A Dementia Strategy for Canada
The National Strategy for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Act, passed in 2017, mandates the federal Minister of Health to develop a national dementia strategy, host a national conference and establish a Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia. The conference, held in 2018, included diverse participants such as people living with dementia, care partners, researchers and health professionals. The strategy was further shaped by stakeholder roundtables across Canada focused on research and innovation.
The resulting strategy, A Dementia Strategy for Canada: Together We Aspire, outlines three priorities:
- Prevent dementia
- Advance therapies and find a cure
- Improve the quality of life of people living with dementia and caregivers
In 2018, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) launched the Dementia Community Investment, an annual fund focused on improving the quality of life of people living with dementia and their care partners. The DCI investment supports community-based projects (referred to as DCI projects) to:
- Develop and implement tools, resources, programs, and other interventions to enhance the well-being of people with dementia and their care partners,
- Increase knowledge about dementia and its risk factors, and
- Support research to evaluate the effectiveness of project interventions.
The Canadian Dementia Learning and Resource Network Supports Dementia Community Investment Projects
Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Dementia Community Investment, the Canadian Dementia Learning and Resource Network (CDLRN) is a knowledge hub that facilitates collaboration between the DCI projects across Canada and amplifies their successes. Led by the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA), CDLRN is supported by a staff and research team at the RIA and is guided by a Community Advisory Committee.