The Alzheimer Society in your community can provide educational resources to help you learn more about the disease, referrals to help you access the practical support you need, and one-on-one and group support to help you cope with the emotional impact of the disease. Contact your local Alzheimer Society. Alternatively, try typing your question into the search bar above. 

Ask family members and friends for their help and support. Take advantage of community programs that provide respite and relief from caregiving, practical help with meals or housework and assistance with the care of the person with Alzheimer's disease. And plan ahead for both the immediate future and the long term. These are just some of the things care partners can do to make their lives a bit easier.

Contact your local Alzheimer Society for help connecting to services such as support groups, counseling and information resources.  Use the search bar above to find a Community Care Access office of Alberta Health Services close to you.  They can provide information about publicly funded respite options.

Dementia Numbers in Canada

By 2030, researchers project that nearly 1 million people in Canada will be living with dementia. And they forecast that more than 1.7 million people in Canada will have dementia by 2050. 

• As of January 1, 2024, we estimate that 733,040 people in Canada are living with dementia.
• Every day, more than 350 people in Canada develop dementia. This is more than 15 every hour.
• By 2030, nearly 1 million people in Canada could live with dementia.
• This would be 187,000 new cases a year, 512 a day and 21 an hour, by 2030. Canada could have a 51% increase in the number of new dementia cases a year (Compared to 2020).
• By 2030, the number of people in Canada living with dementia could increase 65% compared to 2020. (From 597,300 to 990,600.)
• 20,000+ Canadians will develop dementia every month in the 2040s.
• By 2050, more than 1.7 million people in Canada could have dementia.
• This would mean, by 2050, 685 people will be diagnosed each day with dementia in Canada, or 29 every hour.
• 6.3 million people in Canada will develop, live with and/or ultimately die with dementia between 2020 and 2050.

Caregiving and Dementia in Canada

• Care partners of older adults with dementia provide 26 hours of care a week, on average. This compares to 17 hours a week for older adults with other health issues. (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information)
• Every year, family and friends provide more than 470 million hours of care to people living with dementia. This is equivalent to 235,000 full-time jobs.
• Dementia care provided by family and friends in 2022 would equal more than $7.3 billion dollars in Canada alone.
• By 2050, Canada will have more than 1 million care partners for people living with dementia. The care they provide will equal more than 1.4 billion hours per year, or 690,000 full-time jobs.
• The number of care partners would nearly triple (188% increase) over 30 years (2020 to 2050).
• 45% of care partners for seniors living with dementia show symptoms of distress. The distress rate for care partners of seniors with other health conditions is almost half that (26%). (Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information)

The recommendations section of The Many Faces of Dementia in Canada report contains further recommendations for Alzheimer societies, governments, healthcare systems, and researchers.