8-week group-based healthy lifestyle program for people living with dementia and their care partners, incorporating exercise, social engagement, and education to promote well-being.
Key information
Who is this project for? People living with dementia, family/friend care partners, including specifically adapted programs for people living in rural or remote communities and for Cantonese- or Mandarin-speaking groups.
Project Lead: University of Waterloo
Project partners: YMCA of Three Rivers, Alzheimer Society of Waterloo-Wellington, Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, University of Saskatchewan, Alzheimer Society of BC, YMCAs of Canada, Older Adults Centre Association of Ontario, Dementia Advocacy Canada, and Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging.
Project status: ongoing, 2023 - 2027
Project location: Implementation will take place in communities across Canada, starting with Waterloo, Ontario.
Project team members:
- Dr. Laura Middleton, project lead, Schlegel Research Chair in Dementia and Active Living, RIA; Associate Professor & Associate Chair of Applied Research, Partnerships and Outreach, Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo
- Kassie Harker, project manager, Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging
- Olivia Tupling, University of Waterloo
- Chris Dinh, University of Waterloo
Get in touch:
Kassie Harker, Project Manager
If you are looking to participate in the DELIGHT program, please visit the YMCA of Three Rivers website.
Project story
Background:
DELIGHT (Dementia Lifestyle Intervention for Getting Healthy Together) is an 8-week group based healthy lifestyle program for people living with dementia and their family and friend care partners.
The program includes exercise, social engagement, and education to learn and share strategies to ‘live well’ with dementia through healthy eating, social engagement, physical activity, and promotion of mental wellbeing and good sleep. DELIGHT was co-designed by people living with dementia, care partners, health care providers, and community service providers. Learn about the co-design of DELIGHT using an authentic partnership approach.
DELIGHT will be delivered in diverse settings. This includes adapting the program for Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking groups and for rural communities with limited internet access.
Goals:
The overarching aim of DELIGHT is to promote a better quality of life for people living with dementia and increase the likelihood of ‘living well with dementia’ through exercise, social engagement, and education to learn and share strategies to ‘live well’ with dementia.
Key Takeaways:
- Multi-component lifestyle programs are a focus of dementia risk reduction. DELIGHT offers a similar approach to people living with dementia and their family and friends.
- Through DELIGHT, we hope to give people living with dementia and their families hope for living well and practical strategies to improve their physical, social, and mental wellbeing and quality of life.
- DELIGHT was co-designed by people living with dementia, care partners, health care providers, community service providers, and researchers. We will also work with communities to adapt DELIGHT for people in rural and remote communities and for Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking communities.
Resources this project has developed:
DELIGHT Participant Guides:
- English Participant Guide
- French Participant Guide
- Participant Guide for Chinese community (Simplified Chinese)
- Participant Guide for Chinese community (Traditional Chinese)
DELIGHT Program Guides and appendixes:
This project is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.