What We Do

Our Shared Purpose

 

To make Calgary a supportive, innovative community where people impacted by dementia can live life well.

 

Why It Matters

 

 For every person who is diagnosed with dementia, ten to twelve additional individuals are also affected by the diagnosis.

 

The most common risk factor for dementia is aging. The City of Calgary estimates that by 2042, the number of seniors will grow to more than 280,000, at which point they will comprise 15% of Calgary’s total population. Our population of seniors aged 65+ will be the fastest-growing age group, with a growth rate that is twice as high as the total population and three times as high as for children aged 0-14.

As a growing social and systemic issue, dementia has the potential to overwhelm families, communities, workforces and our healthcare system. The need for action on dementia within our community needs to be comprehensive and immediate. Given the statistics, it was clear to us that there is a need for an integrated approach that spans the traditional boundaries of sector and discipline.

 

Mandate: Align and Act

We have co-created a common vision and specific strategic goal for our work together and have aligned our strategic priorities to reflect these. We are now addressing these priorities collaboratively, recognizing that we will need to revisit our shared understanding of the issues facing people with dementia and their caregivers in our community, so that our work remains strategic, relevant and timely.

 

Guiding Principles

Dementia Network Calgary identified the following guiding principles:

  1. We will actively engage people with dementia and their care partners in the work of Dementia Network Calgary, whether through focus groups or other means of engagement.
  2. We will develop an understanding of the strengths people bring to Dementia Network Calgary and where they fit within the broader system. We will work to build trusting relationships between ourselves, and connections between our organizations.
  3. We will communicate on an ongoing basis with other key stakeholders in order to maintain alignment with other initiatives and to ensure that our efforts leverage those of others. We will seek to collaborate where appropriate.
  4. We will take the time required to ensure that we have accurately defined the problem before we move to solutions. Once the problem has been defined, we will do something about it! Our actions will be evidence-informed.
  5. We have intentionally assembled a diverse group of partners. At times as we work together on complex issues, our differing perspectives will create challenges. Through it all we will do our best to respect others’ opinions and adopt a perspective of curiosity when challenges arise.
  6. Although our focus is on people with dementia, we recognize the importance of prevention and will ensure that we do not lose sight of this.
  7. We will evaluate the process and outcomes of this initiative from the outset with a view to learning, and we will continually monitor our progress. We will adjust our approach, based on our learning.