Reaching young Islanders
New tool educates children on Alzheimer’s disease
A new resource created to help teachers introduce the topic of Alzheimer’s disease to elementary school students was launched recently in Charlottetown.
A one-act play and storybook called “What my grandma means to say,” has been made available in every English school library for students in Grades 4 to 6.
Corrine Hendricken-Eldershaw, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of P.E.I., says work on developing this educational tool has been underway for a number years. “We recognized that raising awareness and creating a more dementiafriendly Island community meant that we had to reach Islanders at a young age, to share facts and understanding about dementia,” she said.
“Our hope is that the more our youth know about dementia, the more likely they will be to engage with the people in their lives who may be living with dementia.”
The program was launched on World Alzheimer’s Day on Sept. 21 at an event at Fanningbank.
More than 500,000 Canadians are living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, including an estimated 2,537 Islanders.
As these numbers continue to grow, the Alzheimer Society has been working toward making P.E.I. a more dementia-friendly place to live – a goal the society believes starts with this new resource for teachers.
Any teachers interested in learning more about the resource can contact the Alzheimer Society of P.E.I. at 902-370-3135, or education@ alzpei.ca.
“We recognized that raising awareness and creating a more dementia-friendly Island community meant that we had to reach Islanders at a young age, to share facts and understanding about dementia.” Corrine Hendricken-Eldershaw