Planning for Post-Pandemic Services

Throughout this past year, we’ve been planning for what our programs and services will look like post-pandemic. We know that online programming will be here to stay in some capacity when we invite our clients back in person again. We want to approach this thoughtfully, and we’re lucky to have research partners to help us plan our post-pandemic services. With the support of Dr. Paula McLaughlin, NSH Neuropsychologist with Seniors’ Health, we’ve been working with Jennifer Haley, NSH Psychologist with Seniors’ Health, to evaluate our virtual Shaping the Journey: living with dementia program. In 2012, we formed a partnership with the Nova Scotia Health (NSH) Seniors’ Health team. This partnership focused on developing and delivering programs to individuals living with early-stage dementia, including the Early-Stage Forum, Coffee and Conversation, and Shaping the Journey: Living with dementia. Ten years later, this partnership has grown along with our commitment to evidencebased programming, research, and evaluation. Originally developed by the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia, Shaping the Journey: Living with dementia was adapted for delivery in Nova Scotia in 2012. This psychoeducation and support group program is designed for persons living with dementia (newly diagnosed and/or in the early stages) and their care partners. It is delivered as a series of six weekly two-hour sessions. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, all of our in-person programs were put on hold. In response, we came together with Jennifer Haley to ensure that individuals living with dementia were able to connect with others through access to programming. Shaping the Journey was adapted for virtual delivery and launched in September 2020. To date, the virtual Shaping the Journey has been delivered five times!

We know that the virtual program was a success during the pandemic. We’re eager to learn if delivering the program virtually long-term is feasible. Preliminary data indicate that the virtual program is well received by both people with dementia and their care partners, and that it can be delivered virtually in a smaller group format across seven weekly sessions. This evaluation, along with a comprehensive dementia care survey (dementiacaresurvey.ca), is being used to understand whether telehealth and virtual supports are an effective way to improve access to dementia care in Nova Scotia beyond the pandemic. This unique programming and research partnership between the NSH Seniors’ Health team and our Society continues to help us better identify, evaluate, and improve the supports and services available to Nova Scotians living with dementia.

Jennifer Haley meets with the research team working on the Shaping the Journey study.