According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 747,000 Canadians are living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Alzheimer’s — the most common cause of dementia — is a chronic, progressive, neurodegenerative disease that affects memory, language, behaviour and thinking abilities, severe enough to interfere with daily life.

Alzheimers patients are particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the significant and prolonged changes to their daily routine, according to Dr. Blake Pearson, an Ontario-based physician with extensive experience caring for individuals with dementia.

“Routine, structure and seeing familiar faces are all essential in managing dementia symptoms. Individuals living with dementia are feeling the stress of their current environment just like everyone else, but depending on the progression of their condition, their feelings can manifest in very strong and stressful ways for both themselves and their caregivers,” says Dr. Pearson.