Respecting the human rights of people with dementia
Canada's national dementia strategy has made progress on securing justice. Parliamentarians should be urged to continue funding this worthy cause.
Over the years, Canadian lawmakers have demonstrated a strong commitment to achieving a country in which all people with dementia are valued and supported, and their quality of life is optimized. Notably, in June 2017, Parliament passed legislation requiring the federal health minister to develop and implement a national dementia strategy. Two years later, in June 2019, the government launched the plan, along with $50 million over five years to implement it.
That funding ending in 2024.
As MPs return to their constituencies this summer, we should be asking them what is being done to support further implementation of the national dementia strategy—and how it will be funded.
Since its creation, the strategy has made strides towards achieving its three objectives: preventing dementia, advancing therapies and finding a cure, and improving the quality of life for people with dementia and their caregivers. But without sustained funding from the federal government, momentum can be lost and coordination among stakeholders will be more difficult to maintain.
While progress has been made in several areas, significant work remains to defend human rights, which in Canada are protected by provincial, territorial, federal and international laws. For instance, in communities across Canada, people with dementia are at risk of arbitrary detention, whether in locked nursing home wards, psychiatric hospitals or elsewhere. Such deprivations of liberty are prohibited by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In B.C., a recent report by the Human Rights Commissioner shed light on the procedural difficulties faced by involuntary detainees under the emergency provisions of the provincial guardianship act, which allow authorities to detain abused and neglected seniors in certain crisis situations. The majority of these older adults have dementia or another cognitive impairment.
After being taken to hospital against their will, all detainees should have timely access to a lawyer. For someone with dementia, it is often not enough to simply hand them a brochure with a lawyer’s contact information. Many are unable to advocate for themselves, and they often need help calling a lawyer and remembering appointments. Reforms that facilitate automatic and funded access to legal counsel can go a long way in upholding the rights of people with dementia.
Many others are taking action to address the human rights issues affecting seniors, including those with dementia. In New Brunswick, for instance, the Centre for Innovation and Research in Aging and its partners are developing a human rights “report card” on how well the rights of older adults are being protected. The information will be shared in a bilingual, online database.
As Canada’s national dementia strategy enters its seventh year, it is a good time to reflect on the contributions it has made toward protecting human rights and securing justice. A strong foundation has been set for further advancements, and parliamentarians should be urged to continue funding this worthy cause that affects so many of us.