Skip to content

Providing rare or young onset dementia support across Canada

Daughter with arm around father smiling

Who we are

RDS Canada provides a free information and support service for people living with, or affected by, a diagnosis of rarer or young onset dementia. We are a community of people in similar circumstances and specialist practitioners providing timely and tailored practical, emotional and social support.

Our focus is:

  • Young onset Alzheimer’s disease
  • Familial Alzheimer’s disease
  • Frontotemporal dementia
  • Familial frontotemporal dementia
  • Progressive primary aphasia
  • Posterior cortical atrophy
  • Lewy body dementia
Virtual meeting

How we can support you

Our support specialists are here to speak with you. Sometimes people just need a bit of information and at other times people may need a listening ear or emotional support by meeting up with others who feel the same.

We also offer information and advice for practitioners who work with people affected by rare or young onset dementia in a variety of settings. Working together is important to respond to a range of support needs, whether someone has just been diagnosed or whether they have been living with dementia for some time.

Welcome, Bonjour, Aaniin! Join our community.

If you need information or support and would like to connect with us, you can:

Find information and support that is right for you

If at any time you feel overwhelmed with the information provided in our website, click here for supportive tools.

News & Updates

Living with Dementia in the Later Stages

This group aims to provide practical information, education and emotional support for families impacted by a rare or young onset dementia during the late stages of the disease. Sessions will cover a range of topics with practical advice, provide a safe space for participating members to share experiences and include educational information. The sessions will start on April 26, 2023 (10 am – 12 pm EST) and will run for seven weeks ending on June 14, 2023 (no group session on May 31, 2023).

FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia) Support Group

This support group is for family or friends/caregivers to someone with a Frontotemporal (FTD) diagnosis. The Welcome Group is offered as a first stage group where members are then invited to participate in an ongoing monthly FTD support group after these first four weeks. These sessions are happening on Mondays, May 1st, 8th, 15th, 29th from 1 pm – 2:30 pm.

Beyond Words

This two session Peer to Peer Conversation is for family or friends who are supporting someone living with a rare or young onset dementia in the earlier stages of their condition. These sessions are happening on Thursday, March 23 & March 30 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm EST

YOAD (Young Onset Alzheimer’s Disease) Support Group

This diagnosis specific welcome group brings together family and friends supporting someone living with YOAD. The group will run weekly for four weeks on Monday afternoons starting early March.

The Road Less Travelled: A group for grief and loss 

The Road Less Travelled is a grief and loss support group for family and friends of someone with a rare or young onset dementia. This group runs on a weekly basis for seven weeks and is currently being offered to family or friends supporting someone who is in the later stages of a diagnosis. The group will run on Thursday mornings starting February 23, 2023.

Identification Cards: New Resource Available

Printable, diagnosis specific wallet size cards are now available from RDS Canada. 

We want to hear from you…

Your input is important to us! Your opinions and experiences help us to improve our services.

Our National Launch

Rare Dementia Support Canada celebrated its official opening!