Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major health issue in Canada; it affects over 8% of the population aged over 65 years. Persons with AD have a reduced quality of life as they become dependent on others for activities of daily living (ADLs). This problem of loss of independence - functional dependence - is one focus of this grant application. It is projected that by 2020, Canada will have well over 10 million seniors with moderate to severe functional dependence. Functional dependence was the most significant contributor to an annual cost of dementia that had already reached $4 billion in the 1990s.