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The Effects of a Park Visit Program on Individuals With Dementia and Their Caregivers

Alzheimer Disease | Mild Dementia | Moderate Dementia

The overall goals of our project is to understand the effects of participating in park visits and nature-based activities for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Nature-based activities such as park visits can have beneficial effects on quality of life, psychological symptoms and physical health. However, there may be barriers for people with dementia and their caregivers that may prevent them from engaging in park visits. The Nature Connections park visit program will provide education sessions for 10 persons living with dementia and 10 caregivers highlighting the beneficial effects of park visits and address common barriers to participating in park visits. Following the education session participants will be provided with weekly telephone/internet support meetings for participants to share their experiences with park visits and to address any challenges individuals encountered when trying to complete their visits. The impact of park visits on quality of life, behaviours, and measures of stress for people with dementia and their caregivers will be assessed over 8 weeks. Following completion of the program participants will provide an evaluation of the program to understand their experience and satisfaction with the program. This project will provide new information about the effects of park visits as a practical strategy to improve the quality of life, psychological symptoms and measures of stress for both people with dementia and caregivers.

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Participation Requirements

  • Sex:

    ALL

  • Eligible Ages:

    65 and up

Participation Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Male and female participants who are 65 years or older
* PLWD who meet Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5 for major neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease
* Individuals with mild to moderate dementia as assessed on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) corresponding to scores of 12-25 on the 12-item assessment or 10-18 on the 9-item telephone MoCA assessment
* Participants who currently participate in less than 2 hours of outdoor activities weekly using the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) questionnaire
* Caregivers who spend at least 2 hours per week with PLWD
* Participants that are able to mobilize independently or with assistive devices and have the ability access local parks either independently or with the assistance of caregivers.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Participants with unstable conditions that prevent outdoor activities
* Patients residing in long-term care or nursing homes
* Individuals with AD who have no access to a caregiver
* Participants with limited mobility that prevents outdoor activities
* Participants who do not have adequate comprehension and verbal communication in English necessary to participate in measurement of outcomes.

Study Location

Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Dallas P Seitz, MD, PhD

[email protected]
4032106867
Study Sponsored By
University of Calgary
Participants Required
More Information
Study ID: NCT05527587