The Alzheimer Society of P. E. I released a report saying that if no changes are made then the number of people with the disease will increase considerably along with an increase in the cost.

By the year 2038, almost twice as many people will be diagnosed with dementia every year in Canada. This would mean that 4,000 Islanders would annually be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

According to the report, many more measures need to be taken to prevent the disease as well as help people affected by it.

The report was entitled Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Islanders and Canadians. There is a need for government and funding agencies to invest in exercise programs and extra support for caregivers.

Thomy Nilsson, who worked on the report said, “Even programs that might retard the development of the disease by a few years can lead to enormous savings in overall health care costs.”

The report also said that the delaying of the beginning of dementia by just two years, could save the health care system $219 billion over 30 years.