Dementia in Canada
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Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
Date published: 2019-08-27
Related Topics
Including Alzheimer's disease
Dementia is the loss of mental function affecting daily activities, caused by brain diseases and brain injuries. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.
Symptoms can include:
- memory loss
- judgement and reasoning problems
- changes in behaviour, mood, and communication abilities
With a growing and aging population, we will see more Canadians living with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
According to national data (2016-2017), of people 65+:
- Over 432,000 seniors live with diagnosed dementia.
- 2/3 are women.
- The percentage of seniors living with dementia increased by 9% in 10 years.
- 9 seniors are diagnosed with dementia every hour.
- The risk of being diagnosed with dementia doubles with every 5 year increase in age, between the ages of 65 and 84.
- The all-cause mortality rate in seniors with diagnosed dementia is 4.4 times higher than that of seniors without.
Dementia is not a normal part of aging.
Dementia causes are currently not all known. If you or your loved ones are worried about dementia, talk to your physician.
Learn more about dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, in Canada
Visit Canada.ca and Search Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease
Read: Mapping connections - An understanding of neurological conditions in Canada
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Data source: Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS), April 2018. Data do not include Saskatchewan's data.
Acknowledgements: This work was made possible through collaboration between the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and all Canadian provincial and territorial governments, and expert contribution from the CCDSS Neurological Conditions Working Group. This infographic was developed by PHAC; no endorsement by the provinces and territories should be inferred.
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