Adapting capacity at the Alzheimer Society of Calgary to meet the demands of a culturally diverse population of persons living with dementia

Abstract

This report provides an account of the student’s Master of Social Work research practicum with the Alzheimer Society of Calgary (ASC), a non-profit dementia serving society. The report first starts with an introduction that describes the issue under consideration, the objectives of the study and the context of the research practicum. After the introduction, the report provides a comprehensive literature review on the topic of dementia and caregiving, highlighting research on trauma, trauma-informed care, the social impact of COVID-19, counselling frameworks, therapy techniques, single session interactions, and research on dementia perspectives. Next, the report reviews current policy and procedures within the Learning and Support Services (LSS) Department at the ASC, and provides a critical analysis of the Best Friends™ Approach which serves as the core professional development training offered by the agency. The report also incorporates Adaptive Capacity tasks aimed at building the internal capacity of the LSS Department. This includes the steps taken by the ASC to define agency social worker’s scope of practice and increase cultural awareness and sensitivity. The report then goes on to discuss the new acronyms proposed by the student researcher for caregivers’ communication with persons living with dementia (PLWD) and agency social workers’ communication with caregivers. It integrates presentations on mental health and therapy techniques that the student researcher created for this practicum as well. Lastly, the report includes data collected from an interview with an agency social worker, an environmental scan on dementia serving organizations in Alberta, a discussion on the major benefits and opportunities for growth at the ASC, implications for social work practice, and ends with a conclusion.