REGINA - A new report from Canada’s National Seniors’ Advocacy Organization CanAge claims Canada, and Saskatchewan, aren’t prepared for the massive influx of dementia patients in the coming years.
Their report released Tuesday, titled , benchmarks the progress of each province and territory in providing care for Canadians with dementia.
The report points to census data that shows people 85 and older are now one of the fastest growing demographics in the country at 861,395 in 2021, and that 197,980 Saskatchewan residents are over 65.
Key findings in the report are:
1. By 2050, one in six persons globally will be over the age of 65, and Saskatchewan’s population has already reached that threshold and is rapidly approaching one in five.
2. In 2020 in Canada there were: 6,491,030 children, 17 or younger, and there were 2,300 paediatricians, or 1 paediatrician for every 2,822 children
In that same year there were 6,835,866 seniors over and only 327 geriatricians — one for every 20,905 seniors. Of those, Saskatchewan had just three out of 327 geriatricians.
3. Many provinces do not have a clear dementia strategy, action plans, or care pathways for those living with dementia, and Saskatchewan does not have a current dementia strategy in place.
“According to the two most recent Commonwealth Fund Surveys of Physicians in Canada, only 39 per cent of doctors in Saskatchewan felt equipped to diagnose and provide care for dementia,” says Laura Tamblyn Watts, CEO of CanAge in statement. “We’re deeply concerned that we’re not making the best investments in our healthcare systems, people and processes to improve. Canada has a golden opportunity to emerge on the global stage as a leader in seniors’ care, but having a National Dementia Strategy isn’t enough on its own. The federal government needs to enact an implementation plan with clear success measures—that means seamless collaboration and cooperation with provinces and territories.”
Watts adds that a common misconception that dementia is an “old people problem”, is actually not true. “Dementia is not a part of aging. In fact, three per cent of dementia cases occur in someone younger than 65. The truth is that the dementia boom is coming whether we’re ready or not. And, judging by the current state, we’re simply not ready."
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