The Quebec Federation of Alzheimer Societies (FQSA), of which the Alzheimer Society Centre-du-Québec is a member, is asking the government to develop a robust response to the exponential increase in the number of people living with a neurocognitive disorder and to position Quebec as a pioneer nation and at the forefront of resilient societies.
The Quebec Federation of Alzheimer Societies (FQSA), of which the Alzheimer Society Centre-du-Québec is a member, is asking the government to develop a robust response to the exponential increase in the number of people living with a neurocognitive disorder and to position Quebec as a pioneer nation and at the forefront of resilient societies.
Create a fund dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease and neurocognitive disorders
According to projections for 2050, more than 360,000 people will be living with a neurocognitive disorder (NCD) in Quebec. They were nearly 147,000 in 2020. In Centre-du-Quebec, nearly 6,000 people aged 65 and over are living with Alzheimer’s disease and if we follow the demographic curve, there are 11,000 Centricois who will live with a neurocognitive disorder by 2040 (an increase of 183% compared to 2020 figures), according to the Institute of Statistics of Quebec.
We can therefore anticipate an increase in patients for the health system, which is already under pressure. In the very realistic case where there will be more people to help than caregivers, what will be the impacts on society and on the economy, when the shortage of labor is already a matter of concern ? We must therefore already prepare the conditions for a resilient society.
“We have all seen it since 2020, the Quebec health system is very vulnerable to crises and the significant increase in the number of patients. Faced with the imminent crisis in the coming years, and the fact that this phenomenon is foreseeable, we cannot justify the lack of preparation. In order to provide the necessary financial means and human resources, we are asking the government to create a fund dedicated to the management of Alzheimer’s disease and NCDs, as of the next budget”, indicates Luc Pinard, Chairman of the Board of administration of the Quebec Federation of Alzheimer Societies.
Such a fund, endowed each year, will have to anticipate all the health and social consequences of the expected increase in cases of TNC and act on three axes:
Preparing the health system
Preparing support for people living with neurocognitive disorders and their loved ones
Make neurocognitive disorders a public health issue in order to delay the onset of symptoms
“Recent studies indicate that the promotion of healthy lifestyles or the fight against various risk factors such as a sedentary lifestyle and social isolation among seniors could help delay the onset of NCDs. This is a clear case where investing in prevention and public health could make a considerable difference for the future,” explains Dr. Sylvie Belleville, neuropsychologist, researcher at the Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, professor in the psychology department of the Université de Montréal and scientific ambassador for the Federation.
Two actions to take immediately to make a difference
The creation of a fund dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease and NCDs is an essential step and the foundation of a long-term strategy, but people currently living with NCDs also need concrete actions. For this reason, the FQSA suggests to the government two concrete actions that will allow the people concerned to feel immediately taken into consideration and, above all, better equipped to deal with the disease and its consequences:
Give a mandate to the Health and Welfare Commissioner to study the needs related to the increase in neurocognitive disorders, in order to assess the current situation, confirm the estimates for the coming years and propose solutions to address them. to face.
Improve and perpetuate the aid agreement for the implementation of the referral process which allows health and social services professionals to refer informal caregivers to the Alzheimer Society in their region.
“We have already seen for some time that Alzheimer’s disease is a major public health problem that will affect an impressive number of people over the next few years. The creation of a dedicated fund will make it possible to cope with this tidal wave, to meet the needs of people living with the disease, but also of their loved ones, while ensuring quality of services, in particular by maintaining and development of our staff’s expertise,” says Valérie Richer, Executive Director of the Alzheimer Society Centre-du-Québec.
It is possible to consult the full version of the brief of the Quebec Federation of Alzheimer Societies at this address: https://alzheimer.ca/federationquebecoise/fr/ce-qui-se-passe/enonces-de-position-au-quebec.
About the Alzheimer Society Centre-du-Québec
The Société Alzheimer Centre-du-Québec, a non-profit organization, is positioned as a key player in the region for supporting caregivers and people with Alzheimer’s disease or a neurocognitive disorder. It is the gateway to a wide range of services offered, such as individual and family psychosocial support, information, training for professionals and workers, respite-stimulation and permanent accommodation at the Maison Myosotis in Drummondville.