Ontario is investing $761,500 in the Alzheimer Society of Ontario’s Finding Your Way program to help improve training and reach more people who come into contact with persons affected by dementia.
The Finding Your Way program is a multicultural safety campaign that helps people with dementia stay safe and active, while helping to prevent the risk of wandering and going missing.
Three out of five people with dementia go missing. There is greater risk of injury, even death, for those missing for more than 24 hours.
The program’s training services will be enhanced this year to include first-responders as well as supportive housing and retirement homes staff.
“These improvements to the Finding Your Way program will help reach more people and provide important information to protect those with dementia,” said Mario Sergio, minister responsible for seniors affairs in a press release.
“Our communities have an important role to play in helping keep people with dementia safe, and this funding will help the Alzheimer Society of Ontario to deliver these resources to even more Ontarians.”
The funding will also help the Alzheimer society:
– launch an enhanced website;
– deliver new eLearning seminars and town halls;
– increase volunteer recruitment activities on campuses and in the private sector; and
– distribute 20,000 new brochures.
Investing in services and supports to help keep seniors safe is part of the government’s plan to build stronger and healthier communities.
