Awareness Builds Connection in Dementia-Friendly Communities (ABCD)

Funded through the Public Health Agency of Canada, RDN’s Awareness Builds Connection in Dementia Friendly Communities (ABCD) project was guided by three priorities aligned with Canada’s national dementia strategy, A Dementia Strategy for Canada – Together We Aspire: (1) dementia prevention, (2) reducing stigma related to dementia, and (3) supporting communities to become more dementia-inclusive. The ABCD project worked with five rural Albertan communities, with a larger senior population, interested in adapting an evidence-based, dementia-inclusive initiative into their community. The approach was strengths-based, which allowed selected pilot project leads to oversee their pilot projects as they were the experts on the needs of their community. RDN’s role was to provide seed funding, assist with the planning and communication, and support community consultations as needed.

In February 2022, the Expression of Interest to rural Albertan communities was publicized on RDN’s social media platforms and through outreach to existing partners and networks. In consultation with the ABCD Advisory Committee, five rural communities were announced to have been successful in their applications at the end of March 2022, those communities and associated initiatives being:

• Drumheller/Drumheller Dementia Coalition: Drumheller Memory Cafe 
• Spirit River and District/Central Peace Health Complex Resident-Family Council: Musical Memory Cafe
• Region of Wheatland County/Town of Strathmore, Family and Community Support Services: Dementia Friendly Connections (speaker series and Dementia Friendly Library initiative) 
• Sturgeon County/Sturgeon County, Family and Community Support Services: Dementia Dynamics, Learning the Story (environment assessment of public spaces, speakers corner)
• Town of Taber, Municipal District of Taber/ Barons-Eureka-Warner Family and Community Support Services: Establishing the FCSS Memory Café 

ABCD Project Documentary

To learn more about the dementia-inclusive initiatives implemented in Taber, Sturgeon County, Spirit River, Strathmore and Drumheller. please watch the mini-documentary at https://youtu.be/93g5tiyWP4w. Promotion for the documentary is shown below.

Each ABCD pilot community adapted a dementia-inclusive initiative outlined in the ABCD catalogue which included memory cafes, speaker series’, train-the-trainer sessions, and dementia-friendly audit of office and library spaces. Memory Cafes were introduced in three communities, offering safe, stigma-free environments where individuals living with dementia and their caregivers could connect and participate in activities without fear. These cafes also played a role in promoting dementia awareness and reducing stigma within the broader community by involving local organizations and using public spaces.

Efforts to create dementia-inclusive spaces included audits to enhance accessibility in community spaces. Collaborations with local schools and knitting groups produced “twiddle muffs” and activity mats, available for free at local offices. Libraries also contributed by creating dementia-inclusive activity kits and acquiring books focused on dementia, supporting families at various stages of the condition. Educational initiatives included workshops and presentations aimed at raising awareness about dementia among professionals, volunteers, and community members.

In collaboration with the ABCD pilot project leads in each community, five step-by-step guides were developed to support other rural communities in the implementation of dementia-inclusive initiatives.

The Rural Roots program allowed students to gain much-needed experience to transition into their future careers and for employers to boost their capacity while generating projects that have tangible results. Through meaningful engagement in our program, we aimed to raise awareness of the benefits of working, living in, and supporting rural communities.

What is Work-integrated Learning, Rural Roots

Understanding that the landscape of work-integrated learning (WIL) is changing, students or employers have access to a variety of opportunities that suit their needs. From applied research projects to apprenticeships or micro-placements to hackathons, the possibilities are endless.

The core purpose of WIL was to provide value to students (e.g., employability, and personal development) and employers (e.g., access to new talent, new ideas, and the opportunity to grow and diversify their workforce), specifically for those in rural communities.

The Benefits of Rural Roots

• Engage the future workforce and showcase the benefits of working in your industry, sector, community or organization
• Build your professional networks for enhanced career outcomes
• Share fresh and innovative perspectives and practices, the latest trends in technology and communication, or emerging research and best practices to achieve your goals
• Enhance your resume or human resource and operational capacity through meaningful projects

The Rural Roots Work Integrated Learning Program created more than 1,000 placements by August 10, 2023. Of these, more than 40% were students from underrepresented communities. The program engaged with 75 businesses that created WIL opportunities and hired post-secondary students. Based on survey results from employers and students, on average 94-95% of participants found WIL to be valuable and beneficial and 100% of students and employers found the resources and support from RDN valuable throughout their experience. Top resources included:

• Coaching, support, and advice
• Calculating ROI
• WIL 101
• Types of WIL guide
• RDNs webinars and workshops