Beyond Tariffs: Dementia Is Everyone’s Problem

With last month’s federal election now in the history books, Canada’s federal political parties are now setting their priorities for the upcoming session of Parliament. Our shaky trade relationship with the U.S., the cost of living and the need for affordable housing dominated discussions during the campaign. Somewhat surprisingly, healthcare in Canada, an issue that has been at or near the top of the list of concerns identified by voters, got scant mention in the lead up to the vote on April 28th.

Now that the dust has settled, politicians from all parties should consider immediate action to address an important issue – one that affects thousands of families and puts enormous pressure on our healthcare system: dementia. 

Today, more than 750,000 Canadians are living with dementia.  This number is projected to nearly double by 2030 as baby-boomers age.  Affected people eventually lose the ability to remember, communicate and take care of themselves while becoming increasingly dependent on others. Every year, an estimated 100,000 people in our nation receive this devastating diagnosis, leaving too many families struggling to find care and vital support in a fragmented system that isn’t adequately built to address their needs.

Dementia is one of the leading causes of death in Canada, but getting a diagnosis can take up to up to 28 months. Families suddenly have to take on unfamiliar roles as caregivers, struggling to find support since only 40 percent of family doctors say they’re prepared to manage dementia care. With nowhere else to go, families often have no choice but to turn to overcrowded emergency rooms. Hospitals say that approximately half of their stays for patients with non-urgent medical conditions are linked to dementia, costing our health care system more than $15 billion annually – and rising.

We Canadians know how to do this better.

Canada has successfully tackled other major public health threats such as cancer and stroke by setting clear performance targets for access to timely diagnosis and treatment. These national strategies, led by the federal government in partnership with the provinces, have improved survival rates and access to care. Unlike Canadians with dementia, people with these conditions generally benefit from the right care at the right time and navigate more effortlessly through the healthcare system. Yet for dementia, there is still no organized, well-coordinated path to diagnosis, treatment, or ongoing support for families.

In 2019, the federal government launched the National Dementia Strategy, shaped by the voices of people living with dementia, such as caregivers, researchers, and healthcare professionals. Backed by $70 million over five years, it aimed to improve care, advance research, and support caregivers. Its human rights-based approach and successful pilot programs earned well-deserved global recognition.

However, at a recent United Nations committee meeting, Canadian officials confirmed that there is no plan to renew funding for the National Dementia Strategy. In its final report, the committee highlighted the Strategy’s potential and urged a National Action Plan for Canada with performance targets for timely diagnosis and care, coordinated with provinces and territories, to deliver the dementia support families desperately need.

With a new government now taking shape, we can’t waste this chance to better address dementia care. Canadians should ask their M.P.’s this question: Will your party continue to fully fund and support the National Dementia Strategy?  Specifically, we need:

• 
  Better care coordination across the country by creating a Canadian Dementia Coordinating Partnership to guide best practices and set performance targets while supporting provinces to tailor their own programs.
  • Establish and promote dementia care paths like those we have developed for stroke and cancer, ensuring that patients know where to go next, from diagnosis to treatment to ongoing support; we can’t let them continue to fall through the cracks or face unnecessary delays. 
• Provide sustainable federal funding for coordinated care, research and education that addresses the reality of the burden of dementia on our society.
• Ensure shared accountability and impact through a national system that tracks diagnosis rates, service use, and most importantly, care outcomes.

Now is the time for Canada to substantially take action addressing one of the largest public health threats we face. Will our new government continue to invest, or will families with dementia continue waiting in emergency rooms, desperate for help?

About the authors:

Dr. Saskia Sivananthan is Chief Executive Officer of The Brainwell Institute, served on Canada’s first Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia and authored the WHO Global Dementia Plan.

Alexandra Whate is a health systems researcher and co-founder of the Brainwell institute.

Dr. William Reichman is President and Chief Executive Officer of Baycrest Seniors Care and served as Co-Chair of Canada’s first Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia.