4 • BrainMatters • Fall/Winter 2024
Dickinson, 67, is among a handful of notable
celebrities, including Jann Arden, Seth Rogen
and Gavin Crawford, who are speaking publicly
about dementia and how it affects individuals and
their families.
"I think the more we speak about it or normalize
it, the more normalized it becomes, the more
we understand the research that's needed. We
contribute more to giving money to Baycrest or other
institutions that are working to help solve dementia
and make people's memories and minds stronger
through their later years," Dickinson says.
Estimates show that more than 700,000 Canadians
are living with dementia, and unless something
changes, the number is projected to rise to almost a
million in 2030 and 1.7 million in 2050.
Family caregivers often help with the essential
activities of daily living, and can experience high
levels of stress, depression, and financial and
employment difficulties, according to A Dementia
Strategy for Canada: Together We Aspire, which
came out in 2019.
"There are a lot of boomers that are getting older,
and we're looking right down the barrel," Dickinson
says. "It could happen to any one of us. We're trying
to understand what we can do differently, and so
talking about this is very important."
There are a lot of boomers that are getting
older, and we're looking right down the
barrel," Dickinson says. "It could happen to
any one of us. We're trying to understand
what we can do differently, and so talking
about this is very important.
Arlene Dickinson
Arlene with her mother, Stella
