Print
Email
NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK - Volunteer in Okanagan inspires sense of belonging
Those who care for people diagnosed with dementia have a journey of their own. Kate Sladen knows this from experience. Kate’s mother was diagnosed with a progressive dementia and lived with Kate and her husband the last two years of her life on the dementia journey. According to Kate, it is a journey that does not have to be taken alone. Through her extensive volunteer work with the Alzheimer Society of B.C., Kate is ensuring there is support and education for caregivers to learn strategies that will help them adapt to what lies ahead and she’s doing this both at the front lines in the field and in the board room.
Kate, volunteers as a relief facilitator for the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s Caregiver Support Group, helps with facilitating the Family Caregiver Series education workshops in Vernon and Kelowna, is a member of the Society’s Board of Directors, and recently has started to meet one on one with potential new members in the Vernon area.
“When people reach out to the Alzheimer Society for help, Kate goes over and above to ensure they get connected to the programs and services that will meet their needs. She makes new members feel welcomed and inspires a sense of belonging,” explained Jennifer Hamilton, Support and Education Coordinator, Alzheimer Society of B.C. – North & Central Okanagan Resource Centre. “I am fortunate to be working with Kate to experience firsthand her dedication to helping those whose lives have been impacted by Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.”
A former nurse, teacher, and counselor, Kate says that one of the rewards from her work with the Society is watching the transition of caregivers through education.
“Life as one knows it changes with the diagnosis of dementia,” explained Kate. “When caregivers first approach the Society they often feel frazzled, however with support and education they are able to learn strategies that will help them accept the reality of this change and what it will take to adapt as the dementia progresses. These are strangers who come together wanting help themselves or needing to help others, so they support each other through laughter and tears, and they develop resilience.”
The Society provides free education and training for volunteer facilitators of its support groups, an integral part of the service it delivers to families in communities across British Columbia.
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities at the Society, including helping to coordinate and deliver key programs such as First Link®, to taking a leadership role in a local community for events such as the Investors Group Walk for Memories, or helping the Provincial Office staff to support the Society’s province-wide network.
If you have time and energy to contribute and would like to know more about volunteering with us, review current volunteer job postings or contact Jo-Anne Teal, HR and Volunteer Administrator at 604-742-4924 in Vancouver or 1-800-667-3742 elsewhere in B.C.
