Patient Navigation Programs in Canada for People With Dementia, Their Caregivers and Care Providers: An Environmental Scan

As the rates of dementia continue to rise across Canada, accessing care remains a challenge for people living with dementia, their caregivers, and members of the care team. Patient navigation offers a promising approach to reducing these barriers and enhancing the integration of care for this population. Many such programs already exist in Canada. This scan identified 11 programs across six provinces, detailing their characteristics, implementation processes, facilitators, and barriers to their implementation. Findings highlight the importance of person-centered care, early access, effective collaboration, and adequate funding as key facilitators. In contrast, barriers included insufficient funding, insufficient capacity for collaboration, and system-level challenges, like “navigation to nowhere” and disruptions caused by COVID-19. By reporting on successful practices and areas for improvement, this scan aims to inform the development and implementation of effective dementia patient navigation programs.