SafeCare BC hosted a speakers event yesterday at the Terminal City Club in Downtown Vancouver which focused on person-centred care for people living with dementia and other similar conditions. The keynote speaker for the event – titled Aggression, Person-Centred Care and Staff Safety: A Clash of Concepts – was Patricia Boucher, a Registered Nurse (RN) with over 30 years experience in the health care sector, 20 of which has been in the field of occupational health, safety, wellness and disability prevention and management. Boucher is currently the Executive Director for the Advanced Gerontological Education (AGE) in Ontario and is working on their Gentle Persuasive Approaches (GPA) module.
The main focus of Boucher’s presentation was on Person-Centred Care and how it is an effective method of care for people living with dementia. This transitioned into a Q&A session with Boucher and a panel of industry experts, moderated by SafeCare BC Executive Director Jennifer Lyle.
“Getting to know the person who is suffering from dementia and finding out more about them can be just as effective as a prescription,” said Daniel Fontaine, CEO of the BC Care Providers and a panelist at today’s event. “Something as simple as connecting with their family and encouraging them to become part of the care team can help deliver much better outcomes.”
Along with Boucher and Fontaine, other panelists included Linda Pipe, Vice-President of the Board of the BC Centre for Elder Advocacy and Support and also sits on the Mountain View Chapter of the Gerontology Nurses Association, Heather French a Hospital Employees’ Union member currently working as a Recreation Aide in the sector and Stephen Symon, Manager of Industry and Labour Services at WorkSafeBC.
The room at the Terminal City Club was packed with over 80 attendees who remained engaged throughout the session. The audience was given the opportunity to participate by suggesting questions to be asked during the Q&A.
Below is a video for the GPA module, with a focus on person-centred care:
