The Slaight Family Foundation announced Tuesday a $30 million donation to seven Toronto hospitals and organizations to strengthen their neurocognitive disorder care and prevention programs.
Number of Canadians with neurocognitive disorders could reach 1.7 million by 2050, says 2022 Society study Alzheimer you Canada.
This donation will really help people prevent neurocognitive disorders, but it will also ensure that we can better support better ways of providing care and conducting the research we need
said Dr. Samir Sinha, director of health policy research at the National Institute on Aging at Metropolitan Toronto University.
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Dr. Samir Sinha is the Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Aging at Metropolitan University of Toronto.
Photo: Gifted by Dr Samir Sinha
Dr Sinha points out that this donation comes at a crucial time, as the health system faces an ageing population and growing needs. The biggest risk factor for neurocognitive disorders is simply age. The older you get, the higher your risk of developing neurocognitive disorders.
he explained.
A significant impact on the health system
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, neurocognitive disorders are a general term for symptoms caused by brain disorders that can lead to cognitive impairments in thinking and memory. Alzheimer’s disease refers to a specific type of neurocognitive disorder that primarily affects memory.
The impact of the disease on the health system is significant
because there is no cure. Healthcare costs for people with neurocognitive disorders are about three times higher than for those without them, the report found.
Terry Smith, program director at the Slaight Foundation, explained the motivation behind the donation: Frankly, there isn’t a lot of support for those living with neurocognitive disorders. […] so maybe the foundation can provide some support
.
The money will be distributed among seven organizations, including the Alzheimer Society of Canada ($3 million), Baycrest ($9.5 million) and the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) ($6.5 million). ).
Neil Vasdev, scientific director of the Brain Health Imaging Center at CHAMdescribed the donation as crucial
adding that it will allow Canada to continue to play a major role and lead the way
in research on neurocognitive disorders.
Awareness and prevention
Dr Sinha stressed the importance of awareness: Too many people believe that neurocognitive disorders are a normal part of aging, when that is not the case. They don’t even know that there are actually things they can do to prevent neurocognitive disorders from developing in the first place
.
He added that staying socially engaged, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly can all help prevent the disease.
By email, the Public Health Agency of Canada highlighted the investments outlined in the Canadian strategy on neurocognitive disorders. The federal government is providing $50 million over five years to the Strategic Dementia Fund.
For its part, the Ontario Ministry of Health has stated that its investment in the provincial strategy on neurocognitive disorders will be $120 million over the next five years.
With information from CBC
