A road trip for local Alzheimer’s staff.
Representatives from the Grey Bruce branch of the Alzheimer’s Society will head to Queens Park today along with those from almost 40 other offices across the province.
Executive Director Deborah Barker says they’ll be meeting with MPP’s to unveil figures on the impact the disease will have on the provincial health care system in the coming years.
Barker says the numbers are based on the recent national report released earlier this year which included some sobering figures.
She says as Baby Boomers turn 65 — the number of Alzheimer’s patients is expected to increase substantially.
Right now there are 500 thousand Canadians diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and that number is expected to double within a generation.
Barker says that’s going to have a huge impact on our health care system and our ability to deal with those afflicted.
In Grey Bruce — there are over 27 hundred people over 65 diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or related dementia but Barker says the number of those under 65 who haven’t been diagnosed is closer to 7 thousand.
Barker will also be meeting with Bruce Grey Owen Sound MPP Bill Murdoch before the figures are to be unveiled.