Put Your Mind to It
"The predicted surge in dementia cases will certainly overwhelm Canada's health care system unless specific and targeted action is taken. Canada must act now."
Richard Nakoneczny
Volunteer President, Alzheimer Society of Canada
While the Alzheimer Society is working hard to represent the hundreds of thousands of people touched by this disease, we can not do it alone.
We need your help. Ask this country's federal parliamentarians to act now through the development of a national strategy that would address the needs of everyone touched by dementia.
Rising Tide
This January, the Alzheimer Society released sobering new statistics on the impact of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in Canada, statistics that predict an alarming increase in the projected economic and social costs of dementia in Canada over the next generation.
According to Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society, today someone in Canada develops dementia every five minutes. In 30 years, there will be one new case every two minutes. If nothing changes, this sharp increase in the number of people living with dementia will mean that by 2038, the total costs associated with dementia will reach $153 billion a year. This amounts to a massive cumulative total of $872 billion over this 30-year period.
The Alzheimer Society believes that research remains the key to finding a cure, and that a significant investment in basic and clinical science is essential if we are to eradicate dementia. At the same time, the hundreds of thousands living with the disease today deserve the highest quality of life. To this end, we believe that there must be better support, care and treatment for people living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia.
How You Can Make a Difference
Recognizing the urgent need to start turning the tide of dementia, the Rising Tide report also outlines a series of potential interventions that could help minimize the impact of the disease, as well as a series of recommendations that would make up the components of a comprehensive National Dementia Strategy.
As someone touched by Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, you can help by ensuring the federal Minister of Health and your local Member of Parliament understands the devastating personal effects of this disease, and the urgent need to act now.
There are many ways to make your voice heard, including:
Please see our full Advocacy Guide for helpful advice and ideas on how to make the most impact.
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