Baycrest

case of dementia arising every four seconds. The Alzheimer Society of Canada, in its study The Rising Tide, reported a similarly staggering reality. In 2038, the number of Canadians with dementia will be twice that of 2008. Over this 30 year period, the cumulative cost of dementia is projected to be $872 billion, having a crippling financial impact on families, provincial healthcare systems and the Canadian economy. As the population ages with an anticipated rise in chronic illnesses, this demographic trend will put a tremendous strain on already over-burdened healthcare resources. Across the globe, healthcare expenditures are rising at an unsustainable rate. In an aging society, a critical imperative exists to identify new cost-effective solutions that promote wellness and improve access to quality healthcare. It is to these local, national and global challenges that Baycrest devotes this strategic plan. While dementia is the most prevalent of the brain disorders impacting seniors, depression in the older adult population is also a major public health concern. The WHO estimates that the overall prevalence rate of depressive disorders in this group varies between 10 percentage and 20 percentage, depending on cultural setting. In Canada, it is projected that between 10 percentage to 15 percentage of older adults are suffering from clinically significant symptoms of depression that negatively affect their quality of life. In long-term care settings, the prevalence of depressive symptoms is even higher, approaching 20 percentage of residents. Along with addressing physical health issues, there must be a concerted effort across community settings to offer care approaches to older adults that maintain and improve their cognitive and emotional well-being. Strategic Plan 2013 - 2018 2

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