Free Online Toolkit for People Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners

Posted on by Nadia Pestrak

Navigating Dementia with Compassion: Free online toolkit offers support for people living with dementia and their care partners 

Supporting a person living with dementia leads to opportunities for growth and understanding, especially when unexpected changes in mood or behavior arise. Most people living with dementia will experience changes in mood or behaviour unique to their context. Changes can be expressed as intense emotions, less interest in daily activities, trouble sleeping and more. It’s common to feel overwhelmed by these shifts, but it’s important to remember that these changes are not deliberate and are oftentimes an attempt to communicate needs or make sense of the surrounding environment.  

By approaching these changes in mood and behaviour with patience and curiosity, we can identify underlying causes and provide the necessary support. Recognizing patterns and exploring root causes can help us meet the unspoken needs of people living with dementia. If changes in mood or behaviour do become concerning, there are evidence-based approaches that can help. 

The Behaviours in Dementia Toolkit, a user-friendly resource website developed by the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health, is an online library of over 280 free evidence-based resources ranging from informative videos to practical guides and courses. This Toolkit is designed to assist care partners and health care providers in navigating dementia-related changes in mood and behavior.  

 The Toolkit aims to enhance understanding, improve communication and ultimately support individuals with dementia to live well. In the Toolkit library, you’ll find resources tailored to address various aspects of dementia care, including tools to support communication, increase meaningful engagement and enhance care partner well-being.  

 There is a lot to explore in the Behaviours in Dementia Toolkit. Here are five highlighted resources and resource collections to kickstart your exploration: 

  1. Understanding Behaviours in Dementia pamphlet: This pamphlet includes a symptom checklist, highlights factors that may increase behaviours in dementia, and shares an overview of steps you can take to support someone experiencing dementia related mood and behaviour change. 
  1. Dementia infographics on various topics: Tailored to different types of dementia and care contexts, these infographics offer valuable insights and resources, including equity perspectives and multilingual support. Some topics include young onset dementia, lewy body dementia, self-care essentials for care partners and resources for personal support workers. Links to multilingual resources are available in 52+ languages. 
  1. Behaviour or mood specific resources: Dive into resources focused on understanding and addressing specific moods or behaviors, such as anger, fear, or social interactions, available in various formats including tip sheets, videos, and training courses. Find different collections at the links below: 
  1. Resources to support communication and meaningful engagement: Discover ways to improve communication and increase meaningful engagement with people living with dementia to support their quality of life, personal goals and help reinforce aspects of their identity. 
  1. Resources to practice self-care and enhance well-being: Access resources and tools to prioritize your well-being. From self-reflection exercises to informative videos and apps, discover what self-care means for you.  

It’s important to remember that needs evolve over time, and flexibility is key. With the right support and resources, people experiencing dementia-related changes in mood or behaviors can lead active and fulfilling lives. 

Visit behavioursindementia.ca to explore the Toolkit and access evidence-informed and practical resources today!  

If you would like to share feedback to help make the Toolkit even better, please complete the 5-10 minute survey by April 1, 2024.