The number of Canadians with dementia is rising sharply.

As of 2016, there are an estimated 564,000 Canadians living with dementia - plus about 25,000 new cases diagnosed every year. By 2031, that number is expected to rise to 937,000, an increase of 66 per cent.

​

Dementia is a term that generally refers to a variety of brain disorders. Different physical changes to the brain cause different dementias. Some are reversible, meaning that they can be treated and cured, while others are irreversible, meaning there is no cure.

 

Symptoms worsen over time and include: loss of memory, changes in judgment and reasoning, difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language and changes in mood and behaviour.

 

Alzheimer’s disease is irreversible and eventually fatal. Other dementias include vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia (including Pick’s disease), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Lewy body dementia.

 

Dementia is not a normal part of aging, but age is the biggest risk factor.