LETTER

Alzheimer’s should not be a political issue

 

There are 13,000 individuals in the Outaouais with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and each year 3,000 new cases are diagnosed in Canada. Almost 740,000 Canadians have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia, and this number is expected to double in a generation.

 

Millions of Canadians are forced to quit their jobs or cut back their hours so they can care for loved ones with dementia. Canada is one of the rare G8 countries without a national dementia strategy. This needs to change!   

This is why my NDP colleague Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt) and I are calling on the Conservatives, particularly Health Minister Rona Ambrose, to support his important bill to create a national dementia strategy.  

The NDP’s bill, which was written after consulting with healthcare workers across Canada, would increase funding for research and faster diagnosis; improve early intervention, primary care, home care and community nursing; provide more training to practitioners who work with patients with dementia; and provide caregivers with greater support.

Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders should not be a political issue. We must work together to find solutions for the benefit of all Canadians.

It is high time we show leadership by coming up with a comprehensive plan to deal with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

 

Nycole Turmel, MP
Hull–Aylmer