University Hospital Foundation announces project to support Alberta dementia patients and their families
Project will enhance quality of life and build a more responsive health system for ageing population.
Edmonton, AB, Sept. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University Hospital Foundation is proud to launch the Dementia Care Pathways Project, a bold initiative aimed at transforming how we diagnose and support Albertans living with dementia in our communities.
Led by University of Alberta researchers Dr. Adrian Wagg and Dr. Holly Symonds-Brown, the project aims to close critical care gaps for people with mild to moderate dementia who live in the community. Wagg and Symonds-Brown are taking a co-design approach with care providers, families and people living with dementia, and their work will focus on three pillars: a new clinical care pathway, a provincial patient registry and social health navigation tools.
By focusing on early diagnosis, coordinated care and real-world support, this project will transform the way individuals and families navigating dementia are supported—enhancing quality of life and building a more responsive health system for our ageing population.
The Dementia Care Pathways Project is expected to cost $3.1 million, and the University Hospital Foundation has already raised half of the funding. In addition to a $1 million grant from the Government of Alberta’s Primary Care Innovation Fund, donors are contributing funds to help improve care for Albertans living with dementia.
“The University Hospital Foundation is proud to partner with Drs. Wagg and Symonds-Brown and the Government of Alberta on this urgently needed primary care project. With an estimated 800,000 Canadians living with dementia today and projections for that number to nearly double by 2030, this is a cause that hits home for many Albertans, and we want to ignite discoveries that will make a difference.”
Dr. Jodi L. Abbott, President and CEO of the University Hospital Foundation
“The Government of Alberta is proud to partner with the foundation to improve care for people living with dementia. With this $1-million investment through the Primary Care Innovation Fund, we are helping to create an early diagnosis and care pathway so that individuals and their families can access the right support sooner and feel better supported throughout their journey.”
Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services
“By creating a system level care pathway from the perspective of the end-user and designed to address many of the obstacles to early diagnosis, we hope to overcome the tortuous and fragmented journey that many adults with cognitive concerns and their care partners face in today’s healthcare system. The creation of a patient registry will form a valuable resource for research in the future, with the aim of supporting discovery science and improving care quality.”
Dr. Adrian Wagg, Dementia Care Pathways Co-Lead
“I hear from people living with dementia and their care partners that they often feel very much alone in their efforts to keep going on with everyday life with the changes that dementia brings. This project is about listening to people living with dementia, caregivers and families about what works well, what’s difficult and then co-designing solutions with them. Through this work we can build a sense of community, identify supports that are practical and helpful in making a meaningful difference in daily life for the person living with dementia and their support systems.”
Dr. Holly Symonds-Brown, Dementia Care Pathways Co-Lead
Donations to support the Dementia Care Pathways Project can be made at givetouhf.ca.
Dementia Care Pathways Project Details
- Dr. Wagg and Dr. Symonds-Brown will pilot the project at the Kaye Edmonton Clinic in Edmonton and the McLeod River Primary Care Network, which has offices in Whitecourt, Edson, Mayerthorpe and Fox Creek.
- The project is currently in the design phase and expects to start seeing patients in year two.
University Hospital Foundation
The University Hospital Foundation is an organization dedicated to a powerful, singular purpose: to continuously seek, inspire and support bold solutions to seemingly insurmountable challenges and ignite new discoveries in health. Responsible for raising and managing funds to advance patient care, research and healthcare education at the University of Alberta Hospital, the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and the Kaye Edmonton Clinic, the Foundation strives to transform and redefine health in the Edmonton area, throughout Alberta, and around the world so that everyone can live a longer, healthier life. For more information visit GivetoUHF.ca
Hilary Anaka University Hospital Foundation 780-975-9563 hilary.anaka@givetouhf.ca
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