Hope for Dementia’s Intergenerational Learning Program helps youth and seniors learn from one another while building stronger, more connected communities.
Dementia is a growing public health concern in Canada. The Alzheimer Society of Canada estimates that 771,939 people were living with dementia as of January 1, 2025, and that nearly one million people in Canada could be living with the condition by 2030.
These numbers underscore the need for prevention, education, and community-based action. Social connection and cognitively engaging activities are recognized as important ways to support brain health and reduce dementia risk.
Hope for Dementia created the Intergenerational Learning Program (ILP) to raise dementia awareness among youth while helping seniors stay mentally stimulated, socially connected, and engaged in meaningful learning.
Through the ILP, youth volunteers teach seniors how to use tablets, iPads, and everyday digital applications. Seniors gain practical technology skills and new ways to connect with family and friends, while youth benefit from seniors’ life experience, wisdom, and perspectives.
As dementia rates rise, programs like the ILP offer practical, human-centered support while helping shape a more informed and compassionate generation.
Since 2019, more than 100 students have contributed over 1,000 volunteer hours through the ILP, supporting hundreds of seniors in residences across Québec and other Canadian provinces.
Participants of all ages report that the program is meaningful and beneficial:
- Students say they gain new perspectives on aging, communication, culture, and history.
- Seniors look forward to weekly visits, learning new skills, and taking part in arts and crafts projects that help them feel active, involved, and connected to the community.
Your support helps keep this program going—connecting seniors, empowering youth, and strengthening communities. We invite readers, partners, donors, and community leaders to support Hope for Dementia’s Intergenerational Learning Program.
Send us an email info@hopefordementia.org or call us 514.464.0202
