Dementia Overview

Dementia is an umbrella term for a variety of brain disorders. Symptoms include loss of memory, judgment and reasoning, and changes in mood and behaviour. Brain function is affected enough to interfere with a person's ability to function at work, in relationships and in everyday activities.

Several conditions produce symptoms similar to dementia. These can include depression, thyroid disease, infections or drug interactions. Early diagnosis is essential to make sure that people with these conditions get the right treatment.

If the symptoms are caused by dementia, an early diagnosis will mean early access to support, information, and available treatment options.

Regardless of the type of dementia, people who have dementia and those who care for them can get information and support from the Alzheimer Society.
 

Dementia in Canada

• In 2011, 747,000 Canadians were living with cognitive impairment, including dementia - that's 14.9 per cent of Canadians 65 and older.¹
• By 2031, if nothing changes in Canada, this figure will increase to 1.4 million.¹
• One in five Canadians aged 45 and older provides some form of care to seniors living with long-term health problems.³
• A quarter of all family caregivers are seniors themselves; a third of them (more than 200,000) are older than 75.³
• In 2011, family caregivers spent in excess of 444 million unpaid hours looking after someone with cognitive impairment, including dementia.¹
• This figure represents $11 billion in lost income and 227,760 full-time equivalent employees in the workforce.¹
• By 2040, family caregivers will spend a staggering 1.2 billion unpaid hours per year.¹
• The physical and psychological toll on family caregivers is considerable; up to 75 per cent will develop psychological illnesses; 15 to 32 per cent experience depression.⁴
• An estimated 70,000 cases of dementia are under 65 years of age.
• Women currently account for over 60% of all dementia cases.

Read more on the Alzheimer Canada website

Footnotes:

1. A new way of looking at the impact of dementia in Canada. Alzheimer Society, 2012
2. Baby Boomer Survey: Alzheimer's disease… it's more than you think. (2010). Alzheimer Society of Canada
3. Eldercare: What We Know Today. (2008). Statistics Canada
4. World Alzheimer Report 2012, A public health priority. (2012). World Health Organization (WHO)

Source: Alzheimer Society Canada - Last Updated 12/07/13