Turning Dementia Care Research into Everyday Practice
A human-centred implementation strategy for SE Health
SE Health’s Research Centre developed Our Dementia Journey Journal through participatory research with caregivers. The collection of tools was created to strengthen communication and collaboration between people living with dementia, family caregivers, and care providers, the interconnected “circle of care.”
SE Health engaged J5 to help move the journal from a promising research-based resource into everyday practice within Alberta long-term care communities. By combining health research, quality improvement, implementation science, and service design, we developed and tested practical approaches for introducing the journal in ways that respected local cultures, employee workloads, and the realities of dementia care.
INDUSTRY
Healthcare
CLIENT
SE Health
WHY IT MATTERS
Even the most thoughtful healthcare tool will have limited impact if people do not understand why it matters, how it fits into their work, or where to find support. In long-term care environments already experiencing staffing pressures, burnout, and change fatigue, implementation cannot become another task added to an already demanding day.
This work focused on the relationships around the journal, not simply the tool itself. By designing with people living with dementia, caregivers, care providers, and site teams, SE Health gained an implementation approach grounded in how care is actually experienced and delivered.
PROCESS HIGHLIGHTS
We combined desk research and document review with four group interviews involving more than 15 subject-matter experts to understand the journal, the experiences of each care-circle member, and SE Health’s operational context.
We conducted two three-day residencies in Calgary and Red Deer, followed by rapid ideation, prototyping, and a four-day testing residency to develop implementation recommendations alongside the people who would use and support the journal.
Impact
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Resident & Caregiver
The implementation strategy protected the journal’s original purpose: helping people living with dementia, family caregivers, and care providers communicate, negotiate care roles, and develop a shared understanding of what good dementia care means.
The journal created a place to make important personal and relational knowledge visible, helping care remain grounded in who the person is—not only their diagnosis or clinical needs.
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Healthcare Provider
Care providers were engaged within the realities of their work, with implementation approaches designed around existing routines, moments of availability, and local site conditions.
Recommendations emphasized a clear reason for using the journal, simple guidance, appropriate support, and incremental adoption so the tool could strengthen care without feeling like an additional burden.
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Organizational Level
SE Health gained a suite of practical implementation recommendations that could be adapted to the needs, culture, and readiness of individual care communities.
The work connected the intended user experience with the backstage activities, communications, leadership supports, and systems required for sustainable adoption, helping SE Health move from knowing the journal could help to understanding how to put it into practice.