What is this Study about?

You are invited to participate in a research study that will help us understand the current end-of-life (i.e., last months, weeks, or days) nutrition practices in long-term care (LTC) homes. Your perspective based on your experiences working in LTC can help us to develop educational resources for team members who support residents receiving palliative care at the end of their life. We hope this education will foster positive changes in attitudes and practices.

What is this Study about?

This study aims to evaluate the acceptance and usability of the GuardIO Family Care app, a mobile application designed to support community safety for individuals living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment and their care partners. The study also aims to analyze mobility patterns collected from the app to explore how mobility data can contribute to the early detection of cognitive impairment. The findings will help improve app design, inform care strategies, and support early intervention efforts for individuals living with dementia or MCI.

What is this Study about?

Behavioral and emotional changes often accompany dementia and are a leading cause of long-term care placement, even more so than cognitive decline. This study is the first to explore how family caregivers make treatment decisions in response to these emotional and behavioural symptoms. We are interested in understanding whether caregivers turn to medications, consider non-pharmacological strategies such as environmental modifications, or use a combination of both. Using a quantitative behavioural economics model, this study will examine how caregivers weigh the risks and benefits of different treatment options. We are particularly interested in decision-making related to dopaminergic medications (formerly known as “antipsychotics”), which are commonly prescribed despite known risks for people with dementia. The information gathered will help guide the development of resources to better support family caregivers in navigating treatment decisions. Participation involves completing an anonymous online survey and is open to family caregivers involved in medical decision-making for a relative or close friend with dementia.

What is this Study about?

Participants will take part in a one-on-one interview (in person or online) to share thoughts on reminders and changes in behavior that should be tracked by the system. Interviews will last about 60 minutes. A short follow-up (20 minutes or less) may also be requested later to provide extra feedback on the system’s design.

What is this Study about?

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of CARES-D for physiotherapists on learner knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in dementia. We will administer online questionnaires to practicing rehabilitation professionals in Canada who work with individuals with dementia to: 1) Assess changes in rehabilitation professionals' knowledge about dementia; 2) Evaluate shifts in attitudes toward individuals with dementia; 3) Measure improvements in confidence in managing dementia care; 4) Gather participant feedback on the CARES-D training program; 5) Compare pre- and post-training outcomes to determine the program's effectiveness.

What is this Study about?

The objective of this study is to understand: (1) what community-based interventions caregivers/care partners for persons living with young onset dementia (i.e., dementia diagnosed under the age of 65) are accessing across Southern Ontario; (2) caregivers/care partners perceptions towards the community-based interventions they have accessed; and (3) the reasons, if any, for not accessing community-based interventions.

The results of this study will be used to help inform the development and enhancement of community-based interventions for persons living with YOD and their caregivers/care partners, and is a part of my PhD dissertation.

What is this Study about?

This study looks at how an at-home nature-based virtual reality (VR) program may help people living with Alzheimer’s disease manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), such as depression. Caregivers/study partners will have the option of taking part in the study and providing feedback regarding the VR intervention. This project will explore how VR can be used as a non-pharmacological approach to prolong aging in place for individuals with BPSD, as BPSD contributes to rates of institutionalization. This will take place completely remotely, in your own home.

What is this Study about?

In collaboration with our South Asian community collaborators, our goal is to gain an in-depth understanding of new immigrant, multigenerational, South Asian family caregiving for a relative with dementia amidst COVID-19. The goal is to inform future family-centered, healthcare interventions aimed at supporting equity deserving families during times of crisis.

To achieve our goal, we are starting to recruit family care partners living in a multigenerational home and caring for a relative with dementia from each of the four groups of South Asian families. We will be using a multiple case study to examine new immigrant, multigenerational caregiving for a relative with dementia from the perspective of four groups of South Asian families; 1) Pakistani, 2) Bangladeshi, 3) Indian, and 4) Sri Lankan. We will also be using secondary data sources, including genograms, ecoMaps, and key documents.

We will be conducting interviews with a family care partners from each of the four groups. Following these interviews, we will hold four focus groups with a new purposeful sample of South Asian multigenerational care partners to understand if the findings from the interviews reflect their caregiving experiences thereby increasing the reliability of the study findings.

What is this Study about?

In this study we aim to explore the motivations and impacts of disclosure a personal diagnosis of dementia or being a care partner on social media. The overall goal of the study is to develop an evidence-based resource to promote benefits of social media for the dementia community while minimizing its harms.