Manitoba not prepared for rising dementia rates: report

CanAge believes the health care system will be overwhelmed by a flood of dementia patients between now and 2050. (Source; CTV News Winnipeg)

A new report from a seniors advocacy group says Manitoba isn’t prepared for rising rates of dementia as the province’s population ages.

The report, released by CanAge on Oct. 18, states one-in-six Manitobans are already over the age of 65. While that number is below the national average, CanAge believes the health care system will be overwhelmed by a flood of dementia patients between now and 2050.

The report’s findings are especially worrisome for Manitobans already living with cognitive impairments.

“I don’t know if they’re going to have enough people for all of us, to take care of us,” Dave Geller told CTV News on Friday.

Geller started experiencing memory loss about two years ago. The 63-year-old says, at times, he struggles to remember conversations he’s had with his soon-to-be-wife, Jil Brody.

“I can talk to her, but by the afternoon I probably forgot about the conversation,” Geller said.

Geller was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment earlier this year. It’s a condition that commonly appears prior to a dementia diagnosis.

He has been referred to a specialist, but there is no timeline on when an appointment will be available. It is a waiting game Geller and Brody do not want to be a part of.

“I know there’s no cure for dementia,” Brody said. “But there are medications that can help slow it down, and to help the individual cope.”

CanAge’s CEO Laura Tamblyn Watts said Manitoba does not have a long-term strategy in place to address the needs of people like Geller.

“If Manitoba continues to ignore its aging population with high incidences of dementia, it will break their public health and social care systems,” Tamblyn Watts told CTV News on Friday. “The number of people that are going to be coming with needs and health [concerns] are going to overwhelm hospitals, overwhelm personal care homes, and they’re going to overwhelm family caregivers.”

CanAge is calling on the province to develop a comprehensive dementia plan as part of its senior care strategy. It’s a sentiment echoed by the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.

“We’re not prepared for an increase in dementia cases here in Manitoba because we’re not providing proper support right now to people who have dementia,” said Erin Crawford, program director at the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.

Crawford said that includes people trying to get a diagnosis, along with those looking for in-home or long-term care.

“There just isn’t enough for the folks who need it now, and there’s not going to be enough for the folks who need it down the road.”

A government spokesperson said the province is reviewing the CanAge report and points to a recent $1.3M investment to support the expansion of the ‘First Link’ program through the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.

The spokesperson also said the province is committed to developing and implementing a seniors’ strategy, which will “support older Manitobans to live as independently as they wish in their own homes for as long as it is safe to do so.”