The Alzheimer Society of Canada says there are 85,800 sufferers in B.C. currently, but will reach an estimated 247,300 by 2050. e.g. is expected to see “one of the most dramatic increases” in people living with the disease over the next 30 years. Alzheimer Society of BC CEO Jen Lyle says support is needed to ease the impact and ensure people with dementia don’t go it alone. The Society wants people to know that dementia is not a normal aging process and that additional research is needed. Individuals and institutions can take steps to reduce the risks of dementia, and governments should provide resources for research and programs that help people living with dementia and their carers to have the best possible quality of life. In BC, it is estimated that more than 50,000 families, friends and neighbors provide support. That’s projected to be almost 145,000 people in the province helping someone with dementia in some way by 2050. The Alzheimer’s Society says delaying the onset of dementia by five years will drive the number of people living with the disease in B.C. in 2050 to decrease from 247,300 to 145,500. If the incidence of dementia can be reduced by 10 years, the estimated number of people living with it in British Columbia would drop to 76,400.
