Liberals may join Tories on dementia

OTTAWA • An emotional Health Minister Jane Philpott, brought to tears by her own father’s experience with dementia, suggested Tuesday that the Liberal government plans to support a national strategy to tackle the widespread disease.

“My father is an absolutely amazing person, the wisest and smartest person I’ve ever known and it has affected us a lot because he is not the same person he used to be,” Philpott said.

“It affects my amazing mother who lives with him and takes care of him so I get how much it changes families, how much it affects people’s lives and how much we don’t really have great systems in place.”

Dementia is a serious and growing problem, Philpott added, noting it is a pressing issue for other health ministers across the country.

By 2031, it is estimated 1.4 million Canadians will develop dementia — up from 750,000 in 2011.

Philpott conceded much more can be done to tackle the problem, noting the government is receptive to a private member’s bill before the Commons.

Former Conservative cabinet minister Rob Nicholson is sponsor of a piece of legislation that, if passed, would establish a Canada-wide framework for dealing with mental-health conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. The bill has passed second reading and is before the Commons health committee for study.

Earlier Tuesday, a Conservative senator suggested Canada is laggard in addressing dementia as he released a committee report urging a national strategy.

Sen. Kelvin Ogilvie, who chaired the Senate’s committee on social affairs, science and technology, said the federal government should spend $30 million a year to ensure a national strategy is properly funded.

Strings also need to be attached $3 billion promised by the Liberal government for home care over the next four years, Ogilvie said.

As part of talks on the health accord — a joint agreement being negotiated between Ottawa and the provinces and territories — Philpott said the government will be investing in better access to home and community care.

Dementia is also a personal issue for Conservative leadership candidate Lisa Raitt, whose 57-year-old husband, Bruce Wood, was recently diagnosed with earlyonset Alzheimer’s disease.

“I want better treatment,” Raitt said. “I want a cure.”