Graduate student wins funding for dementia caregiving research

Dementia and succession care planning

What happens when a caregiver can no longer provide care?

It’s a question many families eventually face, and one that Alexandria Delaney is working to better understand.

Alexandria is a PhD student at the University of Manitoba and one of two recipients of the 2025–2026 Graduate Student Fellowship Award, a partnership between the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba and the University of Manitoba that supports students working in dementia research.

Her current project focuses on succession caregiving, which looks at what happens when a family member or friend who has been providing care can no longer continue. This can happen for many reasons, including illness, burnout, aging, or developing dementia themselves. When that happens, families are often left trying to figure out what comes next.

“There’s a gap in the research when it comes to understanding what families actually go through when they reach that point,” Alexandria says. “A lot of people don’t talk about it until they’re already in the middle of it.”

Her interest in dementia research is personal. Alexandria has family members who have lived with dementia, and her grandmother used to provide care to a couple of people in her community.

“She still remembers that time,” Alexandria says. “She talks about how challenging it could be, but also how meaningful it was to be there for someone who needed her.”

Improving the future of family caregiving

During her undergraduate studies at Acadia University, Alexandria focused on age-friendly communities and spoke with older adults about their experiences living in their communities. Many of those conversations quickly turned to caregiving, accessibility and the everyday realities of supporting someone else.

“A couple of people told me that when we think about age-friendliness, it really is for everybody,” she says. “Caregivers also need to be considered.”

That perspective stayed with her. It led her to complete a master’s degree examining the experiences of caregivers in Nova Scotia, including those supporting people living with dementia. Now, through her PhD research, she is looking more closely at how families prepare for changes in care and how they navigate those transitions.

Research funding has played an important role in allowing Alexandria to continue her studies.

“It’s really motivating to know that someone believes in what you’re doing,” she says. “It makes a big difference when you’re trying to focus on school and research.”

Looking ahead, Alexandria hopes to remain in Canada and continue working in caregiving research. She is especially interested in making sure people feel respected and heard when they take part in studies.

“I don’t want people to feel like they’re just research subjects,” she says. “I want them to know that by sharing their experiences, they can help create a better future for families affected by dementia.”

The Alzheimer Society is proud to support students like Alexandria through the Graduate Student Fellowship Award and its ongoing commitment to dementia research and care in Manitoba. Learn more about the Graduate Student Fellowship Award here.