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Webinar for South Okanagan caregivers looking into long-term care

Seniors will make up 77 per cent of Penticton’s population growth
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Choosing the right long term care for your loved one can be a daunting task. An Aug. 25 webinar can help. (Submitted)

When Penticton residents living with dementia require full-time support due to complex needs, moving to a long-term care home may be the next step for caregivers or family.

But researching long-term care can be an overwhelming and stressful process for people around the region.

The Alzheimer Society of B.C. is here to provide support for area residents by offering free weekly webinars, including “Considering the transition to long-term care,” on Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 2 p.m.

More than three-quarters of Penticton’s population growth from 2016 to 2046 is expected to be in the 65-plus population. Seniors will make up 77 per cent of the city’s growth.

Boomers in Penticton are reaching retirement age. They’re part of the reason demand for long-term care is expected to spike in B.C. over the coming years, said the Alzheimer Society of B.C.

READ MORE: Seniors to make up 77% of Penticton’s population growth

The Alzheimer Society of B.C. is offering these tips on finding the right long-term care home:

• Consider what your priorities and expectations are in a long-term care home

• Contact your local community health centres for information about the long-term care application process in your area. Some communities have a number of homes to choose from. Make a list of long-term care home options and narrow the list down to ones you would like to visit.

• Visit each home on your list to see firsthand what each one has to offer. Bring your list of priorities, expectations, and any questions you may have so you don’t leave out anything important. Some long-term care homes allow the person living with dementia to visit the home and become familiar with it through day programs or respite services.

• Try to be flexible and consider whether you could work with the staff to meet the needs of the person living with dementia. Even after an extensive search, you may not find everything you want in a single home.

To learn more about transitioning to long-term care, register for the webinar at alzbc.org/webinars.

A follow-up webinar, “Adjusting to long-term care,” continues discussing the experience of transitioning into long-term care and explores different ways to ease the transition.

The session includes how-to’s on preparing for a move, adjusting to the move for both caregivers and people living with dementia, and working with the care team. The session is on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 2 p.m.

To learn about other topics related to dementia, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. invites you to sign up for one of its free webinars. Upcoming webinars in August include:

• Community changes (Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2 p.m. ): Explore how communication is affected by dementia and learn effective communication strategies.

To register for any of these webinars, please visit alzbc.org/webinars.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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