Dementia Research Project Enters Third Phase

A research project looking to improve care and support for people with dementia and caregivers has launched its latest phase.

The five-phase project is called COGNISANCE, or “Co-designing dementia diagnosis and post-diagnostic care.”

It involves researchers from five countries, including Canada, Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

“It’s one we’ve been participating in for a couple of years,” said project co-lead Dr. Shelley Doucet, a professor in the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences at UNB Saint John.

Doucet said the project stemmed from prior research which shows dementia patients and their caregivers experience gaps in care.

Phase one consisted of surveys and focus groups with people at-risk or with dementia, their care partners, as well as primary care providers and other health care providers.

The idea was to explore experiences of the current diagnostic process and post-diagnostic supports in New Brunswick, including barriers and facilitators.

“Some of the barriers included things like stigma, issues around accessing care, wait times, cost is also an issue, and geography, especially here in New Brunswick,” said Doucet.

“We did find facilitators, as well, so things like open communication, particularly around the time of diagnosis, and having navigational-type support.”

Phase two and three of the project was developing and rolling out the “Forward With Dementia” campaign, which began in November.

It includes information, stories, and tools that were co-developed to address the needs of people with dementia, care partners, and the care team.

“The fourth phase is our evaluation phase, where we’re going to be doing research to evaluate the impacts of our campaign, and then the fifth phase is where we’re going to focus more on how to sustain this project beyond just having it as a research project,” said Doucet, adding that phase four and five will be completed over the coming months.

Doucet said the project has international and local funding, including the EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) and the New Brunswick government’s Healthy Seniors Pilot Project.