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A new standard of dementia care Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison Northern News Services Published Monday, November 28, 2011
Last week, 14 home support workers from across the Delta took part in a conference at the hospital that focused on Supportive Pathways, a program developed in Alberta and now recognized by Accreditation Canada as a standard of practice. With the completion of the conference, approximately 50 health-care workers in the region are now trained under the new program. "There is no right or wrong way to (care for elders with dementia), it's just all about the individual - and that's what Supportive Pathways teaches," said Engram. "It raises the bar for dementia care. It's made a world of a difference in how happy the residents are in long-term care, and it should do the exact same things for the communities." The Supportive Pathways program was developed by Carewest of Alberta Health Services, and based on 10 years of research. It emphasizes individualized, whole-person care, and quality of life over quantity of life. It recognizes the person behind the disease, encourages family involvement and focuses on finding the path of least resistance when responding to changing behaviours. "Because we have such a strain on our long-term care beds, patients have to be maintained in the communities much longer, just like the way it is in the south. Therefore, they're going to be managing (advanced) dementia at home longer than they probably should," Engram said. Lily Alanak, Ulukhaktok's only home-support worker, said the program will help her provide clearer answers to the families of elders with dementia, and also help her provide better care. During the conference home-care workers also attended workshops on infection control, foot care, elder abuse, diabetes and skin care.
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