Canadian Consortium News
About Us
The NTG Canadian Consortium is a collective of professionals, academics, agency personnel and family with interest in advocacy, education, and program/services development on behalf of Canadians with intellectual and developmental disabilities at risk of or living with dementia as well as their families and other caregivers. The Consortium has advised on matters related to developmental disabilities for the development of A Dementia Strategy for Canada: Together We Aspire and provides technical assistance and programmatic and education advice. The Consortium in partnership with Reena has undertaken a broadbased16-month project specifically focused on producing Canadian guidance to support adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities affected by dementia living in the community. The project was funded by a grant from Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) through the Dementia Strategy Fund (see award notice). This award stems from Canada's National Dementia Strategy. The recently issued Canadian Guide for Community Care and Supports for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Affected by Dementia was the capstone of the grant effort.
The Consortium also maintains a cross-border collegial relationship with the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices in the US and collaborates in participating on webinars and the production of technical materials.
The Consortium has a rich history of academic, direct services, and public policy involvement in seeking and assuring quality in the lives of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities living with or touched by dementia, as well as their formal and informal carers and others who help support them.
The Consortium has a valuable partnership with Reena, an Ontario-based organization that has been at the forefront of work related to intellectual disabilities, aging, and dementia in Canada. Reena provides the Consortium with administrative assistance for all workshop and training events, supporting our efforts to provide education and training across Canada. Reena is also an integral partner in the Consortium's public policy advocacy activities and an active participant it our practice research projects.
The Consortium acknowledges and congratulates Reena on their 50th anniversary, celebrated in 2023, of providing an array of supports and services for people with intellectual disability and their families. Throughout 2023, numerous events to celebrate Reena's anniversary were undertaken. One particular event was a scientific roundtable (the II International Summit on Intellectual Disability and Dementia) held jointly on October 24-25, 2023, with Reena and the US NTG, highlighting emerging research in aging, dementia, and intellectual disability.
Grant award notice
Note
The NTG Canadian Consortium is an independent organization in Canada and, outside of a collegial association, is not affiliated with or responsible to the NTG.
New Videos Available from the Reena Organization and the NTG Canadian Consortium
Now Available! Canadian Guide for Community Care and Supports for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Affected by Dementia
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Canadian Resources
A Dementia Strategy for Canada
Public Health Agency of Canada. Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9. (2019). National Dementia Strategy_ENG.pdf (canada.ca)
This report on Canada’s national dementia strategy lays out a vision for the future and identifies common principles and national objectives to help guide actions by all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, communities, families and individuals. Intellectual disability is covered on p.51.
Implications of dementia for adults with developmental disabilities
Prasher, V.P., Percy, M,, Janicki, M.P., Jozsvai, E., Fung, W.L.A., & Brown, I.
Chapter 38 (pp. 699-721) in Brown, I. & Percy, M. (2020). Developmental Disabilities in Ontario (4th Ed.), Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Delphi Graphic Communications. https://oadd.org/publications/textbook/
This book chapter provides an introduction to the topic of dementia in persons with developmental disabilities and covers the physiology of dementia, options for services, mechanisms for multidisciplinary management, and advances in advocacy, dementia prevention, and dementia research.
Primary care of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: 2018 Canadian consensus guidelines.
Sullivan WF, Diepstra H, Heng J, Ally S, Bradley E, Casson I, Hennen B, Kelly M, Korossy M, McNeil K, Abells D, Amaria K, Boyd K, Gemmill M, Grier E, Kennie-Kaulbach N, Ketchell M, Ladouceur J, Lepp A, Lunsky Y, McMillan S, Niel U, Sacks S, Shea S, Stringer K, Sue K, Witherbee S.
Can Fam Physician. 2018 Apr;64(4):254-279. PMID: 2965060
These guidelines provide advice regarding standards of care. References to clinical tools and other practical resources are incorporated. The approaches to care that are outlined here can be applied to other groups of patients that have impairments in cognitive, communicative, or other adaptive functioning.
HELP for behaviours that challenge in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Green L, McNeil K, Korossy M, Boyd K, Grier E, Ketchell M, Loh A, Lunsky Y, McMillan S, Sawyer A, Thakur A, Bradley E.
Can Fam Physician. 2018 Apr;64(Suppl 2):S23-S31. PMID: 29650741
This article presents a systematic approach, HELP, to the assessment and treatment of factors of Health, Environment, Lived experience, and Psychiatric conditions that can lead to BTC and includes tools to support these assessments.
Disease-modifying drugs for Alzheimer disease: implications for people in Canada
Jennifer A. Watt, Wanrudee Isaranuwatchai, Linda Grossman and Sharon E. Straus
CMAJ October 30, 2023 195 (42) E1446-E1448; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.230595
In this journal article, the authors note that at least 250 000 people in Canada live with mild dementia, and 1.3 million live with mild cognitive impairment.1–3 Alzheimer disease is implicated in 60%–70% of cases of dementia and 30%–77% of cases of mild cognitive impairment.4,5 There are no recommended medications for treating people in Canada with mild cognitive impairment or dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease as no disease-modifying medications for Alzheimer disease have yet been approved in Canada. Authors discuss disease-modifying medications for Alzheimer disease that have recently been brought to market and approved for use in other jurisdictions, as these may become accessible in Canada in due course. Link to Version française