Five resources for people living with dementia and their caregivers

By Nicole Pacampara

Last month, Alzheimer’s Awareness Month drew attention to the impact Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia have on individuals, families, and communities. With more than 55 million people living with dementia worldwide, and nearly 10 million new cases every year (World Health Organization), there is a pressing need for resources to inform and support those living with dementia and their caregivers.

The Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), powered by Baycrest, presents five CABHI-supported companies and projects providing these invaluable resources: iGeriCare is an award-winning dementia education program developed by experts in geriatrics, mental health, and online learning. It offers valuable information to newly diagnosed individuals with dementia or mild cognitive disorder, their families, caregivers, and health care providers.

Trualta provides training and support tools, conveyed through bitesized video clips, to help family caregivers build the skills they need to assist loved ones in continuing to live at home safely. Video topics include managing challenging behaviours such as wandering and lowering the risk of falls, which can be especially dangerous for individuals living with dementia.

The Driving & Dementia Roadmap, a first-of-its-kind, free, online resource empowers older adults living with dementia to make informed decisions about when to stop driving. Researchers from Baycrest, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) developed the roadmap to bring together information, videos, worksheets, and other materials to help navigate the decision in a way that honours the individual while involving their family or close community.

PairingCare is a dementia homecare platform through which individuals living with dementia and their caregivers can connect directly with professional homecare providers. With

PairingCare, individuals can benefit from a wide selection of homecare providers and vice-versa. The platform can be used collaboratively to optimize the dementia journey in various healthcare settings.

Leap: Brain Talk with Dr. Larissa McKetton. Leap is CABHI’s virtual innovation community for older adults and caregivers. Each month, members can watch Brain Talk, a monthly webinar where Dr. Larissa McKetton (Director of Scientific and Clinical Development at Cogniciti) shares the latest research findings about ways to maintain and improve brain health. You can attend these webinars or watch previously recorded webinars by visiting Leap. ■ H

What is home care?

Home care is about trust. It is feeling comfortable with a provider coming into the home of someone you care for and, possibly, Bayshore’s home care services are extensive, tasks or round-the-clock care, Bayshore’s caregivers can help your loved ones to live

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