A Centre of Excellence in

Dementia Care

for York Region

AS York’s Vision for the Future

January, 2012

The Alzheimer Society of York Region (AS York) will establish a new Centre of Excellence in Dementia Care for York Region to support individuals with dementia and their caregivers.

A client-centred and environmentally inviting facility that will provide comprehensive, innovative, leading edge programs and services that address the disease from pre-diagnosis to end-of-life care New Centre of Excellence is based on a report commissioned by AS York to identify best practices in quality dementia care This new vision will offer complete continuum of community services – unlike anything that currently exists in York Region

Overnight Respite

Sensory Gardens

Centre of Excellence in Dementia Care

Dementia Café

Integrated Care

Delivery

Therapeutic Living Centre

Alzheimer’s Learning Institute

Early

Diagnosis

Caregiver Wellness

The Present Imperative

Within a generation, the increase of people living with

dementia could potentially have a crippling effect on

families, our health care system and our economy

The Present Imperative Existing community services fall short of existing demand, despite

increased programming through A@H and other LHIN initiatives

Wait times for entrance into AS York DAY Centre programs have

increased to as high as nine months; Longer wait times and shortage

of active day centre days increases burden and stress on caregiver

and potentially accelerate the pace of the disease

Requests for information on ADRD at an all time high

Dementia is leading condition for LTC

By 2016, individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related

dementias in the Central LHIN will grow by 35% - higher than the

national average

The Present Imperative

From 2008 to 2038, the cumulative cost of dementia in

Canada is projected to be $872 billion, through:

• direct health care costs [like medication, and physician & hospital

costs]

• unpaid caregiver opportunity costs [which are the wages that could

have been earned by informal caregivers, were they able to

participate in the labour force]

• indirect costs associated with the provision of unpaid care – such as

the lost corporate profits and wages that result from the reduction in

labour productivity for both the individual with dementia and the

provider of informal care).

Alzheimer Society of York Region

AS York is part of the leading nation-wide charitable

health organization for ADRD both in terms of program

delivery and advocacy

AS York has been actively supporting individuals and

families coping with ADRD for more than 25 years

Alzheimer Society of York Region

We continue to meet the demands and challenges in

more timely and effective ways that reach out to a

broader and increased number of people

We do so by providing the best quality care for people

with dementia and their families and to continually

improve and learn about new services …

RANGE AND DIVERSITY OF CURRENT PROGRAM PARTNERS

Acute Care (Community) - York Central Hospital ADP

- Baycrest

- Regional Geriatric Programs

- GEM nurses in York hospitals

York Region Police - Wandering Registry

- Project Lifesaver

Alzheimer Chapters

and Associations -ASC (Safely Home)

-ASO (PPAC, OEC, F/R)

- AST, ASGSC

Community Support Services

- CHATS

- Circle of Care

- Parkview Services to Seniors

--CSSN Steering Committee

- C-LHIN Dementia Network

Regional Municipality York - Maple Health Centre ADP

- Keswick Gardens ADP

- IPOP program

Long Term Care

- Parkview Home

- The Woodhaven

- Maple Health Centre

CCAC -Day program eligibility

-B of C project

-DWTC

Current Service Delivery

Client Ethnic Composition

• D.A.Y. program participants from 35 different ethnic communities or nationalities as identified by their families:

• Aboriginal (Chippewa First Nation), Albanian, Barbadian, Bermudian, British, Chinese, Columbian, Danish, Filipino, Finnish, German, Greek, Guatemalan, Hungarian, Indian, Iraqi, Iranian, Irish, Italian, Jamaican, Jewish, Lebanese, Maltese, Peruvian, Polish, Portuguese, Scottish, Slovakian, Slovenian, South African, Sri Lankan, Swedish, Trinidadian, Venezuelan, Vietnamese.

AS York Staff Diversity

• AS York staff addressed clients’ needs in Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil, Italian, Polish, French, and Spanish.

• AS York Staff also from urban, suburban and rural backgrounds

Our Unique Client Integration Service Model

• Our Caregiver Support and Education Program provide the

following services to clients in cognitively-impaired day centre

programming across the Region:

• Continuity for clients

• Navigation throughout the disease process

• Links to other community supports

• Standardized admission process and assessment process

• On going involvement during clients participation in day respite services

• Follow up after day program discharge

• Resource to partners to ensure quality and best practice approaches

Result: AS York 2010 - 2011 Service

D.A.Y. Centres

• 3 day program sites (Thornhill, Newmarket and Stouffville)

• 14,590 units of day program delivered

• 254 cognitively impaired participants serviced at programs

• average length of time spent in day programs = 14 months

• 5,246 rides provided for program participants

Support and Education

• 1,795 families serviced by AS York Caregiver Support and Education Team

• 7,303 counselling hours provided

• 60 support groups facilitated

• 15 family education sessions facilitated of Dementia Foundations series (3 sessions per series)

• 11.845 individuals were reached at community education and awareness events

Partnerships & Integration • 28,320 cognitively impaired day program spaces filled in York Region

• 4,226 hours of caregiver support and education provided to our partner agencies

• All 9 cognitively impaired day centre programs in York are directly connected to AS York Service Model

The Future Imperative

AS York to establish a Centre of Excellence in York

Region to support individuals with dementia and their

caregivers

A facility that will provide comprehensive, innovative,

leading edge programs and services that address the

disease from pre-diagnosis to end of life care

Best Practices in Quality

Dementia Care

New Centre of Excellence based on a report commissioned by AS York to identify best practices in quality dementia care

Information gathered from key experts and supported by a national and international literature review

Report outlined evidence-based or best known practices for person-centred dementia care for the continuum of service, from initial public awareness and prevention to end of life care

Best Practices in Quality

Dementia Care

This report demonstrated that there is no single program that is “the best one” and that a range of supports are required for people with dementia and their caregivers as the disease progresses

The design and delivery of effective and efficient human services and supports that will maximize the health and quality of life for people with dementia and their families becomes the focus

Best Practices in Quality

Dementia Care

Recommendations for consideration as described in the

report include:

• Placing greater onus on early stage programming to mitigate the on-

set of the disease

• Placing greater onus on late stage programming to allow people to stay in the community longer

• The creation of an Alzheimer Learning Institute

• Additional supports for caregivers

• The addition of the First Link program

Looking Forward –

New Centre of Excellence

Looking Forward –

New Centre of Excellence

Design Guidelines

Externally, the new facility will create a sense of comfort and confidence for caregivers as they arrive to leave their loved one at the D.A.Y. Centre

The external façade will have a similar effect on individuals with dementia making them feel comfortable and at ease in being left at the D.A.Y. Centre by their loved one

Design Guidelines

Internally, program spaces will duplicate the look and feel

of an inviting and comfortable home

Sensory gardens and patios will create fabulous outdoor

living spaces with walking paths and a variety of plants to

stimulate the senses and to attract butterflies, dragon

flies, lady bugs, humming birds etc – promotes mental

and physical stimulation and the general well-being of

day centre participants

We envision our new facility to be an uplifting place that provides service excellence in supporting individuals with dementia and their families with:

• A Caregiver Wellness Centre

• A Therapeutic Living Centre

• Overnight Respite

• A Dementia Café

• The Alzheimer Learning Institute

• Additional cognitively impaired day centres (developed offsite)

Gold Standard for Service

Excellence

How it all fits together-

Building Memories Outcome

Dementia Café & First Link – Education and early interventions can mitigate the progress of the disease and will encourage families tand individuals to seek earlier diagnosis

Alzheimer Learning Institute – a classroom and resource centre to promote the prevention or delay of the onset of dementia while increasing public and professional awareness about dementia and dementia care

How it all fits together

Building Memories Outcome

Caregiver Wellness Centre – enhanced support services that alleviate the stress and burden commonly associated with the role

A focus on caregiver support could result in reduced economic costs of up to 5.3% and a reduction of caregiver time¹

[1] Rising Tide – The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society. Alzheimer Society of Canada, January 2010

How it all fits together

Building Memories Outcome

Therapeutic Living Centre - Demonstration project of how environmental and design enhancements will enable persons living with dementia and their caregivers to live well.

Overnight Respite - A safe and secure home environment which is custom designed to support persons coping with progressive cognitive impairment. Qualified and professional staff, specially trained to care for and be sensitive to the needsof the families coping with dementia.

How it all fits together

The Alzheimer Society of York Region will achieve the following outcomes:

• Healthy lifestyles that help prevent dementia

• More people seeking early diagnosis and intervention

• Improved capacity for people with dementia to live well, with dignity

• Increased knowledge about dementia

• Skilled and seamless dementia workforce

• Integrated care delivery

Questions / Comments

Loren Freid, Executive Director

Andrea Ubell, Senior Manager, Programs & Client Services

Lynn Conforti, Manager of Fund Development

Thank you!