ECSF Grant Recipient
The Alzheimer Society of Sarnia Lambton has been fortunate to be chosen as a recipient of an Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) grant. The Sarnia Community Foundation is one of the many groups charged with the task of facilitating grant distribution. Funds are available to qualifying non-profit organizations working with vulnerable populations impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The Federal Government is looking to deploy the $350 million Fund at the community level and has charged various groups like the Sarnia Community Foundation to flow the funding to qualified and deserving donees coast to coast.
The Alzheimer Society of Sarnia Lambton has worked diligently throughout the COVID-19 crisis to insure that our clients and care-partners have received the support that is needed during a pandemic. People living with dementia are isolated by the nature of the disease but the COVID-19 crisis has further exasperated the isolation and loneliness. We have continued to provide one-to-one services, both in clients homes and virtually. The funding we have received will afford us the ability to purchase technology that will allow us to run programs in person and virtually. We have committed to purchase videoconferencing technology; virtual programming sessions; laptops; headsets; database access; and, staffing for oversight.
The funding will allow us to bring together those clients who are more comfortable participating at home with those attending our group programming in person. We will also be in a position to bring in more clients through our in-home respite workers who can take the technology out to clients and provide the assistance necessary for them to participate. All of this will greatly increase our clients interactions in a group setting and help reduce the social isolation felt by our clients and care partners. While we have continued to provide support to clients by staff, they are missing the very important peer support and this technology will go a long way to address this gap.
The entire community benefits by us being able to slow the decline and progression of the disease through quality social interactions and supports, lightening the burden on care partners and ultimately a decrease in hospital visits which frees up hospital staff and beds for critical care situations. The Virtual Program Expansion for Group Activities is supported by the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund. We are grateful for the Government of Canada’s proactive response to the crisis facing Canadians living with dementia.
