Dementia Projected To Cost $872 Billion Over Next 30 Years

A report released by the Alzheimer Society today to mark Alzheimer Awareness Month reveals alarming new statistics about the projected economic and social costs of dementia in Canada. Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society, says that, if nothing changes the prevalence of dementia will more than double in 30 years, with the costs increasing ten-fold. View full report

"Today, someone in Canada develops dementia every five minutes. In 30 years, there will be one new case every two minutes," says David Harvey, Principal Spokesperson for the Rising Tide project. "If nothing changes, this sharp increase in the number of people living with dementia will mean that by 2038, the total costs associated with dementia will reach $153 billion a year. This amounts to a massive cumulative total of $872 billion over this 30-year period."

Recognizing the urgent need to start turning the tide of dementia, the new report also outlines a series of potential interventions that could help minimize the impact of the disease.

"Hope lies in making changes today that will lessen dementia's crippling effect on Canadian families, the health care system and the economy," says Richard Nakoneczny, Chair of the Alzheimer Society of Canada. "More than ever, research is a critical contributor to this change. With an increased investment in research, we will learn more about prevention, possibly even discover a treatment to delay the onset of the disease and reduce its impact substantially."

Story reposted with Permission from the Alzheimer Society