![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
Abstract
Aim: To describe an innovative community-wide program aimed at increasing awareness of risks of missing person events among persons with dementia targeting various cultural groups and to present preliminary evaluation findings. Methods: Review of program records to describe program implementation and a community partner survey. Results: Over 23 months, 386 partnerships were established to implement the program; 941 awareness-raising sessions were conducted reaching 23,495 individuals. There is an upward trend in number of sessions conducted in various languages and attendance. Community partners’ (>85%) responded positively to the program and consultation process. Conclusion: This partnership experience demonstrates the effectiveness of a collaborative approach to the development and widespread dissemination of information and resource materials aimed at ensuring the safety of a vulnerable population.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the Finding Your Way™ program coordinators, community partners, individuals who have participated in public education and awareness-raising presentations, and those who have contributed to the preliminary evaluation of the program; their ongoing involvement reflects their commitment to improving the quality of life of those living with dementia and their caregivers, as well as creating safe communities for all. Support for the Finding Your Way program is provided by the Ontario Seniors Secretariat.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
D Harvey and C Conway are employed by the Alzheimer Society of Ontario. Funding for the Finding Your Way™ program and the evaluation study was from the Ontario Seniors Secretariat to the Alzheimer Society. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Ethical conduct of research
The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.