First Link® for healthcare providers

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With the help of healthcare professionals, First Link® connects persons living with dementia, their family and caregivers with a network of education and support services specific to their situation.

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Making a First Link® Referral

If you are a health care professional, please see the Making a referral information sheet and download the First Link referral form.

How does First Link® work?

When your patient permits you to share their information with our First Link staff, we will contact them directly. We will immediately connect them with a network of education and support services specific to their situation. We are their link to community help, both at the time of their diagnosis and throughout their illness.

Because First Link® focuses on service coordination, resources and planning, clients become more confident and involved in their own care, reducing the burden on family physicians, long-term care and emergency services. Families also are better equipped to create their own action plans to tackle future legal, financial and health needs.

Why use First Link®?

Presenting a diagnosis of dementia to a patient is never easy. They may be bewildered and distressed about the challenges ahead, and unsure about how to navigate the health system.

Families are often too overwhelmed to pick up the phone and ask for help. When you refer them to First Link®, we call them, connecting them to the information and resources they need to make informed choices.

First Link® gets them the help they need right away, averting possible crises and helping them meet challenges as they come up. That translates into fewer emergency room visits and lets caregivers keep family members with dementia at home as long as possible.

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