What is Dementia Friendly Canada?
There are many types and causes of Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease being the most common cause. Right at Home is a proud supporter of Alzheimer Society of Canada and we are thrilled to support their incredible initiative called Dementia Friendly Canada. Because January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month we would like to take some time to share what it means to be a “Dementia Friendly Community”.
What is a dementia friendly community?
According to the Alzheimer’s Society:
These guiding principles play a key role in achieving each of the project’s three main goals:
- Training Canada’s workforce to be dementia friendly.
- Educating the general public about dementia and promoting dementia-friendliness through awareness campaigns and resources.
- Achieving sustainability and ensuring growth of the Dementia-Friendly Canada initiative across the country.
How is Right at Home aligned to these goals?
Right at Home is very passionate about this initiative and is focused on making this an integral part of our dementia care services throughout our 57 Care Offices across Canada. Here are some ways on how Right at Home is aligned to the goal of advancing a Dementia Friendly Canada:
Specialize Care Team Training: Our Teams are made up of certified PSWs and Licensed and Registered nurses with trainings to support those diagnosed with Dementia, Alzheimer’s and/or cognitive change. This can include GPA, Montessori Method training and the Geriatric Certificate Program
Sharing professional development resources from Alzheimer Society of Canada: As part of our Care Team’s continuing education we use Dementia Friendly Communities Training Modules from Alzheimer Society of Canada through our internal continuous learning program.
Educating the general public and our client families: Right at Home is a committed partner with the Alzheimer’s Society across Canada, supporting community awareness through education, and community involvement. We also offer guides and online resources on our website.
Small Care Team approach: We keep our teams as small as possible so that the same trusting faces are in the home supporting the client’s continuum of care.
Custom Care Plans: Every Care Plan is tailored to your loved one’s specific needs, incorporating their circle of care, and augmenting the Care Plan based on recommendations on services. This Care Plan is built by your Care Planner, a single point of contact for all your family’s needs. In addition, our customized care plans provide opportunity for educating those surrounding the individual with dementia, facilitating interaction, communication and socialization. Our customized care plans create opportunity for activity-based interactions and independence and maintaining personhood.
We follow the following approach:
- Ability: We create a care environment that empowers the client and their current abilities.
- Personhood: We incorporate the client’s life history, routines and preferences into the Individualized Care Plan.
- Lifestyle: We collaborate with the client and family to set goals and create support activities in the areas of nutrition, socialization, wellness and awareness to minimize overall cognitive change.
Navigation Support from your Care Planner
Our Care Planners are here to help our families and clients as they navigate a diagnosis of Dementia, Alzheimer’s or cognitive change. Our Care Planners specialize in supporting families and clients right from the start and as the journey continues and changes occur by discussing the changes and providing resources, options and flexibility to meet the unique needs of our families.
How can you take part in this initiative?
The Alzheimer Society has some incredible free courses available to the general public and health care professionals at alzeducate.ca
You can read more about Dementia Friendly Canada and get involved.
You can download the Right at Home Dementia Guide (along with many other guides) in our resources section of the website.
If you have any questions on care for a loved one, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and speak to your local Care Planner.
Why Right at Home?
- Over 20 years of experience. Right at Home has been providing award winning customized senior care and home care for over 20 years.
- YOUR Caregivers are all part of YOUR Care Team. This means that there is no revolving door of Personal Support Workers and Nurses. With the help of your Care Planner, you choose and get to know them. This leads to an level of care for your loved one that is unsurpassed in our industry.
- Working with government support. Your Care Planner will work to help you find the government supports you are eligible for (if you would like them) and then work to find a solution for the care needs that go above what government and family can do. We will also work around the government care plan so that we are enhancing it.
We help in home, wherever home is to you.
Our Caregivers are always out in the community visiting homes, Retirement Residences, Long Term Care (LTC), hospices and hospitals.
