Grant: CIHR Café Scientifique Program

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is a malady which requires attention because of the increasing incidence in conjunction with the preponderance of an aging society. According to the seminal report, the Rising Tide, the incidence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in Canada has been identified as 1 case being diagnosed every five minutes. Most recent estimates indicate that 480,600 Canadians have dementia (i.e., 1.5% of the population). Future projections suggest that this figure will rise to 1,125,200 Canadians with dementia in the year 2038. The time cost of informal care provided annually to persons with dementia has been estimated as 231 million hours. Not to be neglected are the economic consequences of dementia particularly to families who incur out of pocket expenses and physical fatigue from the challenges of caregiving. On a positive note, there have been concerted efforts to devise solutions to the challenges which Alzheimer's disease and related dementias pose to health care practitioners, health policy decision makers, researchers, families and the patients. The relationship between nutritional diet and Alzheimer's disease suggests that fast foods may be a contributing factor to the onset of this disease. Engineers have been concocting novel technologies ranging from testing a winter coat to voice applications for dementia patients with speech difficulties. The transcultural influences and social consequences have demonstrated the impact of this malady. Caregiving can bear its emotional toll on families; however, the enhanced understanding of this disease lead to a wealth of teaching tools on coping mechanisms from geriatric psychiatrists. The support of non-profit organizations, such as the Alzheimer Society of Canada, assist the families and persons affected by this disease.