HEALTH FILE
UNDERSTANDING DEMENTIA CARE IN OUR LANGUAGES
Dementia is one of the fastest-growing public health challenges in Canada. Image credit: FRED KLOET on Unsplash.
As Desi News readers know, Dr Chandrakant Shah, O.C., O.ONT., is a 90-year-old retired physician, professor, and social advocate. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively with Indigenous Peoples across Canada, as well as with unemployed, low-income, and homeless populations. He has advocated against racial discrimination in public institutions, taught public health at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and provided medical care to urban Indigenous communities through the Anishnawbe Health Clinic.
For the past four years, his wife Sudha has been living with dementia. With support from health professionals and other caregivers, Dr Shah has cared for her at home. Invited by Gujarati Seniors’ Associations to speak on dementia and his experience, Dr Shah realized that many seniors enjoy conversations in their vernacular language and grasp the subject matter fully.
This deeply personal experience has inspired him to develop a program to support a cause that is important to him: Training the Trainer Program on Dementia Awareness for South Asian Communities
Dementia is one of the fastest-growing public health challenges in Canada. South Asian seniors can face additional barriers to timely diagnosis and appropriate care because of language differences, cultural beliefs, stigma, and limited familiarity with the Canadian healthcare system. Many older adults who immigrate through family reunification programs rely heavily on their children for transportation, communication, and navigating health services. Consequently, dementia may not be recognized until a relatively advanced stage, delaying access to appropriate treatment, support, and community resources.
Dr Shah is developing a culturally-appropriate, community-based program to train bilingual volunteers to become community dementia educators. These educators will conduct approximately one-hour educational sessions, including time for questions and discussion, in their respective languages. Sessions could be offered through trusted community settings such as places of worship, seniors’ organizations, cultural associations, community centres, and public health units.
He is seeking volunteers who are fluent in English and one of the following South Asian languages, and hopes to recruit two trainers from each language group:
Punjabi, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil (Indian or Sri Lankan), Telugu and Urdu.
Volunteer should:
• Have strong communication and public-speaking skills.
• Be respected and trusted within their community.
• Have an interest in healthy ageing and community service.
• Preferably have a background in health care, education, or social services.
• Ideally have lived experience as a caregiver, family member, or close friend of someone living with dementia.
• Be available to attend a one-day weekend training workshop.
• Commit to delivering approximately three to four community education sessions each year, primarily on weekends.
With the support of an advisory committee, Dr Shah is also working to identify a permanent institutional home for the program.
The funding needed for the project is relatively small, around $7500, to cover the travel cost of volunteers and printing relevant educational material for distribution to their audience. The charitable receipt for donations will be provided by Alzheimer Society or Indus Community Services.
“As I move into later years, it’s important to me that this initiative be sustainable and continue to grow beyond my direct involvement,” says Dr Shah. “I hope we can launch the program before the end of this year.”
To volunteer or to donate, please contact Dr Shah at c.shah@utoronto.ca.