Ontario Dementia Advisory Group welcomes report from Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

Canada listens: A national strategy for dementia in Canada

TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2016 /CNW/ - The Ontario Dementia Advisory Group (ODAG) is very pleased with the report from the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, titled Dementia in Canada: A National Strategy for Dementia-Friendly Communities. The Group is especially pleased that the report contains many of its recommendations, including the creation of a national dementia strategy.  

ODAG, who was among the presenters during the Senate hearings, is featured in the chapter "The Patient Perspective" with an introduction stating that its expert testimony was the most compelling throughout the study and that the Committee members were moved by "the strength and determination of these individuals..."

"The time has come to rethink and re-position dementia, to shift our ways of seeing and how we treat people with dementia," says Mary Beth Wighton, Chair of the Ontario Dementia Advisory Group. "The Canadian Senate clearly agrees, and we look forward to joining forces to help build a national strategy that will increase public understanding of dementia so that all those with this disease are treated as human beings first."

The Ontario Dementia Advisory Group was formed in 2014 and comprises of individuals from all walks of life who are living with dementia and who work together to influence policies and practices and ensure their voices are heard. For more about ODAG, visit www.odag.ca

SOURCE Ontario Dementia Advisory Group

For media inquiries: Mary Beth Wighton, Chair, Ontario Dementia Advisory Group, [email protected]