Baycrest

Page 4 April 1, 2014- March 31, 2015 ● KLAERU-PE Annual Report MEDICINE: IMPROVING PERFORMANCE IN DRIVERS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT THROUGH COGNITIVE REHABILITATION Led by Dr. Gary Naglie, Chief of Medicine at Baycrest, the research team is conducting a double-blind randomized trial of older adults with mild cognitive impairment. The study aims to determine if a cognitive intervention designed to enhance executive function and processing speed results in improvements in driving performance, cognition, mood, and quality of life, relative to processing speed training alone or an active control intervention. Since August 2014, KLAERU has successfully assisted in conducting 18 cognitive and driving assessments of study participants as part of the post-intervention follow-up and 6-month follow-up KLAERU Projects (continued) appropriate outcome measures, and conducted a quantitative analysis. The KLAERU team provided support to the team in preparing materials for a presentation at the Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association Conference (May 2015) and continues to provide manuscript support with the goal of submitting the manuscript for publication in fall 2015. PSYCHOLOGY: EVALUATING THE FUNCTIONAL IMPACT OF A MEMORY INTERVENTION PROGRAM The Baycrest Memory and Aging Program (MAP) is designed to help older adults who are experiencing normal age-related memory changes. MAP has been offered at Baycrest since 1997. Dr. Susan Vandermorris, Dr. Angie Troyer, and their research team in the Department of Psychology are focused on assessing whether MAP leads participants to positive behavior changes that, in turn, lead to improved everyday functioning. In spring 2014, the KLAERU team successfully recruited 29 study participants to take part in the randomized controlled study. "… a huge thank you to the KLAERU team for your exceptional work in supporting our Memory and Aging Program intervention study in the spring of 2014 and 2015. This critical support ensured that the project was completed as planned, on schedule, and to the highest methodological standards possible for a behavioural intervention study." –Dr. Susan Vandermorris (Director of Training; Baycrest; MAP Study) visits. The study is ongoing. NURSING & NUTRITION: EVALUATION OF A NATURAL BOWEL CARE PROTOCOL IN LONG-TERM CARE Through a collaboration between Baycrest Nursing (Amy Davignon, Deborah Lappen, Advanced Practice Nurses) and Food & Nutrition Services (Deborah Martinussen, Registered Dietitian), a natural bowel care protocol was implemented in the Apotex Centre, using ground flax, prunes, and increased fluid intake to regulate bowel movements among seniors with cognitive impairment. In conducting an evaluation of the efficacy of the natural bowel care protocol, KLAERU has successfully assisted in obtaining Research Ethics Board approvals, extracted medical data from medical charts and medication records, identified

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