WorkSafeBC (British Columbia) recently hosted an information session to support the health care industry in defining care practices that will keep workers safe when caring for people with dementia. The session took place in the Alice MacKay room at the Vancouver Public Library. (WCxKit)
“This session features experts in the field who provided some tools and strategies to help workers and employers care for people with dementia,” said Donna Wilson, WorkSafeBC vice-president of Industry Services and Sustainability. “Each year, 1 in 10 workers in residential care miss time from work due to a work-related injury.”
Dementia affects about one in three people over the age of 85 years. About 70,000 people in B.C. live with some form of dementia, and more than 15,000 new cases are diagnosed in the province each year.
The cognitive and physical losses caused by dementia are the main reason why people move into residential care, and more than 80 percent of people in residential care live with some level of dementia. Symptoms of dementia include challenging behaviors, and it is critically important that health care workers understand proper care techniques and learn how to use good practice guidelines.
“As the population ages, the number of people suffering some form of dementia will dramatically increase,” said Jean Blake, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of B.C., a keynote speaker of the session. “With awareness, knowledge, and proper planning, health care providers will gain the education they need to provide high quality, evidence-based care, as well as the skills to facilitate respectful interactions that ensure the dignity of a person living with dementia in residential care.”
The information session was videotaped and is available online, along with WorkSafeBC’s DVD, Working with Dementia: Safe Work Practices for Caregivers, and the handbook, Dementia: Understanding Risks and Preventing Violence. To find these items, visit the Safety@Work Centre for Health Care at www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/HealthCare/Violence.asp. (WCxKit)
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
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