September 19, at Solidarity House, Harmony Hall, St. Michael, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
The Association will hold an Open House on Friday, September 20, from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. at its office. The following day, Saturday, September 21, World Alzheimer???s Day, there will be an Awareness Walk starting from Cheapside, The City, at 6:00 a.m. and ending at Belmont Road, St. Michael.
President of the Barbados Alzheimer???s Association, Pamelia Brereton, said that she hoped the activities would create more awareness about the condition.
???In the last few years we have been very successful but there are still a lot of people out there who are not getting the message. The ???One Cent??? drive has also been very successful with $100,000 being raised, to date, which will go towards the building of a day care for persons with dementia,??? Ms. Brereton said. She encouraged persons to come out to the activities since ???Alzheimer???s can happen to anyone???you never know, it could happen to you???.
melissa.rollock@barbados.gov.bb