Chapter 1: The Many Faces of Dementia in Canada
Learn more about Chapter 1 of the second volume of the Landmark Study, the Many Faces of Dementia in Canada, a report by the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
Dementia is a public health challenge affecting hundreds of thousands of people in Canada and millions of people worldwide. While dementia is a growing public health concern, research has shown that there are substantial differences in risk of development, prevalence, clinical presentation, and health outcomes across various communities in Canada. This includes variation across ethnicity and race, sex and gender, and age.
Understanding these differences is an essential step in providing optimal care and support for those who are affected by dementia. By learning the unique needs and experiences of different communities, we can work together toward improving quality of life for people living with dementia and their care partners.
To address this challenge in Canada, a national dementia strategy was developed in 2019 to guide actions by all levels of government, non-government organizations, communities, families and individuals to address dementia in Canada. The vision of the strategy is: “A Canada in which all people living with dementia and caregivers are valued and supported, quality of life is optimized, and dementia is prevented, well understood, and effectively treated” (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2019).
Read this chapter here.