Is DELIGHT the Right Fit for Your Community?

Looking to offer dementia-inclusive wellness in your community? DELIGHT is an evidence-based program that promotes the health and well-being for people living with dementia and care partners.

DELIGHT programs are delivered twice a week for eight weeks. Each session includes physical activity and 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 designed as a flexible program that can be adapted to meet diverse cultural and local community needs.

What You Need to Deliver DELIGHT and Solutions to Common Challenges

What You Need

  • At least one program leader with a physical activity certification.
  • Program leaders and/or volunteers with skills to support people living with dementia.

Common Challenges

  • Finding a certified physical activity instructor.
  • Staff or volunteers who lack direct experience working with people living with dementia.

Flexible Solutions and Strategies

  • A variety of exercise certifications are acceptable for DELIGHT. Please refer to page 6 in the program guide.
  • Use the Dementia Wellness Directory to find certified program leaders.
  • Find registered exercise professionals at:
  • Connect with local university kinesiology departments, YMCA fitness leaders, or healthcare networks.
  • Collaborate with a physical activity partner organization to co-lead sessions.
  • Complete free online training (DREAM, DICE, and DELIGHT) to gain key skills for safe, effective delivery.

What you need

  • Funding to deliver DELIGHT.
  • Room available twice a week for 8 weeks.

Common Challenges

  • Finding and securing needed funding.
  • Finding a room or managing high rental costs.

Flexible Solutions and Strategies

  • Get ready-to-use grant templates and budget plans on the DELIGHT portal.
  • Charge a fee-for-service if grant funding is unavailable.
  • Rent or borrow low-cost space at senior centres, libraries, or places of worship.
  • Deliver a hybrid model (one in-person session and one online session per week) or deliver fully online.

What you need

  • A plan to recruit participants (people living with dementia and care partners).

Common Challenges

  • Navigating stigma around dementia.
  • May create difficulty finding and signing up participants.

Flexible Solutions and Strategies

  • Download the Marketing Guide and Toolkit on the DELIGHT portal for outreach ideas and welcoming, alternative language to reduce dementia stigma.
  • Include your program offering on the Dementia Wellness website.
  • Work directly with local Alzheimer Societies, primary care networks, and local township and city recreation program teams.

What you need

  • Readiness to welcome and serve diverse community members.

Common Challenges

  • Supporting non-English speaking families or diverse cultural groups.

Flexible Solutions and Strategies

  • DELIGHT Participant Guides are adapted and available in French, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, and Urdu.
  • Include bilingual staff or volunteers to help translate during sessions.
  1. Complete free online training: Ensure staff and volunteers complete the DREAM, DICE, and DELIGHT eLearning courses.
  2. Access the DELIGHT portal: Log in to download grant templates, marketing materials, and all DELIGHT program materials and resources.
  3. Connect with our team: Reach out to the DELIGHT team at: https://dementiawellness.com/contact/
    • Secure the DELIGHT licensing agreement.
    • For any support, questions, and additional guidance.

The DELIGHT Impact

“It was really quite easy to understand and so flexible. As we’ve been delivering it over the years, we’ve been able to make some fun adjustments here and there without changing the fidelity of the program. We really loved it, and our clients really loved it.” [Organization delivering DELIGHT]

“Everything, the companionship, the understanding that other people are going through this as you are, the [instructors] themselves, who were very kind and thoughtful, and the lectures were great. The exercise part was really good for me…I don’t think I would be where I am now without it.” [DELIGHT Participant]

“The program was wonderful for me as an instructor, I found it really rewarding… I enjoyed going to the class every time I went … So I really think the program was a big success.” [DELIGHT Program Leader]

DELIGHT Program Guide

Learn how to deliver DELIGHT effectively, and what you need to get started. To access the full program guide, please complete the DELIGHT program leader training.

Click here view to the DELIGHT Program Guide (Sample) in English

DELIGHT Readiness Guide

Use this guide to assess if your organization is ready to deliver DELIGHT, learn how to overcome common challenges, and plan your delivery.

Click here view to the DELIGHT Readiness Guide in English

DELIGHT Training

A free five-module eLearning course providing program leaders with practical strategies and step-by-step resources to plan, set up, and deliver the DELIGHT program, including how to adapt activities, create safe and accessible spaces, and use dementia-inclusive communication to foster meaningful engagement.

Go to the DELIGHT Training

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