Aging, Elder Care & Alzheimer’s
Taking important steps to enhance quality of life for the elderly
Medical advances have resulted in Canadians living longer today than ever before. However, longevity can be directly associated with an increase in chronic physical and mental health conditions. With baby boomers representing the largest demographic segment of our society, it’s clear that the aging population will have a dramatic impact on our health care system as well as our economy.
The Benefaction Aging, Elder Care and Alzheimer’s Portfolio supports organizations that respond to the needs of the elderly—with a special focus on persons with dementia.
Purpose
To provide funding for research to charities and community service programs specializing in the unique needs of our aging population.
Key Initiatives
• Improving the quality of life for seniors with disabilities, which limit their independence.
• Assisting people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia by
providing access to better treatment and services.
• Bringing together multidisciplinary researchers and practitioners from across the globe to
exchange knowledge and uncover best practices that address complex needs of elder care.
• Supporting intensive research programs that examine nerve cell degeneration, in an effort
to uncover a way to delay or reverse the onset of dementia.
Alzheimer Society of Canada
www.alzheimer.ca
The Alzheimer Society is the leading not-for-profit health organization working nationwide to improve the quality of life for Canadians affected by Alzheimer’s disease and advance the search for the cause and cure. It has locations in every province across Canada and in over 140 local communities.
National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE)
NICE is an international network of researchers, practitioners, students and seniors who are dedicated to working together to address the more complex situations related to elder care. Its members represent an interdisciplinary team of professionals from a broad spectrum of fields ranging from geriatric medicine and nursing to rehabilitation science, psychology and law. Operating seamlessly across borders, NICE mobilizes and supports research excellence in a united effort to transfer knowledge, identify best practices and develop policy to continually improve the care of older adults.
Centre for Brain Repair, Krembil Neuroscience Centre,
Toronto Western Hospital
Dr. Peter St. George-Hyslop, an internationally acclaimed geneticist and physician, is the Director of the Toronto Western Research Institute at the University Health Network. In 2000, he and his team identified a key protein involved in the degeneration of nerve cells in Alzheimer’s Disease. This is in addition to the four genes he previously discovered associated with Alzheimer’s. To further explore Alzheimer’s causes and uncover ways to restore brain function, Dr. St. George-Hyslop is proposing the launch of a Centre for Brain Repair. Within the Centre for Brain Repair, a special matching opportunity exists. Dr. St. George-Hyslop was awarded the Premier’s Summit Award, whereby the Ontario government and the University of Toronto will match donations up to $1.25 million to create a $5 million fund in support of research.