The Slaight Family Foundation has recently donated $30 million to seven Toronto hospitals and organizations to significantly enhance dementia care and prevention programs. This funding comes at a crucial time as the healthcare system faces a rapidly aging population and needs support against the rising problem of dementia.
The Slaight Family Foundation, a charity established by media mogul Allan Slaight, announced this generous donation in early July. Since 2013, the foundation has supported many important projects, and this recent $30 million contribution to the Dementia Initiative brings their total monetary support to $251.5 million. Allan Slaight (1931-2021) was a leading figure in the music industry and a well-known Canadian philanthropist, recognized as a pioneer in Canadian broadcasting. The donation will be distributed to seven organizations, including:
- Alzheimer Society of Canada: $3 million
- Baycrest: $9.5 million
- Belmont House: $700,000
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): $6.5 million
- Egale Canada: $3 million
- National Institute on Ageing at TMU: $3 million
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre: $4.4 million
A 2022 study by the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada predicts that by 2050, nearly 1.7 million people will have dementia, accounting for 3.6% of the population. In 2020, around 600,000 people in Canada had dementia, representing about 1.6% of the population.
Experts consider the $30 million donation from The Slaight Family Foundation transformative and expect it to significantly impact the healthcare system. The funds will support dementia prevention and treatment, research, public education, and awareness on recognizing dementia signs and assessing brain health.
