
Country
Norway
Jan Runar Eliassen is member of the European Working Group of People with Dementia. My name is Jan Runar Eliassen. I am 50 years old, am married to Marion and have 5 kids. Five years ago I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. At 45 it was a big shock for both me and my family. In 2023, NRK, our national broadcaster, decided to do the same as the BBC and start a dementia choir. I joined that production and my goal was to gain greater awareness of this illness within society and to show that young people can also get it. It was a huge success and over one million people watched it. Today there are more than 170 choirs around the country. I am a member of the Norwegian working group for people with dementia and an ambassador for the Norwegian Center on Healthy Ageing. I am also a member of the steering group of young people with dementia in Norway.