Walk in Nelson honours dedicated volunteer

Key Alzheimer Society of B.C. fundraiser in Nelson honours dedicated volunteer

For many people, caregiving is a role they take on for a period of time as they support someone on the dementia journey — until that journey ends. For others, it’s a calling that lasts a lifetime and their care has an impact that reaches well beyond their personal friends and family. Linda Clark is one of those people. Clark was a nurse for 42 years, and passed on her knowledge teaching health-care assistants at Selkirk College for 10 years before she retired. Soon after, she became a champion for other caregivers as a dedicated support group facilitator with the Alzheimer Society of B.C.

“I feel like I’m contributing to the well-being of the caregivers – they need that support and to know that they’re not alone,” says Clark, who has been in the volunteer role since 2018. “We laugh and we cry. The comfort they feel in that group, the comfort they share with each other, is so beneficial. It can be painful to talk about certain things, but when they do, it’s from the heart.”

Clark helps support the more than 50,000 caregivers in British Columbia who provide an estimated 1.3 million hours of unpaid caregiving support to people living with dementia per week. Coming up on Sunday, May 26, the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s largest fundraiser will raise funds for essential programs and services and ensure caregivers and people living with dementia don’t face it alone.

The IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s, presented by Go Auto, takes place in Nelson at Rotary Lakeside Park (under the orange bridge). Registration starts at 11 a.m. with the Walk following from noon to 1 p.m. For more information contact [email protected].

The Walk helps provide critical supports for people affected by dementia, while breaking down stigma surrounding the disease. Each of the more than 20 events across B.C. is dedicated to an honouree – an individual or group affected by dementia, or someone who has valuably contributed to the lives of people living with the disease. This year Clark is being honoured at the Walk in Nelson for her contribution to the community and desire to help other people affected by dementia.

Like two-thirds of people in B.C., Clark also has personal connections to dementia that only underscore the need for more caregiver support. She helped her husband support his father, who lived with dementia, and she now has a close friend who has been caring for her partner since he developed young-onset dementia seven years ago. The challenges and resilience Clark sees in her friend – a woman who constantly strives to ensure her husband is included and feels valued – are not unlike the incredible experiences she hears about in her support group.

“I’m humbled by the love, patience and effort that the spouses have to keep their lives and the lives of their spouses as normal as possible,” Clark says. “It takes a lot of effort. I’m humbled by watching and listening and hearing what they have to say about their daily lives.”

There are simple actions anyone can take to help support both caregivers and people affected by dementia. Participating in the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s in Nelson is a great way to build understanding and show support. To help make a difference in the lives of caregivers and others on the dementia journey in your community, visit WalkForAlzheimers.ca.