Dementia prevention strategy at the center of prevention published by Ottawa

OTTAWA – The basic philosophy of the federal government's long-awaited strategy for dealing with dementia is simple: to prevent Canadians from developing the disease in the first place.

Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, who unveiled the strategy Monday at an event in Toronto, said she has an intimate understanding of how difficult it is to manage a cognitively declining family member.

"Being the daughter of a mother with dementia is a heart that is important to me," said Petitpas Taylor in an interview.

"When I see a lot of family members who have had to face the challenges, I know, because I'm here and we certainly want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to reduce the stress that comes with it."

Government's Dementia Plan, which focuses primarily on prevention, treatment improvement, and patient and caregiver support, provides $ 50 million over five years to support the strategy announced in the Budget earlier this year.

It defines dementia as a set of symptoms affecting the brain, including a decline in cognitive abilities such as memory, language, basic math skills, judgment, and planning. The mood and behavior may also change as a result, notes the document.

According to the report, more than 419,000 seniors in Canada have been diagnosed with dementia and rely on an average of 26 hours of help per week from parents and friends. Some 78,600 new cases of dementia are diagnosed each year among people aged 65 and over, 63% of whom are women.

At its current rate, this disease will cost caregivers and the health system $ 16.6 billion annually by 2031.

"Since this number does not include people under 65 who can have an early diagnosis, or those who have not yet been diagnosed, the true image of dementia in Canada may be a little larger." he says.

"Although dementia is not an inevitable part of aging, age is the most important risk factor. As a result, with a growing and aging population, the number of Canadians with dementia is expected to increase over the next few decades. "

Canadians can avoid danger by getting older by doing more exercise, adopting healthier eating habits and avoiding smoking, which can increase the risk of stroke, a common cause of dementia.

"There is growing scientific evidence that healthy early life can prevent or delay the onset of dementia."

Petitpas Taylor also announced a $ 46 million, five-year investment for the second phase of the Canadian Consortium for Aging Neurodegeneration, a dementia research center created in 2014.

The federal government plans to provide $ 31.6 million through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, plus $ 14.4 million from partners, including the Alzheimer Society.

Pauline Tardif, President and CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Canada, e-mailed Monday urging her supporters to keep up the pressure on the government during this fall's election campaign to keep dementia a top priority. our politicians.

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