International dementia conference held in Cary raises awareness, support for patients and caregivers

The conference was held Nov. 17-19 at the Embassy Suites on Harrison Oaks Boulevard. Among the speakers were people living with dementia and memory loss.

There is no cure for the many forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.

"Until we figure that out, we're going to need support," Snow said. "We're going to need care, and the numbers are rising."

Forgetfulness comes with aging, dementia comes with a host of other symptoms

One of the participants, Diana Blackwelder, said she had to leave her job as a high-level IT engineer after she was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease at age 56.

"I still live a very full life -- although it's a very different life," Blackwelder said.

Another participant, Barney Nelson, traveled to Cary all the way from Oregon. He said talking about his dementia is therapeutic.

"I didn't want to feel like I had to retreat into a shell and hide it from people," Nelson said.

Snow believes learning about the disease is essential. "Our biggest challenge is we don't want to talk about it until we're deep in the mire," Snow said. "And it's a mistake."