(Medavie Health Services/ supplied)

By Ian Gustafson

Calming anxiety

Medavie Health Services introduces dementia kits in ambulances across central Alberta

May 23, 2025 | 2:34 PM

A local ambulance service provider has recently introduced dementia kits into their ambulances as an extra level of care for patients.

As a way to help calm and care for patients living with dementia, Medavie Health Services have implemented kits filled with items such as fidget toys, colouring books, and picture cards.

Kenn Eglauer, operations manager and advanced care paramedic with Medavie, said calming anxiety and stress for these patients was what nudged them to give it a try.

“These different things they’re going through, it’s not their fault, it’s just what they’re going through,” Eglauer said. “Providing these different tools can really help reduce those numbers of instances. Sometimes things get started in terms of anxiety or anger and we’re able to remedy that.”

The idea for dementia kits came after they were approached by the Wolf Creek Primary Care Network, which was working with a dementia family community group out of Innisfail. Soon after, a partnership was formed between Medavie and the Wolf Creek Primary Care Network.

Pitch ideas

Central Alberta entrepreneurs take part in Catalyst Incubator program

2h ago

numerous incidents

QEII Highway very icy Monday morning

5h ago

"unprecedented levels of discrimination"

Ponoka Pride Society dissolves, citing limited resources

5h ago

After brainstorming ideas, the two parties came up with the kit that provides their staff with resources to help patients and sometimes families when they’re using the ambulance service.

“If there’s any fear, anxiety, or anything like that, what’s inside the kit is hoped to lessen those things,” he said.

Eglauer described dementia as a spectrum type of disease where you progress through the different stages and progressively get worse.

The items in the kit reflect the different types of stages. In the early stages, people might prefer some sort of distraction or calming effect with using a colouring book or a crossword puzzle.

As the disease progresses, there’s often a decline in their mental capacity or in their ability to do things like colour. This is when toys or objects they can fidget with can be helpful. Sometimes just looking at pictures can also help.

“There’s an array of pictures that might draw the attention of somebody because maybe it’s a photo of a tractor and the person worked on a farm,” he said. “Or perhaps there’s art work and somebody was a painter for years. They would gravitate towards something like that.”

They first introduced the kits in their ambulances in 2021 in Ponoka, Innisfail, and Wetaskiwin. Most recently, as part of Paramedic Services Week from May 18-24, introducing them in their ambulances in Calgary and Red Deer.

So far, they’ve seen positive results pointing to one instance at the Red Deer Regional Hospital where they were able to help people using the kits while they waited in the hallway for a bed.

They also had a patient who became quite anxious and after giving them a crossword puzzle, they were able to calm themselves down.

“We’ve heard from staff that it was really good to have something for someone, whereas sometimes when you don’t, you feel somewhat at a loss for what you can do for them,” he said. “Those would be a few times when the kits have done what they’re intended for.”

Medavie Health Services offers 911 ambulance services in Innisfail, Ponoka, and Wetaskiwin, as well as inter-facility transport services in Calgary and Red Deer.

In total, they have 33 units that carry the dementia kits in the province.