At Carewest, residents who have a diagnosis of dementia live in homelike settings as part of our Supportive Pathways program.
The Supportive Pathways program provides individualized care to residents with dementia in a supportive, homelike environment.
The Supportive Pathways program is currently under review. There are no Train-the-Trainer sessions planned for 2024 at this time.
The title “Supportive Pathways” was chosen as each resident and their family will need ongoing “support”. Each resident has a unique journey through the disease process, which results in differing “pathways” of care. Our program strives to ensure we have skilled staff, specially designed environments and a partnership with families to provide the resident with the highest quality of life possible.
The Supportive Pathways staff are our most important asset in the provision of quality care. Staff are chosen for attributes specific to care of residents with dementia and attend dementia specific education developed in house. The Supportive Pathways Education Program integrates the latest research knowledge and best practices in dementia care.
If you have any questions about the Supportive Pathways program or require more information, please e-mail: [email protected]
See the agenda for a typical Train-the-Trainer session.
- The seven modules in the course cover how to:
- Understand how personal and organizational beliefs relate to quality care.
- Emphasize the importance of maintaining a client’s personhood and providing individualized care.
- Partner with families.
- Recognize the normal changes of aging.
- Explain disease processes of Alzheimer Disease and other related dementias.
- Normalize living environments.
- Provide meaningful activities.
- Respond to altered behaviours that may occur.
Throughout the course there is an emphasis on recognizing the person behind the disease, that all behaviour has meaning and the importance of focusing on the ‘now’ for both their enjoyment and care strategies.
Trainers will use a variety of teaching styles, including individual and group exercises, storytelling, mini lectures, videos and self introspection. The aim is for staff to develop a greater understanding of both client and family issues. The foundation of the course is the Whole Person Supportive Pathways Model of Care, highlighting a social model of care that is central to the program, care standards and staff performance expectations.
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- This program can help your staff gain special skills, knowledge and attributes to continually support the person with dementia. By strengthening individualized care to encompass the whole person in a supportive environment, caregivers can reduce conflict and promote enjoyment in their lives. In addition, Carewest staff have found that the training boosted their confidence in the care of persons with dementia, thereby making them happier and more fulfilled employees.
To ensure care standards are met, the “Competency Profile for Dementia Care Support Worker” developed by the Calgary Health Region Dementia Care Network has been integrated in the training and evaluation of staff.
The Supportive Pathways Program is setting a standard in the industry. The education program has been chosen as the provincial curriculum for dementia care training. We will be sharing our knowledge and experience across the province in the coming year. Our Performance Development Tools are specifically designed for dementia care and have been shared with numerous organizations across the country.
The innovative, homelike environments of our new facilities at Carewest Signal Pointe and Colonel Belcher reflect our commitment to providing the highest quality of life possible for our residents with dementia.