However, (1) most people in the community do not have access to a day care center, are concerned about the stigma associated with day care or are unable to afford it. This was endorsed by semi-structured interviews conducted with caregivers and community-based organizations in preparation for a larger study of the PLIÉ program. There is a huge need for innovative programs to assist individuals with dementia and their caregivers in the community. Irrespective of having access to day care or not, motivated caregivers, who are aware of the benefits of exercises for their loved ones and spend hours alone with them at home, ask: "What can we do with our [e.g. mother]?" They point out a major lack of guidance for caregivers in the community to be able to use a regular exercise practice on a long-term basis at home. Caregivers and seniors with dementia living together in the community are dyads in need of a paired exercise program. (2) How exercise may delay cognitive and functional decline is unknown. One hypothetical mechanism of action is an improved brain oxygenation related to exercise. Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive method to assess regional cortical oxygenation levels, has been suggested for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia, but has never been applied to longitudinal studies in this population.