INFORMATION FOR YOU
Healthcare Professionals
As a healthcare professional, you need to know about the most recent studies, treatment options and special activities geared to people with Alzheimer’s.
The Alzheimer Society of Montréal has established the following programmes and services to assist you in your projects and your work:
The Alzheimer Society of Montreal is part of the Professionals Networking for Caregivers (PNC).
The “Forget Me Not” Programme
The Forget Me Not programme was launched in 1997, through the efforts of a specialised education student at Vanier College, in Montréal. Her idea to set up a gardening programme using Forget Me Not flowers has since blossomed. The horticultural programme, aimed at providing stimulation for people with Alzheimer’s or related diseases, led to the idea of encouraging professionals to be creative in their work environment.
The Forget Me Not programme was developed by the Alzheimer Society of Montréal to encourage healthcare professionals to create stimulation, awareness-raising and educational programmes for people with Alzheimer’s or related diseases.
The programme is addressed to the following organizations:
- Assisted-living and long-term care centres
- Residences
- Day centres
- Respite care centres
- Community organizations
- Any other group working with people with Alzheimer’s or related diseases.
Organizations wishing to participate in the programme should contact the Alzheimer Society of Montréal to obtain a programme Guide. By participating in the programme, organizations are eligible for one of three purses, grants, awards, scholarships and recognition plaques awarded annually by the Alzheimer Society of Montréal.
“Forget Me Not” Interactive Workshops
The Forget Me Not programme led to the development of an annual seminar, The Forget Me Not Interactive Workshops, for healthcare professionals (recreation specialists, nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, specialised educators, etc.). The primary goal is to allow participants to familiarize themselves with various innovative intervention approaches for people with Alzheimer’s or related diseases, while allowing them to share with other professionals in the field. The first workshops were held in March 1999, and are now held on an annual basis as a complement to the Forget Me Not programme.
The “First Link”Programme, a Tool for Doctors and Healthcare Professionals
Asking for help isn’t always easy for friends and family touched by the disease. Many people know about the Alzheimer Society, but don’t contact us in time. To remedy this situation, the Alzheimer Society of Montréal has established First Link, a programme allowing healthcare professionals to help people with Alzheimer’s and their families at the crucial moment of diagnosis.
First Link:
- Puts families in touch with support services as soon as possible
- Integrates the family into an educational network
- Provides optimum assistance
To register someone and his or her family in the First Link programme, professionals must fill out the reference protocol, with the individual’s consent, and fax it to the Alzheimer Society of Montréal. A counsellor from the Alzheimer Society of Montréal will then call the person and his or her family. Various information and support services will be made available, based on an evaluation of their needs.
For information about First Link or to receive an information kit, please call April Hayward at 514 369-0800, or e-mail: ahayward@alzheimermontreal.ca.
Press release (In French) |
