SafeCare BC and the Alzheimer Society of B.C. announced today that they have expanded their existing partnership agreement to provide more education workshops on dementia for health care providers throughout the province.
In addition to working together to evaluate workshops, cross-promote each other’s resources and ensure workshop materials are relevant and impactful for participants, the new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) states that the organizations will explore the development of additional programming for an intermediate audience. The Alzheimer Society of B.C. will also support SafeCare BC’s proposed expansion into the home care sector.
“We are very pleased to strengthen our collaboration with the Alzheimer Society of B.C.,” says SafeCare BC Executive Director David Hurford. “Together, we recognize the importance of delivering safe, quality care to people living with dementia.”
“The Alzheimer Society of B.C. values the opportunity to continue our work with SafeCare BC,” says Maria Howard, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of B.C. “This initiative will equip care providers with the knowledge they need to provide the best possible care for people with dementia.”
Recent surveys of SafeCare BC members and a 2012-13 pilot project led by WorkSafe BC and the Alzheimer Society of B.C. identified significant demand for dementia education for care providers. In 2014, SafeCare BC and the Alzheimer Society of B.C. established the Creating Connections: Working with People Living with Dementia workshop which has now been delivered to over 630 care providers who work with people with dementia.
SafeCare BC and the Alzheimer Society of B.C. will host the next Creating Connections: Working with People Living with Dementia October 25 in Abbotsford.
Participant feedback was extremely positive for both the pilot project and the first year of collaboration between the two organizations. Demand for additional courses highlights the critical shortage of dementia programming available to care providers in B.C.
This is the second MOU SafeCare BC has announced in 2016. This spring, SafeCare BC completed an agreement with Northern and Interior Health Authorities to share resources. More agreements are expected over the coming months.
