Canadian expert: Dementia costs 'could soar'

Canadian health experts are concerned that the cost of treating dementia could increase by ten times in the coming decades.

The Globe and Mail revealed that by 2038, Canadian dementia care will cost a whopping $153 billion (£92 billion) a year - up from just $15 billion (£9.25 billion) this year.

Speaking to the newspaper, government relations officer at the Alzheimer Society of Canada David Harvey said that, when people have dementia, they always have other health issues that complicate their overall care and this must be properly addressed.

He continued: "We need to get a lot smarter about how we deal with dementia.

"If we don't take steps now to keep people out of long-term care, we will be spending a lot of money and place a crippling burden on families."

Around 700,000 people in the UK have dementia, though this is expected to rise to one million in the next 20 years.

Read more about Barchester's dementia care homes.