The Alzheimer Society of Calgary wants to put a more positive face on dementia and has created a wall-sized mural in-house with the help of 60 families who have loved ones afflicted with the disease.
“When you see a communications piece from an Alzheimer’s society you expect to see a very elderly person looking solemn or depressed, maybe slumped over in a wheelchair, and we wanted to take a different perspective,” said Jill Petrovic, communications manager.
Known as the “unforgettable mural,” Petrovic said the idea is to highlight the human side of dementia and inspire hope. “There is a bit of stigma around the disease,” said Petrovic. “When somebody is diagnosed with cancer or diabetes, people are more willing to talk about it openly, but when it comes to dementia people don’t necessarily understand it; they either think that this is a normal part of aging or they don’t want to be perceived as going crazy.”
Stories on the 19 by eight-foot mural focus on the positive—the accomplishments people have made and are still making even after being diagnosed with the disease.
Petrovic said that more than 12,000 people in Calgary currently live with dementia. By 2038, that number is expected to double, and triple by 2050. “But it doesn’t mean it’s a death sentence and you can no longer have connections,” she said.
The plan is to move the mobile mural to different high-profile locations for Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month in January.
