Dementia Society launches online learning hub
The Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County has posted its educational material online to make sure that anyone affected by dementia can get the information as easily as possible. The Dementia Society’s designed the learning hub to reach as many people in need as possible.
The Society organized the new Digital Dementia Learning Hub into a collection of 29 self-paced learning modules available in English and French.
Anyone with a secure Internet connection can access the Hub. Furthermore, there’s no need to register an account or log in. Simply click and start learning.
The Society designed the information to be as convenient and easy to access as possible, at any time, by those living with dementia and their caregivers.
‘Time-stressed’ caregivers
The Hub benefits family members and caregivers as much as those with dementia. Director of Development and Education Kate Holmes notes caregivers represent the vast majority of those seeing information. She described most caregiver as “time-stressed.”
Anyone with an Internet connection can now access educational information normally available in the Society’s classrooms or during one-on-one meetings.
The Society delivers the information in clear language. They organized the hub into seven topics. They broke these topics down into lessons.
The hub covers many critical topics, like:
- brain health and ageing, including preventing or delaying dementia
- telling the differences between normal ageing and dementia,
- navigating care,
- planning for the future,
- staying safe at home, and
- wellness techniques for caregivers, including tips on how to avoid burnout.
In-person meetings continue
The Society continues to hold in-person meetings at its offices, including the new purpose-built building at 2327 St. Laurent Ave. In addition, they have 28 support groups operating across their area.
The cost of the online Hub was about $98,000. The Society used a “resilient communities fund” grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to pay for the hub.
In-person meetings are still be available. The decision to shift material online was a result, in part, of the constraints imposed the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, the Society had to conduct activities and meetings with those newly-diagnosed with dementia or their caregivers online because of social distancing rules.
“It was prompted by COVID and by the fact that there are 24,000 people in our area diagnosed with dementia and our ability to meet with them individually is limited.”
There are 24,000 people are currently living with dementia in Ottawa and Renfrew County. By 2030, that number is expected to grow to about 60,000.
The Dementia Society’s new online learning hub doesn’t require accounts. However, the Society won’t be able to conduct data tracking that would allow staff to tailor their services. Kate noted they’ll be able to keep an eye on the number of page-views.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes our most accessed page.”