WATERLOO,
Ont. (Wednesday, November 7, 2012) – A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a
related dementia leaves both the person with the illness and their family
members with many unanswered questions. Researchers
at the University of Waterloo and McMaster University are leading a project
that has resulted in the creation of a new web-based resource that provides valuable
information that will help navigate the journey of living with dementia.
Launching
today, the Living with Dementia website (www.livingwithdementia.uwaterloo.ca)
was designed to provide persons newly diagnosed with dementia and those who
care for them with the information and resources needed to live well with an
illness causing dementia. This new research-based website, available in both
English and French, was created in collaboration with persons living with
dementia and their family members and care providers.
“I
would have been ecstatic to have walked away from my doctor’s office with this
information; something that would allow me to be proactive and give me a sense
of direction, instead of sitting in my car crying and feeling hopeless,” said
Brenda Hounam, who was diagnosed with dementia 10 years ago. “This website is a
lifeline. It is a place to get safe, hopeful information.”
The
website covers a wide range of information with topics identified by those
living with dementia, including answers to questions surrounding health care,
how to continue living well with dementia, how to ensure they are receiving the
right care and support to meet their needs, and how to begin the process of
planning for the future.
“Persons
with dementia and their families can continue to live well and have meaningful
lives when they have the information and resources available to support them in
doing that.” said Sherry Dupuis, co-investigator and Director of the Murray
Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP) at the University of Waterloo.
“What makes this resource unique is that it was developed specifically by
persons with dementia and their care partners working actively with our
extensive team of researchers, educators, health professionals, pharmacists,
and family health team representatives. This ensures it is relevant and easily
accessible to persons and families diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or
another related dementia.”
Carrie
McAiney, co-investigator, and associate professor in the Department of
Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University adds
that this resource will be a valuable tool for professional health care
providers and community organizations supporting those whose lives are touched
by dementia. "This project will
help physicians, pharmacists, Alzheimer Societies and others find ways to
integrate the Living With Dementia resource into their everyday practice so it
can be shared with those living with dementia and their family members,” she
said.
About MAREP
The
Kenneth G. Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP) is a unit of
the Schlegel-UW Research Institute of Aging. Based in the Faculty of Applied
Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo, MAREP is an innovative program
that adopts an authentic partnership approach and integrates research and
educational activities in an effort to improve dementia care practices in
Canada and beyond. Its goal is to enhance the ability of all involved in
dementia care, including persons with dementia, their family partners in care,
and professional care partners, to respond to the needs of persons with
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and ultimately improve the quality of
life of all those experiencing dementia. For more information about MAREP,
visit www.marep.uwaterloo.ca.
About
the University of Waterloo
In
just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of
Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive
universities with 35,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and
graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary
co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and
encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In
the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for
Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create
solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information
about Waterloo, please visit www.uwaterloo.ca.
About McMaster
University
McMaster
University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities
in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. It
has a student population of 23,000, and more than 156,000 alumni in 140
countries.
For
further information about MAREP and the Living with Dementia, contact:
Lisa
Loiselle, Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP),
519-888-4567, ext. 35040 or loiselle@uwaterloo.ca
Media
Contacts:
Pamela
Smyth, University of Waterloo, 519-888-4777 or email: psmyth@uwaterloo.ca
Veronica
McGuire, McMaster University Health Sciences, 905-525-9140, ext. 22169 or
email: vmcguir@mcmaster.ca
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