Community Momentum in Rural Saskatchewan
For the past three years, we have been involved in the Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan project in Yorkton, Melville, and the surrounding rural communities. Our time with the project is coming to an end but the increased support for people living with dementia and their care partners remains.
Since May 2021, the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan has been an active and supporting partner in the Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan project in Yorkton, Melville, and the surrounding rural communities. Our central goal throughout the project has been to reduce stigma and isolation that is experienced by people who are affected by dementia, by helping rural residents learn more about dementia and dementia friendly communities.
To help support our project goals, we created a new staff position, known as our Dementia Community Coordinator. Our Dementia Community Coordinator, Jackie Hofstrand, has been working with businesses, organizations, shared interest groups, and local clubs in Yorkton, Melville, and the surrounding areas over the past three years, providing education and resources to help them become more welcoming and accessible to people living with dementia and their care partners.
“When I first approached some businesses in the area about the Alzheimer Society’s dementia friendly initiatives, they did not think they served customers who have dementia. Because so much misunderstanding exists around dementia, lots of people I spoke with only thought about it in terms of the final stage where the person is living in long-term care. But, the majority of people living with dementia live in their homes and want to participate in community life.”- Jackie Hofstrand, Dementia Community Coordinator, Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan
Throughout Jackie’s tenure in this role, the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan was able to engage 28 organizations across 20 communities in rural Saskatchewan.
The most remarkable part of the project, however, is not a number – it’s the community-minded individuals we met along the way who recognized the importance of increasing their knowledge of dementia. It’s the businesses, organizations, and community members who and have committed to using that new knowledge in their everyday interactions and are working to increase the inclusion of people living with dementia, their families, and care partners. They are the people who are making the lasting impact in the project area.
“During my time in this role, I have seen how our communities really build who we are and what we do. I am truly grateful for getting the chance to work with so many organizations - both formal and informal - as they began to see why being inclusive to those living with dementia is so needed and important. It has been a privilege being a part of so many learning journeys.”
- Jackie Hofstrand
Jackie’s Dementia Community Coordinator position was contracted through the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU) at the University of Regina and was funded by the Government of Canada. Although her contract will soon be ending, the work and support for people living with dementia in Yorkton, Melville, and surrounding rural communities is not.
Carolee Zorn, our First Link Coordinator for Yorkton and East-central Saskatchewan, is still available to connect individuals and families to local programs and services for people living with dementia and their care partners. Phone: 306-786-3600 or email: sunrise@alzheimer.sk.ca
To better serve our clients in the community, our Sunrise First Link Resource Centre and Carolee will be relocating to the Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours (SIGNS) Building in Yorkton the week of January 15, 2024. The SIGN building is located at 83 North Street.
Additionally, several other collaborating organizations involved in Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan have dementia friendly initiatives on the go in the project region. For a full list of these initiatives, please visit the Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan website.
“I am proud to have made so many connections and learned so much in this role, both from outside stakeholders and collective partners of the project.
I hope more community members, businesses, and organizations will commit to learning more about dementia and that these important dementia friendly initiatives keep growing and spread to other areas of the province. I wish everyone the best in 2024.”
- Jackie Hofstrand
On behalf of the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan, we thank you, Jackie, for your dedication to improving the lives of people affected by dementia in Yorkton, Melville, and the surrounding rural communities.
If you want learn more about how your business, organization, or community group can become more dementia friendly, contact the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan at: friends@alzheimer.sk.ca
About Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan:
Over the past three years, the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan has been partnering with the University of Regina in a project called Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan (DSRS). The project is focused on increasing the social inclusion of people living with dementia in rural communities. The project area is centred around Yorkton, Melville, and the surrounding rural communities.
Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan is led by the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU) at the University of Regina and is funded by the Government of Canada.
