Paper is a joint effort by BC Care Providers Association, Alzheimer Society of B.C. and SFU Department of Gerontology
Burnaby, B.C. (March 5, 2020) — Recent statistics show that a staggering 564,000 Canadians are currently living with dementia, which amounts to 7.1% of all older adults in Canada. As that number continues to rise, what can be done to provide a care home environment that is safe, accessible and comfortable?
The report released today titled Dementia-Friendly Care Homes: Best Practices in Dementia Care aims to answer this critical question for a healthcare sector seeking new ways to respond to Canada’s aging demographic, and addressing high levels of dementia in long-term care. The report is a joint effort of BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA), the Alzheimer Society of B.C. and Simon Fraser University’s Department of Gerontology.
This collaborative project begun in late 2018 examines what other jurisdictions in Canada and internationally have done, or are doing, to develop dementia-friendly criteria or guidelines in long-term care.
“We set out to improve the experiences of the people living with dementia, and we believe that the best practices outlined in the report will promote that goal,” says BCCPA CEO Daniel Fontaine, who is also a member of the federal Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia. “Though many of our members are already putting many of these ideas into practice, people asked us if we could catalogue them into a single resource.”
The report focuses on two areas whereby care homes can become even more dementia-friendly: in the care setting’s physical environment, and in the education, training, staffing, and care practices. The report provides a broad inventory of large and small initiatives that can be implemented in care homes to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia.
On Friday, March 6th at a sold-out Care to Chat panel discussion in downtown Vancouver will discuss the changing nature of dementia care, including the arrival of “dementia villages” such as the one that opened in Langley, BC last summer. The event is open for media to attend.
Maria Howard, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of B.C. and moderator for the upcoming BCCPA Care to Chat event says, “The Dementia-Friendly Care Homes project exemplifies the kind of person-centred care and meaningful engagement with people living with dementia that is at the heart of the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s work. We are so pleased to see the release of the report and look forward to the work ahead.”
BCCPA and the Alzheimer Society of B.C. would like to acknowledge the efforts of Professor Habib Chaudhury and PhD student Kishore Seetharaman from the SFU Gerontology Department for their research and writing of the report.
“This report is an important resource for long-term care providers, decision-makers, researchers, persons living with dementia and their care partners to develop dementia-friendly care homes in Canada,” says Dr. Habib Chaudhury, Chair and Professor, SFU’s Department of Gerontology. “The review of the existing policies and recommendations in various provincial and national jurisdictions highlight the feasibility of interventions in daily practices, as well as key areas for broad policy-level impact.”
In April 2019, BCCPA and the Alzheimer Society of B.C. hosted a forum with stakeholders across the province including the BC Ministry of Health, regional health authorities, long-term care providers and people living with dementia. Stakeholder input from that forum was incorporated into the report.
A digital version of the report as well as several other policy and research documents are available at www.bccare.ca.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Mike Klassen
VP, Public Affairs
BC Care Providers Association
604-377-5499
mklassen@bccare.ca
About BC Care Providers Association
Established in 1977, BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) is the leading voice for B.C.’s continuing care sector. Our growing membership base includes over 350 long-term care, independent living, assisted living, home care, home support, and commercial members from across British Columbia.
About the Alzheimer Society of B.C.
The Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s ultimate vision is a world without dementia; that vision begins with a world where people living with the disease are welcomed, acknowledged and included. Working in communities throughout the province, the Society supports, educates and advocates for people with dementia, as well as enabling research into the disease.
About SFU Department of Gerontology
The Department of Gerontology at Simon Fraser University is a community of faculty, researchers, and students looking at aging from an interdisciplinary perspective. Issues covered in courses and research include: Health and aging, and aging and the built environment.
