Baycrest

PROGRAM IN MEMORY AND NEUROTHERAPEUTICS: ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE CLINICAL VIGNETTE STUDY The KLAERU team helped make connections between clinical practice and research through their involvement in a multisite, clinical vignette study led by Dr. Mark Oremus and his team from McMaster University. The study aims to examine whether the general public can pro- vide valid proxy health-related quality-of-life estimates in place of persons with mild, moder- ate, or severe Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The first step in this innovative research program was to develop clinical vignettes of the different AD stages via focus groups of patients and their caregivers, involving collaborations with hospital sites in Hamilton and Toronto, includ- ing Baycrest. The KLAERU team worked with the Baycrest site collaborator, Dr. Paul Verhoeff, to coordinate the project at Baycrest and assist with the management of intercollegiate relationships. KLAERU's additional roles in this exciting endeavour included the recruitment and scheduling of AD patients and caregivers from the Baycrest community and facilitation of the focus groups. A total of four focus groups were completed at Baycrest with 11 AD patients and 14 caregivers. The Mc- Master team is currently conducting focus groups at other study sites in Ontario. APOTEX JEWISH HOME FOR THE AGED: AN EVALUATION OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO GENTLE FITNESS IN LONG-TERM CARE The KLAERU team is promoting interdisciplinary translational research in a therapeutic recreation evaluation study. Mara Swartz, recreation therapist, and Kelly Rose, recreationist, have developed a new fitness program that involves training personal support workers (PSWs) to facilitate exercise programs for residents on the second floor of the Apotex Centre. This provides PSWs with the opportunity to work with residents in a new way. Swartz and Rose have observed the beneficial effects of this new and holistic approach to care, and are keen to obtain empirical evidence in sup- port of these observations. The KLAERU team assisted with the design, execution and dissemination of a qualitative research study with Swartz and Rose. This entailed a Research Ethics Board application, recruitment of 33 study participants, and the training of Seneca College nursing and therapeutic recreation students to conduct interviews with residents and PSWs engaged in the gentle fitness program. KLAERU coordinated and assisted with data collection from residents and PSWs, the transcription of these interviews by Baycrest volunteers, and the analysis of the interview data. Finally, KLAERU coordinated support for the preparation of materials the therapeutic recrea- tion team will use in presenting their study at the 2014 Therapeutic Recreation Ontario (TRO) Conference in June 2014. Michelle Small, registered practical nurse, and Zewdi Gofar, PSW, lead clients through a series of movements in a new Gentle Fitness Class. Dr. Cindy Grief (Psychiatrist, Baycrest): "KLAERU was outstanding and helped our project in the Mood Clinic immensely. They are professional, highly organized, and skilled." Dr. Nasreen Khatri (Clinician Associate, Baycrest): "The KLAERU team has been very organized, positive, and efficient. The KLAERU team has exceeded our expectations by shepherding our team in the development of a large and novel research program." KLAERU HIGHLIGHTS KLAERU HIGHLIGHTS 5 6

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