On Aging Canadian Conversations

How do young and old come together in a way that works for everyone? Dr. Shannon Jarrott, Professor of Social Work at Ohio State University, takes us through her toolkit on facilitating activities that promote conversation and engagement between older people and youth, and discusses the importance of intergenerational relationships to a healthy society.
Dr. Shannon Jarrott is a Professor of Social Work at the Ohio State University. Her research focuses on intergenerational community building strategies. Trained as a gerontologist, Dr. Jarrott has studied community-based services, therapeutic programming, and research strategies involving a wide range of youth and older adults possessing diverse strengths and needs, such as chronic disease and disability. Dr. Jarrott collaborates extensively with students, practitioners, and researchers across diverse disciplines. She has contributed to United Nations, NIH, USDA, and international efforts to promote developmental theory, research, and practice.

Emergencies can strike at any time, and older people are especially vulnerable. Barbara McMillan and Amaan Fazal with United Way British Columbia cover the top three tips you need to know to make sure your older friend or family member has what they need to survive an emergency, and share United Way BC's Healthy Aging CORE is helping the community-based seniors' services sector in Canada get informed on emergency preparedness and response resources in their communities

What happens to older people in the climate crisis?
In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Paula Rochon of the Women's Age Lab talks about how the specific needs of older people, especially older women, are often forgotten in the scientific community, and what her team is doing to change that.
PAULA BIO: Dr. Rochon is Founding Director of Women’s Age Lab, a geriatrician and senior scientist at Women’s College Hospital and ICES. She received her medical degree from McMaster University and Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Rochon is a professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto (UofT) and is the inaugural RTOERO Chair in Geriatric Medicine at UofT. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and a Fellow of the Canadian Geriatrics Society (FCGS).
Dr. Rochon has a strong record of federal funding and has published more than 300 papers in peer-reviewed journals. She held the role of the Vice President of Research at Women’s College Hospital for 12 years. Dr. Rochon chairs the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (Canada’s federal funding agency) Institute of Aging Advisory Board to support research and promote healthy aging across Canada. She is the Deputy Editor of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS). She was a member of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, when it was active, where she chaired the Congregate Care Setting Working group.
She has received research distinctions, including being elected to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2013. She was awarded the Eaton Clinical Researcher of the Year Award from the University of Toronto in 2020, the Eugenie Stuart Award for the Best Thesis Supervisor from the University of Toronto, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, in 2022, and the President's Impact Award for Excellence in Research from the University of Toronto in 2023.
Dr. Rochon is committed to the development of trainees and new investigators in aging research and making valuable contributions to our future understanding of aging. Her team has won prestigious research awards, presented across Canada, and published in peer-reviewed academic journals, disseminating key learnings and important findings from their research projects.

If we permit ageism, we promote it. Join Dr. Kiran Rabheru as he discusses the social, political, psychological, and moral implications of ageism, and learn what's being done to codify the rights of older people on the world stage.

Dr. Kiran Rabheru is a Geriatric Psychiatrist with The Ottawa Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry with the University of Ottawa. He is a Certificant and a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CCFP, FCFP) and a board certified geriatric psychiatrist in Canada and the United States (FRCP, DABPN).

Dr. Rabheru is designated as a Founder of the sub-specialty of Geriatric Psychiatry by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and received the Outstanding Achievements in Geriatric Psychiatry in Canada Award from the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry (CAGP). He is passionate and committed to serving older persons and creating a world in which they can live free from discrimination and able to fully enjoy their rights.

Currently, Dr. Rabheru is the Chair of the Board of the International Longevity Centre, Canada (www.ilccanada.org). He is a Board member as well as Chair of the Advocacy and Public Awareness Committee of the International Psychogeriatric Association (www.ipa-online.org ). Dr. Rabheru is Chair of the Section of Positive Psychiatry of the World Psychiatric Association (https://www.wpanet.org/), and a member of the National Leadership Team for the Fountain of Health (www.fountainofhealth.ca), which promotes healthy aging, brain resilience and vitality.

Dr. Samir Sinha is the Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health System and the University Health Network in Toronto and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and the Director of Health Policy Research at Toronto Metropolitan University’s National Institute on Ageing.A Rhodes Scholar, Samir is a highly regarded clinician and international expert in the care of older adults. In 2021, he was appointed to serve as a member of the Government of Canada’s National Seniors Council in 2021, and also recently led the development of Canada’s new National Long-Term Care Services Standard.

Everyone dies, but what does it mean to die a good death? Learn from Jennifer Mallmes, co-founder of the End-of-Life Doula Association of Canada, as she explores the importance of connection for those who are dying and the people around them, and how you can support your loved one in their last days.

Jennifer Mallmes has spent the last twenty years as a caregiver and an advocate for quality end-of-life care in Canada. She is the co-founder of the End-of-Life Doula Association of Canada, the creator and an instructor of the End-of-Life Doula program and the Indigenous End of Lifer Guide program at Douglas College, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Adult Education at Athabasca University. Jennifer’s passion for quality end-of-life care has inspired her to consciously empower others to live and die well.

Laura Tamblyn Watts, lawyer and CEO of CanAge, joins us to talk about the different aspects of advocacy and how you can be an advocate – starting with your own story.

Laura Tamblyn Watts is the Founder and CEO of CanAge, Canada’s national seniors’ advocacy organization. Laura is a passionate advocate on a variety of urgent issues affecting older Canadians, including long-term care and home care, financial security, elder abuse, health care, ageism and inclusion of marginalized communities.

Laura previously served as Chief Public Policy Officer at the Canadian Association of Retired Persons before establishing CanAge at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic. Since then, CanAge has emerged as a go-to media commentator and trusted voice for Canadian seniors, underscored by Laura’s more than 20 years’ experience defending the rights and dignity of older people as a lawyer and thought-leader.

She is a member of the CSA National Long-Term Care Standards Advisory and Technical committees, and an expert in long-term care and residents’ rights.

Laura is actively involved in seniors’ legal, financial and regulatory reform initiatives in Canada, the US, Australia and the South Pacific, including sitting on several federal government advisory boards and working groups guiding public policy standards and legislation

After being called to the bar in 1999, Laura gained extensive legal experience in matters surrounding aging. She currently teaches the Law and Aging course at the Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto, where she is also a Fellow of the Institute for Life Course and Aging. Having served as past chair, Laura is currently an executive member of the Canadian Bar Association’s National Elder Law section and a board member of the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE network), PACE Independent Living, and Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario.

Laura is also an authority on financial matters affecting older adults . As a member of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada’s (IFIC) committee on Seniors and Vulnerable Investors, she serves as a Canadian representative on the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASSA) Committee on Vulnerable Investors, and is a member of the Investment Industry Regulators Organizations of Canada (IIROC). She also served on the board of the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI). Prior to joining OBSI’s board, she chaired its Consumer and Investor Advisory Committee.

Laura is a member of the Ontario Securities Commission’s Task Force on Seniors and co-founded Canada’s second low-income seniors’ legal services centre, SeniorsFirst BC, located in Vancouver..

Laura received her certificate in bilingualism in 1991 and was awarded the Distinguished International Fellow Award from Stetson University Centre for Excellence in Elder Law. Laura is proud to be a Canadian representative to the International Guardianship Network, and Fellow of the World Congress on Adult Guardianship.

Heather Cowie is the Manager, Community Engagement at the Alzheimer Society of B.C. and the National Project Manager for Dementia-Friendly Canada. The Dementia-Friendly Canada project is a partnership between Alzheimer Societies across the country intended to grow dementia-friendly communities by creating a truly nation-wide impact.

Heather has her Master of Arts degree in Gerontology from Simon Fraser University, where she specialized in aging and the built environment. She previously worked as the Strategic Lead and Provincial Coordinator for the Dementia-Friendly Communities initiative at the Alzheimer Society of B.C. for almost seven years, and is excited to be bringing attention to dementia-friendly communities across the country and helping people understand the actions they can take to build them.

Victoriia Panchenko from Slavyansk, Donetsk, Ukraine served as a volunteer with HelpAge at the beginning of the conflict, 2014,  in Eastern Ukraine. She joined the HelpAge staff in 2015, bringing her great passion to help older people in the conflict. She currently serves a Program Lead in the Western region of Ukraine, based in Lviv.

What does elder abuse look like? Marta Hajek, Executive Director of Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario, shines a light on the different forms abuse can take and how to spot the warning signs when someone in your community may be at risk.

This episode features the work of Dr. Corey Mackenzie for Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month (Movember).  Corey Mackenzie, Ph.D., C. Psych., is a Clinical Psychologist, Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology, Adjunct Professor in Psychiatry, and Research Affiliate with the Centre on Aging at the University of Manitoba. He has published 98 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters focusing on older adults’ mental health. Using both primary quantitative and qualitative methods, and secondary analyses of national population surveys, research in his Aging & Mental Health Lab aims to: (a) understand how age affects mental health, (b) enhance older adults’ access to mental health services, and (c) help individuals cope with stress when caring for older adults with dementia.

This episode discusses Social Prescribing with Kate Mulligan. Social Prescribing is a holistic approach to healthcare that brings together the social and medical models of health and wellness. It provides a formal pathway for health providers to address the diverse determinants of health, using the familiar and trusted process of writing a prescription.  Dr. Kate Mulligan leads Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing. She is an Assistant Professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, an advisor to the Canadian Red Cross on determinants of health and knowledge mobilization, and a member of the Toronto Board of Health.

On Aging Canadian Conversations resumed in September, so mark your calendar for this twice monthly series featuring discussions with thought leaders about timely topics on aging.    Join us for a 30-minute break in your day to get informed and inspired. In each episode, you'll see a short video introducing a community-based organization that’s making a difference in the lives of older Canadians, and listen in on HelpAge Canada CEO Gregor Sneddon's conversation with a featured guest who brings a valuable perspective to the experience of aging on Canada.  On October 27th, Raza Mirza, with the Canada Home Share Program, discussed an intergenerational approach to housing. November will include Dr. Kate Mulligan from the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, and Dr. Corey MacKenzie, of the Aging and Mental Health Laboratory and Research Affiliate with the Centre on Aging at the University of Manitoba.

On Aging Canadian Conversations have resumed in September, so mark your calendar for this twice monthly series featuring discussions with thought leaders about timely topics on aging. Join us for the third and fourth Thursday of every month for a 30-minute break in your day to get informed and inspired.  The second episode this season will feature the work of Vanessa Sparks who is a Senior Services Specialist at Toronto Public Library. The Toronto Public Library has taken a leading role in serving older people in the GTA with creative programs and opportunities.  Vanessa is Senior Services Specialist, Older Adults & Seniors at Toronto Public Library. A key priority for TPL is to promote and support the social and digital inclusion of older Torontonians through innovative programs and services. Vanessa holds a Master of Library and Information Studies from McGill University and a Master of Social Work from University of Toronto. She developed a passion for working with older people while working in the fields of community mental health and seniors advocacy. For Vanessa, public libraries are essential social infrastructure that support well-being across the life course in a myriad of inspiring ways.

The first episode this season featured the work of the Grandmothers Advocacy Network (GRAN) and joining us will be Janet Siddall, retired Canadian diplomat who spent most of her thirty-year career working in immigration and refugee affairs in Africa and Asia. She also held several senior positions in Ottawa, including that of Assistant Deputy Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.  But it was her early experiences in the 1980s in Kenya that led to her abiding passion for sub-Saharan Africa and the challenges facing its people.  Janet returned to Africa in 2007 as the Canadian High Commissioner to Tanzania before retiring in 2009. She now lives in Whitehorse, Yukon.  Janet has been active in the Grandmothers Advocacy Network (GRAN) since her retirement. GRAN is a not-for-profit network of volunteers from across Canada who advocate for the protection and promotion of the human rights of older women in the global south, and in particular, in sub-Saharan Africa. Janet served as the Co- Chair of GRAN from 2018- 2022.

Dr. Williamson is a member of the Moose Deer Point First Nation and Sturgeon clan. She was raised and returned to Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island) where she currently resides. Pamela advocates for the priorities of seniors and looks forward to discussing the health issues and priorities of indigenous elders based on her experiences and as an Anishinabek Kwe.

Ann is proud to be one of the founding members of RECAA an organization of elders from Montreal’s cultural communities who work across age, gender and ethnic lines to raise awareness of elder mistreatment and to promote a culture of respect for elders in all our communities. RECAA uses participatory theatre workshops to provide opportunities for elders to identify problems, to collect and focus current information and resources and hence to explore solutions for individuals in their respective community.

Dr. Vanderloo is working as the Knowledge Translation Manager at Participaction. Since 1971, ParticipACTION has been inspiring and supporting people living in Canada to make physical activity a vital part of their everyday lives. Dr. Vanderloo shares healthy lifestyle tips for older adults.

Healthy Aging CORE and HelpAge Canada are thrilled to introduce an upcoming series of conversations with thought leaders in Canada on a variety of topics related to healthy aging. Each episode addresses a different theme relevant to healthy aging, and will include a conversation on the topic, as well as a short video clip of a Canadian community-based seniors serving organization.

This conversation is on the topic of Ageism and features Margaret Gillis.

Margaret is the founding President of the International Longevity Centre Canada, part of a global alliance of 16 Centers dedicated to the needs and rights of older people. An award-winning executive and innovative leader, Margaret played a key role in establishing the Age-friendly Community program in Canada and internationally, this program is now in over 900 Canadian communities and 26 countries worldwide.