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- Evidence has shown that formal education, like high school and college, may reduce a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Research published in 2020 by The Lancet Commission that examined dementia interventions found 7% of worldwide dementia cases could be prevented by increasing early-life education.
www.alz.org/news/2021/higher-ed-lower-risk
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Can education help people cope with dementia?
Do higher levels of Education reduce dementia rates in later life?
Can education help prevent Alzheimer's?
Can early-life education prevent dementia?
How does education affect Alzheimer's risk?
Researchers have proposed a number of mechanisms to explain the relationship between education and risk for dementia including: brain reserve, cognitive reserve, “use it or lose it”, the brain-battering hypothesis, ascertainment/diagnostic bias, and education as a proxy for a third variable (s).
Jul 23, 2010 · Examining the brains of 872 people who had been part of three large ageing studies, and who before their deaths had completed questionnaires about their education, the researchers found that more education makes people better able to cope with changes in the brain associated with dementia.
Higher childhood education levels and lifelong higher educational attainment reduce dementia risk. 2,35–37 New work suggests overall cognitive ability increases, with education, before reaching a plateau in late adolescence, when brain reaches greatest plasticity; with relatively few further gains with education after age 20 years. 38 This ...
- Gill Livingston, Gill Livingston, Jonathan Huntley, Andrew Sommerlad, Andrew Sommerlad, David Ames, ...
- 2020
- Related topics
- Table of contents
- Minister's message
- Executive summary
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: National objective: Prevent dementia
- Chapter 3: National objective: Advance therapies and find a cure
- Chapter 4: National objective: Improve the quality of life of people living with dementia and caregivers
- Chapter 5: Pillars
•Dementia
A summary of the strategy, A Dementia Strategy for Canada: Together We Aspire: In Brief, is also available.
•Minister's message
•Executive summary
•Chapter 1: Introduction
•A Dementia Strategy for Canada
•Impact of dementia on Canadians
•A dialogue with Canadians
I am pleased to be sharing with you Canada's first national strategy on dementia. Developing and funding this strategy has been a priority for the Government of Canada, but it is also a deeply personal priority. My first experience with dementia was during my time as a social worker; now I have a very different experience with dementia care following my mother's diagnosis. I know very well the impact that dementia can have on those living with this condition, their family members and caregivers.
Dementia has a significant and growing impact in Canada. We know that there are more than 419,000 Canadians aged 65 and older diagnosed with dementia, but this is only part of the story. This number does not capture those under the age of 65 with a diagnosis of dementia and those who, possibly due to stigma or other barriers, remain undiagnosed. This strategy is not just for those living with or caring for someone with dementia. It is a strategy for all Canadians. There is a growing body of evidence that healthy living is key to preventing dementia. Whether as a caregiver to a family member or friend, as a person living with dementia or in interactions at work or community involvement, many of us will encounter dementia at some point in our daily lives.
The release of this strategy marks a key milestone in our efforts to create a Canada where all people living with dementia and caregivers are valued and supported, and experience an optimal quality of life and where dementia is prevented, effectively treated and better understood. Canada now joins those in the international community who have already developed national dementia strategies, supporting the first target in the WHO Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia (2017-2025).
At the opening of the National Dementia Conference in May 2018, I encouraged participants to dream big when sharing their thoughts and advice with us about the focus for our national dementia strategy. I believe we have achieved a strategy with an aspirational vision that will inspire and motivate us to work together towards our national objectives.
As we move forward, we will continue to collaborate with all those interested in addressing the challenges of dementia, including our partners in other governments, people living with dementia, caregivers, advocacy groups, health care providers and researchers. This strategy has been designed to evolve over time so that we can integrate new evidence and priorities. The Government of Canada will report to Parliament each year on the effectiveness of this strategy. New federal investments of $70 million over 5 years will also help to ensure we make meaningful progress on the national objectives of this strategy.
Many people have helped us get to this point. I would like to extend a thank you to all the individuals and organizations who shared their experiences and advice as well as their hopes and priorities for the strategy. Aging does not cause dementia, but advanced age increases risk. In her role as Minister of Seniors, Minister Filomena Tassi has been a strong supporter of the development of this national dementia strategy. Her conversations with seniors and caregivers are reflected in the strategy. I would like to thank Minister Tassi for her leadership in making dementia a priority in Canada by highlighting issues associated with this condition. I would also like to thank our provincial and territorial partners who have been generous in sharing the lessons learned from their work on dementia and who have welcomed the opportunity to collaborate. Lastly, I would especially like to thank the members of the Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia. Led by co-chairs Pauline Tardif and Dr. William Reichman, members volunteered their time and energy to ensure that we got this strategy right. The many hours that these members dedicated to reviewing the draft strategy during its development and attending meetings to share their knowledge and expertise with us is something for which I am personally very grateful and have enriched the strategy.
Canada's first national dementia strategy sets out a vision for the future and identifies common principles and national objectives to help guide actions by all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, communities, families and individuals. In developing the strategy, we sought at all times to ensure that people living with dementia and the family and friends who provide care to them were at the heart of these efforts.
Dementia is a term used to describe symptoms affecting the brain that include a decline in cognitive abilities such as memory; awareness of person, place, and time; language; basic math skills; judgement; and planning. Mood and behavior may also change as a result of this decline. Dementia is a progressive condition that, over time, can reduce the ability to independently maintain activities of daily life.
The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias Act (the Act) was passed in June 2017 and followed a comprehensive report on dementia from the Senate in 2016. This Act requires the federal Minister of Health to develop a national dementia strategy, host a national conference and establish a Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia.
The Minister held a national conference on dementia in May 2018, which brought together a diverse group of Canadians to identify and discuss challenges related to dementia, identify opportunities for collaboration and action, and share ideas for a national strategy. Participants at the conference included people living with dementia, caregivers, advocacy groups, health professionals, researchers and representatives from provincial and territorial governments.
Discussions were also held in March 2018 at 4 stakeholder roundtables across the country organized by the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Two further roundtables were held in Toronto to specifically discuss research and innovation. The roundtable on research was facilitated by the Weston Brain Institute and was attended primarily by researchers. The roundtable on innovation was facilitated by the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation and attended by a diverse group of stakeholders. The strategy has also been informed by the guidance of the Ministerial Advisory Board, as well as ongoing engagement with provincial and territorial governments and other federal organizations. Footnote 1
The vision for this strategy is bold and reflects the aspirations of the many individuals and organizations who contributed to its development. The actions undertaken to achieve the strategy's national objectives may evolve over time, but every action will bring Canada closer to the vision of 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.
A Dementia Strategy for Canada
Canada's first national dementia strategy places people living with dementia and the family and friends who provide care to them at its centre. Footnote 2 It provides a focused vision and direction for advancing dementia prevention, care and support in Canada. Building on existing efforts — including provincial and territorial dementia-related initiatives as well as federal investments in dementia — the strategy sets out 3 national objectives. The implementation of this strategy relies on collaboration toward common goals across federal, provincial, territorial and local governments, as well as with many other organizations and individuals. Text box 1: What is dementia? Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a set of symptoms affecting brain function that are caused by neurodegenerative and vascular diseases or injuries. It is characterized by a decline in cognitive abilities. These abilities include: memory; awareness of person, place, and time; language, basic math skills; judgement; and planning. Dementia can also affect mood and behaviour. As a chronic and progressive condition, dementia can significantly interfere with the ability to maintain activities of daily living (PDF), such as eating, bathing, toileting and dressing. Alzheimer's disease, vascular disease and other types of disease all contribute to dementia. Other common types of dementia include Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia and mixed dementias. In rare instances, dementia may be linked to infectious diseases, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. This strategy includes a commitment to raise awareness of dementia across Canada. This is important, not only to help reduce stigma, but also because the strategy is for all people living in Canada regardless of whether they are currently affected by dementia. There is growing persuasive scientific evidence that healthy living from an early age may prevent or delay the onset of dementia. This strategy promotes healthy lifestyle choices and includes an emphasis on populations that are more at risk of developing dementia and those that may be facing barriers to equitable care. More information about these populations can be found in Chapter 6. All Canadians can contribute to supporting the quality of life of those living with dementia and caregivers by better understanding dementia and helping to eliminate stigma. While most people receiving a diagnosis of dementia are in later life, dementia also affects individuals at a much younger age. The strategy will encourage dementia-inclusive communities that support people living with dementia and caregivers in staying involved in their communities and at work for as long as possible. The strategy identifies gaps in knowledge about preventing dementia to help focus efforts by researchers and funders both nationally and internationally. There is also a need to advance efforts that improve the ability to identify, test and share effective therapies that support healthy living after a diagnosis. The strategy will encourage initiatives that broaden access to and adoption of those therapies, including in rural and remote communities and by making them culturally safe and culturally appropriate. While the national objectives are deliberately broad in scope so that priorities and areas of focus can evolve as new knowledge and new issues emerge, the principles and pillars of the strategy are designed to be constant over time to help guide and support that evolution. The strategy will be implemented through activities such as those undertaken by governments, researchers and other partners, and its impact will be tracked through annual reports to Parliament. Canada's strategy also responds to the call for action in the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia (2017-2025) and its designation of dementia as a public health priority. The scope of the Canadian strategy responds to all 7 action areas identified by the WHO plan and aligns with its cross-cutting principles.
Impact of dementia on Canadians
Dementia has a significant and growing impact on Canadians. In 2015–16, more than 419,000 Canadians (6.9%) aged 65 years and older were living with diagnosed dementia. Footnote 3 As this number does not include those under age 65 who may have a young onset diagnosis nor those that have not been diagnosed, the true picture of dementia in Canada may be somewhat larger. See Text box 2 for some key statistics on dementia in Canada. Text box 2: Key statistics on dementia in Canada More than 419,000: the number of Canadians aged 65 years of age and older who are living with diagnosed dementia 78,600: the number of new cases of dementia in Canada diagnosed per year among people aged 65 years of age and older 63%: the percentage of those aged 65 years of age and older living with diagnosed dementia in Canada who are women 9: the approximate number of seniors who are diagnosed with dementia every hour in Canada 26 hours: the average number of hours that family/friend caregivers spend per week supporting a person with dementia $8.3 billion: the total health care costs and out-of-pocket caregiver costs of dementia in Canada in 2011 $16.6 billion: the projected total health care costs and out-of-pocket caregiver costs of dementia in Canada by 2031 While 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 living with dementia is expected to increase in future decades.Footnote 4 Estimates suggest 50 million people are living with dementia worldwide.Footnote 5 As the proportion of the population aged 65 years and older continues to rise, countries around the world are expected to experience similar increases in the number of individuals living with dementia.Footnote 6 Of those aged 65 years and older living with diagnosed dementia in Canada in 2015–16, almost two-thirds (63%) were women.Footnote 7 Women have higher rates of Alzheimer's disease, while men have higher rates of other types of dementia, such as frontotemporal and Lewy body dementias.Footnote 8 The number of women in long-term care with dementia also greatly exceeds the number of men, which is only partially due to longer life expectancy among women.Footnote 9 A wide range of care providers are involved in meeting the needs of people living with dementia. These needs can fluctuate as the condition progresses. Care providers include but are not limited to physicians, personal care workers, nurses, and first responders. They also include family and friend caregivers. The majority of these caregivers are female, most commonly female intimate partners and daughters.Footnote 10 On average, family and friend caregivers spend 20 hours a week caring for and supporting a person living with dementia.Footnote 11 The impact of dementia on the health care system is significant. Currently there is no cure or effective therapy to stop the progression of dementia. Direct health care costs for people living with dementia have been estimated to be 3 times higher than for those without dementia. It has been projected that the total annual health care costs and out-of-pocket caregiver costs for Canadians with dementia will double from $8.3 billion in 2011 to $16.6 billion by 2031, while indirect economic costs due to working-age death and disability are projected to increase from $0.6 billion to $0.7 billion during the same period.Footnote 12 Globally, dementia is also a major cause of disability and dependency among older adults.Footnote 13
A dialogue with Canadians
Since the passage of the National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias Act in June 2017 that formally put the development of the first national dementia strategy for Canada in motion, the Government of Canada has heard from many individuals and organizations. This strategy reflects the valuable input and guidance received from a broad range of stakeholders. It has been informed by consultations and engagement with people living with dementia, caregivers, researchers, health professionals and other care providers, and representatives of dementia-related advocacy groups from across Canada. The strategy also reflects advice resulting from the work of the Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia, regular meetings with provincial and territorial officials, and the engagement of officials from federal organizations whose activities fall within the scope of the strategy. The National Dementia Conference in May 2018 was a key step in developing the strategy. It brought together close to 200 participants, including people living with dementia and caregivers, to identify challenges, solutions, and opportunities related to dementia. Prior to the conference, 4 roundtables were organized by the Alzheimer Society of Canada and held across the country in March 2018, in Vancouver, Montreal, Saint John, and Fredericton. They brought together nearly 160 participants, including 15 people living with dementia, to discuss what living well with dementia looks like. Two additional roundtables on research and innovation were facilitated by the Weston Brain Institute and the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation. These roundtables brought together researchers, people living with dementia, advocacy groups, health care professionals, and provincial and territorial representatives. They provided feedback on how innovation can best support living well with dementia and possible ways to break through existing barriers, and identified priorities for dementia research and innovation. The Public Health Agency of Canada commissioned expert reports to inform the strategy, including an assessment by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences of the state and strength of the evidence on dementia and a review of sex, gender, diversity and equity considerations related to dementia. Development of the strategy also considered the findings of several other reports and surveys related to dementia, including submissions received from organizations. The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous communities and individuals have distinct dementia experiences and distinct needs. Engagement with Indigenous organizations, communities and governments will continue as the strategy is implemented to better understand these needs and facilitate Indigenous-led efforts to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia and caregivers in those communities. The Government of Canada was challenged to be bold and ambitious with Canada's first national dementia strategy. We heard that the strategy should encompass both the importance of immediate efforts to improve the quality of life of people living with dementia and caregivers, as well as longer-term efforts to prevent dementia, advance therapies and find a cure. As the strategy moves into implementation, the Government of Canada will continue collaborating with all those committed to making progress on the vision and national objectives. This dialogue will ensure the strategy evolves as new priorities emerge. Figure 1: Canada's dementia strategy Figure 1 - Text description Canada's dementia strategy This image is a visual depiction of the core elements of the strategy. The title of the strategy appears at the top "A dementia strategy for Canada: Together We Aspire". Below this the Vision is stated which 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". Next to the vision the principles are displayed in a bulleted list: Quality of life, Diversity, Human rights, Evidence-informed, and Results-focused. Below the principles are a table with a row for each of the National Objectives and their corresponding Areas of Focus. In the second row is the objective of "Advance therapies and find a cure". Advance research to identify and assess modifiable risk and protective factors, Build the evidence base to inform and promote the adoption of effective interventions, Expand awareness of modifiable risk and protective factors and effective interventions, Support measures that increase the contribution of social and built environments to healthy living and adoption of healthy living behaviours. In the second row is the objective of "Advance therapies and find a cure". The corresponding Areas of Focus are: Establish and review strategic dementia research priorities for Canada, Increase dementia research, Develop innovative and effective therapeutic approaches, Engage people living with dementia and dementia caregivers in the development of therapies, Increase adoption of research findings that support the strategy, including in clinical practice and through community supports. In the third row is the objective of "Improve the quality of life of people living with dementia and caregivers". The corresponding Areas of Focus are: Eliminate stigma and promote measures that create supportive and safe dementia-inclusive communities, Promote and enable early diagnosis to support planning and action that maximizes quality of life, Address the importance of access to quality care, from diagnosis through end of life, Build the capacity of care providers, including through improved access to and adoption of evidence-based and culturally appropriate guidelines for standards of care, Improve support for family/friend caregivers, including through access to resources and supports. At the bottom of the image (underneath the National Objectives/Areas of Focus table), the Pillars of the strategy are listed in one line separated by dots. The pillars are: Collaboration Research Innovation Surveillance and data Information resources Skilled workforce Vision: Setting a clear path forward The vision we hope to achieve 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. Achieving the best quality of life for people living with dementia and caregivers is at the centre of the strategy. The vision prioritizes the need to support and value people living with dementia to make it easier to live well for as long as possible, to deepen the understanding of dementia, and to raise awareness of dementia and of stigmatizing behaviours. It also recognizes the importance of improving therapies and investing in efforts towards prevention and a cure, including through research. Principles Five principles set out values to direct and guide action on dementia in Canada. These principles are intended to inform all elements of the strategy, including when evaluating options for policies and programs with a direct impact on dementia-related issues. This strategy calls on all governments in Canada and other stakeholders to consider and support these principles through their own work on dementia. Prioritizing quality of life: Actions taken to implement the strategy prioritize the wellbeing of people living with dementia and caregivers. Living well for as long as possible: It is widely recognized and accepted that greater understanding and better access to supports Footnote 14 and tools will enable living well with dementia. Access to quality care and supports: The availability and quality of care and supports helps people live as well as possible each day and make choices that are important to them. Supportive communities: Community leaders and the general public are knowledgeable and committed to initiatives that make their communities more dementia-inclusive, including by raising awareness and making it easier for people living with dementia to participate. Respect and value diversity: Actions and initiatives undertaken by all partners maintain an inclusive approach, with special consideration given to those most at risk or with distinct needs in support of greater health equity. Inclusive: All forms of diversity are considered in developing and implementing initiatives. Most at risk: Initiatives are tailored as needed and when appropriate to reach those most at risk in order to support health equity. Distinct Indigenous needs: The distinct needs of Indigenous communities and individuals are identified by Indigenous peoples and recognized by others. Indigenous communities and organizations are supported in addressing dementia in culturally appropriate and culturally safe ways, including through a distinctions-based approach that recognizes differences among First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultures. Community involvement: Community input is gathered to support community-based and community-led initiatives, and local capacity building is leveraged to reflect the diversity within Canada. Respect human rights: Actions taken under the strategy respect the human rights of those living with dementia and reflect and reinforce Canada's domestic and international commitments to human rights. Human rights lens: A person-centred approach that focuses on respecting and preserving an individual's rights, autonomy and dignity in alignment with Canada's human rights commitments. Inclusion: Steps are taken to enable the participation of people living with dementia. Respects choice: The rights of individuals living with dementia to make their own decisions are broadly understood and facilitated. Hears the voices of those living with dementia: Actively including and consulting those living with dementia on matters that affect their quality of life. Caregiver perspectives: Consideration is given to the needs of the family and friends who care for people living with dementia. Evidence-informed: Partners implementing the strategy engage in evidence-informed decision making, taking a broad approach to gathering and sharing the best available knowledge and data. Best evidence: Identification, creation and access to the best available research findings, data and knowledge. All forms of knowledge: A broad approach is taken when gathering evidence, including scientific data, traditional knowledge and the experiences of those living with dementia and of those caring for people living with dementia. Working together: Collaboration is used to build evidence and knowledge, including sharing research results. Informed decision-making: Policies and programs are informed by a thorough and rigorous examination of the evidence. Results-focused: Partners maintain a results-focused approach to implementing the strategy and tracking progress, including evaluating and adjusting actions as needed. Initiatives that support reporting: Implementation activities are clearly linked to the areas of focus and national objectives, and are designed to support reporting on results. Enabling evaluation: Data and evidence are gathered to support evaluation and inform future efforts, both on activities undertaken and their impacts. Measurement: Indicators are identified and developed to support tracking of progress. Accountability: Annual reports to Parliament demonstrate accountability by sharing the results gathered from monitoring and evaluation. Flexibility to evolve: A flexible approach enables priorities to evolve as needed through continued dialogue, ongoing collaboration, and consideration of new evidence and information. National objectives Each of the 3 national objectives provides a broad scope for initiatives and activities. Under each national objective, areas of focus are identified where greater efforts are required to make progress on dementia in Canada. The 3 national objectives are: Prevent dementia Advance therapies and find a cure Improve the quality of life of people living with dementia and caregivers Pillars Five cross-cutting pillars are essential for implementation of the strategy. Collaboration The implementation of the strategy depends on continuing to build on key partnerships and collaboration on dementia, including with people living with dementia, caregivers, and communities. All governments in Canada and many stakeholders, including care providers, community and social service organizations, researchers and advocacy groups have a role to play in contributing to achievement of the strategy's national objectives. Research and innovation High quality, collaborative research and innovation are essential to the implementation of the strategy. While Canada is making significant investments in dementia research and advancing our understanding of dementia, there is still much to be learned and tested about prevention, new and better approaches to therapies, and supporting the quality of life of those living with dementia and caregivers. To continue and build Canada's contribution to dementia research, it is important to recruit young researchers. Canada remains committed to its national and international collaborations and to supporting research towards a cure. It will continue to evaluate research findings and promote adoption of the most effective approaches as best practices across the country. Putting research findings into practice requires awareness and understanding, along with acceptance and sharing. Effort is required to reduce barriers for the adoption of research findings. Surveillance and data Optimizing dementia surveillance will provide a more accurate picture of the impact of dementia in Canada. This will give us insight into groups within the general population that are more affected and more at risk, and will support better identification of their health needs and those of caregivers. High quality surveillance data helps ensure that activities taken to support the strategy are well-informed and appropriately targeted. It also enables evaluation of progress resulting from activities undertaken in support of the strategy. Information resources Valuable information resources about dementia are available both in Canada and around the world. Efforts to improve public access to information about dementia, best practices in care and prevention, and social supports along with other key resources will broaden awareness and understanding of dementia and support greater health equity. Innovative ways to improve access to information will be explored, along with options for providing information resources in multiple languages and making them culturally appropriate. Skilled workforce Canada's dementia workforce is diverse. It includes researchers who are exploring the development of therapies and seeking a cure, as well as health professionals and other care providers who interact with people living with dementia and caregivers. Having a sufficient workforce that is well-equipped to pursue dementia research and provide quality dementia care is essential. As our population grows and ages and the expected number of people living with dementia increases, Canada is likely to need more care providers. Post-secondary institutions will need to provide programs that include more dementia training for care providers and practitioners across the care pathway, to ensure the workforce is informed about dementia from diagnosis through to end of life. It is critical that these care providers have the necessary knowledge and skills to provide quality care.
Developing a better understanding of how dementia can be prevented and sharing information about how Canadians can reduce their risk of developing dementia or delay its onset is critical to keeping Canadians healthy and improving quality of life.
There are individual health behaviours and other factors that can reduce or increase our chances of developing dementia (see Text box 3). For example, protective factors include healthy eating and physical activity, while smoking and hypertension may put Canadians at higher risk of developing dementia.
Text box 3: Risk factors for dementia
While there is currently no clear consensus, some evidence suggests that about one third of dementia cases could be prevented by addressing 9 risk factors:
While certain factors may be more closely associated with specific stages of life, such as early life education, midlife hypertension and smoking in later life, reducing individual risk may be beneficial at any age when it comes to prevention. For people living with dementia, taking action focused on these factors could improve quality of life and reduce the risk of developing other chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.Footnote 15
The environments we live in, including both social and built environments, can significantly influence our overall health and wellbeing. Dementia prevention efforts include sharing knowledge about the links between the design of our environments and dementia risk factors. The social environment is the space in which we engage in social activity within our communities, including recreation and education. Footnote 16 The built environment refers to the physical environment around us, including buildings, roads, green spaces and public transit — the places where we live, learn, work and play. Footnote 17 The natural environment, from plants and animals to water and air, also plays an important role in our lives, particularly for those who live in rural and remote communities across Canada. In these communities, geography may amplify both positive and negative impacts of the social and built environment on healthy living.
In 2013, Canada committed to support efforts to increase research funding for dementia with the aim of finding a disease-modifying treatment or cure by 2025 as a member of the Group of Eight nations (G8). Footnote 37 Canada is also committed to supporting the World Health Organization's Global action plan on the public health response to dementia (2017–2025), Footnote 38 which identifies "dementia research and innovation" as 1 of 7 priority areas of action.
While improving our understanding of dementia and finding possible ways to prevent or cure this condition requires a collective international effort, Canada boasts a strong brain health and dementia research community and is home to many internationally recognized researchers. As awareness of dementia has grown over the years, so has funding for dementia research by governments and other organizations in Canada. However, much more work remains to enhance our fundamental understanding of dementia and its root causes, and to use that knowledge to develop therapies and find a cure. Producing new knowledge and evaluating novel approaches for how best to treat dementia to support those with dementia to live well and advancing efforts towards finding a cure is one of the strategy's 3 national objectives.
The quality of life of those living with dementia and caregivers is the motivation for the national dementia strategy. In 2015–16, over 419,000 (6.9%) Canadians aged 65 years and older were living with diagnosed dementia. Footnote 49 In 2012, approximately 8.1 million individuals, or 28% of Canadians aged 15 years and older, were family/friend caregivers for a person with a long-term health condition, disability or aging needs. Footnote 50 Of these caregivers, approximately 486,000 (or 6%) were caring for an individual with dementia. Footnote 51 With the aging population, the number of caregivers is expected to grow.
While recognizing the importance of funding for health care, social services and other types of resources, 5 areas of focus will support improving the quality of life of people living with dementia and caregivers.
•4.1 Eliminate stigma and promote measures that create supportive and safe dementia-inclusive communities
•4.2 Promote and enable early diagnosis to support planning and action that maximizes quality of life
•4.3 Address the importance of access to quality care, from diagnosis through end of life
•4.4 Build the capacity of care providers, including through improved access to and adoption of evidence-based and culturally appropriate guidelines for standards of care
Five pillars are essential for effective implementation of the national strategy for dementia:
1.Collaboration among all governments in Canada and all organizations working on dementia-related initiatives
2.Research and innovation on prevention, therapies and a cure, and quality of life
3.Surveillance and data to improve understanding of the impact of dementia in Canada and to identify and support efforts that are effective
4.Information resources that are accessible and evidence-based
5.A skilled workforce now and into the future to provide quality dementia care and pursue the research and innovation priorities ahead
Nov 23, 2023 · Introduction. Tracking the state of dementia in Canada. Objective: Prevent dementia. Objective: Advance therapies and find a cure. Objective: Improve the quality of life of people living with dementia and caregivers. Supporting progress on the national dementia strategy. Reaching Canadians and creating new tools: Project results.
Jan 20, 2022 · Investments are being made in enhanced surveillance, community-based projects, improved dementia guidance and evidence-based public education and awareness raising activities that aim to prevent dementia, reduce stigma, and enable dementia-inclusive communities.
The research suggests that formal education may protect the brain from developing Alzheimer’s, while also allowing those with the disease to mentally function longer and “better compensate for any cognitive hits,” Okonkwo says. More research is needed to prove the link. Socioeconomic impact.
