Principal investigators Dr. Sherry Dupuis (left) and Dr. Carrie McAiney (right) pictured with Dr. Ron Schlegel, owner of Schlegel Senior Villages.
Forming the Team
The Partnerships in Dementia Care Alliance (PiDC) is a collaborative research network and project focused on improving the dementia care experience for persons with dementia, family members, and staff in both long-term care and community settings.
In 2010, the principal investigators (Dr. Sherry Dupuis and Dr. Carrie McAiney), along with a team of researchers, community partners, and over fifty organizations from across the country, received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to undertake this project. These stakeholders form an alliance of partners working together to enhance dementia care.
Including All Voices in Long-Term Care
This project aims to facilitate sustainable culture change in dementia care reflective of a relationship-centred partnership approach. In this way, the care experience will be enhanced for all stakeholders.
There is a need for culture change in long-term care which moves away from current top down service provider-driven approaches to more person-driven and relationship-centred approaches that:
- ensure the involvement of all key stakeholders
- focus on the experiences of all involved in the care context
- incorporate the voices of everyone in decision-making to ensure that programs and services are relevant to all needs and are therefore sustainable
Changing Culture Together
Researchers have partnered with four research sites to undertake culture change guided by the authentic partnership model, appreciative inquiry (AI), and the ADRD Planning Framework. Each research site is establishing a Culture Change Coalition (CCC) which includes representation from persons with dementia, family members, frontline staff, managers, researchers, and students.