Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society
Over the next 30 years, the number of people living with dementia is projected to more than double, with the total economic costs increasing ten-fold. In short, our aging population is fueling a rising tide of dementia that threatens to overwhelm our health and social support systems.
This January during Alzheimer Awareness Month, the Alzheimer Society is calling on Canadian governments, and the Canadian public, to take action against this growing tide. This call to action is strongly supported by a new Alzheimer Society report, Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society. According to Rising Tide, every five minutes someone in Canada develops dementia.
Recognizing the urgent need to start turning the tide of dementia, the new report also outlines a series of potential interventions that could help alleviate dementia's pressure on families, the health care system and the economy. For example, one of the four proposed interventions looks at the benefits of delaying the onset of dementia in people by just two years. This intervention alone has a potential cost savings of $219 billion over the 30-year period.
Learn more about the report.
What You Can Do
The Alzheimer Society is asking Canadians this January to continue to champion the fight against dementia. People can help by taking care of their brain health, encouraging their federal and provincial governments to take action, and by making a donation to support critical research.
For more information on the Awareness Campaign, visit the Media Centre. To find out about Awareness activities in your community, contact your local Alzheimer Society.
Listen to our public service announcements.
Thanks!
The 2010 Awareness Campaign was made possible in part through the generosity of the following sponsors: Pfizer Canada, Transcontinental Media, Medicine Shoppe Canada, Genworth Financial Canada, Lundbeck, Janssen-Ortho Inc., and Burnbrae Farms. The project Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canada 2008-2038 was funded by Pfizer Canada, Health Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Rx&D.
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