Abstract

In 2016 the Canadian census revealed that for the first time in history the proportion of seniors (65+) had outpaced the growth of the number of 0-14 year old’s, resulting in rapidly aging population. This greying of Canada coincides with immigration trends that have also seen a shift in demographics with higher numbers of new immigrants to Canada being born in the Global South than traditionally in Western nations. Taken together, these new demographic trends have changed the face of Canada, resulting in an aging, often racialized cohort who’s unique cultural, social and political needs necessitate policy development that not only acknowledge these intersections but incorporates them into the policies themselves. Dementia care policies for minority immigrant seniors have failed to acknowledge the intersection of their multiple identities and have therefore contributed to increased barriers to access for dementia care services and supports for them and their families. Using an intersectional framework this paper will critically analyze the origins of the Ontario Dementia Strategy to show how it fails to achieve mental health equity for this growing population.