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 to point 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 Masters student working on the project.

Study: Building Capacity for Meaningful Participation by People Living with Dementia
The Building Capacity Project, also known as Building Capacity for Meaningful Participation by People Living with Dementia, is a cross-Canada partnership between researchers at the University of British Columbia and Lakehead University, and members of the Westside Seniors Hub (WSH) in Vancouver and the North West Dementia Working Group (NWDWG) in Thunder Bay. The Building Capacity Project aims to make communities more dementia-inclusive by creating sustainable opportunities for meaningful participation by people living with dementia. Overall, we hope to support the growth of innovative community initiatives that will foster inclusion and reduce stigma by creating opportunities for people with dementia to remain active and socially connected. This multi-year project is a part of the Dementia Community Investment strategy funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. This project in Thunder Bay is led by
Dr. Elaine Wiersma; Carlina Marchese is the Research Coordinator; and Claire Linton, Bailey Vandorp, and Lindsay Watt are graduate students working on the project.

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 of maintaining connection caregiving Ontarians are using 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: Exploring and promoting end-of-life decision-making for people with dementia living in long-term care homes

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.

This study is important to point to new ways of including residents with dementia and the people who care for them in making decisions towards palliative care.

We will partner with long-term care home partners and people with dementia in the community 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. 

Study: Building Capacity For Meaningful Participation By People Living With Dementia

The Building Capacity Project, also known as Building Capacity For Meaningful Participation By People Living With Dementia, is a cross-Canada partnership between researchers at the University of British Columbia and Lakehead University, and members of the Westside Seniors Hub (WSH) in Vancouver and the North West Dementia Working Group (NWDWG) in Thunder Bay. The Building Capacity Project aims to make communities more dementia-inclusive by creating sustainable opportunities for meaningful participation by people living with dementia. This multi-year project is a part of the Dementia Community Investment strategy funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.