Alzheimer Strategy

Go BackOn September 10, 1999, the government of Ontario announced Ontario?s Strategy for Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). The first comprehensive Alzheimer Strategy in Canada, the government committed to investing $68.4 million over five years (1999-2004).  The Strategy outlines 10 specific, but related initiatives to improve the quality of life for Ontarions affected by ADRD. The resources, new positions and educational opportunities arising from these initiatives continue to have impact on caregiving....read more: Ontario?s Strategy For ADRD, Preparing For Our Future

Overview of the Alzheimer Strategy Initiatives and Initiative Goals 

Initiative

Main Goal(s) *

#1: Staff Education & Training
  • to offer annual training programs to staff of long-term care homes, community care access centres, and community support services serving people with ADRD
  • to assess additional training approaches
  • to evaluate training on an ongoing basis and ensure linkages between all educational components

#2: Physician Training
  • to provide training to family physicians to assist them in the early detection and diagnosis of ADRD, optimal prescribing practices, and how best to use community services

#3: Increase in Public Awareness, Information and Education
  • to raise awareness of ADRD, recruit volunteers, develop and facilitate caregiver support groups, and coordinate training events across the province

#4: Planning for Appropriate, Safe and Secure Environments
  • to hold annual conferences over the course of the Strategy which explore the creative and functional design of living space for people with ADRD, as well as optimal models of care and appropriate improvements in home environments

#5: Respite Services for Caregivers
  • to create new Alzheimer day program spaces and expand Alzheimer volunteer respite programs through ongoing provincial funding

#6: Research on Caregiver Needs
  • to undertake research to determine what key community support services are needed by caregivers in Ontario

#7: Advance Directives on Care Choices
  • to undertake broad consultation with key stakeholders on a provincial strategy on advance directives for care
  • to produce educational materials and provide appropriate training to ensure consistency in the Strategy?s application
  • to pursue private and public partnerships for the development and dissemination of educational materials

#8: Psychogeriatric Consulting Resources
  • to employ 50 psychogeriatric consultants to advise staff in long-term care homes and community service agencies on how to work with people who have dementia, other complex mental health needs and associated behaviours

#9A: Dementia Networks
  • to improve the system of care required by persons, families and caregivers living with dementia through the creation of new sustainable networks or the maintenance of existing dementia networks

#9B: Research Coalition
  • to explore the creation of a research coalition with a mandate to plan, coordinate and monitor collaborative, multidisciplinary Alzheimer research projects
  • the research coalition will promote Alzheimer research and be a resource to government in an advisory capacity

#9C: Specialized Geriatric Services
  • to initiate a collaborative effort to refine the scope and mandate of specialized geriatric services to make their expertise more readily available to people with Alzheimer Disease and their families

#10: Intergenerational Volunteer Initiative
  • to provide funding to support the recruitment, training and support of students in grades 11 and 12 who volunteer with individuals with ADRD at long-term care homes and community agencies

* Taken from Ontario?s Strategy for Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias 1999 ? 2004 Implementation Milestones and Status, April 2004 document.

Alzheimer Strategy ? Overall Evaluation 

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Interviews with key stakeholder associations / organizations ? Phase I & II

The interviews focused on the impact of the Alzheimer Strategy, strengths, weaknesses, etc.

Stakeholder Interviews Interim Report '03

Stakeholder Interviews Final Report '04

Initiative 1: Staff Education and Training 

Component

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Putting the P.I.E.C.E.S. Together Learning Initiative

Pre, immediate post and post questionnaires (confidence questions, feedback on sessions, how knowledge will be used)

Survey of LTC homes (feedback on the P.I.E.C.E.S. Initiative and the PRC Role)

Interviews with LTC homes that had success and limited success with P.I.E.C.E.S.

 

Init 1 - ?Putting the P.I.E.C.E.S. Together? Training Initiative 2001 Final Evaluation Report

Init 1 - ?Putting the P.I.E.C.E.S. Together? Training Initiative 2002, Final Evaluation Report *

Init 1 - Survey of Long-Term Care Facilities: Feedback on the P.I.E.C.E.S. Initiative

Init 1 - Survey of LTC Facilities: Feedback on the PRC Role

Enhancing Care in Adult Day Programs

Pre and post questionnaires re: ECP

Focus groups with ADP staff and clients/family members 

 Init 1 - Implementing the Enhancing Care Program in ADPs: Final Evaluation Report

U-First! Program

Pre, immediate post and follow-up questionnaires (confidence questions, feedback on sessions, how knowledge will be used)

 Init 1 - Evaluation of the U-First! Program: Final Report

Enabler Program

Pre, immediate post and follow-up questionnaires (confidence questions, feedback on sessions, how knowledge will be used)

 Init 1 - Evaluation of the Enabler  Program: Final Report

Community P.I.E.C.E.S.

Pre, immediate post and follow-up questionnaires (confidence questions, feedback on sessions, how knowledge will be used) 

 Init 1 - Evaluation of the Community P.I.E.C.E.S. Program: Final Report

Reimbursement for Education

Feedback obtained after completion of course re: how knowledge will be used

 Init 1 - Reimbursement for Education Activities: Final Evaluation Report

* Evaluation conducted by aestima Research, not the Alzheimer Strategy Evaluator.

Initiative 2: Physician Training 

Component

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Opinion Leader Program

Pre questionnaire and 3 follow-up questionnaires (knowledge, dementia practices, mentoring relationship, opinion leader activities)

Questionnaires to obtain feedback on workshops

Opinion Leader and mentor logs

Survey of physicians who were identified as being influenced by Opinion Leaders

 Init 2 Final Evaluation Report 2006

 

Peer Presenter Program

Questionnaires to obtain feedback on workshop

Peer Presenter didactic sessions ? questionnaire to obtain feedback on session

Peer Presenter interactive sessions ? pre, immediate post and follow-up questionnaires (understanding of topic area, feedback on session, how knowledge used)

Family Medicine Preceptor Program

Questionnaires to obtain feedback on workshops

ACP Initiative

Pre, immediate post and follow-up questionnaires (familiarity with ACP issues, confidence questions, feedback on sessions)

Curriculum

Summary of activities undertaken by the Curriculum Advisory Committee

 

Initiative 3: Increase in Public Awareness, Information and Education 

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Collection of units of service data

Init 3 Final Evaluation Report ? Overview of Results

 

Survey of PECs; survey of PECs and Alzheimer Chapter Executive Directors

Questionnaire to obtain feedback on educational activities

 

Initiative 4: Planning for Appropriate, Safe and Secure Environments 

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Focus group with selected conference participants

Init 4 ? Summary of Focus Group Results

 

Initiative 5: Respite Services for Caregiver 

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Survey of Adult Day Programs that received funding

  Init 5 ? Final Evaluation Report

Initiative 6: Research on Caregiver Needs 

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Research undertaken on caregiver needs (literature review, survey, focus groups)

Init 6 - Research Reports Links *

Review of scope of activities undertaken

Init 6 ? Final Evaluation Report

* Reports prepared by Dr. Bryan Smale and Dr. Sherry Dupuis

Initiative 7: Advance Directives on Care Choices 

Component

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Physician Opinion Leader Conferences

Feedback on sessions

Init 7 - Final Report on the Ian Anderson Sessions

ACP Resource Teams & Activities

Pre and post questionnaires for Resource Team members

Pre, immediate post and follow-up questionnaires for public education session participants

Pre and immediate post questionnaires for service provider education session participants

Init 7 ? ACP Resource Teams Final Evaluation Report

Init 7 ? ACP Sessions for Members of the Public Final Evaluation Report

Init 7 ? ACP Sessions for Service Providers Final Evaluation Report

LTC Administrators

Pre and immediate post questionnaires

Init 7 - ACP Sessions for LTC Home Administrators Final Evaluation Report

Initiative 8: Psychogeriatric Consulting Resources 

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Collection of units of service data

Init 8 Final Evaluation Report ? Overview of Results

 

Survey of LTC homes (feedback on the  P.I.E.C.E.S. Initiative and the PRC Role)

Telephone interviews to obtain feedback on case-based activities

Questionnaire to obtain feedback on topic-specific educational activities

Questionnaires to obtain feedback from PRCs, PRC sponsoring/partner agencies, and Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Teams

Initiative 9A: Dementia Networks

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Questionnaire to obtain feedback on regional sessions conducted about Dementia Networks

Init 9A ? Summary of Feedback on Regional Sessions

Interviews and questionnaires to obtain feedback on Dementia Networks

Init 9A ? Evaluation Report Phase 1 ? 2003

Init 9A ? Evaluation Report Phase 2 ? 2005

Initiative 9B: Research Coalition 

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Compilation of information on Research Coalition members

Summary of activities undertaken by Research Coalition

Init 9B ? Research Coalition Final Evaluation Report

Initiative 9C: Specialized Geriatric Services 

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Summary of recommendations by expert panel

 

Init 9C - Final Report prepared by the Initiative Consultants *

* Report prepared by the Initiative #9C Consultants, not the Alzheimer Strategy Evaluator

Initiative 10: Intergenerational Volunteer Initiative 

Methodology Employed

Evaluation Report(s)

Summary of activities undertaken and the evaluation of these activities

Init10 ? Final report conducted by the Initiative Consultant *

Init10 -Booklet: Creating a Local Intergenerational Alzheimer Projec t**

Comment on Consultant?s report

Init10 ? Final Report by Alzheimer Strategy Evaluator

* Evaluation conducted by the Initiative Consultant, not the Alzheimer Strategy Evaluator.

** Booklet developed by the Older Adults Centres Association of Ontario, United Generations of Ontario, and the Alzheimer Society of Ontario.