Making a referral to First Link®
Learn how to make a First Link® referral so that someone who has been diagnosed with dementia gets the support they need from our programs and services.
Refer a patient or client to First Link® by faxing a Referral form to 604-238-7390 or 1-833-238-7390. Please note: the PDF form is not fillable through Mozilla Firefox. The referral form can also be accessed through Med Access EMR, Wolf EMR or the Pathways web-based directory.
About First Link® referral
Without a referral from a health-care provider, it takes people an average of 11 months longer to connect with the Alzheimer Society of B.C., but those 11 months can be a critical time for planning and developing support networks.
When you refer to First Link®, your client or patient will be contacted by the Alzheimer Society of B.C. within a few weeks of being referred. We offer appropriate First Link® programs and services:
- Individual support: Ongoing support calls to help identify changing needs.
- Dementia education: In-person and online education workshops, on a wide variety of topics from diagnosis to end of life, including "Getting to know dementia," "Shaping the journey," the "Family caregiver series" and "Grief and loss."
- Support groups: In-person and telephone groups for people in the early stages of dementia and groups for caregivers.
- Minds in Motion®: A social and fitness program for people in the early stages of dementia to attend with a care partner.
- Information: Including brochures, fact sheets and videos, as well as quarterly newsletters containing updates on events in your patients' area.
We will also inform your patients/clients about other community and health-care services as necessary.
Throughout the progression of the disease, First Link® clients receive regular, proactive contact from the Alzheimer Society of B.C. and we continue to provide relevant support as their needs change.
For more information, please read our Making a Referral to First Link information sheet.