Understanding how the health care system works, and navigating your way through it while caring for someone with dementia can feel overwhelming.
However help is on the way for Invermere family caregivers, and for providers who want to upgrade their knowledge base as the non-profit Alzheimer Society of B.C. is offering a free teleworkshop on February 24 featuring guest speaker Barbara Lindsay.
Entitled Advocacy and Navigating the System, it starts at 7 p.m. and can be accessed by residents from home or work, by telephone or the Internet.
The session will help participants make sense of the formal healthcare system, and will look at how they can act as an advocate to ensure that families get the help and support they need, when they need it.
Ruby Ng is the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Alzheimer Society of B.C.
“The Society works closely with caregivers of people with dementia, providing information, education and support. Getting to know the needs of caregivers and knowing the progression of the disease, the Society monitors the education needs of families and delivers workshops according to those needs,” Ng said.
Ng went on to talk about the importance for understanding the health care system to help people with dementia.
“Families affected by dementia can find ways to provide the right kind of care for the person with dementia but there are some effective principles and tips that can help them find a solution that works best for all concerned.. This kind of workshop is very helpful for families supporting a person with dementia. Inevitably families come up against health system policies or programs that don’t quite meet the needs of the person with dementia, or maybe the programs don’t work effectively to support or enhance the caregiver’s efforts to provide care. The health care system wasn’t designed in alignment with the needs of families affected by dementia so families need advice about how to advocate effectively to ensure the best care for the person with dementia.”
Ng also gave a little more information about the guest speaker.
“Barbara Lindsay is the senior manager, advocacy and public policy at the Alzheimer Society of B.C. A lawyer by profession, Barbara is helping to provide leadership in improving dementia care in British Columbia, and across Canada.”
For more information visit www.alzheimerbc.org or phone toll-free 1-866-396-2433.
Invermere families coping with the impact of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia can also get more information by contacting the Dementia Helpline toll-free at 1-800-936-6033, Tuesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.