Contribute to Caregiver-Focused Research

About the opportunity

Dr. Kristina Kokorelias and Dr. Maurita Harris, principal investigators at the University of Toronto/ Laurier, will be leading a research study to understand how family caregivers of older adults with chronic illnesses perceive and experience using ChatGPT (or similar AI tools) as part of their caregiving roles.

They are looking for family caregivers of older adults (ages 65 and above) who have used ChatGPT or similar AI tools in their caregiving tasks (e.g., information-seeking, emotional support, care coordination).

What will be expected of me?

• Completing a short demographic survey to gather background information.
• Taking part in a virtual semi-structured interview (approximately 30-45 minutes), conducted via a platform like Zoom or Skype.

How do I participate?

If you are interested in collaborating or would like more information, please contact isabelle.mangindaan@mail.utoronto.ca or Dr. Kokorelias directly at k.kokorelias@utoronto.ca and/ or Dr. Harris at mauharris@wlu.ca.

About the opportunity

Liver Canada is recruiting two caregivers to join the Advisory Committee for the Liver Cancer Referral Pathway Project (LCRPP).

They are looking for people who have lived experience as a patient or caregiver navigating liver cancer care and with knowledge of patient needs, challenges, and priorities during treatment and recovery.

What will be expected of me?

You'll be expected to connect with the committee three times per year for approximately 60-90 minutes. As a member of the Advisory Committee, you'll be expected to provide input from the patient perspective to make sure the pathway is patient-centered, offer feedback on care coordination, communication, and overall patient experience. You'll also have the opportunity to advocate for patients and caregivers, ensuring their voices are heard in care decisions and program improvements.

How do I participate?

If you're interested in participating, or would like more information about the project before making a decision, please contact Anh Thu, Health Promotions Programs Lead at Liver Canada, at 416-491-3353 x 4931 or by email at atnguyen@liver.ca.

About the research
"Exploring Service Availability and Support for Alzheimer’s Caregivers: An Asset Mapping and Co-Design Approach", aims to explore the experiences and perspectives of service providers and caregivers regarding dementia care practices. The project is approved by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Toronto, and participation is entirely voluntary.

What will be expected of me?

Participants will have the chance to reflect on their experiences, identify gaps in current services, and help shape resources that better support caregivers of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias. Participants may also learn about services they didn’t know existed and their input will directly inform more responsive and timely support for caregivers and people living with Alzheimer’s.

Participants will provide their input in an online interview, held on Zoom, typically lasting about 1 hour. The date of the session will be booked to accommodate your availability.

You must be based in Ontario to participate.

How do I register?

If you're interested in sharing your insights with the researchers, simply send an email to ekemeziw@mcmaster.ca expressing your interest.

The Zwar Social Psychology of Aging Lab explores healthy aging, stress, and discrimination of (unpaid) caregivers of family or friends with long-term care needs.

They’re currently conducting a study titled Examination and validation of questionnaires on Perceptions of Informal Care and are looking for participants who are currently providing unpaid care or support to family members or friends.

Through this study, the researchers’ aim to improve the understanding of the beliefs and attitudes about unpaid caregiving in Canada.

You are eligible to participate if:

• You are between 18 and 95 years of age
• Currently an unpaid caregiver to a relative or friend who is aged 60 years or older
• Have been providing care or support for at least 6 months or longer
• You are fluent in English

The study will be delivered through an online survey and will take approximately 30 minutes of your time. You need internet access to participate.

If you participate, you can enter a draw to win 1 of 5 $50 Walmart gift cards by providing a working email address

If you are interested in contributing to their research, take the survey here:

https://brock.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_01bW5ZQ8Xs9Up8i

Please feel free to share this survey with people you know who provide informal care.

To answer the survey: https://redcap.ualberta.ca/surveys/?s=TTWHRCJRXFRRJFYF

Patient Ombudsman helps resolve complaints from patients, long-term care home residents, or their caregivers about experiences in Ontario’s public hospitals, long-term care homes, home care services, and community surgical and diagnostic centres (which includes some x-ray, ultrasound, sleep study clinics, cataract and other eye surgery centres, etc.).

In the coming months, Patient Ombudsman is planning to send out a survey to people who have made a complaint to our office to measure how we’re doing and where we can improve our service. It’s similar to a customer survey you receive after shopping with a store.

Before we starting using the survey, we’d like to hear from patients, caregivers, and long-term care residents to make sure we’re asking the right questions. We’re looking for volunteers to fill in a draft version of the survey and then let us know if the questions are clear, if the survey is easy to use, or if there’s anything we missed.

You can access the anonymous draft survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PO-PSSURVEY

You can provide anonymous feedback on the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OPOFeedback

If you have any questions about filling in the survey or how to give your feedback, contact martina.gordon@patientombudsman.ca

You are invited to take part in a research study titled, Promoting brain health: A national capacity building project for aging adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, family caregivers and service providers.

A group of researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) are studying a virtual education program for aging adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), family caregivers, and service providers from across Canada. This online course is designed and delivered by family caregivers, alongside medical and mental health experts specializing in the care of adults with IDD.

Watch a short video about the course or read more information about it below!

Who Should Attend?

· Family caregivers aged 60 years and older caring for an adult with an intellectual and/or developmental disability

· Family caregivers (any age) caring for an adult with an intellectual and/or developmental disability who is aged 40 years or older

Program Highlights:

· Participate offline; view a video recording of each session each week for six weeks, at your leisure

· Receive a course workbook, with extensive resources

· Complete 3 online questionnaires that take about 40-50 minutes each

o Before the course, at the end of the course, and 14 weeks after the end of the course

· Receive a gift card at the end of the study for participating

What participants are saying:

· “This brain health program taught me how to uncover the dynamic relationship between my lifestyle and my brain health. And how to understand the cognitive behaviour of the person I am taking care of.”

View our Flyer | Watch a Short Video about the Course | Register Now: https://redcap.link/9uja13v6

Participation is completely voluntary and will not affect any present or future services provided by CAMH. Any information collected for this study will be confidential.

For more information or support, please contact the CAMH research staff by email BrainHealthIDD@camh.ca or by phone 437-328-6761.