NEWS RELEASE – May 22, 2014

SafeCare BC and the Alzheimer Society of B.C. are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative to deliver dementia care training to long term care workers in BC. The partnership between the two organizations will see nearly 500 workshop training spots open up for care workers over the next year.

The workshops will centre on improving care workers’ understanding of the dementia process and providing strategies to enhance communication between care workers and individuals with dementia. A pilot study conducted by WorkSafeBC and the Alzheimer Society of B.C. in 2012 – 2013 on similar workshop content received extremely positive feedback from participants.

“We’re very pleased to be partnering with an organization that has such a strong history of advocating for and supporting better care for individuals with dementia. We believe through this partnership that we can not only improve the conditions of care for individuals with dementia, but we can also improve the safety of those providing that care,” says Jennifer Lyle, Executive Director of SafeCare BC.

“The Alzheimer Society of B.C. is the only province-wide non-profit organization dedicated to helping people concerned with or facing dementia have the confidence and skills to maintain quality of life. Education for health care professionals is key to providing that help. The Society’s relationship with SafeCare BC is essential to improving the lives of British Columbians who face dementia,” says Alzheimer Society of B.C. CEO Maria Howard.

The workshop series will begin in the fall. Registration is anticipated to open over the summer for the first workshop, to be held in September. More details will be posted on SafeCare BC’s website at www.safecarebc.ca as they come available
.