Pilot begins: Advance Care Planning for people living with dementia and their family/friend caregivers

The BCCPC dementia project enters a new phase this month with the launch of the programs in partnership with four pilot sites in the North Okanagan, Greater Victoria and the Lower Mainland.

The project builds on the success of community-led Advance Care Planning (ACP) interventions to meet the needs of people living with early stages of dementia and their family and friends, and is supported by funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Dementia Community Investment.

ACP is a key component of person-centred care for people living with dementia. Early planning is especially important with this population to make sure that care decisions align with the person’s core wishes, values and beliefs. In addition, it sets up a blueprint for individuals to stay involved in decisions about their care as their disease progresses.

ACP Facilitator

My Wishes, My Care

Two community-led ACP programs were developed for people living with early stages of dementia and their family and friends – a guided conversation event and a two-part ACP information session. The two programs were designed to complement each other and, ideally, to be taken in sequence. Titled My Wishes, My Care…, the programs included in the project pilot are:

• A guided conversation event to help participants explore their wishes, values, and beliefs as a first step to preparing a plan for future health and personal care. This event is a preliminary step to beginning the ACP process.

• A two-part information session to teach participants about the steps of ACP, and offer information and resources to help them get started.

Pilot is ready for take-off

For the project’s pilot phase, each of the four community partners will receive training from BCCPC and host one guided conversation event and one two-part information session before the end of December 2020.

Representing four distinct communities, the four pilot sites are:

Adult Cognitive Wellness Centre (Langley): Newly launched in Spring 2020, the Adult Cognitive Wellness Centre uses Montessori principles to deliver cognitive, physical, social, spiritual and emotional programs to their clients living with dementia, while also supporting and engaging their caregivers.

Family Caregivers of British Columbia (Greater Victoria): Committed to strengthening the voice of family caregivers and highlighting the significance of their role, the Family Caregivers of BC has a mission to improving the quality of life for family caregivers through support, information and education.

North Okanagan Hospice Society (North Okanagan): While their primary mission is to provide quality end-of-life care to the North Okanagan community, the Society’s REACH program (Resources, Education and Advocacy to Champion Hospice-palliative care) demonstrates their belief that palliative care starts long before people enter hospice. Rather, it starts at home, around a kitchen table, talking to loved ones about end-of-life wishes.

CareRx Vancouver Downtown (Vancouver): More than providing pharmacy services to residents in long term care, retirement homes, hospice homes and group homes in Greater Vancouver, CareRx also focuses on education – their own and their clients’. CareRx is looking ahead to support the increasing number of older adults who wish to age in place.

This initiative is supported by funding from Public Health Agency of Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Public Health Agency of Canada. Cette initiative bénéficie du soutien de l’Agence de la santé publique du Canada. Les opinions qui y sont exprimées ne représentent pas nécessairement les positions de l’Agence de la santé publique du Canada.

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