A comparative policy analysis of programs to support people with dementia and co-existing complex needs and their caregivers

Health care systems in Canada and around the world face the challenge of meeting the needs of people living with dementia and their unpaid caregivers. Many people with dementia have additional health needs, like pain related to Arthritis, which can be very complex to manage. This puts a lot of strain on caregivers who help people living with dementia at home. Understanding how health care systems can support people with dementia and complex needs, and the unpaid caregivers who help them, is an important tasks for health researchers and health policymakers. In this research project we will compare programs to support people with dementia and complex needs, and their unpaid caregivers in 5 jurisdictions: Newfoundland & Labrador, Ontario, British Columbia, Vermont, and New York State. We will draw on a collaboration between researchers and policymakers, called a "North American Observatory of Health Systems and Policies", to support the improvement of health care systems across North America. By comparing these 5 jurisdictions and bringing researchers, policymakers, health care providers and unpaid caregivers together, this project will help to improve and develop programs to support people with dementia and complex needs, and their unpaid caregivers.