Building Capacity to Support People Living with Dementia

Overview

Physical activity improves the health and wellbeing of people living with dementia. However, changes common with dementia in combination with a poor understanding of dementia and dementia-related practices pose a barrier to participation. To respond to these challenges, the Brain and Body Lab at the University of Waterloo assembled several participatory research teams to design education, resources, and programs to support the inclusion, health and wellbeing of people living with dementia. Research teams included health care professionals, people living with dementia, care partners, and community service providers. 

This course will describe the benefits and guidelines for physical activity in dementia and will share the Dementia Wellness website, which houses education and resources so that healthcare and community service providers can support to support the health and wellbeing of people living with dementia through physical activity and other wellness services.

Join the Seniors' Health Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association for this on-demand course!

Presenters: Laura Middleton and Dr. Grace Liu

Dr. Laura Middleton is the Schlegel Research Chair in Dementia and Active Living and an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo and the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging. Her research aims to identify strategies to promote health, wellbeing, and function of those living with, or at risk for, dementia. She focuses on the role of physical activity alone and in combination with healthy eating and social engagement, recognizing their broad impact on physical, social, and mental wellbeing. Her research takes a participatory approach, integrating the expertise and perspectives of people living with dementia, care partners, health care professionals, community service providers as partners to create accessible and effective programs and supports. She is the co-lead of the Canadian Dementia Learning and Resource Network.

Dr. Grace Liu is a Physiotherapist, and Post-doctoral fellow working with Dr. Laura Middleton and The Brain and Body Lab at the University of Waterloo. She is currently the Knowledge Translation Representative for CPA's Seniors' Health Division and is passionate about working with older adults having worked in various clinical settings, including emergency, acute, rehab, geriatric outreach, home care, clinics and long-term care. Her research interests are to develop innovative policy strategies to improve the healthcare delivery system and to support diverse older adults in healthy aging across Canada. Recently, she received a postdoctoral award from the Alzheimer Society to co-develop clinical practice guidelines to promote physical activity and quality of life for residents living with dementia.