A friend of mine, David, suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease, a form of dementia.  

As the days have passed, it’s not been easy to observe his deteriorating condition, made worse by knowing that there is no cure for it. Do you know someone with dementia?

The Alzheimer Society of Canada just published NAVIGATING THE PATH FORWARD FOR DEMENTIA IN CANADA-Report 1: THE LANDMARK STUDY/PATH/2022. It has shed much-needed light on dementia for me as well as on the surprising state of this devastating and widespread condition in Canada.

In 2020, the Report estimated that there were 597,300 individuals living with dementia in Canada. By 2030, we can expect this number will reach close to 1 million. In terms of new cases per year, in 2020 there were 124,000 new cases of dementia diagnosed (10,333 per month; 348 per day; 15 every hour). By 2030, the annual incidence will rise to 187,000 new cases a year (15,583 per month; 512 per day; 21 every hour). So, by 2030, we can expect a 51% increase in the number of new cases per year and an overall increase of 65% in the number of Canadians living with dementia. If not experienced already, you will very likely soon have to come to grips with a loved one afflicted with some form of dementia.

Perhaps, it’s now time to better equip ourselves with a more knowledgeable understanding of dementia to care more effectively and capably for persons with this serious condition.  

What is dementia? Dementia is not a specific disease but it describes a set of symptoms caused by specific disruptions to healthy brain functioning that reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. 

These symptoms can include (but are not limited to) memory loss, difficulties with attention, problem solving and language; changes in mood and behaviour; and issues with vision, balance, and movement. There are several different subtypes of dementia, which are explored in Part 2 of this series about dementia.