Canada’s dementia crisis

The following article was recently posted by the Alzheimer Society of Canada on their website. What are the candidates prepared to do to help patients and their families? 

 

Canada’s dementia crisis

Right now, over 500,000 Canadians have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. That number is expected to double by 2038. We are asking the Canadian government to create a plan to respond to the dementia crisis.
You can help. Tell your candidate that Canada needs a plan today for the growing dementia crisis.
Because Alzheimer’s disease is everybody’s business.
Alzheimer’s disease is not an illness we can ignore. It has an overwhelming impact on the people who develop it, and the families who care for them.
In 2010 the Alzheimer Society released Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society. The study alerted the Canadian public and federal, provincial and territorial politicians of the need for policies and approaches to address the looming dementia crisis.
The report concluded with five recommendations to government, developed through comprehensive consultations with subject experts and stakeholders. The underlying message is that we must act now and that change is possible.
The five recommendations, which make up a national call to action, are

1. An accelerated investment in all areas of dementia research
2. A clear recognition of the important role played by family caregivers
3. An increased recognition of the importance of prevention and early intervention
4. Greater integration of care and increased use of chronic disease prevention and management
5. A strengthening of Canada’s dementia workforce