U of R and U-Sask launch new dementia support project in Yorkton – Melville area
The Cognitive Kitchen is serving up supports to older adults in the Yorkton – Melville area.
The Cognitive Kitchen is for rural older adults, including those with dementia and their care partners, who are interested in learning about dementia, utilizing nutrition risk-reduction approaches to prevent dementia, enhancing food literacy skills, and socializing.
Several different offerings of the Cognitive Kitchen project, each serving approximately 10 participants, will be delivered in-person and virtually throughout the term of the project, which will run from now to July 2024. The Cognitive Kitchen includes six ‘courses’ dishing up evidence-based nutrition practices, food preparation and socialization components.
“We are inviting older adults interested in risk reduction, and persons living with dementia and their care partners interested in nutrition strategies for healthy living to join the Cognitive Kitchen. We provide a welcoming space where learning and socializing provide a recipe for fun and, as a bonus, there are no program costs for participants,” said Dr. Allison Cammer, Assistant Professor in the Division of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Saskatchewan. Some programs will be offered in-person within rural communities in the Yorkton – Melville area and some will be offered virtually, depending on participant preference and ability.
“The Cognitive Kitchen project is being added to the mix of several other projects we are supporting in the Yorkton – Melville area that seeks to improve the quality of life of people living with dementia in rural and smaller urban communities,” said Dr. Bonnie Jeffery with the Faculty of Social Work, University of Regina.
The Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan project team at the University of Regina is collaborating with the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan and other provincial and local organizations to design and implement individual, community and organizational level interventions that enhance social inclusion of older adults with dementia living in small towns and rural communities in Saskatchewan
The Cognitive Kitchen is part of the Interventions to Enhance Social Inclusion of Older Adults with Dementia in Saskatchewan, a five-year project funded in-part by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, that focuses on raising awareness of the stigma and social isolation experienced by people with dementia and their care partners. The project is being conducted through the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU), a bi-university research centre at the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan.
If you are interested in registering for a Cognitive Kitchen program or would like to learn more, please contact the coordinator, Julie Beitel, RD: julie.beitel@usask.ca
Interviews can be arranged via the contact noted.
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Who We Are
The Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU) is a bi-university health research unit. Since it began in 1999, SPHERU has established itself as a leader in population health research – the study of social factors that affect the wellbeing of groups within a population. For more info, visit www.spheru20.ca.
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Set in the heart of the Canadian prairies we are a comprehensive, mid-sized university where the opportunities are as limitless as the horizon. Our campuses are on Treaty 4 and 6 - the territories of the nêhiyawak, Anihšināpēk, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda peoples, and the homeland of the Michif/Métis nation. It is our responsibility to strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities to build a more inclusive future for all. Our three federated colleges, 10 faculties, 25 academic departments, and 18 research centres foster innovative research with practical and theoretical applications. We are committed to cultivating the potential of our 16,700 students and supporting their health and well-being. We take learning beyond the classroom through work and volunteer experiences to develop career-ready graduates.
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