Current Research

This page contains information on current CERAH research projects as well as recently published peer-reviewed journal articles, media, and other publications.

Research Projects

Study: Promoting Just and Inclusive End-of-life Decision-making for Long-term Care Residents with Dementia and their Care Partners
Dr. Nisha Sutherland, assistant professor in the School of Nursing and research affiliate at the Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health, will spend the next three years exploring and promoting end-of-life decision-making for people with dementia living in long-term care homes. The purpose of this study is to explore how decisions are made towards palliative care goals for people with dementia and their care providers. This study will also explore how gender and other social structures shape decision-making. This study is important in pointing to new ways of including residents with dementia and the people who care for them in making decisions towards palliative care. The researchers partner with long-term care home partners and people with dementia in the community and eventually hope to create a video that sheds light on fair practices and policies. This study is essential for residents with dementia to
have a fair chance to receive quality palliative care and die in the way they wish. This study is led by Dr. Nisha Sutherland; Carlina Marchese is the project manager; Katelyn Wheeldon is a research assistant; and Lindsay Watt is a master’s student working on the project.


Study: Centring the Lived Experience of Dementia in Policy, Practice, and Community Development (EnactDem)
The EnactDem Project is a collaborative international research project involving partners in Canada, the UK, and Germany. At Lakehead University, the project is led by Dr. Elaine Wiersma, with coordination by Carlina Marchese and Jiaqi Li and support from graduate student Maaja Sepa. In partnership with the North West Dementia Working Group (NWDWG), the project explores how people living with dementia and their unpaid carers can meaningfully contribute to community planning, policy-making, and local development. Through participatory action research and community-based engagement, EnactDem seeks to reduce social exclusion, enhance political participation, and redefine public understanding of dementia by centering the voices and experiences of those living with the condition. This multi-year initiative is part of the international Open Research Area (ORA) for the Social Sciences and is grounded in a commitment to inclusion, equity, and community resilience.


Study: The Untold Stories of MAiD in Ontario: Family and loved ones’ experiences
The purpose of this SSHRC-funded (SSHRC IDG) research is to understand the experience of family and informal support networks (friends) that accompanied someone throughout their dying process involving MAiD in the province of Ontario. The research team, led by Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller, conducted individual interviews with people across Ontario who accompanied someone who used MAiD at the end of life. Additionally, 8 digital stories have been created to capture these experiences. Publications forthcoming


Study: COVID-19 Not Just A Visitor; Family caregiving in long-term care during lockdown
The purpose of this SSHRC-funded (SSHRC PEG) research project is to examine the experience of family caregivers of Ontario residents in LTC during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of this project are

  1. Formalize and extend the partnership between CanAge: Canada’s National Seniors’ Advocacy Organization and the research team led by Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller at Lakehead University.
  2. Increase knowledge about the questions, concerns, and expectations that family and friends have of LTC, the health system, and social support networks, and develop greater insight into the ways Ontarians are maintaining connections during this period of physical distancing.
  3. Develop recommendations informed by people who have been impacted by caregiving, isolation, grief, and loss during this time period that will directly address identified knowledge, system, and policy gaps.
    As painfully demonstrated in the recently released Joint Task Force report on LTC observations (May 27, 2020), Ontario is at a critical turning point where it is essential that we learn lessons that can improve the care, conditions, and outcomes of our citizens living in LTC. Dr. Kortes-Miller and the research team conducted a survey with over 100 participants from across Ontario and facilitated interviews with 25 caregivers. Publications forthcoming.

Study: Dementia Gardens: A Place to Grow

Dementia Gardens: A Place to Grow is a dementia-inclusive outdoor day program developed through a partnership between CERAH at Lakehead University and the North West Dementia Working Group (NWDWG). Rooted in the concept of dementia green care farms, this innovative program combines native plant gardening with meaningful social engagement for people living with dementia. Operating weekly from May to September at Centennial Conservatory, the program offers participants the opportunity to engage in purposeful, nature-based activities while also supporting environmental sustainability. The goals include enhancing quality of life, providing respite for care partners, promoting native species conservation, and offering academic and community research opportunities. The program is led by Dr. Elaine Wiersma, with support from Drs. Nisha Sutherland and Lindsay Galway, coordinated by Carlina Marchese and Jiaqi Li, Knowledge Brokers at CERAH, alongside graduate student team members Abbey Hunter and Maaja Sepa.


Study: Dementia in the Outdoors: Exploring the Mechanisms of Engagement

Dementia in the Outdoors is a national research initiative exploring how nature-based outdoor programs support the inclusion and well-being of people living with dementia. This multi-site participatory project brings together researchers, community partners, students, and people with dementia across three locations: Thunder Bay, Vancouver, and Chilliwack. In Thunder Bay, the project centres on Dementia Gardens: A Place to Grow, a native plant garden co-created by the North West Dementia Working Group (NWDWG) and CERAH at Lakehead University. The study aims to understand how outdoor innovations foster social, relational, and environmental citizenship for people with dementia. Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the project is led in Thunder Bay by Dr. Elaine Wiersma; Jiaqi Li serves as knowledge broker and researcher manager; and the site team includes faculty, student Abbey Hunter and Maaja Sepa, and members of the NWDWG.