Women’s health issues, particularly among aging baby boomers, are receiving increasingly more attention, especially in the area of mental health. With diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other age-related illnesses claiming more sufferers - of whom a majority are women - this special focus is garnering growing support from both private and governmental sources.
Indeed a fundraising campaign devoted to women’s health was recently launched by the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care located in Toronto, Canada. Baycrest ranks among the world’s leading academic health sciences centers focused on aging. Having recently visited a relative of mine at Baycrest diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, I can personally attest to the fact that the folks at the centre are clearly compassionate and committed to pioneering new breakthroughs with respect to women’s health.
Alzheimer’s Disease vs. Women
“Women are the CEOs when it comes to running the family. They are typically the primary caregivers for their kids, partners and aging relatives,” note Baycrest officials. “New statistics released by the Alzheimer Society of Canada show they are at much greater risk than men for developing Alzheimer’s Disease.”
Recent data on women’s health released by the ASC reveal that 70%, more two-thirds of the 500,000 people in Canada currently diagnosed with having Alzheimer’s disease, are female. Last April the provincial government of Ontario announced a $10 million contribution to help fund the creation of The Centre for Brain Fitness at Baycrest.
Co-chairing The “Women of Baycrest” Campaign is Lynn Posluns, a local fashion entrepreneur and philanthropist. “Collectively we are more powerful than any generation of women before us,” declares Posluns. “We want to know why we are more susceptible to Alzheimer’s and what we can do to maintain our physical and mental wellness as we get older.”
Female Boomers Taking Control
Baycrest’s goal is to raise $3 million to fund a new Research Chair in Women’s Brain Health and Aging at Baycrest. Clinician scientist, Dr. Tiffany Chow, it was announced, will be the first female neuroscientist to be supported as a result of the campaign.
“Our partners, our aging parents and our kids depend on us to stay healthy and be there for them,” adds Posluns. “We want to remain healthy and active in life as long as we can - not just for our loved ones but for ourselves as well!”
Posluns believes that the campaign focus on women’s mental health will encourage other women to join and support Baycrest’s initiatives to manage female mental fitness and aging. Women are invited to support the campaign with the purchase of a $1,800 membership.
Stay tuned to Mind360.com as we devote further attention to women’s mental health issues and developments around the world.
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Steve Daitch is the Social Media Manager at Mind360.com – a leading scientific brain training games developer for boosting your memory, attention, executive functions, reasoning, and other key cognitive skills. As a Mind360 visitor you simply select your own Personal Training Program, which comes complete with a personal coach and constant feedback to ensure your swift and visible progress.