Promoting Social Citizenship for People with Dementia through Community-Based Programming
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Alison Phinney, PhD, UBC School of Nursing
Co-Investigators:
Dr. Jennifer Baumbusch, PhD, UBC School of Nursing
Dr. Deborah O’Connor, PhD, UBC School of Social Work
Dr. Barbara Purves, PhD, UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences
Trainees:
Elizabeth Kelson, Post-doctoral Fellow, UBC School of Nursing
Funding:
Alzheimer Society of Canada
Summary:
The aim of this research is to better understand how community-based programming can help people with dementia remain as active and engaged citizens. While this kind of programming is becoming more common, there has been almost no research examining its impact, especially from the perspective of participants themselves. This study is laying the groundwork for further research by focusing on two goals: (1) to better understand how community-based programming can promote social citizenship of people with dementia; (2) to improve current methods for including people with dementia in this kind of research. We are studying two existing programs using interviews and observation methods. We are also testing the usefulness of innovative methods for helping people with dementia share their views and experiences. Results of this research will support social citizenship of people with dementia by improving our ability to understand the potential benefits of community-based programming.