N.L. government aims to make province more 'dementia-friendly' with new 3-year plan

The CEOof Newfoundland and Labrador's AlzheimerSociety says the province needs to become more dementia-friendly, and she hopes a new plan fromthe provincial government will do just that.

Shirley Lucas said the plan, released Thursday,will provide a great step forward in raising people's awareness ofdementia and what can be done for people who have it.

"The education is key in terms of having the population, as health-care professionals and the community at large, better educated on the dementia journey," Lucas said Thursday.

"We think that people in the province need to become more dementia-friendly, and inclusive of people with dementia within their individual communities."

Health Minister Tom Osborne shared details of the 36-step plan Thursday, sayingit focuses on four key areas:

• Increasing awareness, reducing the risk of and addressing the stigma of dementia.
• Improving diagnosis and the co-ordination of dementia care.
• Bettering supports and services for people living with dementia along with their caretakers and families.
• Improving workforce training so staff are knowledgeable about dementia and can provide compassionate care.

The plan comes three weeks after an 82-year-old woman with advanced dementia was attacked in her bed at the Dr. Hugh Twomey Health Care Centre in Botwood.

Osborne said there are about 10,000 people living with dementia in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the province expects there to be 4,000 more by 2035 as the population ages. The provincial government has set aside $3.5 million annually to fund the plan, which is divided into short-, medium- and long-term actions over three years.

"Everybody's experience with dementia is unique. A diagnosis of dementia should not define a person. Rather, dementia becomes part of their story. And their story continues," Osborne said.

"We must focus on opportunities to support individuals to live well within their homes and within their communities, resulting in better outcomes for the individuals, their families and caregivers, and better outcomes for the health-care system in general."

Osborne said dementia educationis especially important for health-care professionals. The province is aiming to provide better care for those living with the diagnosis in their homes so they can maintain a higher quality of life, he said.

That includes education modules for those already in the system, an expansion of education on dementia in the K-12 school system and more expansive training for professionals who work with dementia patients.

Osborne said the government is also working to recruit and retain more home-care workers and long-term care professionals.

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