Two researchers from the University of Waterloo have been awarded over $1 million to advance research into improving the lives of those with dementia.
The researchers, Dr. Laura Middleton and Dr. Carrie McAiney, are both Schlegel Research Chairs in Dementia and Active Living and Dementia respectively.
While the research focuses on improving the quality of life of those living with dementia, it also takes into account those who care for those living with the condition.
Dementia is a general term for the loss of cognitive abilities, which can interfere with everyday life.
The research team brings together researchers, individuals living with dementia, family care partners and community organizations to achieve four main goals: to understand what quality of life means within each community; to co-design culturally relevant supports for quality of life and pilot test them in each community; to share findings with partners including community members and policymakers; and to build research capacity among community members and trainees.
The research comes at a time when the number of those living with dementia is predicted to skyrocket.
In January 2024, the Alzheimer Society of Canada published a study that predicted the number of those living with dementia in Canada will increase by 187 per cent by 2050.
By 2030, the study’s authors predict one million Canadians will be living with dementia and the number of new cases per year. That means over 63,000 more new cases per year compared to 2020.
But the study also notes that with the increase in the prevalence of dementia, it is important to consider the differences in communities affected and not apply a one-size-fits-all approach.
“People (need to) look at things like education — less education means more risk — but also things like smoking, alcohol use, lack of physical exercise, lack of social activity, all of these things can play a role in your overall dementia risk,” Joshua Armstrong, a research scientist with the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, told CityNews at the time of the study’s publication.
But certain demographics are at higher risk.
Armstrong says by 2050, one in four Canadians with dementia will also be of Asian heritage.
“In the ’70s and ’80s, we saw a shift in immigration, so those individuals who came from Asian countries are getting older, and they’re at higher risk for dementia,” he said.
That is one of the key points of research for Middleton and McAiney, who are seeking to combat challenges including language barriers, racism, differing cultural views and stigma of dementia.
“People living with dementia and their families still struggle to find support for living well in their communities,” Middleton said in a news release. “The need for support is even greater among people from ethno-racial communities.”
Middleton and McAiney expect the impact form their research to be twofold: the development of new, community-driven interventions, and a generation of researchers equipped to meaningfully engage with ethno-racial communities in dementia research.
“We are grateful to CIHR for supporting our research and look forward to working with the respective communities as well as with CCNA,” McAiney said. “This marks a significant step toward health equity, ensuring that dementia care in Canada reflects the diversity of its population and empowers those most affected to shape the solutions.”
The research project is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA).
– With files from Pippa Norman, The Canadian Press