Overview of Canada's dementia strategy

A Dementia Strategy for Canada: Together We Aspire

Vision

A Canada in which all people living with dementia and caregivers are valued and supported, quality of life is optimized, and dementia is prevented, well understood, and effectively treated.

Principles

• Quality of life
• Diversity
• Human rights
• Evidence-informed
• Results-focused

National objectives and areas of focus

• Prevent dementia
  1. Advance research to identify and assess modifiable risk and protective factors
  2. Build the evidence base to inform and promote the adoption of effective interventions
  3. Expand awareness of modifiable risk and protective factors and effective interventions
  4. Support measures that increase the contribution of social and built environments to healthy living and adoption of healthy living behaviours
• Advance therapies and find a cure
  1. Establish and review strategic dementia research priorities for Canada
  2. Increase dementia research
  3. Develop innovative and effective therapeutic approaches
  4. Engage people living with dementia and caregivers in the development of therapies
  5. Increase adoption of research findings that support the strategy, including in clinical practice and through community supports
• Improve the quality of life of people living with dementia and caregivers
  1. Eliminate stigma and promote measures that create supportive and safe dementia-inclusive communities
  2. Promote and enable early diagnosis to support planning and action that maximizes quality of life
  3. Address the importance of access to quality care, from diagnosis through end of life
  4. Build the capacity of care providers, including through improved access to and adoption of evidence-based and culturally appropriate guidelines for standards of care
  5. Improve support for family/friend caregivers, including through access to resources and supports

Pillars

• Collaboration
• Research and innovation
• Surveillance and data
• Information resources
• Skilled workforce

Further information on dementia, including a full version of this strategy, is available on Canada.ca.