Beyond Words… and Towards Digital Accessibility: SafeHome App to Promote Safe Environments for Persons Living with Dementia

In Ontario, an estimated 228,000 people are currently living with dementia, with an expected increase among people over the age of 65. Caregivers, play an important role in the lives of persons with dementia (PWD), yet they often have little formal support and experience high rates of burnout and distress. This innovative project will address this challenge by digitizing one element of a face-to-face workshop designed to provide caregivers of PWD with effective communication strategies. Specifically, we will focus on aspects of the physical environment for purposes of enhancing communication, so that geographically and culturally marginalized caregivers can access this resource digitally. The content will be converted into an App format that will include text files adaptable to several prevalent languages spoken in Ontario. This will enable marginalized populations to have better access to relevant content at any time and from any distance and allow new ways to support PWD and their caregivers.