Initiative 1 - Staff Education and Training
This initiative
is directed towards the provision of annual training
programs for staff working in long-term care (LTC)
facilities, Community Care Access Centres and
long-term care community services across the
province who provide service or support to persons
living with Alzheimer Disease or related dementias. To
date, a number of projects have been identified and
supported, including the
Putting the P.I.E.C.E.S.™
Together
learning initiative staff participation in
the college-based Dementia Studies Certificate
Program and equivalent programs, LTC facilities
staff participation in the Alzheimer Society of
Canada's Enhancing Care
through the Guidelines for Care program,
and the
U-First!
education initiative for personal support worker-level
staff and their supervisors.
Initiative 2 - Physician Training
This initiative
is directed towards the need for primary care
physicians to receive training both in medical
school curriculum and on an ongoing basis, to assist
them in the early detection, diagnosis and
management of Alzheimer Disease and related
dementias, the implications for the family and on
how best to use local community services.
Initiative 3 - Increase in Public Awareness,
Information and Education
This initiative
is directed towards the need for increased public
awareness of, and information and education on,
Alzheimer Disease and related dementias. Forty
public education coordinators have been hired and
work as part of the local Alzheimer Society chapters
to raise awareness and educate the public,
healthcare providers and informal caregivers about
Alzheimer Disease and related dementias. The funding
for this initiative has been added to the Ministry
of Health and Long-Term Care's annual base budget.
(Download the listing of
Public Education Coordinators
(PDF)
Initiative 4 - Planning for Appropriate,
Safe and Secure Environments
This initiative
is directed towards the need for optimal design of
long-term care facilities for residents with
Alzheimer Disease and related dementias. There have
been four annual conferences financed and co-hosted
by government with the Alzheimer Society of Ontario
and the Murray Alzheimer Research and Education
Project to explore the creative and functional
design of living space for people with Alzheimer
Disease and related dementias. There are plans under
way to compile the information from these
conferences and create Best Practice guidelines for
use by community and institutional settings
providing care to people with Alzheimer Disease and
related dementias.
Initiative 5 - Respite Services for
Caregivers
This initiative
is directed towards the need for the expansion of
Alzheimer volunteer respite programs and new
Alzheimer day program spaces. Site locations for
this initiative were determined using a population
needs-based methodology and an evaluation
questionnaire has been distributed to Adult Day
Programs that received funding through this
initiative and results are being tabulated.
Initiative 6 - Research on Caregiver Needs
This initiative
is directed towards the need to ascertain, document
and understand the key services that caregivers
need. The Alzheimer Society of Ontario, the
Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP)
and the Caregiver’s Association of Ontario undertook
this joint research project. Research includes a
literature review and applied research. A highlights
report of the preliminary findings can be accessed
on the
MAREP
website.
Initiative 7 - Advance Directives on Care
Choices
This initiative
was created to help seniors and persons with
Alzheimer Disease and related dementias in Ontario
become more aware of the benefits of Advance Care
Planning (ACP) and to assist providers in respecting
the choices people make in the ACP process. In
addition to training many health care providers and
long-term care facility administrators, resource
teams have also delivered education locally to
public groups. A guide to Advance Care Planning is
available through the
Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat,
at local Alzheimer Society chapters or from the
Ontario Senior’s Infoline at 416-314-7511 or
1-888-910-1999.
Initiative 8 - Psychogeriatric Consulting
Resources
This initiative
is directed towards further education and advice for
staff in long-term care facilities and community
service agencies. Psychogeriatric resource
consultants advise on how to work with people who
exhibit challenging behaviours attributed to
Alzheimer Disease or related dementias. A Ministry
of Health and Long-Term Care Regional Work Group
meets bi-monthly to oversee the work of this
initiative. The funding for this initiative has been
added to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's
annual base budget. (Download the listing of
Psychgeriatric Resource Consultants
(PDF), organized by region.)
Initiative 9 - Coordinated Specialized
Diagnosis and Support
9A. Dementia Networks
This initiative is directed towards the coordination
and promotion of services for persons, families and
caregivers living with dementia through the creation
of new networks or the maintenance of existing
dementia networks. These networks do not provide
direct services but provide knowledge transfer and
enhance partnerships between sectors. (Download the
listing of
Dementia Networks Contacts
(PDF), organized by region.)
9B. Research Coalition
This initiative is directed towards bringing
together researchers with diverse
academic/methodological backgrounds with
representation from all regions. The Research
Coalition will plan, coordinate and monitor
collaborative multidisciplinary Alzheimer research
projects. A steering
committee has been formed to guide the establishment
of the Dementia Research Coalition and has developed
a strategic direction document,
The Path Forward: A Strategic Direction for The
Ontario Research Coalition on Alzheimer Disease and
Related Dementias 2002 - 2004
(PDF).
9C. Specialized Geriatric
Services A two-day consultation was held to
define the scope and mandate of specialized
geriatric services to make their expertise more
readily available to people with Alzheimer Disease
and their families. The report is being considered
by government.
Initiative 10 - Intergenerational Volunteer
Initiative
This initiative
was directed towards the recruitment, training and
support of students in grades 11 and 12 who
volunteer with individuals with Alzheimer Disease
and related dementia at long-term care centers and
community agencies. This program is continuing at
more than half of the original sites through
Trillium fund.
