The measures announced for dementia are insufficient

The measures announced by the Conservative government during the throne speech yesterday to help people coping with dementia are insufficient, claims the NDP.

"It is a step in the right direction, but it is clearly not enough. The government should have listened to our demands and those of stakeholders to develop a national strategy on dementia," said MP Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt), who tabled a private member’s bill on the matter.

Alzheimer and dementia diseases have become one of the biggest financial burdens on our healthcare system. According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, it's a ticking time bomb that will cost our economy and our country's productivity dearly if immediate action is not taken.

Canadians who are battling this disease and those who are helping a loved one suffering from it know to what extent its impacts are significant. The cost of treating 747 000 Canadians currently living with the disease amounts to 33 billion dollars every year, and this number will reach 300 billion in the next 25 years.

"We need a national strategy focused on prevention and early detection, which will offer caregivers who are becoming increasingly burdened some respite”, added Gravelle. “Unfortunately, the measures announced by the government do not respond to these needs."