Alzheimer Society in Timmins welcomes province's promise of $80M for dementia support

The executive director of the Alzheimer Society in the Timmins and Porcupine District welcomes a promise from the province to invest $80 million over the next three years for more dementia support across Ontario.

"If we receive everything that they put in their press release and the funding actually comes to the Alzheimer Society or to our local communities, people are going to see much improved community support," said Tracy Koskamp-Bergeron.

"So they'll be able to stay in their homes longer because there will be better access to care. They'll be able to have respite available for caregivers and hopefully it will be self-directed respite so they'll be able to use the dollars where they best see fit for each individual family."

In a news release, the provincial government said it will soon introduce legislation to expand dementia support services.

That investment would include $20 million to expand access to respite services and $9 million to train staff at 15 long-term care homes across the province in the first year. Those homes serve more than 1,800 residents.

"Our government is putting forward bold, innovative changes to ensure Ontario's seniors receive the best possible care," said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Ontario's minister of long-term care, in a news release.

 "That's why we will soon be taking further steps to support and protect seniors living with dementia and the loved ones that take care of them, whether they are living in their family homes, congregate settings or long-term care."

Koskamp-Bergeron, with the Alzheimer Society in the Timmins and Porcupine District, said her group covers a wide area, from Hearst to Temiskaming Shores.

"So for the Alzheimer Society in Timmins, it would mean a better reach into those small regions, but especially for programming in the north," she said.

According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, the number of people living with dementia is expected to triple by 2050.