The Alzheimer Society of B.C. has issued an urgent plea for volunteers to facilitate support groups in Abbotsford that meet each month.
The groups help strengthen the coping abilities of caregivers and people with early symptoms of dementia.
Interested volunteers should have excellent listening and empathetic skills, a knowledge of dementia or a willingness to learn, and facilitation skills or a willingness to learn. Formal or informal caregiving is an asset.
Training is provided, and a one-year commitment is required.
Jillian Armit, the society’s support and education coordinator for Abbotsford and Chilliwack, said an estimated one in 11 people over the age of 65 live with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. That number is expected to double over the next generation.
Armit said volunteers are a “treasured resource.”
“They are absolutely invaluable to our team and are a big reason why we are able to meet the growing need for support and education for families living with dementia.”
For more information about the volunteer positions, contact Armit at 604-859-3889 or jarmit@alzheimerbc.org. For more information on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, visit alzheimerbc.org.