The “baby boomers” are reaching retirement age, resulting in an increased demand for long-term care which is expected to spike in B.C. over the coming years. When people living with dementia require full-time support due to complex needs, moving to a long-term care home may be the next step for caregivers or family.
Researching long-term care can be an overwhelming process. The Alzheimer Society of B.C. provides support by offering free weekly webinars, including “Considering the transition to long-term care”, which is coming up on Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 2 p.m. It’s designed for caregivers who are considering arranging a move, and who are trying to find out how to access long-term care and what other factors need to be taken into account.
Tips on finding the right long-term care home include:
* Consider what your priorities and expectations are in a long-term care home.
* Contact your local community health centres for information about the long-term care application process in your area. Make a list of long-term care home options and narrow the list down to ones you would like to visit.
* Visit each home on your list to see firsthand what each one has to offer. Bring your list of priorities, expectations, and any questions you have so you don’t leave out anything important. Some lhomes allow the person living with dementia to visit the home and become familiar with it through day programs or respite services.
* Try to be flexible and consider whether you could work with the staff to meet the needs of the person living with dementia. Even after an extensive search, you may not find everything you want in a single home.
A follow-up webinar, “Adjusting to long-term care”, continues the discussion about the experience of transitioning into long-term care, and explores different ways to ease that transition. The session includes information on preparing for a move, adjusting to the move for both caregivers and people living with dementia, and working with the care team. The session is on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 2 p.m.
The Alzheimer Society of B.C. offers a wide range of free webinars on a variety of topics relating to dementia. To learn more, see a list of webinars, or register for one, go to https://bit.ly/3iMmWAM.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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