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Chapters and Reports

• Savundranayagam, M.Y. & Kamalraj, P. (2020). Person-centered communication among formal caregivers of persons with dementia. In Colin R. Martin & Victor R. Preedy (Eds.), Diagnosis and Management in Dementia (pp. 843–856). London, U.K.: Academic Press.
• Roberts, A., Savundranayagam, M. Y., Orange, J. B. (2021). Dementia of the Alzheimer type. In L. Cummings (Ed.), Pragmatic Language Disorders: Complex and Underserved Populations. New York: Springer.
• Iroanyah, N., Savundranayagam, M.Y., Mundadan, R., & Sivananthan, S., (2021). Equity, diversity, and inclusion in dementia diagnosis: A Canadian perspective (pp. 235-237). World Alzheimer Report 2021, Alzheimer’s Disease International.

Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

• Breen, R., Savundranayagam, M. Y., Orange, JB, & Kothari, A. (2022). Perceptions of quality dementia home care by personal support workers in Ontario, Canada. Health & Social Care in the Community, 30(5), e2497-e2506.
• Kamalraj, P., Savundranayagam, M. Y., Orange, JB, & Kloseck, M. (2021). Communication in home care: Understanding the lived experiences of formal caregivers in communicating with persons living with dementia in their homes. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 00, e12401.
• Savundranayagam, M. Y., Docherty-Skippen, S. M., & Basque, S. (2021). Qualitative insights into the working conditions of personal support workers in long-term care in the context of a person-centered communication training intervention. Research in Gerontological Nursing, 14(5):245-253. Doi:10.3928/19404921-20210708-01
• Guthrie DM, Williams N, Campos J, Mick P, Orange JB, Pichora-Fuller MK, Savundranayagam MY, Wittich W, Phillips NA. (2021). A newly identified impairment in both vision and hearing increases the risk of deterioration in both communication and cognitive performance. Canadian Journal on Aging. 41(3), 363–376. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980821000313
• Savundranayagam, M.Y., Basque, S. R., & Johnson, K. (2020). Feasibility of Be EPIC: A dementia-focused person-centered communication intervention for home care workers. Clinical Gerontologist, 43(2): 181-192. DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2019.1694116
• Williams, N., Phillips, NA., Wittich, W., Campos, J., Mick, P, Orange, JB., Pichora-Fuller, MK., Savundranayagam, M. Y., Guthrie, DM. (2020). Hearing and cognitive impairments increase the risk of long-term care admissions. Innovation in Aging, 4(2): igz053. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igz053
• Garcia Diaz, L., Savundranayagam, M. Y., Kloseck, M., & Fitzsimmons, D. (2019). The role of cultural and family values on social connectedness among ethnic minority elders. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 114-126.

Presentations

• Savundranayagam, M. Y. (2022, December 14). Evidence-based communication strategies that support person-centered dementia care. BrainXChange national webinar.

Visit for a comprehensive list of publications.

• Be EPIC: Person-Centered Communication with Home Care Clients with Dementia (Funded by Centre for Aging & Brain Health Innovation; Amount - $199,657)
• Dementia Training for Mid-Career Workers (Funded by Future Skills Centre: Amount - $418,717)

Visit for a list of completed student theses and dissertations in the repository.

Contact professor Savundranayagam directly at msavund@uwo.ca for information.

• Director,

• magazine on how Be EPIC is upskilling the dementia care workforce (July 2020).
• Interviewed by CBC Morning Live Host, Heather Hiscox, on stigma and dementia and Be EPIC. This was part of the McCormick Foundation’s Ritz Gala, which was an online event on January 21, 2021.
• Interviewed on March 4, 2021 by Pedro Barata, Executive Director of Future Skills Centre, about the future of work and Be EPIC, as part of the Regional Sounding Tour presented by Future Skills Centre and the Conference Board of Canada.
• , on the context of caring for persons living with dementia. This was part of the McCormick Foundation’s Ritz Gala, which was an online event on January 27, 2022.
• Featured on the "Women on the Rise" series by Tamil Women Rising, a nonprofit organization that empowers Tamil women and their allies to seek success and advance their careers. (March 3, 2022). Read more on and on the .
• , on Be EPIC. New virtual-reality training program gets $1M EPIC boost: Grant will expand °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â-developed PSW training for dementia care.
• on PSW Perspectives on Quality of Care. Spring/Summer 2022.
• Interviewed by Madelaine Currelly on her radio show, Aging – A New Reality, on Northumberland 89.7 FM. Topic: Health Care for Older Adults. Included discussions on Be EPIC training, communication, hearing, and aging.
  
• Interviewed by Madelaine Currelly on her radio show, Aging – A New Reality, on Northumberland 89.7 FM. Topic: Importance of Social Well-being.
  
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• - Future Skills Centre
• - °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â News (July 11, 2019)
• - °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â Undergraduate Research Journal
• - °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â News (October 5, 2017)
• - CTV News London (November 12, 2013)
• - °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â

• Fellow, Gerontological Society of America
• Faculty of Health Sciences: Recognition of Excellence in Teaching (2012, 2013)
• Age Plus Prize: Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Institute of Aging (2005)

• Associate Editor, The Clinical Gerontologist
• Editorial Board, Social Work in Health Care
• Editorial Board, Educational Gerontology