Public Invited to Participate in Consultations on Dementia Care Action Plan

  • Health and Community Services

October 23, 2019

The Provincial Government is inviting people in Newfoundland and Labrador to help inform the development of a Dementia Care Action Plan. The deadline to participate is November 25, 2019.

The Dementia Care Action Plan will help individuals and families living with dementia, support caregivers, and enhance professional development opportunities for health care providers. Areas of focus will be prevention, early diagnosis, stigma reduction, and care and support.

Public consultations are starting in November.

Date Community Venue Time
November 4 Happy Valley-Goose Bay Hotel North Two 382 Hamilton River Road 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
November 6 Corner Brook Glynmill Inn 1B Cobb Lane 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
November 14 St. John’s NL Housing and Homelessness Network 77 Charter Avenue, Suite 100 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
November 21 Gander College of the North Atlantic 1 Magee Road 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

People can also participate by visiting www.engagenl.ca. A discussion document and online questionnaire is available for input.

For those people unable to complete the online questionnaire, a written copy can be requested by calling 709-729-3120.

Written submissions may also be sent through regular mail to the address below:
Dementia Care Action Plan
Regional Services Division
Department of Health and Community Services
P.O. Box 8700
First Floor, West Block
Confederation Building
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
A1B 4J6

Targeted stakeholder sessions will also take place over the coming weeks. This will include sessions with the regional health authorities, community partners, geriatric specialists, and individuals and their families. Invitations to those meetings will be sent later this week through the department.

Dementia is having a significant and growing impact in Canada with more than 419,000 Canadians aged 65 years and older diagnosed with dementia. Two-thirds of those diagnosed are women. As the country’s population ages, the number of Canadians affected by dementia is expected to increase. According to the Alzheimer Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, there are approximately 9,600 people living with dementia in this province.

Quote
“I am interested in hearing what people have to say about dementia care and I encourage everyone to take part in these consultations. This gives us the opportunity to understand our strengths, identify the challenges we need to overcome, and find out what the opportunities are to improve services and supports for individuals and their families, caregivers, health care providers, community partners and the broader community.”
Honourable John Haggie
Minister of Health and Communities Services

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Learn more
EngageNL

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Media contact
Kathy Dicks-Peyton
Health and Community Services
709-729-6986, 699-1982
kathydickspeyton@gov.nl.ca

2019 10 23 2:55 pm