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2019 WFA honouree Leila Jamal Burnaby New Westminster

Leïla Jamal and the New Westminster Specialized Seniors Clinic - Burnaby and New Westminster Honouree

2019 IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer's

 

Like many children, Leïla Jamal knew what she wanted to be when she grew up – but unlike most other people her age, she had her heart set on serving seniors. Leïla had experienced needing physical help early in life – a challenge that fostered empathy and ultimately set the course of her career.

“I knew I wanted to be in this job since I was 12,” says Leïla, occupational therapist with the New Westminster Specialized Seniors Clinic. “I had a significant hand injury at the time, which made me dependent on my mom for everything. In the same year I met my grandfather on my mom’s side and I just fell in love with him.”

The Specialized Seniors Clinic team – which includes an interdisciplinary team of nurses, a patient care coordinator, a social worker, a pharmacist, geriatricians and a geriatric psychiatrist – has been offering complex care and interdisciplinary health assessments to older people in the Fraser Region since 2008. With the majority of her time spent on at-home visits in the community, Leïla evaluates function and safety within the home and makes recommendations to ensure safety and independence at home (a concept known as ageing in place) for as long as possible. She also encourages families to access a range of community-based programs and services, including the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s First Link® dementia support.

Along with the growing need for their services, the aging population has also led to the need for more complex care. As seniors age, they are more likely to face multiple diagnoses, Leïla says, and there are still gaps in the kind of specialized care they’re able to provide.

“I’m constantly learning about different kinds of dementias and interventions I can give to support a client,” she says. “Sometimes it’s not always said, but the hope is that we can make a difference in the lives of those with dementia and their caregivers.”

  

Walk with Leïla and the New Westminster Specialized Seniors Clinic at the Burnaby and New Westminster IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer's on Sunday, May 5. Together, we make memories matter.

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