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The province is investing in two initiatives that will help improve the lives of Manitobans living with dementia.
Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced Monday, the province will provide an additional $200,000 in new programs that will increase quality of life.
"We want to build communities where older Manitobans can receive quality care no matter where they choose to live," said Asagwara. "More resources within the community for those individuals with dementia support a better quality of life for Manitobans without the need to compromise or leave support networks behind in search of assistance."
The funding will go towards professional education to support staff who work with Manitobans with dementia in the community and additional community co-ordinator roles to support links between communities and the Age-Friendly Manitoba Initiative.
The one-time funding will be added to the existing $563,000 already provided to the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba,
"The more we can talk about dementia, the more we can create an understanding about the needs of people living with dementia and their care partners – so they feel welcomed and included to live their highest quality life," said Erin Crawford, CEO, Alzheimer Society of Manitoba. "This funding will increase the society’s capacity to create dementia-friendly communities where everyone feels empowered, respected, safe and supported."
Currently, over 20,300 Manitobans have Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. This number is growing rapidly and by 2050 it is expected to reach over 39,100.