Education Programs

Our Public Education Coordinators offer dementia specific education to professionals working with people with dementia in a variety of settings including long term care homes, community agencies, supportive housing and retirement homes.

Our programs are flexible and geared toward the learning needs of different groups including personal support workers, activationists, nursing, dietary and housekeeping staff, students, volunteers, friendly visitors.

These programs can be offered to groups at your facility or at Alzheimer Society of Toronto offices.

For more information about any of the programs listed below, please contact one of our Public Education Coordinators:
- Mercedes Hughes at 416 322 6560 ext. 238 or mhughes@alzheimertoronto.org
- Caitlin Kuntz at 416 322 6560 ext. 224 or ckuntz@alzheimertoronto.org

Programs:

Personal Support Worker Training – 9 Hours

Using a person centred approach to care, the goal of this comprehensive program is to enhance the knowledge and understanding of dementia of front line workers, enabling them to provide quality care for persons with dementia.

The program is divided into 3 parts:

• Part 1 - Overview of Alzheimer’s Disease, Communication Skills
• Part 2 - Responsive Behaviours, Working with Families
• Part 3 - Aging Simulation, Activities of Daily Living, Therapeutic Activities

This training is offered free of charge, and sessions must be taken in order

Certificates are issued upon completion of all sessions

 Advance Care Planning

These free workshops explain advance directives on care choices for persons with dementia and their families including issues like consent and substitute decision making.

We can offer a full day workshop for professionals, and a 90 minute session for members of the public.

Gentle Persuasive Approaches in Dementia Care: 
   Responding to Persons with Challenging Behaviours

A full day interactive workshop from the Continuing Gerontological Education Cooperative (CGEC) for all levels of staff and departments in organizations that care for persons with dementia.

• Based on principles of person centred care.
• Respond respectfully and with confidence and skill to challenging behaviours associated with dementia
• Certification issued upon completion through the GPA Project.

Enhancing Care

This program is an assessment process that assists an organization to evaluate its programs and services in relation to the Alzheimer Society of Canada’s “Guidelines for Care”.

Program is made up of a series of five or six 2 hour meetings.

Participants consist of a representative cross section of individuals from the facility or agency who interact with persons with dementia.

 U-First!

U-First! was developed to complement other educational initiatives from the Ontario Provincial Alzheimer’s Strategy.

The goal of U-First training is to encourage a common knowledge base, common language, common values and a common approach to providing care for persons with Alzheimer Disease and related dementias.

Our educators are trained facilitators for U-First! for front line workers in long term care homes and in the community support services sector.

We offer a full day education program which includes a job aid tool (the U-First! Wheel).

 Training for Volunteers

This 1 ½ to 2 hour session is useful for volunteers who have contact with people with dementia through friendly visiting in their home, in long term care homes, in day programs, hospitals

Topics include:  

• Overview of Alzheimer’s Disease
• Communication Strategies
• Remaining Strengths
• Effective Activities
• Visitors Do’s and Don'ts

  Additional Seminars

These free seminars are flexible, geared toward the learning needs of the participants.

Available by request.

Sessions can be offered in our offices or in your agency or facility.

Possible topics:

• Driving and Dementia
• Sexuality and Dementia
• Substance Abuse and Dementia
• Abuse and Dementia
• Communication Strategies
• Understanding Challenging Behaviour
• Home Safety
• Making the Most of ADL's
• The Brain and Behaviour
• Frontotemporal Dementia
• Lewy Body Dementia
• Vascular Dementia
• Professional Stress
• Wandering and Safely Home
• Down’s Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease
• Walk a Mile in My Shoes

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