The Alzheimer Society of Canada has set up a letter-writing campaign this election to let the candidates know that Canada needs a fully funded national dementia strategy. We are reaching out to urge you to get involved. Sending the letter takes less than 5 minutes (the letter is already written, you just add your name and address). When you have completed it and press “send”, a letter will go out to each of the candidates in your riding letting them know that you support a fully-funded national dementia strategy.
Canada has committed to a substantial national dementia strategy but at the moment it is little more than words on paper. To enact it, the government will need to commit funds beyond what has been committed so far ($50 million over 5 years). This may sound like a lot of money, but when compared to the cost of dementia for Canadian society right now ($10.4 billion annually), it is a drop in the bucket. Caring for those living with dementia costs far more than for those living with heart disease or with cancer. Proper funding for the strategy would be 1-2% of the cost of care annually ($100-$200 million annually). As the Canadian population ages and the social and financial impact of dementia grows in the coming years, we need to make sure we have a strategy that is properly funded to be able to address the urgent needs of Canadians living with dementia and their families. In the lead up to this election, it is imperative to let all the parties know that this needs to be a priority.
ACT NOW BEFORE THE ELECTION AND SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO OTTAWA. TO GET STARTED, CLICK HERE, AND SHARE THE LETTER-WRITING LINK WITH YOUR PERSONAL AND SOCIAL NETWORKS.