In our communities, there are many people with dementia who are living at home alone without in-home support. Some older adults may be more reluctant to ask for help or accept support. As a result, these individuals may be at higher risk for experiencing health and safety consequences that could prevent them from staying in their homes longer. To address this, we partnered with Fitch-Rona (Fitchburg, WI) and Deer-Grove (Cottage Grove, WI) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to create a visitor program to help address the needs, safety, and well-being of these individuals. The EMS visitors meet with individuals referred to them or identified through their ambulance call system, build a positive rapport with them during their friendly visits, and connect them to community support services such as senior center case managers that will increase the likelihood of them staying in their homes.
In collaboration with various partners, we offered the following training to EMS staff:
- “Dementia 101,” conducted by the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Wisconsin
- “Motivational Interviewing” conducted by a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT)
- “Substance Use Disorder and Dementia,” conducted by colleagues at UW Health and the William S. Middleton VA
Download the training guide and materials
Dementia Capable WI EMS Guides
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