New Westminster officials receive special dementia training

  • 2015-02-23
The City of New Westminster is the first in the province to receive a special designation.

The mayor and members of the city council recently undertook training from the Alzheimer Society of British Columba to become ‘dementia friendly’.

According to Mayor Jonathan Cote, this is important as the city has an aging population and it’s important that their needs are taken into consideration when engaging in city, housing and transportation planning.

This was part of the city’s Dementia Action Plan. Last year, the city applied for a grant through the province’s Senior’s Housing and Support Initiative. The authorities were recently granted $20,000 to continue building on the work that they have already done, to become an age and ability-friendly community.

Since 2007, the city has been engaging in a variety of different projects and initiatives to become more age friendly, such as different business, housing, and transportation initiatives.

Anyone wishing to get further information about the dementia-friendly training that the councillors received can contact the city’s Senior Social planner John Stark, either by phone or email.

Brochure printers can create publications that help let the public know more about different programs and services, such as those being undertaken to make the city more senior friendly. These can be distributed to social services agencies, businesses, and anyone else who may be interested in learning more.