According to projections for 2050, more than 360,000 people will be living with a neurocognitive disorder (NCD) in Quebec. They were nearly 147,000 in 2020. In Centre-du-Québec, nearly 6,000 people aged 65 and over are living with Alzheimer’s disease and if we follow the demographic curve, there are 11,000 centricois who will live with a neurocognitive disorder by 2040 (an increase of 183% compared to 2020 figures) according to the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
We can therefore anticipate an increase in patients for the health system, which is already under pressure. In the very realistic case where there will be more people to help than caregivers, what will be the impacts on society and on the economy, when the shortage of labor is already a matter of concern ? We must therefore already prepare the conditions for a resilient society.
« We have all seen it since 2020, the Quebec health system is very vulnerable to crises and the significant increase in the number of patients. Faced with the imminent crisis in the coming years, and the fact that this phenomenon is foreseeable, we cannot justify the lack of preparation. In order to provide the necessary financial means and human resources, we are asking the government to create a fund dedicated to the management of Alzheimer’s disease and NCDs, as of the next budget. », says Luc Pinard, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Quebec Federation of Alzheimer Societies.
Such a fund, endowed each year, will have to anticipate all the health and social consequences of the expected increase in cases of TNC and act on three axes:
Prepare the system health
Prepare the support people living with neurocognitive disorders and their loved ones
Faire neurocognitive disorders a public health issue in order to delay the onset of symptoms
« Recent studies indicate that the promotion of healthy lifestyles or the fight once morest various risk factors such as a sedentary lifestyle and social isolation among seniors might help delay the onset of NCDs. This is a clear case where investing in prevention and public health might make a huge difference for the future. », explains Dr. Sylvie Belleville, neuropsychologist, researcher at the University Institute of Geriatrics of Montreal, professor in the psychology department of the University of Montreal and scientific ambassador of the Federation.
Two actions to take immediately to make a difference
The creation of a fund dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease and NCDs is an essential step and the foundation of a long-term strategy, but people currently living with NCDs also need concrete actions. For this reason, the FQSA suggests to the government two concrete actions that will allow the people concerned to feel immediately taken into consideration and, above all, better equipped to deal with the disease and its consequences:
Give a mandate to the Health and Welfare Commissioner to study the needs related to the increase in neurocognitive disorders, in order to assess the current situation, to confirm the estimates for the next few years and to propose solutions to deal with them
Improve and sustain the aid agreement for the implementation of the referral process that allows health and social services professionals to refer caregivers to the Alzheimer Society in their region
“We have already seen for some time that Alzheimer’s disease is a major public health problem that will affect an impressive number of people over the next few years. The creation of a dedicated fund will make it possible to cope with this tidal wave, to meet the needs of people living with the disease, but also of their loved ones, while ensuring quality of services, in particular by maintaining and development of the expertise of our staff. » says Valérie Richer, Executive Director of the Alzheimer Society Centre-du-Québec.
It is possible to consult the full version of the brief of the Quebec Federation of Alzheimer Societies at this address: https://alzheimer.ca/federationquebecoise/fr/ce-qui-se-passe/enonces-de-position-au-quebec
