As part of the McCormick Care Group’s goal to advance dementia care, exploring new ways to provide care and support is an integral aspect of this effort. This exploration involves collaborating in research activity and working with our community partners to discover how we can enhance the lives of those in our care.
We are partners on a research study titled “Developing a Competency Framework for Dementia Care.” This study includes other partners from Ontario Tech University, Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Ontario, Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Toronto, and Western University to support the development of a framework to support dementia care in Ontario….
During COVID-19, many residents of long-term care homes got separated from their families due to social restrictions. This experience led to many residents and family members keeping connected with technology such as iPads, tablets, and smartphones – each of which had associated benefits and challenges….
Be-EPIC-VR is a new study built off Be-EPIC, which involves the creation of a virtual reality version of Be-EPIC. The study explores the similarities and differences of experiences in virtual reality simulations and real-world clinical interactions with persons living with dementia….
McCormick Dementia Research is participating in a research study with Carleton University, who is looking to identify infection risks associated with the design of shared workspaces at long-term care homes and how to create safer working environments for staff to prevent the spread of infection during viral outbreaks….
A new assessment scale is being developed to evaluate the safe use of walkers in people with dementia and put into a sequential order the actions that make use of the aid safe…
People who have dementia have more problems with their balance and walking than people who do not. Mobility aids are commonly prescribed to improve a person’s walking but they may or may not be helpful. The results of this study will be used to determine if mobility aids help or hinder persons with dementia…
Understanding the goals of family Care Partners is critical to developing and delivering effective support services. This study investigates goals expressed by family care partners prior to an education and training program, and whether these goals varied across phases of the care partner career…
This study assesses a person-centered training program for personal support workers (PSWs) who care for clients with dementia. Be EPIC focuses on the [E]nvironment, using [P]erson-centered communication, focusing on client relationships ([I] matter too), and incorporating the [C]lient’s abilities, life history and preferences during routine care…
This study looks at how to improve the quality of the living environment for people with dementia and their Care Partners …
This study seeks to find out how to better support staff who work with people with chronic illness or who are at the end of life, and how to better respond to staff who are grieving the death or loss of someone in their care…
This project focuses on how the physical movements of people with dementia may assist in predicting the onset of agitated behavioural responses, thereby enabling Care Partners to proactively redirect or mitigate such behaviours…
There is a wide variation in how agitation and aggression are treated in patients with dementia, and there is often a problem of polypharmacy. This study reviews an integrated care pathway for managing agitation and aggression beyond standard care practices…
This mixed-methods study assesses participant engagement in a horticultural recreation program compared to more traditional day program activities…
This study explores the therapeutic gardening experiences of persons with dementia and their perspectives on the senses and emotions elicited in the gardening process that may contribute to improvements in mood and enhanced wellbeing…
This study looks at how to preserve relationships between people who have dementia and those who do not by connecting them in a shared conversational experience involving the accessing and sharing of family photos using tablet technology…
This study explores the experience of moving to long-term care from the perspectives of the new resident and their family care partners…
This study evaluates the impacts of animals on people with dementia in mitigating responsive behaviours…
This study looks at the impact on staff of their experience of caring for participants in the animal-assisted research project…
This project reviews McCormick Home’s overseeing of the administration of funds allocated by the Southwest Local Health Integration Network toward environmental or structural enhancements to improve dementia care in participating long-term care homes…
PhotoVoice – where a socially marginalized group tells their story through photography – is introduced to members of the early stage dementia support group at McCormick Dementia Services…
This collaborative study with Baycrest Health Sciences explores the benefits of adult day programs and their impacts on the psychosocial wellbeing of participants…
A student from Western University’s Faculty of Health Sciences is conducting a research study that could lead to innovations in how people with dementia are cared for and help improve their overall quality of life. The study involves a review of the information we receive about an individual (e.g. from family, health care professionals, care partners) and how this information is applied to their specific plan of care.
A post-doctoral fellow from Western University is conducting a research study that explores the effectiveness of exercise in improving mobility and preventing falls in people with Alzheimer disease.
A student from University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Architecture is working with us to conduct a research study on how a building’s structural layout impacts the ability of health care professionals to care for people with Alzheimer disease and related dementias. The study involves examining the correlation between the built environment (interior work space) and the roles they perform.
A student from Brescia University College is conducting a research study on social relationships in long-term care. The study seeks to gain a deeper understanding of how residents develop and maintain relationships as well as the importance that these social relationships have on residents.
A student from Western University’s Faculty of Health Sciences is conducting a research study on how palliative care is delivered to persons with dementia within long-term care facilities in Ontario.
A dental hygienist and research assistant from Lawson Health Research Institute’s Geriatric Medicine Clinical Trials Group is conducting a quality improvement project that involves understanding barriers to good oral care in long-term care, with a particular focus on staff education.
We welcome any inquiries into our research activities. Please feel free to contact CEO Steve Crawford at scrawford@mccormickcare.ca or 519-432-2648 ext. 2319 for more information.
