Grant: Project Grant

Community-based health and social care programs are urgently needed to support people with dementia to remain living at home as their dementia progresses. These kinds of programs also support family caregivers, who need respite and support services to sustain their role in the community. Extended-hours adult day centres (ADCs) build upon an existing model of ADCs that provide a range of services from social programing to more formal services (medicine management, case management, personal care assistance, counselling) as well as respite and supports for family caregivers. While the benefits of traditional models of ADCs have been researched, less is known about the potential benefits of extended-hours ADCs. This innovative model is characterized by providing services outside of daytime/weekday hours, and provides more individualized, person-centered supports to individuals with moderate-to-severe dementia. The aim of this study is to explore the role of extended-hours ADCs in supporting people with dementia and their family caregivers. We will spend time at several extended-hours ADCs with PWD and interview their family caregivers and staff. We will also look at documents that shape the delivery of programs, such as licensing guidelines. We expect that this research will provide useful information about how extended-hours ADCs can support people with dementia and their family caregivers in the community.