Community-wide response needed for dementia
It's hard to find anyone in this country who doesn't know someone suffering from dementia. The problem, once a more peripheral concern, now occupies a central place in our public and private lives, its shadow stretching across generations and leaving an irreversible impact. It's frequently discussed in whispers, yet it's proving relentless in how it shapes the landscape of Canadian healthcare and society at large.
More than 650,000 people suffer more than 50 kinds of conditions and diseases that contribute to it. We are well aware of Alzheimer's, but less so of vascular dementia, young onset dementia, and many other types. Affected families must learn to cope with memory loss, mood swings, cognitive decline, the loss of independence, and the fear of an uncertain future.
And it's only going to get worse. Statistics published by the Alzheimer Society of Canada predict the number of cases could to soar to 937,000 by 2031 and to more than 1.4 million by 2050 if left unchecked. For indigenous populations, the projections are staggering: an increase of 273 per cent by 2050.
The face of this country has changed dramatically in the past half-century, with more than 250 different ethnic origins among the population. This diversity makes the presence of dementia far more complex. The landmark study published by the Alzheimer Society predicts tone out of every four persons of Asian origin will contract the disease, a 785 per cent increase. Those of African origin can expect a 507 per cent increase over the same period. Those of Latin/central/south American descent will experience a 434 per cent increase.
The numbers are staggering, ensuring that dementia will assume its prominent place at the table of every family and sector of Canadian society during the next 25 years. It will force this country to navigate uncharted waters, and the narratives of personal and collective pain will advance exponentially. For millions of Canadians who once enjoyed the blessings of mental freedom, there suddenly will exist a maze of confusion and uncertainty. It will prove to be a largely silent epidemic, rarely mentioned yet always endured.
Behind all this data will exist countless narratives of personal heroism as millions grapple with a loss that transcends the usual forgetfulness. They will face the loss of identity, autonomy, and even intimate connectedness to family and friends that formed the grounding of their lives. These are hard thoughts to write, but they will inevitably be eclipsed by the personal suffering of Canadians dealing with a world different than they expected.
The tip of the spear in all this will be the baby boomer generation, whose life expectancy increases every year but whose mental acuity might suffer as a result. The sheer numbers of this cohort will tempt us to consider age to be the primary cause of dementia. That's a mistake. We are quickly discovering that much is owed to increasing sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary selections, smoking of all kinds, and obesity. Add to this list sleep deprivation and chronic stress as silent accomplices that erode the resilience of the mind and body alike, and you have a societal tsunami that begs to be addressed.
To a limited degree, a varied response has been emerging that seeks to stem the tide of dementia through advocacy, research, and even holistic care. Community-based support groups provide solace and solidarity, while scientists labour tirelessly in cutting-edge research labs seeking to unravel the deeper mysteries of the human brain. An army of talented and compassionate citizens is slowly awakening to the challenge and is pulling their efforts together on a war-like footing.
Will it be enough? Not yet. Nevertheless, a chorus of change calling for increased funding, awareness, and adequate support for those who suffer is afoot and gaining momentum. Resisting it all are inequities in access to health care, Indigenous communities grappling with historic trauma, socio-economic disparities, and a willful ambivalence to the coming storm.
In the face of such adversity, we are called upon to transcend the confines of individualism, forging bonds of solidarity and support that span the breadth of our communities. We have done it before as a nation, numerous times, but we're not quite together as we used to be. It's in our power to change that equation before we run out of time.