BrainMatters • Spring/Summer 2022 • 7
THREE INNOVATIONS SUPPORTING PEOPLE LIVING
WITH DEMENTIA AND THEIR FAMILY CAREGIVERS
VRx@Home: Virtual reality
therapy for people living
with dementia and their
caregivers
A University Health Network
project team, led by Dr. Lora
Appel, Assistant Professor at
York University, is designing and
evaluating an innovative virtual
reality (VR) therapy program for
people with Alzheimer's disease
and other forms of dementia
living at home. VR therapy is a
drug-free approach to reducing
the use of sedating medications,
as well as reducing symptoms
of Alzheimer's such as apathy,
feelings of loneliness and
sundowning.
Virtual music therapy in
long-term care during
COVID-19 and beyond
This research project, led
by Dr. Kate Dupuis, Schlegel
Innovation Leader at the Centre
for Elder Research, introduces
music therapy to virtual family
visits to help residents make
more meaningful connections
with their loved ones, while
boosting their own cognitive
and emotional well-being.
With funding from CABHI, the
findings from this research will
help create an implementation
guide that can be shared with
other long-term care homes and
music therapists across Canada.
Supporting caregivers from
ethnocultural communities
The Diverse Caregivers Access
Program aims to develop, test
and deliver culturally sensitive
and linguistically appropriate
resources for caregivers of
people living with dementia
in various ethnocultural
communities. The program, led
by Stephanie Conant, Manager,
Caregiver Wellness & Social
Work at WoodGreen Community
Services, will increase access
to affordable or free resources
that are co-designed with
caregiver stakeholders and
frontline staff.
Visit cabhi.com to learn more.
The Centre for Aging + Brain
Health Innovation (CABHI),
powered by Baycrest, is supporting
innovations aimed at improving
the lives of older adults, individuals
with dementia, and their care
partners through Spark-ON,
a subsidiary of CABHI's Spark
Program, which supports the
development of grassroot
solutions by frontline healthcare
workers and researchers that solve
real-world critical care challenges.
The program acknowledges
frontline care workers as uniquely
positioned to address the needs
of Ontario's older adult population
during the COVID-19 pandemic —
and beyond.
Many of these innovations focus on
helping family caregivers maintain
their well-being or connect with
their loved ones in a meaningful
way. Here are a few ways these
innovations are making a difference.
