As scientists continue studying how to prevent, diagnose and treat dementia, Allan Carswell wants to make sure we also prioritize the quality of life for those affected and their families.
In 1999, Carswell’s wife, Helen, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and for the last decade, she has required around-the-clock care at their York Region home. Amidst the sadness of witnessing his beloved partner decline, and the pressures of overseeing her increasingly complex care, Allan was able to turn for support to the Alzheimer’s Society of Ontario.
Up until the pandemic hit, Helen took part in high-quality day programs most weekdays at the York Region and Toronto societies of the care and research charity. Art, music, dance and other activities in a highly supportive environment offered Helen fun and social interaction, while providing Allan with much-needed respite.
“I appreciated how these programs gave me the support I needed. I knew she was being well looked after by skilled individuals, and I didn’t have to worry about her. It was a great help to the whole family,” says Carswell, a professor emeritus of physics and the inventor of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) laser systems, which have applications in geography, spaceflight, forestry, transportation, agriculture and law enforcement.
Before dementia began affecting her cognitive abilities, Helen worked as a nurse and, later, joined with Allan to run their LIDAR company, Optech, where she was instrumental to its business success. Since selling Optech in 2012, Allan has actively engaged in philanthropy through the Carswell Family Foundation, donating his resources to health care and education causes.
Two years ago, Carswell donated $2.26 million to York’s Faculty of Health to establish the Helen Carswell Research Chair in Dementia Care, a five-year endowed position in the School of Health Policy and Management. With $1.475 million in matching funds from York University, the new chair will collaborate with the Alzheimer Society of York Region to advance research into the efficacy of day programs, respite services and various models of care, as well as the benefits of integrating support for caregivers into such programming.
This initiative’s importance is underscored by sobering statistics: within 20 years, the number of people in Ontario living with dementia is expected to double to more than 430,000 individuals. The Alzheimer Society of Canada notes that unless alternative support and care options are developed, demand for dementia-associated long-term care will increase tenfold over the next 20 years. Between 2008 and 2038, dementia will cost Ontarians $325 billion in health care, lost income and out-of-pocket health-care expenses—though, as Carswell says, there is also a significant socio-emotional cost to family members and informal caregivers.
“It is absolutely essential to give support to these situations, because it is not only the diagnosed individual experiencing the affliction, it may be a dozen family members or caregivers who are also affected,” Carswell says.
