Baycrest Health Sciences & Baycrest Foundation Publications
Issue link: http://baycrest.uberflip.com/i/1417505
16 • BrainMatters • Fall/Winter 2021 Dementia can be overwhelming, not only for those who have it, but also for their caregivers and families. However, new specialized models of care are being developed to provide benefits to individuals living with dementia, such as reduction in behavioral symptoms, an improved quality of life with increased autonomy, maximizing abilities, and social and recreational experiences that enable purpose and meaning. At Baycrest, work is underway to complete the design of Possibilities by Baycrest™, a new approach to delivering care for those living with cognitive issues. The model is being piloted through Baycrest@Home and will be adopted as the care approach for the new Terraces Memory Residence. That transformational approach is intended for residential living environments to support persons living with dementia and their caregivers. This new model of programming and care delivery is geared towards optimizing brain health while recognizing the person and supporting them in the best possible aging journey, wherever one is at cognitively. Possibilities is foundationally based upon honouring the whole person and maximizing their potential throughout their cognitive health journey by facing the realities of living with dementia, understanding each individual's abilities and then identifying their unique possibilities. This new model of programming and care delivery is geared towards optimizing brain health while recognizing the person and supporting them in the best possible aging journey. NE W MEMORY CARE MODEL FOR INDIVIDUALS According to the World Health Organization, by 2050, the world's population of those aged 60 years and older is expected to total 1.5 billion, up from 900 million in 2015. Along with this shift comes an increase in the number of people living with dementia. Current estimates place the number of people living with dementia at more than 50 million. That number is expected to almost triple by the year 2050, which represents a unique public health challenge. LIVING WITH DEMENTIA