The Comox Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) is proud to be funding important health research in the Comox Valley.
The Comox Valley Community Foundation is granting $130,000 to the Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation and Island Health for research focused on “Engaging Community to Build Aging/Dementia Research Capacity in the Comox Valley.” Through consultation, the project will provide opportunities for seniors, their loved ones, and caregivers to help identify research priorities focused on aging and dementia with the intent of enhancing the quality of care provided in the Comox Valley.
Patients and people with lived and living experience, researchers, clinicians, and decision-makers will first come together in a one-day patient-oriented workshop scheduled for the fall of 2023 to identify research priorities. Grant and fellowship funding will then support research in the areas prioritized by the consultation session, informing how future care is provided in the Valley.
Specifically, the project aims to:
1. Pinpoint community and health system gaps/barriers to aging and dementia care and identify research priorities and questions that matter to the aging population of the Comox Valley.
2. Connect the Comox Valley to research and clinical expertise from across the Island.
3. Build and enable patient-oriented research teams that address research questions that matter to the aging and dementia community of the Comox Valley.
4. Build cross-Island collaborations and develop the foundation for a Dementia/Aging Research Network in the Valley.
“We’re thrilled that the Comox Valley Community Foundation and the Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation are supporting research collaborations with patients and communities to improve care and services,” said Cindy Trytten, Director of Research at Island Health. Max Jajszczok, Executive Director, of Rural and Remote Strategy added, “The Filberg Medical Research grant will empower the people who receive our services to identify their research priorities for aging and dementia care by bringing them together with researchers, clinicians, and health system leaders to improve the experience and outcomes of care.”
“Aging well and growing old are on the minds of many in our community. We all strive to be healthy and when needed, access care close to home. Because it matters to you and so many in our community, Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation, working alongside Island Health, is placing a spotlight directly on aging well and growing old. We are grateful for the generous funding provided by the Comox Valley Community Foundation to support this essential project to engage our community in identifying priorities and questions that matter in accessing the care we all need, as we age,” shared Bill Anglin, President, of Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation.
“The Comox Valley’s population is one of the oldest in all of British Columbia, statistically older than the BC average by 7 years. Looking ahead, the number of people aged 60+ is growing and growing fast, with the highest level of growth experienced in the 75+ age group. On northern Vancouver Island, this age group is expected to triple over the next 18 to 20 years,” explained Christine Helpard, CVCF’s President. “These figures will place significant pressure on the healthcare system and this project offers a way forward for patient-informed care in our community.”
To provide context for the urgency in enhancing patient-informed care for those experiencing dementia in our community, the Alzheimer Society of Canada offers the following statistics:
• 597,000, the number of people in Canada living with dementia in 2020.
• 955,900, the number people in Canada projected to be living with dementia in 2030.
• 124,000, the number of people in Canada diagnosed with dementia in 2020.
• 61.8% of those living with dementia in 2020 were women.
Funding for this project was made possible through the Robert and Florence Filberg Fund for Medical Research, which Comox Valley Community Foundation administers on behalf of Vancouver Foundation. Island Health and the Rural Coordination Centre of BC have also committed in-kind support of this project, in the amount of $57,200.
The BC SUPPORT (Support for People and Patient-Oriented Research and Trials) Unit and its regional centres operate within the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR). The BC SUPPORT Unit Island Centre is embedded in Island Health’s Research Department and supports the engagement of people with lived experience in the design and conduct of health research, with the ultimate goal of producing evidence that is valuable for patients and has good potential to improve health outcomes.
Working with our community, the Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation raises funds to support acute care at the Comox Valley Hospital, Island Health delivered community healthcare services including mental health and substance use supports as well as long-term care provided by Cumberland Lodge, Glacier View Lodge, and Providence Living at The Views.
Since 1996, Comox Valley Community Foundation has awarded $5.75 million to over 175 local non-profits and 250 students in the form of grants and scholarships. As a funder, we support all not for profit and charitable organizations in our community so that they may respond to the pressing and ever-changing needs and priorities of our residents. For further information about how you can help build our community’s fund, please email office@cvcfoundation.org or call 250-338-8444.
Media contacts:
Jolean Finnerty
Executive Director, Comox Valley Community Foundation
250-880-6584
jolean@cvcfoundation.org
Jessica Aldred
Executive Director, Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation
250-331-5957
Jessica.Aldred@islandhealth.ca
Andrew Leyne
Media and Government Relations Advisor, Island Health
250-370-8908, cell: 250-213-9926
andrew.leyne@islandhealth.ca
