A Cultural Perspective on My Family's Journey with Dementia | Ngozi Iroanyah | TEDxTorontoMetU

Canada's demographics are changing. It is home to more older adults than ever, and is often celebrated for its multiculturalism and inclusivity of people from all backgrounds. Despite this progress, gaps remain in understanding and providing for the health needs of our diverse, older adult population. One such health need is dementia. In my TedTalk, I discuss diversity in dementia in the Canadian Context and my Nigerian family's journey with the disease as it affected my best friend, my father, Dr. Felix Iroanyah. Ngozi Iroanyah is the lead on health equity initiatives for the 26 local societies across Ontario to support increased access to dementia care services for underrepresented and underserved communities. She is also a PhD student at York University in the Faculty of Health where her research is on the experiences of dementia within the Black community. She is keenly interested in themes of intersectionality, health equity, and political economy and their impact on the lived experiences of people living with dementia and their care partners. She has worked for healthcare systems and conducted health research both here in Canada and around the world. She is a writer, public speaker, and tireless advocate for dementia awareness and stigma reduction. Her most important role, however, is as a caregiver to her father Felix Iroanyah, who lives with end stage dementia. He is her inspiration for her work and drives her to support other families on their journey. Ngozi Iroanyah is the lead on health equity initiatives for the 26 local societies across Ontario to support increased access to dementia care services for underrepresented and underserved communities. She is also a PhD student at York University in the Faculty of Health where her research is on the experiences of dementia within the Black community. She is keenly interested in themes of intersectionality, health equity, and political economy and their impact on the lived experiences of people living with dementia and their care partners. She has worked for healthcare systems and conducted health research both here in Canada and around the world. She is a writer, public speaker, and tireless advocate for dementia awareness and stigma reduction. Her most important role, however, is as a caregiver to her father Felix Iroanyah, who lives with end stage dementia. He is her inspiration for her work and drives her to support other families on their journey. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx