After working for years to reduce the stigma of dementia in Halton’s Chinese community, Redleaf Cultural Integration (RCI) was at a critical moment. Finally, families were reaching out to the organization to share their diagnoses and get help. But now, RCI had a new challenge.
There was nowhere to send people for urgently needed support.
Mainstream dementia-specific programs were not culturally appropriate or delivered in the necessary languages. Traditional fitness programs for Chinese older adults, such as tai chi, were not accessible for people living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia.
That’s when RCI Project Manager Helen Liu discovered the ideal solution for her community: the Dementia Lifestyle Intervention for Getting Healthy Together (DELIGHT). The evidence-based, culturally adaptable program promotes health and well-being for people living with MCI or dementia and care partners.
DELIGHT was conceived by three Schlegel Research Chairs — Laura Middleton, Heather Keller and Carrie McAiney — and co-designed with people living with dementia, care partners, and health and social care providers. Today, DELIGHT is a national dementia-inclusive wellness program. Organizations can use DELIGHT’s eLearning modules and resources to promote and deliver the program in their own communities.
A Holistic Approach to Health and Well-Being
To run DELIGHT in Burlington, Helen’s team completed the free training. Fourteen people, seven people living with dementia and seven care partners, participated in their first program. A fitness instructor, a translator, and several volunteers guided the group through eight weeks of physical activity, healthy eating tips, and learning about strategies for living well.
“The exercise is evidence-based, focused on functional abilities,” said Helen. “The lifestyle piece is very important too, because it addresses a longer-term change. And then the social part means people have a community where they feel comfortable. They don’t feel ashamed because they have dementia.”
Leveraging DELIGHT’s adaptable framework, RCI delivered the program in Mandarin using culturally familiar themes and activities. That aspect was critical to helping participants form meaningful connections that kept them coming back.
By the end of the eight-week program, the positive outcomes were clear. Helen said participants who struggled to complete one chair stand were easily completing 10. Many increased their walking endurance from one continuous minute to seven. And most reported greater independence, social connection and belonging.
From Regional Capacity Building to National Growth
Looking ahead, RCI plans to scale DELIGHT into Oakville, where 23,000 residents of Chinese heritage have no access to culturally relevant dementia support. Helen credits DELIGHT’s “ripple effect” with enabling sustainable growth — by training local staff and leaders and contributing to capacity building across the entire region.
Since 2023, DELIGHT programs have launched successfully in regions of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. With the program’s national expansion, the project team expects momentum to build.
“People living with dementia and care partners have a right to support for their health, function and well-being. DELIGHT provides this. Participants describe meaningful improvement in how they live with dementia — better function, social connections and strategies to live well beyond the program,” said Laura Middleton, principal investigator for DELIGHT and Schlegel Research Chair in Dementia and Active Living at the RIA.
“It’s our hope that even more communities — within healthcare systems, community and cultural centres, Alzheimer’s Society chapters, and more — adopt DELIGHT to address local needs.”
To learn more, visit the DELIGHT program page and explore if DELIGHT is the right fit for your community.
Production of this project has been made possible through funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Public Health Agency of Canada.