What is this Study about?

This study aims to identify the gaps in the community-based supports and services to meet the needs of people living with dementia and their care partners. We hope that the findings will help inform the development and improvement of programs and services.

What is this Study about?

This study aims to explore the availability of services and supports for caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias across Ontario, with a focus on time-based caregiving support needs and implementation considerations. We are seeking caregivers and health or community service providers to participate in 60-minute interviews or co-design sessions, either in person or online via Zoom. Participants will be asked about their experiences with existing services, unmet caregiving needs, and ideas for improving support. Findings will be used to inform the development and implementation of caregiver-focused resources, services, and future research initiatives.

What is this Study about?

Exposure to nature—even just a few minutes at a time—supports improved attention, mood, self-regulation, and social connection.

“Green health initiatives” are outdoor or nature-based activities designed to have a potential positive impact on health. Some of these initiatives are specifically designed to include people living with dementia. These can include walking groups, golfing, farm gardening programs, and seasonal social activities located in parks or natural spaces. We are currently conducting an international literature review to find out more about when and how green health initiatives operate to generate benefits for people living with dementia. As part of this initiative, we are planning a series of three consultation events to learn more about the interests of people living with dementia. For each consultation, participants will receive a $20 Tim Horton's gift card in thanks for their time.

What is this Study about?

This study evaluates an at-home, digital cognitive screening tool for older adults experiencing memory changes across the dementia continuum. Participants will complete a brief series of engaging, online brain games and surveys to determine the tool's accuracy compared to traditional clinical assessments. The goal of this study is to provide accessible, patient-friendly monitoring of brain health that reduces the need for clinic travel and lowers barriers to early detection of dementia.

What is this Study about?

This study will explore how online group singing can contribute to participants' sense of wellbeing, meaning, social connection, and learning. Participants are people living with memory concerns or dementia and their care partners, and must still live at home (i.e. not in long-term care). This mixed methods study will measure participants' (voluntary) responses to brief questions about their feelings before and after each rehearsal through visual analogue scales (quantitative). Participant engagement will be observed using the Group Observational Method of Engagement during rehearsals. Participants' (voluntary) verbatim narratives will be captured through interviews (qualitative) and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings will form the basis of the choir facilitator's doctoral dissertation and may be included in academic journals or community workshops so that programming can be developed and improved for people living with dementia and their care partners.

What is this Study about?

This study examines how Black family caregivers in the Greater Toronto Area experience and access social support while caring for a relative living with dementia. Using Straussian Grounded Theory informed by Critical Theory and Intersectionality, the research explores how factors such as race, culture, gender, and community shape caregiving experiences and support-seeking behaviours. Findings will be used to develop theory grounded in the lived experiences of Black caregivers, and to inform more culturally responsive dementia care policies, services, and supports across Canada. This study has been approved by the York University Research Ethics Board (Protocol 130, April 2026).

What is this Study about?

We developed a resource to support substitute decision-makers as they work through issues related to the sexual expression of individuals living with dementia in long-term care homes. The purpose of this pilot is to evaluate and assess how the content and format of the resource is received by a sample of substitute decision-makers and longterm care staff members. Through online surveys, we will be seeking feedback related to accessibility, potential usefulness in practice, effectiveness in increasing awareness and preparedness to address issues related to sexual expression.

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 and/or study partners will have the option of taking part in the study and providing feedback regarding the VR intervention. This project will explore how virtual reality can be used as a non-pharmacological approach to prolong aging in place for individuals with BPSD, as BPSD contributes to rates of institutionalization.

What is this Study about?

This research study focuses on resilience, defined as a trajectory in which an individual can not only adapt but enhance and grow in challenging circumstances. This research aims to: 1) explore resilience-related behaviours in the context of informal Plwd caregiving by examining which behaviours are related to resiliency and how these behaviours are meaningful to caregivers and 2) determine the role of environmental and individual factors in resiliency of caregivers of Plwd. I gave begun the first part of this study, will involved forming a caregiver research partner team to help to identify potential behaviours, characteristics and resources that promote resiliency in caregivers. They have worked with me in further developing research questions and methodology for a large-scale survey study, which I am recruiting for now. Choice of survey measures will be guided by both previous literature and research partner input. This research also includes a cognitive component in order to ascertain the role of cognitive abilities in resiliency. The results of this research will assist in determining the most appropriate social and community supports for caregivers of Plwd and the individual, cognitive, psychological, and social factors that need to be considered when determining suitability between specific supports and individual caregivers. Improving supports for caregivers will improve both caregiver and PlwD health and well-being, and allow Plwd to live at home for longer.