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Resources & Tools

Resources and Tools

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Motor vehicle incidents are among the leading causes of traumatic workplace injuries and fatalities in BC. The Safe Driving for Work Checklist has been developed to help employers and their workers take proactive steps to manage driving-related risks. This checklist serves as a practical guide to reinforce safe driving practices and is designed to be used before, during, and after each trip.
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In long-term care it is increasingly apparent that who is on shift is just as important as how many staff are on shift. Quality care is difficult to achieve when we do not routinely engage with one another in a positive, or civil, manner.
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Programs & Services

Programs and Services

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Leading from the Inside Out
Leading from the Inside Out provides a safe space for leaders in continuing care to share their challenges and learn self-care practices.
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The Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum is recognized as best-practice in violence prevention training for health care workers.
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Guidelines & Regulations

Guidelines and Regulations

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Amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR), Part 5: Chemical Agents and Biological Agents – Emergency Planning came into effect on February 3, 2025. Changes include additional requirements to minimize the risk, likelihood, and harm caused by an emergency involving hazardous substances.   Hazardous substances include biological, chemical or physical hazards that may reasonably […]
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WorkSafeBC has acknowledged an error in calculating the 2025 insurance premiums that are paid by our two member employer groups–those providing community health support services (classification unit 766006) and those in long-term care (classification unit 766011).
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fEATURED tOPIC

Dementia Care

Dementia can affect behaviour and mood - but the care for persons with dementia aims to achieve the same goals - whether at home or in long-term care - safety for the person, family, and caregivers.

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias | Understanding behaviours related to dementia – a guide for care workers

Understanding dementia

  • Dementia is an umbrella term with many subtypes, such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and frontal-temporal dementia. The most common type (64%) is Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Most dementia is non-reversible and progressive.
  • Each person’s journey is different.
  • Changes in the ability to function and think vary, depending on stage and type
  • Cognitive losses result in:
    • Impaired ability to learn, remember information and concentrate
    • Decreased ability to solve problems, make decisions and use good judgment
    • Increased difficulty communicating and reduced ability to care for self independently

Goals of care

Care for persons with dementia aims to achieve the same goals whether at home or in residential care:

  • Safety of the person, family and caregivers
  • Respect and dignity for the person
  • Maximum independence and ability to function
  • Optimal quality of life for the older adult, including freedom from anxiety, agitation, fear and
    loneliness

In the home, ensure a safe environment, create a routine that works for the older person, and facilitate rest and respite for family caregivers.

In long-term care, design the environment to make the most of quality of life (e.g., safe access to outdoor space); ensure that approaches to care are flexible and person-centred.

Complications of dementia

  • Dementia affects behaviour and mood. Many persons with dementia will develop Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD).
  • The nature of BPSD includes:
    • Symptoms such as anxiety, depression, agitation, reversed sleep patterns, hallucinations
    • Repetitive behaviours such as repeated questions, rocking, pacing, restlessness, crying, calling out, repeated communication or actions (e.g., tapping fingers)
    • Socially difficult behaviours such as screaming, resistance to care and verbal outbursts.
    • Behaviours arise from brain damage caused by dementia and can be triggered by unmet needs or the environment. Behaviours are seldom unpredictable.

A new way to understand behaviours

  • In dementia, all behaviour has meaning. When words are lost, communication becomes behavioural. Every behaviour has an underlying cause.
  • Behaviours are the older adult’s best attempt to cope with a confusing and threatening environment.
  • Words like “aggressive,” “disruptive,” “challenging,” “excessive,” and “resistive” are labels that have negative meanings and focus on the behaviour instead of the unmet need. Focus on the underlying cause of the behaviour.
  • Recognizing behaviours as “responsive” and “protective” helps guide care:
    • Responsive behaviours indicate an unmet need such as hunger, pain, thirst, need to void, boredom, sensory overload or fatigue.
    • Protective behaviours arise from the person’s need to protect themselves against feelings such as frustration, failure, embarrassment, confusion and fear.
  • The care team’s focus is to create an environment in each person’s best interests:
    • This environment includes physical surroundings that support the older adult’s limitations and enable them to continue using existing strengths.
    • The facility must also sustain a culture or philosophy of care that enables staff to adapt routines to individual needs.

Prevention is key: know the person

  • Responsive and protective behaviours can often be prevented by eliminating environmental stressors. Look for triggers and patterns. Build this knowledge into the individualized care plan.
  • Change the environment as needed. Changing the environment is easier than changing a person with dementia. For example, reduce noise or other stimulation, and provide a quiet space.
  • Learn about the person’s background, usual routine, personality, the name they prefer to be called, preferences, dislikes, strengths, fears, and what comforts them when distressed.

Communication approach

  • A person-centred philosophy of care includes a communication approach that aims to be positive, with a focus on connecting rather than correcting.
  • Always look friendly. Don’t rush or hurry care—it will take longer in the long run.
  • Use a positive tone of voice. Guide rather than control or tell. Distract rather than confront.
  • Don’t start sentences with “No” and “Don’t,” as this increases resistance. Never argue or scold.
  • Avoid “elderspeak” (e.g., “dear” or “honey”), the childish style of communication that some people use when speaking to older adults with dementia. This makes most people angry.
  • Simplify talk and use short sentences. Ask one question at a time and limit choices to ones the person can successfully make.
  • Use non-verbal language whenever possible (e.g., smiling, nodding, gesturing, cueing).
  • Avoid laughing near a person with dementia who is suspicious, paranoid or delusional—you may be misinterpreted as threatening, which could lead to a negative reaction.
  • Communication should enhance a person’s self-respect and decrease uncertainty and anxiety.
Dementia Care

Featured Resources

Dementia is an umbrella term with many subtypes such as Alzheimer’s disease, vasculardementia and frontal-temporal dementia. The most common type (64%) is Alzheimer’s disease.
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Starting at $35
Are you caring for someone living with dementia? Do you lead a multidisciplinary team who support those living with dementia? Do you want to better understand the challenges of Alzheimer’s and how it can affect a someone? Do you want to learn ways you can better care for someone with the disease?
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Learn to describe how dementia can change a person’s brain and explain why the strategies shown in the video are effective.
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Learn how dementia affects behaviour and be able to apply strategies to responsive behaviours.
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Families and continuing care providers work together to provide good quality, person-centred care for people living with dementia – yet sometimes, this experience is marked by frustration or resistance on both sides. A new video produced by SafeCare BC and the Alzheimer Society of B.C. explores the challenges and successes of caring for people living […]
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People living with dementia can experience changes in how they understand and process language, which can affect how they communicate.
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Dementia Care

Videos

Teepa Snow is a dementia-care education specialist with a background in occupational therapy and over 30 years in clinical practice. This was a presentation held by WorkSafe BC on April 27, 2012, on approach and communication with someone with dementia. How to Approach and Communicate with someone who has Dementia part 1. This was a […]
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June 24 @ 11:00am to 12:00pm
Explore how tech is transforming dementia care. Join Ron Beleno on June 24 to learn practical tools and trends for frontline caregivers.
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We strive to empower those working in the continuing care sector to create safer, healthier workplaces by fostering a culture of safety through evidence-based education, leadership, and collaboration.
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