Welcome to the 2026 World Alzheimer’s Day Dementia Awareness Seminar. 

I have created this event in honour of my late mother, Louise Anderson, who moved mountains in her lifetime, April 1955-June 2026. 

It is my hope that, whether you’re a caregiver who has cried yourself to sleep, a healthcare professional who wants to better care for your patients living with dementia, an advocate for the elderly, or someone who loves to learn — you are in the right place. The expert speakers are researchers, medical specialists, and advocates who will empower and guide you. 

I primarily see dementia through the lens of a caregiver. There are no words that can capture the horror and helplessness you feel when someone you love, and had hoped to have more healthy years with, develops dementia. 

In December 2007, when I realized something was amiss with my mother, there were no documentaries, seminars or other resources to turn to. Here she was: 53, having lived with tremendous chronic stress since childhood, previously diagnosed with hypertension, but clear-minded, witty, ambitious, and capable. But now she couldn’t find her keys, would ask the same question repeatedly, and needed reminder phone calls to go to work and keep appointments. 

I felt deluged, confused, frozen, sad, and lost. 

In 2008, after graduating from college in the United States, I moved back to Jamaica to try to get her diagnosed. I had won a Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship but, fortunately, the awarding foundation allowed me to take a year off. I moved back into my childhood home and set out to get a diagnosis, then second opinions. With every doctor’s visit, more words and terms were heaped onto my plate:  early-onset, Alzheimer’s, neurologist, long goodbye, TIAs, memory loss, depression, Aricept, ADLs, terminal.

One doctor told me, “Gird up your loins.” She also said, “You may have to migrate,” warning that it could get so bad, I would be forced to flee to save my mental health. 

Another doctor told me, “Go back and use your scholarship. You’re going to need lots of money.” 

A psychiatrist asked me, “How are you? Normally the parent would be bringing the child. It’s like you’re the parent.” 

But no one told me that my mother would go through stages, and I would need unique tools,  resources, and knowledge for each stage. Even the night before my mother died, I was online, getting a crash course in end-of-life breathing. 

No one told me I would break over and over again, and need trustworthy people to put me back together, but even people my mother trusted would vanish. 

It was only through caring for my mother that I learned that dementia would turn me into a researcher, patient advocate, project manager, house manager, hiring manager, nurse, nutritionist, gofer, driver, financial planner, and end-of-life companion, to name a few. As a dementia caregiver, the learning curve is steep, and the lessons unfold mercilessly and endlessly. 

There are 57 million people living with dementia worldwide. World Alzheimer’s Day will be celebrated globally on September 21, 2026 under the theme: “The Earlier You Know, The More You Can Do: A Dementia Diagnosis Matters”. This is especially applicable in Jamaica where non-communicable diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, are highly prevalent. Over 70% of elderly Jamaicans have a chronic illness and there is an established link between these conditions and developing dementia.  My mother, for example, was eventually diagnosed with vascular dementia, linked to her hypertension. Individuals with uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension face significantly elevated risk of cognitive decline, making dementia prevention and early detection critical public health priorities in Jamaica.

This seminar is a safe space. Come in to get a handle on what exactly is dementia, understand the various physicians and facilities you will encounter along the journey, learn how to cope with seeing your loved one change and the challenges each stage will bring, become informed about resources, and get your questions answered. My hope is that you leave feeling less alone and more hopeful that you can thrive through dementia.