Client Support Services: Outreach

What are outreach services?

Case counsellors travel to local communities across the Niagara Region, providing outreach in the form of home visits as well as offering phone support and drop in support.

Their holistic approach enables them to respond to the physical, social and emotional needs of families, and offer practical solutions to daily challenges associated with dementia.

Client Support Services are comprised of three (3) interrelated outreach programs. These programs have evolved in response to the varying levels of risk and support required for people living with dementia who live in the community.

• Supporting Independent Living (SIL) - For people with imminent risk
• Intensive Support - For people with moderate risk
• Caregiver and Family Support - For people with low risk

Supporting Independent Living - For people with imminent risk

This program will provide:

• One (1) Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region (ASNR) staff within the team

The Supporting Independent Living (SIL) program is a joint program with the Niagara Region (Seniors Community Programs and Community Mental Health). This program addresses the immediate needs of vulnerable seniors living in the community.

The SIL team works rapidly to minimize imminent risks to seniors in an effort to avert crises. Once risk has been reduced, seniors living with dementia are transferred to our intensive support or family support programs, as appropriate.

Intensive Support - For people with moderate risk

This program will provide:

• Two (2) case counsellors

In the Intensive Support program, case counsellors respond to the most complex situations involving individuals living with dementia who have been referred to the Society.

This typically includes people who are at moderate risk of harm/adverse outcome if intensive support is not provided to avert crises. These individuals often present with few or no supports, and may also have psychiatric or mental health issues that impact upon their functioning and safety within the community.

Caregiver and Family Support - For people with low risk

This program will provide:

• Eight (8) case counsellors

The Caregiver and Family Support program offers strategies to low risk individuals living with dementia and their caregivers in order to help them manage the everyday challenges associated with dementia, as it relates to their unique experience.

Our counsellors work with people living with dementia, caregivers, and local community partners to help create supportive environments that promote health, safety, and meaningful engagement in home and community life.

A key aspect of the counsellor’s role is to strengthen resilience through system navigation to facilitate linkages with services, and to build upon informal and formal networks of support.

Drop-in and phone support

Our office is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (holidays excepted).

During office hours, a case counsellor is always on duty to offer immediate assistance in the form of education, information and support to anyone in the community affected by dementia.