WELLINGTON COUNTY – As of Jan. 1, an estimated 770,000 people in Canada are living with dementia, which is why the Alzheimer Society of Waterloo Wellington continues to advocate for those living with the disease.
According to the society, significant steps are being made in supporting dementia patients, their families and caregivers across the province, with the passing of Bill 121.
The bill speaks to improving dementia care in Ontario and was passed in the Ontario legislature in December.
“We’ve had a little bit of a history with our government and not in a bad way, but where we’ve seen dementia strategies, which are wonderful, but unfortunately they didn’t really come with an accountability mechanism,” society executive director Michelle Martin told the Advertiser.
“Unfortunately, a lot of the work with the dementia strategy kind of sat up on a shelf.”
The bill’s framework includes:
– measures to support dementia care providers;
– measures to facilitate equitable access to dementia care;
– promoting person-centred dementia care;
– defining person-centred dementia care and its training; and
– increasing awareness of programs such as the First Link program offered through the Alzheimer Society of Ontario.
Martin explained before the bill was passed, dementia care was “all over the place with no standardization or very, very limited.”
First Link program
In addition to the bill, the Ontario government also confirmed a three-year funding commitment to enhance the First Link program, which ensures more people in Waterloo-Wellington receive timely support.
The society was notified about the funding in January by Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott.
“The First Link Navigator program is essentially a one-stop shop,” explained Martin.
“We can help coordinate with [health] services behind the scenes just so that it’s not so fragmented and it’s a much easier process for the client.”
The commitment includes $99,000 every year for three years. The money is essentially paying for staffing, she noted.
Even though the funding isn’t permanent, the society can now hire staff “with a little bit of consistency in their roles.”
She explained issues can arise with one-time funding opportunities as it makes hiring a difficult process.
“Even though it’s not permanent … it still allows us to have that consistency and better chances of having excellence human resources to fill the role,” Martin said.
Bill 235
The society also recognized progress on Bill 235, the Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act.
After successfully passing its second reading, the bill was referred to committee for further discussion.
It aims to provide critical resources and support for caregivers and seniors, according to society officials.
“It’s similar to Bill 121 in the way that it’s going to put checks and balances in, in terms of accountabilities,” said Martin.
“Caregivers are unsung heroes … on average a caregiver provides 26 hours of direct care per week for a person living with dementia.”
The act isn’t just about dementia, it’s about caregivers as a whole.
“The Alzheimer Society is here to help,” she said.
“We’re here to answer your questions; there is no judgment and I would [encourage] anybody to reach out at any time.”
