Online course launched to encourage key sectors to become dementia friendly

We are pleased to share an exciting new initiative from the?Dementia-Friendly Canada?project. One of the project goals is to train Canada’s workforce to be dementia friendly, and one way we are doing this is by developing free tools and resources in order to give Canadians knowledge and confidence when it comes to supporting and including people affected by dementia. We are pleased to announce our?Building Dementia-Friendly Communities?course.

This training makes it possible for local individuals, businesses, and organizations to make a real and important difference for the people affected by dementia that they interact with on a daily basis.??

This course is designed for professionals working in the following three sector groups: recreation and library, restaurant and retail, and public transportation sectors. The course will provide a foundational knowledge of dementia, and outline the considerations that organizations can include in their social and physical environments in order to better support and include people living with dementia.?

The 75 min interactive course is self-paced and directed, and has the ability to pause or stop until a later time, making it easy for users to fit into their schedules and learn in the way that is best for them. The information is practical and can be applied to people from all levels of the organization – from customer-facing staff, to management, and to key decision makers.

The course consists of the following four modules, and are tailored to each of the three sectors:?

1. What is a dementia-friendly community??An introduction to the concept and dementia friendly efforts at the community level.
2. Dementia-friendly interactions.?Social environment considerations, such as ways you can communicate effectively with someone living with dementia.?
3. Dementia-friendly spaces.?Physical environment considerations, such as ways you can optimize your space to be dementia-friendly.?
4. Dementia-friendly policies, practices and services for organizations.?Provides specific scenarios and recommendations.

Register for this course on ALZeducate!

If you have questions about these courses or the Dementia-Friendly Canada project, please contact Heather Cowie, National Project Manager at?[email protected].