There are presently just over 20-thousand Manitobans living with Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia.

That number is predicted to almost double by 2050 due to the aging population, as age is considered the biggest risk factor for dementia.

Samantha Holland, the First Link Regional Team Lead for the Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba shares some warning signs of dementia we should take note of.

“Largely, we want to look at changes in a person’s abilities, so how they function on a day to day basis, their behaviour and then their communication skills. I call that the abc’s of dementia. Some examples are they struggling with day to day tasks that were part of their normal routine, they might become more easily upset or angry. For communication, are they getting the words out but they just don’t make sense?”  

Holland said there are 150 types of dementia and they can present separately or in a combination of types.

If you are concerned you or someone you know is showing signs of dementia, she advises a visit with a health care provider so the appropriate tests can be run to rule out treatable conditions.

Catch the first in a series of 5 interviews with Holland on Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.