Slaight Family Foundation donates $30-million to support dementia research

The Slaight Family Foundation has donated $30-million to seven Canadian organizations with programs for dementia research, prevention and care.

The foundation pointed to figures from the Alzheimer Society of Canada, which has projected that the number of Canadians living with dementia will reach nearly one million by 2030.

“Dementia care demands a comprehensive, collaborative approach,” said Gary Slaight, the foundation’s president and CEO, in an interview. ”Through this funding to our exceptional partners, we aim to accelerate progress, foster innovation and enhance the lives of those affected by dementia.”

The money will go to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, Baycrest, Belmont House, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Egale, Toronto Metropolitan University’s National Institute on Ageing and the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Terry Smith, the foundation’s program director, said the funding initiative will span three years, with recipient organizations coming together at the end of each year to discuss their progress.

She said that collaborative approach will allow them to share their research and find innovative solutions to the challenges that face not only those with dementia but their caregivers and loved ones as well.

“This is an investment, not just for today but for years to come, and we will see the impact it has on our aging population and keeping them safe,” Ms. Smith said.

For Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, its $4.3-million share of the money will help bridge gaps in dementia care in North Toronto. The hospital said it will expand its Community Psychiatric Services for the Elderly and Homebound Seniors programs, while scaling up its partnership with the North Toronto Ontario Health Team’s Neighbourhood Care Team.

Lori Brady, the hospital’s vice-president of community integration, partnerships and ambulatory care, said she is excited about building working relationships with fellow recipients and having a seat at the table where important conversations about their shared goals for dementia care will be taking place.

“I think that the notion of collaboration is important. Health care is a team sport, and we need to be able to work with and learn from one another and build on our collective assets and strengths,” Ms. Brady said.

Egale executive director Helen Kennedy, whose organization works to improve the lives of 2SLGBTQI people in Canada through research, education, awareness and advocacy, said she is thrilled to bring that community’s experiences into the conversation about aging and dementia, where they are otherwise underrepresented and overlooked.

“Without a doubt, this is going to have a huge impact,” she said, adding that Egale will use its $3-million donation to train health care workers and educators and raise awareness of the unique concerns of the marginalized community.

In 2022, Egale launched the National Resource Centre on 2SLGBTQI Aging in partnership with the National Institute on Ageing (NIA).

Samir Sinha, the director of health policy research at the NIA, said its $3-million donation will not only be transformative in terms of advancing research to support Canadians living with dementia, it will also help people better understand dementia prevention.

Mr. Sinha said the NIA focuses on two areas. The first is education – teaching Canadians how to maintain optimal brain health by taking effective measures to prevent dementia. The second is connecting people who have been diagnosed with dementia, as well as their caregivers, with the relevant information resources and support to stay healthy and independent.

“Right now, we find that the challenge for so many Canadians is just accessing this information,” he said, because language is often a barrier.

The Alzheimer Society of Canada will receive $3-million; Baycrest, a teaching and research hospital that focuses on older patients, $9.5-million; Belmont House, a non-profit long-term care provider, $700,000; and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, $6.5-million.

The Slaight Family Foundation was established in 2008 by John Allan Slaight, a broadcast pioneer in Canada and leader in the music industry. It has a history of supporting charitable initiatives in a number of areas, including health care, social services and culture. The latest pledge brings its donation total to $251.5-million.

Mr. Slaight said it has been in the works for more than a year.

“All these organizations have done a great job, and we are excited to see the quality of the proposals that come back,” he said.