Business leaders push to break stigma and build support through virtual breakfast

Floyd Murphy has witnessed the incredible challenges a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can bring to a family – seven times. A long-time supporter of the Alzheimer Society of B.C., he learned about dementia and the stigma that so often comes along with it through his seven paternal aunts who all lived with the disease, at a time when few people would openly acknowledge it. For more than a decade, Floyd has taken a leading role in garnering support for families facing dementia from within the Vancouver business community by talking about the issue that impacts a growing number of businesses. While people are talking about dementia more these days, Floyd recalls this wasn’t always the case.  

“I do not recall anyone in my family ever bringing up the word ‘Alzheimer’s,’” Floyd says. “It was a part of the stigma of Alzheimer’s disease at the time. It was OK if you had a stroke, but there was the fear of talking about Alzheimer’s disease.”

While each of his aunt’s journeys was unique, they all shared the common themes of stigma and a heavy demand on family caregivers. By the time Floyd’s last aunt died of complications from the disease, he was connected to the Alzheimer Society of B.C. as a volunteer organizer of the annual Breakfast to Remember fundraiser. Alongside spearheading financial support from business leaders in the Lower Mainland, Floyd, CEO of the event’s founding sponsor Murrick Group, is also challenging organizations to become more supportive of the growing number of employees who are caring for family members living with dementia. 

“As employers, we need to recognize that employees have family responsibilities and may need accommodations to provide support for a family member living with dementia,” Floyd says. “We need to think about what families would do in a situation, such as caring for a person living with dementia who can no longer live safely at home alone.”

Floyd, who has a number of staff members who have family members affected by dementia, notes that the demands on family caregivers are further complicated because of insufficient respite services and a lack of legal protections.

“Particularly with COVID, it’s been a difficult year if you’re caring for a person living with dementia,” Floyd says.

Alongside changing the conversation about caregiving, Floyd’s hope is that heightened awareness leads to deeper investment in changing the future of the disease. Annual Breakfast to Remember events bring B.C. business leaders together to hear inspiring talks and help raise critical funds for Alzheimer Society of B.C. programs and services, including increased virtual programming. Funds raised also enable dementia research in B.C.

About Breakfast to Remember

On March 3, Floyd will join people from across the province at this year’s virtual Breakfast to Remember, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Lisa Genova, neuroscientist and #1 international and New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice. Ticket purchasers also gain access to an exclusive research event on March 4 with a panel of B.C.’s leading dementia researchers.

To learn more, or to purchase tickets, visit www.BreakfastToRemember.ca.