You are invited to participate in a study to assess the age-friendliness and dementia inclusion of our community. 

Help us to determine:

1. How do persons living with dementia and their care partners perceive the age-friendliness and dementia-inclusion of their neighbourhoods?
2. What are the factors that influence the age-friendliness and dementia-inclusion of communities as perceived by persons living with dementia and their care partners
3. Can persons living with dementia be instrumental to assess the age-friendliness and dementia-inclusion of Canadian communities.
4. How we can develop evaluation tools together with persons living with dementia and their care partners, to evaluate community inclusiveness?

Who can become a Citizen Scientist?

People who:

Are 60+ years of age

• Have been diagnosed with dementia or be the care partner of someone diagnosed with dementia
• Speak English
• Reside in the Greater Ottawa-Renfrew County Area
• Can commit to attending three training workshops
• Can commit to using the audit tool for a one-month period
• Have a mobile phone/tablet (considered desirable but not essential)

Your Mission Includes:

• Attending three 2.5-hour training workshops (either in-person or virtual). Workshop 1 will provide information about the study and its methodology while the other two workshops will involve collaboration between the researchers and participants to develop the audit tool that will be used.
• Commitment to downloading and using an audit tool on your smart phone for a 1-month period (each audit is expected to take approximately 10 minutes). This audit will involve recording perceptions about the age- and dementia-inclusiveness of your neighbourhood. Using the audit tool you are expected to complete a questionnaire as well as submit/upload audio and visual files.
• Attending an optional debrief meeting to discuss the experience of using the audit tool and the findings of the study.

If you are interested in being a part of the study or have more questions about the research, please contact the principal investigator at kcampbe6@uottawa.ca.

Should you choose to take part in the study, you will have the right to end your participation at any time, for any reason. If  you choose to withdraw, any data collected until the time of your withdrawal will be removed and not used in the study, unless permission to use it is granted.

The information you provide will be kept strictly confidential and measures will be taken to protect your identity. This will be done by keeping all responses anonymized. All research data, including pictures, audio and video recordings, and any notes, will be encrypted/password-protected. Any hard copies of data including any handwritten notes or USB keys will be kept in a locked cabinet in the home offices of the research team. Research data will only be accessible by the research team.

The University of Ottawa Research Ethics Board has approved the ethical components of this project. Should you have any ethical concerns with the study, please contact the University of Ottawa (by phone: 613-562-5387 or by email: ethics@uottawa.ca).

The research study is an opportunity for you to provide feedback about your insights and experiences regarding the age-friendliness and dementia-inclusion of your community. Participation in this study is voluntary. You have the right to leave the study at any time without any repercussions.