DELIGHT
Ready to lead the way in local, dementia-inclusive wellness? The Dementia Lifestyle Intervention for Getting Healthy Together (DELIGHT) is a community-based program that promotes health and well-being for people living with dementia and care partners. The program focuses on physical activity, healthy eating, social connection and strategies for living well with dementia.
Who is DELIGHT for?
DELIGHT is designed to support:
- People living with dementia
- Care partners
- Community organizations looking to deliver a local dementia wellness program
How to Offer DELIGHT in Your Community
If your organization is committed to inclusive wellness or serves people living with dementia, DELIGHT offers an evidence-based, flexible solution. Here’s how it works for organizations:
Complete the free eLearning course
The course prepares program leaders to deliver DELIGHT.
Access the marketing toolkit
A step-by-step promotional guide, ready-to-use content and a resource library help you build awareness and recruit participants.
Apply for funding
A detailed, customizable grant template supports your application.
Considering DELIGHT?
“Programming doesn’t get more accessible than this… Anyone can run it anywhere, which is the beauty of it.”
– Organization
How DELIGHT Supports People Living with Dementia
DELIGHT programs run twice a week for eight weeks. Each session brings participants together for 60 minutes of physical activity and 30 minutes of shared learning. The program supports people living with dementia and care partners in these areas:
- Staying active through fun, social physical activity that supports independence in daily activities
- Creating meaningful connections while finding support and a sense of belonging
- Sharing strategies for health and well-being through physical activity, healthy eating, emotional health, and more
DELIGHT is adaptable to the needs of diverse communities and offers participant guides in multiple languages, including English, French, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Punjabi and Urdu.
What People Say About DELIGHT
“[DELIGHT] is a wonderful program. It motivates you to do things for your life and health overall.”
– Person living with dementia
“As a care partner, I was experiencing burnout and had little time to exercise or take care of myself… Since joining DELIGHT, my fitness has improved significantly, especially my balance.”
– Care partner
“Programs tailored to a specific culture have a deeper impact. We discussed familiar recipes and exercises participants remembered from their childhood…”
– Organization
About the Research Team
DELIGHT was developed in collaboration with people living with dementia, care partners, health and social care providers, and researchers. The program began as a research collaboration between the University of Waterloo and the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, supported by funding from the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Today, DELIGHT is a wellness program available in diverse communities across Canada.
Learn More
To explore how your organization can deliver the program and learn more about the research team, visit the DELIGHT program page.
Principal Investigator
Laura Middleton, PhD
Schlegel Research Chair in Dementia and Active Living
Co-Investigators
Heather Keller, RD, PhD, FDC, FCAHS, FCNS
Schlegel Research Chair in Nutrition and Aging
Carrie McAiney, PhD
Schlegel Research Chair in Dementia; Scientific Director, MAREP
Project Team
- Kassie Harker, Project Manager
- Christopher Dinh, Evaluation Coordinator
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 view of the Public Health Agency of Canada.
There are no “Related Resources” associated with this Program.