Why Dementia Should Be an Election Issue

This is an election strikingly driven by young people, even those too young to vote. After an interview with a skeptical Greta Thunberg, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau took a beating in the polls, as his support among 18 to 29-year-olds dropped from 36 per cent to 24 per cent in 24 hours.

Then Autumn Peltier told the United Nations that Trudeau “promised me in 2016 he would look after the water,” thereby giving the prime minister a tougher beating than Patrick Brazeau ever could.

But elections should be about more than one issue or one demographic. In 2090, both Thunberg and Peltier will be in their 80s; even if they help halt climate disaster their generation will likely be contending with a threat already facing half a million Canadians and their families: dementia.

Recently The Tyee spoke with Pauline Tardif, the head of the Alzheimer Society of Canada and co-chair of the Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia, which helped Health Minister Ginette Petitpas-Taylor develop a national strategy for dealing with dementia, which was published last June.

The strategy is merely a framework, Tardif emphasized, not a detailed plan of action. But it recognizes the problems faced by Canadians living with dementia and those who care for them. With enough political pressure from voters, the next government could develop and implement a plan based on it, rather than start from scratch.

We asked Tardif about the strengths and weaknesses of the strategy, and whether our political parties are ready to deal with this major health care issue. We’ve summarized her answers in the Q&A below.

In your expert view, does the national dementia strategy address prevention measures in a practicable way?

Tardif made it clear that “prevention” means “risk reduction,” not immunity from dementia. People already living with dementia can delay its advance. Those at risk can make lifestyle changes that reduce the odds of dementia by up to 30 per cent, like quitting smoking, becoming more physically active and keeping socially active.

Would the strategy improve quality of life for persons with dementia and their caregivers?

The Alzheimer Society, said Tardif, is pleased that the strategy recognizes their needs. She added that caregivers for those with dementia are more stressed than other caregivers. Part of that stress comes from not knowing what they and their loved ones are dealing with. Diagnosis is often slow, but it validates symptoms and often enables the correct response. Diagnosis also helps gain access to long-term care.

Does the strategy call for enough skilled workers to deal with the anticipated need over the next 20 or 30 years?

Tardif said this was very important. One of the pillars of the federal strategy is a skilled workforce of caregivers, researchers and support staff. No, she said, we don’t have enough people. Those we have now are stressed and overworked. The strategy has no implementation plan, which must include recruitment and retention of far more workers than we have now.

Given Canada’s diverse cultures, does the strategy encompass resources that can provide for the needs of Indigenous people as well as recent immigrants and refugees?

Tardif said the strategy does indeed call for a diverse response, but a plan for implementation is still lacking. The strategy promises a commitment of $50 million over the next five years, plus more for research. She sees that as a “down payment,” explaining that it would take $150 million to begin to make an impact on the problem.

What do the political parties have to say in their platforms about support for people living with dementia and their caregivers?

The parties, Tardif says, have more individual champions for the cause than official party support. Parties always have to set priorities, but Tardif thinks they may be underestimating the electoral impact of half a million Canadians living with dementia (most of whom are still quite capable of voting), plus their families and caregivers.

The party platforms bear her out. The Liberals have their strategy, but it’s what might be tactfully called an “aspirational” document. And of course, it might be shelved if the Liberals lose the election. The Conservative platform won’t even be released until Oct. 11, offering little time to consider its promises for seniors. The New Democrats offer their own national dementia strategy, and a caregiver tax credit, but without details. The Greens also want a national dementia strategy but say nothing about what it might involve. And the People’s Party platform ignores seniors’ issues altogether.

And the single aspect of dementia for Canadians to bear in mind when they vote?

“It’s not going to get better,” Tardif says bluntly. “We have the evidence. When are we going to do something practical about it?”