More funding sought for people with dementia

The number of people seeking help from the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan increased more than 20 per cent in the past year, but provincial funding to the organization has flatlined.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of people who are coming to us for help and support,” said Joanne Bracken, the CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan, in a recent interview.

“We receive government funding, but in the last few years we haven’t seen an increase in the amount of funding we get.”

However, the need for services is growing. By 2020, it’s expected 20,000 Saskatchewan residents will be diagnosed with some form of dementia.

The society receives just over $400,000 annually from the province.

“If revenue stays flat, then as a charitable organization we have to make tough decisions about what we’re going to do and what we’re not going to do,” Bracken said.

“In a lot of ways, not only does the Alzheimer Society need to raise additional funds, but we would really like to work with the government of Saskatchewan to develop a dementia plan for Saskatchewan.”

She noted the federal government is committed to moving forward on a national dementia strategy, but health care is a provincial responsibility.

“We really need to have the conversations here in Saskatchewan about what our plan is and how we can align with this national plan,” Bracken said.

“At the end of the day, how can we assure that people in Saskatchewan, as the numbers increase, continue to have access to important services to help them stay in their homes?”

The society provided direct support to clients in 302 communities across Saskatchewan last year.

“We’re going to have to lean more and more on donor support to help us bridge the gap between the number of people who come to us and the shortfalls that we’re experiencing on the revenue side,” Bracken said.

While there are “a lot of great charities asking the people of Saskatchewan to support them,” she said donors recognize the Alzheimer Society is making a real difference in the lives of people with dementia.

“We know that people who come to the Alzheimer Society after their diagnosis have a much different experience with the disease than those who don’t connect with us,” Bracken said.

“We just did a client satisfaction survey and 93 per cent of the people that we supported said that they would recommend our services to a family or a friend, so we know what we’re doing is providing really high quality services.”

Helping clients manage the disease gives them a higher quality of life.

“They learn about their diagnosis, we connect them to support services, we can educate them about what’s to come in the future, we help them navigate the health-care system and we link them to other health-care services in the community that can support them,” Bracken said.

The Alzheimer Society holds a number of fundraisers throughout the year. Currently, the society is holding its annual Giving campaign and hopes to raise $50,000.

“We’re about halfway right now,” Bracken said.

Residents can make a donation on the society’s website or call 1-800-263-3367.