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 Last spring, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. received a $1-million grant from the Ministry of Health to help improve quality of life for people with dementia and caregivers. In January, the Alzheimer Society announced funding for seven initiatives through the Grant to Improve Dementia Care in BC. Each project addresses identified gaps within the health system.
Two learning forums will also be funded by the grant, which will facilitate the sharing of project information and outcomes with a variety of stakeholders.
This funding provided the Alzheimer Society with an opportunity to partner with the five Health Authorities, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Victoria. Including additional partnerships, donations-in-kind and other revenue sources, more than $1.4-million will be invested in improving dementia care in our province through these initiatives.
About the grant initiatives
Three of the grant initiatives focus on providing better information and resources to those who need it:
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Led by the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, the Dementia Journey Website (www.vch.ca/dementia) – which currently servers people in the Lower Mainland – will be expanded to include information on local programs and services across B.C.
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In close collaboration, UBC is working on a multi-lingual project, which will use the most up-to-date information about dementia to create culturally-appropriate and easy-to-understand web content in Cantonese, Mandarin and Punjabi.
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An E-learning initiative, lead by the Northern Health Authority, will allow care providers to access training anytime and anywhere.
The other four initiatives address the needs to improve access to services for those with dementia as well as support to professional and family caregivers:
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First Link, a collaboration between the Alzheimer Society and the Vancouver Island Health Authority, will proactively connect people newly diagnosed with dementia to the Alzheimer Society for education, health service and support.
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The Fraser Health Authority is developing the BC Dementia Education Framework, a blueprint to improve and standardize dementia education across the province.
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Led by the Interior Health Authority, a project focused on sustainable caregiving will enhance the ability of health care providers to identify stress and exhaustion in caregivers, and help them guide caregivers to develop practical strategies that help manage and better-balance their lives.
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On a public policy level, the Dementia Policy Lens, under development by the Centre on Aging at the University of Victoria, looks at how new legislation and practices will impact people with dementia.
The close collaboration and partnerships that have been formed are at the heart of these initiatives, and will ensure all of our efforts have a much broader impact.
Additional Information
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