Bill C-609
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3rd Session, 40th Parliament,
59 Elizabeth II, 2010
house of commons of canada
BILL C-609
An Act to amend the Public Health Agency of Canada Act (National Alzheimer Office)
Preamble
Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are progressive, degenerative diseases of the brain that result in impairment of thought processes and memory and changes in abilities and behaviour, erode independence and eventually cause death;
Whereas in Canada there are more than 500,000 people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias;
Whereas, as Canada’s population ages, the number of Canadians diagnosed with these diseases is expected to double within a generation;
And whereas research, early diagnosis and support for treatment can lead to positive health outcomes for persons with any form of dementia and can have a positive impact on the family and friends who provide care for them;
2006, c. 5
Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
1. The Public Health Agency of Canada Act is amended by adding the following after section 12:
NATIONAL ALZHEIMER OFFICE
Establishment of Office
12.1 (1) There is hereby established within the Agency a National Alzheimer Office.
Mandate of Office
(2) The mandate of the National Alzheimer Office is
(a) to develop, in conjunction with provincial departments responsible for health matters, a comprehensive national plan to address all aspects of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD);
(b) to develop, in conjunction with provincial departments responsible for health matters, specific national objectives in order to improve the situation of persons with ADRD and decrease the burden of ADRD on Canadian society, to undertake an annual assessment of Canada's progress in meeting these objectives and to provide Parliament with an annual report based on this assessment that includes recommendations as to which remedial actions should be given priority;
(c) to establish a standing round table to receive input and advice from Canadians from all walks of life on the development and implementation of a national plan;
(d) to take the measures necessary to accelerate the discovery and development of treatments that would prevent, halt or reverse the course of ADRD;
(e) to encourage greater investment in all areas of ADRD research, and in particular, basic and applied research on brain imaging, biomarker discovery, disease mechanisms, therapeutic targets and pathways and translational therapeutic applications;
(f) to coordinate ADRD research in clinical populations, and to ensure the inclusion of populations at higher risk for ADRD, and those least likely to receive care, in this research;
(g) to coordinate with international bodies to contribute to the fight against ADRD globally and to build on Canada's existing contributions in this field — including the Canadian Distributed Neuroimaging Platform (CBRAIN), the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and the Ontario Health Study — through outreach and consensus building;
(h) to develop and disseminate emerging clinical diagnostic and treatment guidelines based on new research;
(i) to assess and disseminate best practices for improving the quality of lives of people with dementia and their caregivers, including greater integration of care, chronic disease prevention and management and community support and community-care coordination to minimize familial impacts;
(j) to develop and disseminate information on the importance of prevention, early intervention and management of ADRD to health care professionals as well as the general public;
(k) to make recommendations to the Minister on ways to support and strengthen Canada's capacity to care for persons with dementia by
(i) increasing the availability of specialists, including geriatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists and advanced practice nurses, with specialized knowledge of dementia,
(ii) improving the diagnostic and treatment capabilities of all frontline professionals,
(iii) making the best use of general and specialized resources through interprofessional collaboration,
(iv) supporting patient self-management and caregiver participation in care coordination, and
(v) augmenting the capabilities of the voluntary sector through investment and training; and
(l) to make recommendations to the Minister in respect of the development of national guidelines for standards of dementia care that are founded on evidence-based best practices in person-centred care delivery and daily programming.
Consultations
(3) In carrying out its mandate under subsection (2), the National Alzheimer Office shall consult with basic and clinical researchers, family caregivers, government agencies, health care professionals and other care providers, the lay advocacy sector and, in particular, the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons
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Available from:
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Public Works and Government Services Canada