Health Care Assistant students gain added lessons from leading voice on dementia care
Dr. Jason Karlawish, renowned physician, researcher and patient advocate, speaks to students on national Health Care Assistant Day
One of the great lessons learned over the last three years is the vital role each member of the health care system plays in delivering quality, person-centred care. CapU Health Care Assistant (HCA) students graduate from Capilano University with the skills and knowledge to work with patients who have specialized needs, require personal nursing care, live with common health challenges, or cognitive and mental health challenges.
To mark national Health Care Assistant Day today, HCA students from both the university’s main campus in North Vancouver and the Kálax-ay campus in Sechelt, B.C. , participated in a virtual presentation and interactive question period with Dr. Jason Karlawish, renowned physician and author of The Problem of Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Karlawish shared with students the historical context of Alzheimer's Disease, and how the science and cultural journey of the 20th century took a rare disease and made it prevalent. He concluded with the message that the solution is better care and treatment.
“In home care, acute care and long-term care, health care assistants will be caring directly for persons with dementia, making this topic highly relevant to their studies and future careers,” said Joshua Boyd, co-ordinator, Health Care Assistant program, Capilano University. “The topic of dementia is the focus of a 10-day course for our students and it is threaded through each course in the HCA program.”
According to a recent report from the Public Health Agency of Canada, by 2031 the total annual health care cost of caring for Canadians with dementia will have doubled since 2011, from $8.3 billion to $16.6 billion, indicating the impact this disease will have on the health care system and the work of health care assistants in the years ahead.
“I hope this opportunity to engage with an expert in the field of Alzheimer's care will inspire students, validate the critical nature of their work and study to our society, provide a fresh perspective and give them information and insight to help them provide the best care possible,” said Boyd.
All CapU student attendees also received a free copy of Dr. Karlawish’s book, The Problem of Alzheimer's - How science, culture and politics turned a rare disease into a crisis and what we can do about it. The book reviews basic information for providing care to persons with dementia as well as providing compassionate and reflective case studies and a global, political and cultural context to society's success and challenges in recognizing, preventing and caring for persons with the disease.
Submitted by: Communications