Canadians with dementia and their caregivers met their U.S. counterparts at the Peace Arch Park Wednesday afternoon.
Hosted by the UBC Centre for Search on Personhood in Dementia and the University of Washington Memory and Brain Wellness Center (MBWC), Dementia without Borders “reflects efforts both centers are making to reinforce the rights, strengths and social citizenship of community members who live with dementia.”
The two groups, led by people carrying handmade banners that read ‘Dementia without Borders,’ met near the Peace Arch monument, situated between the U.S. and Canada borders.
The two groups exchanged pleasantries, banners, and bracelets.
“We’ve found a shared interest in exploring ways persons with dementia can shape and define their own experience – from contributing to community initiatives that impact their lives, to using the creative arts to leave a legacy,” said Marigrace Becker, program manager for community education MBWC, in a press release.
“It was a natural next step to plan an event together that shines a spotlight on ways persons with dementia, their families, and their communities, are making a difference.”
The goal of the event was to acknowledge work being done by persons with dementia, and to raise awareness and challenge stigma. The event included resource tables from Dementia Support Northwest, the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, Washington State chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and Momentia Seattle.
“For me, Dementia without Borders is about the shared experience of living with dementia, or caring for someone with dementia. I’m excited to share with other people what we’re doing here in Seattle, and to find out what they’re doing in Canada,” co-organizer Paula Schwimmer, who has a husband living with dementia, said in a news release.
