All Party Caucus on Dementia
"As I reflect on what I thought might go wrong as my wife and I aged, I realize that dementia never crossed my mind. As the population ages, our journey will be shared by millions of others, who like me will find that our health care system is not prepared to deal with people suffering from dementia. The time to act is now before this health care tsunami overwhelms our health care resources." Dr. Bob Lester, caregiver.
The overwhelming impact Alzheimer's and related dementias are having on Canadian Society is a critical issue, one that must be addressed now by government if we are to make change happen.
This was the message delivered to parliamentarians who attended the first ever All Party Caucus on Dementia, held April 1 in Ottawa. Members of Parliament and Senators from every major party attended the event, which was the first of an ongoing Caucus which will help to elevate awareness of dementia among parliamentarians, and influence legislation and policy making with the aim of making dementia a national health care priority in Canada.
Scott Dudgeon, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Canada, presented to the group preliminary data from the study Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society, and then asked the group's advice about how we might move forward once the full study is released. The group was also asked to support the Alzheimer Society of Canada's request of the Honourable Leona Agglukaq, Minister of Health, to host a National Summit on Dementia.
"What could it mean to make dementia a national health priority in Canada? A national summit of federal, provincial, and territorial governments, who commit to a coordinated approach to defeating dementia and to improving the lives of people dealing with dementia – personally, and in their families," said Dudgeon.
Dr. Bob Lester, a caregiver from Toronto, also spoke at the event, detailing his personal experiences with his wife's dementia.
"I always thought that the worst thing that could happen would be to lose a loved one to death. I now realize that as painful as this must be, there is an end and to some degree life can go on. For me watching Judy deteriorate slowly over several years seems so much worse. She can no longer do even the simplest tasks…she is progressively retreating into her own world and no longer knows who I am nor does she recognize her children or grandchildren," Dr. Lester told the group.
Ontario MP Patrick Brown closed the meeting by thanking the Society for its work, speaking briefly about his own personal connection to the illness, and how he, and other members of the Standing Committee on Health, are working to ensure neurological conditions, including dementia, are a priority within the government. Manitoba MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis, another member of the Standing Committee on Health, echoed Mr. Brown's comments and commitment to ensuring neurological conditions become an urgent priority within the Health Committee.
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