UBC Okanagan researchers have created a toolkit for organizations or communities building dementia care programs.
For families and individuals affected by dementia, navigating daily life often means overcoming challenges such as isolation, stigma and fragmented support.
However, a new collaborative approach spearheaded by researchers at UBC Okanagan aims to transform communities into compassionate, dementia-inclusive spaces where meaningful connections and supportive neighbours make a genuine difference.
The Compassionate Dementia-Inclusive Communities (CDIC) toolkit provides practical guidance for organizations that want to better support people living with dementia and their care partners, UBCO researchers say.
Dr. Barb Pesut, a Professor in the School of Nursing at UBCO and Principal Investigator for the project, says the objective is to help organizations use what they already have.
“Every community has untapped potential. Our goal is to mobilize that energy, helping communities recognize and leverage their strengths to meaningfully support individuals living with dementia,” she says.
The toolkit integrates three proven community-building frameworks—compassionate communities, dementia inclusion and volunteer navigation—into a cohesive, actionable resource.
Designed to help communities identify local resources, strengths and growth opportunities, the CDIC toolkit outlines a structured, six-step process:
- Building partnerships: Communities form strategic relationships among organizations, service providers, local governments and care partners to address dementia support collaboratively.
- Understanding your community: Tools like the Compassionate Dementia-Inclusive Community Index Survey and environmental scans help stakeholders assess the current perception of their community. This is in terms of being inclusive of those living with dementia, as well as pinpointing areas that require improvement and understanding their community’s readiness to address areas for growth.
- Preparing volunteers: The Navigation: Connecting, Advocating, Resourcing and Engaging (Nav-CARE) program offers systematic, competency-based training for volunteers, ensuring they are well-equipped to deliver high-quality support.
- Visioning and implementing a plan: Communities identify clear goals and launch tailored initiatives, from dementia-friendly arts programs to public awareness campaigns.
- Evaluating initiatives: Communities use tailored evaluation plans to measure progress, identify successful strategies and refine outcome-based approaches.
- Ensuring sustainability: The toolkit emphasizes long-term effects and guides communities in creating initiatives that can be sustained through ongoing engagement, resource sharing and policy advocacy.
“Volunteers are pivotal,” says Dr. Gloria Puurveen, Project Manager and Knowledge Translation Lead for Nav-CARE. “When volunteers are empowered and well-trained, the ripple effects in community resilience and quality of life are remarkable.”
Six communities in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Newfoundland are adopting the toolkit. Early implementation has shown promising results.
Over the next year, communities will launch various initiatives—such as dementia-friendly arts programs, advocacy campaigns and educational events—to foster genuine inclusivity and reduce stigma.
The goal is to incorporate key insights gathered from this project into a toolkit that can be used by any organization interested in building a sustainable, compassionate and dementia-inclusive community.
Funded by Health Canada and supported by local and provincial organizations across Canada, the CDIC project seeks to embed compassionate dementia-inclusive practices deeply within community networks.
“This isn’t about temporary interventions,” says Dr. Kelly Ashford, researcher and Project Manager for the EU Navigate project. “It’s about sustainable change and nurturing communities where everyone, regardless of their health status, feels genuinely welcomed and supported.”
The CDIC initiative represents a powerful example of how applied research can enhance community wellbeing. Pesut says the emphasis should be on community-driven efforts.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to ensuring compassionate care and improving quality of life for adults with chronic, life-limiting illnesses,” she says.
“By supporting communities to become more dementia-inclusive, we empower older adults to age in place, surrounded by meaningful connections and compassionate care.”
