Special thanks to all the the participants, key note speaker, sponsors, volunteers, presenters and exhibitors of “Our Future is Aging:Current Research on Knowledge, Practice and Policy. The second Our Future is Aging conference was held in June 2016 on the beautiful Mount campus in Halifax, NS. The conference featured over 50 presentations and highlighted key note presentations by Dr.Judith Phillips, Professor of Gerontology and Deputy Principal of Research, University of Stirling; Dr. Stephen Katz, Professor of Sociology, Trent University and Dr. Alex Mihailidis, Barbark G. Stymient Research Chair in Rehabilitation Technology, University of Toronto and Nominated Principal Investigator for the Age-Well National Centre of Excellence on Aging and Technology. We would like to acknowledge the event sponsors: GOLD: Nova Scotia Department of Seniors, Research Services, IWK Health Centre and Nova Scotia Health Authority. Bronze: Northwood and the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation. In addition to our sponsors, this conference was made possible through financial contributions from The Shaw Group, MSVU President’s Conference Fund, and the Dr. F.R. MacKinnon Endowment Fund.
Please note that a copy of the Conference Program and Conference Abstracts can be found below as well as several of the presentations.
Nova Scotia Centre on Aging presents:
Our Future is Aging: Current Research on Knowledge, Practice and Policy
June 16-17, 2016
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Click here to Register online!Or download the registration forms here (pdf) or here (word doc) Early bird fees until April 15, 2016 |
Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to invite you to “Our Future is Aging: Current Research on Knowledge, Practice and Policy” research conference to be held on June 16-17, 2016, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. This Conference will bring together researchers, academics, service providers, decision makers, artists, students, policy analysts and members of the community to share the diversity of perspectives and approaches to aging research within the Atlantic region and throughout Canada.
The Conference is being presented by the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging, Mount Saint Vincent University in collaboration with a planning group of researchers and representatives from practice and policy from throughout the region. The conference will offer more than 50 presentations from a variety of disciplines and high caliber keynote presentations from: Judith Phillips, Professor of Gerontology and Deputy Principal of Research, University of Stirling; Stephen Katz, Professor of Sociology, Trent University and Alex Mihailidis, Barbark G. Stymient Research Chair in Rehabilitation Technology, University of Toronto and Nominated Principal Investigator for the Age-Well National Centre of Excellence on Aging and Technology. We are also very pleased that the 15th Annual Kathryn Allen Weldon Public Lecture will be held in conjunction with the conference on Thursday, June 16, 2016.
Opportunities to support this conference are available. Click here for our Sponsor Prospectus to find out more. By sponsoring this conference you will be associating your organization with leading influencers of change in the aging field!
Please contact nsca@msvu.ca for more information and check back regularly as our program planning continues.
If you haven’t already registered, check out our conference promotional videos, Making Connections and Why you should come! It will surely convince you to attend. You won’t want to miss it!
See you in June!
Janice M. Keefe, Ph.D. Professor & Lena Isabel Jodrey Chair in Gerontology
Department of Family Studies & Gerontology Director, Nova Scotia Centre on Aging
Mount Saint Vincent University
Click here to see our Program at a Glance.
Click here to see the Program Abstracts.
Keynote Speakers
Disrupting the Technology and Aging Landscape: New Technology and Approaches
There has been significant research completed on the development of technologies to support the wellness of older adults. However, the majority of these devices have not made it to market and suffer from various limitations that make them inappropriate for an older adult to operate efficiently and effectively. In order to ensure that future technologies for aging are useful, new ways of thinking in their designs is required. Disruption in the current technology landscape is needed that will force the way that we think about the design of these technologies to change. Dr. Mihailidis will discuss the notion of disruptive technologies and how we are currently applying this concept in the design of our next generation of technologies for older adults.
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Alex Mihailidis, Ph.D., P.Eng., is the Barbara G. Stymiest Research Chair in Rehabilitation Technology at the University of Toronto and Toronto Rehab Institute. He is also the Scientific Director of the AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence, which focuses on the development of new technologies and services for older adults. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (U of T) and in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (U of T), with a cross appointment in the Department of Computer Science (U of T). He has been conducting research in the field of pervasive computing and intelligent systems in health for the past 15 years, having published over 150 journal papers, conference papers, and abstracts in this field. He has specifically focused on the development of intelligent home systems for elder care and wellness, technology for children with autism, and adaptive tools for nurses and clinical applications. He was also named a Fellow of RESNA in 2014, which is one of the highest honours within this field of research and practice |
Making Research Relevant: The Intersection of Disciplines and Sectors
Current research collaborations and funding programs are calling for interdisciplinary, multi-sector and user-engaged research approaches to ensure research outcomes are relevant to older people. Drawing on her extensive role in supporting research collaborations, Dr. Phillips will share her knowledge and experiences with a suite of projects and funding infrastructures to discuss what is involved in fostering and nurturing interdisciplinary connections. Using the example of the UK’s cross –council New Dynamics of Ageing program (2006-2015) she will examine the researcher and community responses to its implementation as well as discuss other instruments used in the UK and Canada to facilitate connections and translate research into policy.
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Judith is a social gerontologist interested in researching the social, behavioural and environmental aspects of ageing. Judith’s work is applied and she has extensive links with policy and practice, particularly with the Welsh Government and with local authority social service departments. She is passionate about raising the visibility and impact of research in ageing particularly on the international stage, through her role as President of the British Society of Gerontology (2008-10) and Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. Judith’s recent publications include ‘Gerontological Social Work: Reflections on its Role, Purpose and Value The British Journal of Social Work and ‘How do unfam iliar environments convey meaning to older people? Urban dimensions of placelessness and attachment. International Journal of Ageing and Later Life. Her current research looks at cognitive functioning in older age (ESRC CFAS2 Wales study) and challenging environments and the digital economy.
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Aging: Rethinking What and How We Know
Approaches in aging research, policy or practice are shaped by cultural assumptions built into conceptual ideas. Dr. Katz will rethink key popular ideas driving current knowledge related to age and aging and discuss their practical applications to illustrate how what we know influences what we do in terms of recognizing and including the full participation of older adults in society.
| Stephen Katz, Ph.D. is Professor of Sociology and Distinguished Research Award recipient at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. He is author of books Disciplining Old Age (1996) and Cultural Aging (2005) and numerous publications on aging bodies, technologies, critical gerontology, biopolitics, and cognitive impairment. He is working on a new book on Age, Mind and Body in Later Life. |
Conference Program
Please click on the session titles for more details. Please note the conference sessions are subject to change.
| TIME | TITLE | LOCATION |
THURSDAY |
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| 8:00 am–2:00 pm |
Registration |
Terrace, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre |
| 8:00 – 8:30 |
Refreshments |
Terrace, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre |
| 8:30 – 9:00 |
Official Welcome: Dr. Janice Keefe, Director, Nova Scotia Centre on Aging |
Multi Purpose Room, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre |
| 9:00–10:00 |
Keynote: Dr. Judith Phillips
|
Multi Purpose Room, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre |
| 10:00-10:30 |
Nutrition Break |
Atrium, 1st Floor McCain Centre |
| 10:30 -12:00 |
Concurrent Session A
Click below to view presentations that some authors have made available. |
Results of an Intervention Designed to Reverse the Effects of Early Life Adversity on Relationships in Later Life- Dr. Vince Waldron
Refining the Ecological Model of Resilience for Older Widowed Men and Women-Dr. Kate M Bennett
A.2 Aging in Place and Sustainability
A.3 Innovations in Clinical Practice
Click below to view presentations that some authors have made available.
A.4 Interprofessional Education
Click below to view presentations that some authors have made available.
A.5 Social Isolation and Engagement
Click below to view presentations that some authors have made available.
Seniors and Isolation: Exploring the Facts – Brenda MacKinnon
Room 301 McCain Ctr.
Room 105 McCain Ctr.
Room 302 McCain Ctr.
Room 106 McCain Ctr.
Room 401 McCain Ctr.
12:00-1:30
Lunch
Atrium, 1st Floor McCain Centre
1:30– 3:00
Concurrent Session B
B.1 Representations and Responses to Aging
Click below to view presentations that some authors have made available.
B.2 System Insights-Context, Practice, Policy
Click below to view presentations that some authors have made available.
B.3 Biomarkers and Brain Health
B.4 Voices Shaping Long Term Care
Click below to view presentations that some authors have made available.
Healthy Aging: Approaching Change from the Grassroots Perspective – Beth Arsenault, Jodi Hall, Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard, Barbara Burnett
B.5 Making Research Matter
Research Evidence Informs Change in Nursing Homes: An integrated Knowledge Translation
Approach – Dr. Janice Keefe
Room 401 McCain Ctr.
Room 106 McCain Ctr.
Room 105 McCain Ctr.
Room 301 McCain Ctr.
Room 302 McCain Ctr.
3:00-3:30
Nutrition Break
Terrace, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre
3:30-4:30
Keynote: Dr. Stephen Katz
Aging: Rethinking What and How We Know
Multi Purpose Room, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre
5:00-6:30
Reception
Terrace, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre
6:30- 8:00 pm
Kathryn Allen Weldon Public Lecture presented by Dr. Kenneth Rockwood: Does it matter that dementia is mostly a problem of old age?
Multi Purpose Room, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student CentreFRIDAY
7:30- 8:20
Student Breakfast
Boardroom, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre
8:30-10:00
Registration
Terrace, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre
8:30-9:30
Keynote: Dr. Alex Mihailidis
Disrupting the Technology and Aging Landscape: New Technology and Approaches
Multi Purpose Room, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre9:30-noon
Exchange and Connect Forum
– Concurrent Session C Poster Presentations (presenters will be by their poster from 9:30-11:00 am)
– Exhibit Showcase featuring cross discipline/sector collaborations, innovation and building research capacity in the field of aging (representative from organization on hand from 9:30-noon)
– Nutrition Break
Atrium, 1st Floor, McCain Centre
9:30-11:00
Concurrent Session C
Poster Presentations
Atrium, 1st Floor, McCain Centre
10:00
Refreshments
Atrium, 1st Floor, McCain Centre
9:30-12:00
Atrium, 1st Floor, McCain Centre
11:00 – 12:30
Concurrent Session D
D.1 Deconstructing Aging in Place
Click below to view presentations that some authors have made available.
D.2 Health Services Planning
Click below to view presentations that some authors have made available.
D.3 Healthy Aging and Self Care
Click below to view presentations that some authors have made available.
D.4 Care Work
Click below to view presentations that some authors have made available.
D.5 Workshop – Moving Research to Action
Room 401 McCain Ctr.
Room 106 McCain Ctr.
Room 105 McCain Ctr.
Room 301 McCain Ctr.
Room 302 McCain Ctr.
12:30
Lunch
Multi Purpose Room, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre
1:00-2:30
Panel Presentation:
Current Research on Aging: Opportunities and Enablers for Shaping Knowledge, Policy and Practice
Dr. Susan Kirkland presentation
Dr. Alex Mihailidis presentation
Dr. Marilyn MacDonald presentation
Dr. Kenneth Rockwood presentation
Multi Purpose Room, 3rd Floor, Rosaria Student Centre
Panel: Current Research on Aging: Opportunities and Enablers for Shaping Knowledge, Policy and Practice
Significant advancements in knowledge on dementia, technology, end of life care and the factors that impact the aging experience have positioned Canada as a leader in the field of aging. Many of these advancements are driven and coordinated by national initiatives that support interdisciplinary work, training and mentorship, and collaborations with industry, government and non-profit partners. This panel brings together representatives from four leading national initiatives to share how each are working to shape new knowledge, policy and practice in the field of aging.
Moderator: Dr. Patrick McGrath, Integrated Vice President, Innovation and Knowledge Translation, IWK Health Centre and Nova Scotia Health Authority
Panelists:
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Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) Presenter: Dr. Susan Kirkland, Co-Principal Investigator, CLSA |
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The Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) Presenter: Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, Knowledge Translation Team Lead, CCNA |
 Canadian Frailty Network (previously known as Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network, TVN) Presenter: Dr. Marilyn MacDonald, Theme Team Lead, Canadian Frailty Network |
| The Aging Gracefully across Environments to Ensure Well-being, Engagement and Long Life NCE Inc. (AGE-WELL NCE) Presenter: Dr. Alex Mihailidis, Scientific Director, AGE-WELL Network Centre of Excellence. |
Kathryn Allen Weldon Public Lecture – Thursday, June 16
We are pleased to announce that the Kathryn Allen Weldon Public Lecture, “Does it matter that dementia is mostly a problem of old age?” will be held on Thursday, June 16, 2016 in conjunction with the conference, “Our Future is Aging: Current Research on Knowledge, Practice & Policy”. The Lecture will be presented by Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, MD, FRCPC, FRCP, who holds the Kathryn Allen Weldon Professor of Alzheimer Research, Dalhousie University. The lecture is free to the public and health care professionals.
| Kenneth Rockwood has had a longstanding interest in clinical and epidemiological aspects of frailty, dementia and delirium. Over the last 20 years, working with the mathematician Arnold Mitnitski, this has evolved to focus investigations on the complexity of frailty. Their goal is to provide insights from mathematics to the daily care of frail older adults. For the last 9 years, in addition to his memory clinics, most of his clinical work is in the Capital District Health Authority as the Department of Medicine’s Senior Internist, providing internal medicine consultations in the Emergency Department. A native of Newfoundland, he became a Doctor of Medicine at Memorial University in 1985, completed internal medicine training at the University of Alberta and geriatric medicine at Dalhousie University, where he has been on staff since 1991. Since 2007, he has also been Honourary Professor in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Manchester.
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Conference Planning Committee:
Melissa Andrew, DAL Geriatric Medicine
Katie Aubrecht, Nova Scotia Centre on Aging, Mount Saint Vincent University
Suzanne Brake, Office of Aging & Seniors, Government of Newfoundland & Labrador
Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard, Centre for Research on Aging (Director), University of Moncton
Pamela Fancey, Nova Scotia Centre on Aging, Mount Saint Vincent University
Áine Humble, Department of Family Studies & Gerontology, Mount Saint Vincent University
Janice Keefe, Nova Scotia Centre on Aging, Mount Saint Vincent University
Gloria McInnis, UPEI School of Nursing
Brad Meisner, DAL School of Health & Human Performance
Deborah Van Den Hoonaard, Department of Gerontology, St. Thomas University
Grace Warner, DAL School of Occupational Therapy
Lori Weeks, DAL Faculty of Nursing
Gail Wideman, School of Social Work, Memorial University
Henry Keilley, Office of Aging & Seniors, Government of Newfoundland & Labrador
Faizal Nanji, Nova Scotia Department of Seniors
Kelly Rodgers-Sturgeon, Social Development, New Brunswick
Venue:
The conference will take place on the campus of Mount Saint Vincent University 166 Bedford Highway, Halifax, Nova Scotia. (www.msvu.ca) The Mount Saint Vincent University Campus is approximately 10 minutes from downtown Halifax and approximately 10 minutes from Bayer’s Lake shopping district. The conference activities will be held in the Rosaria Student Centre and the Margaret Norrie McCain Centre for Teaching, Learning and Research. (campus map) The program will provide specific room locations when finalized. Please note that parking is provided (non metered, non reserved spaces) for conference participants.
Accommodations:
There are a variety of on-campus accommodations available including:
Single dorm rooms with shared washroom – Westwood
One bedroom apartments – Westwood
Two bedroom apartments – Westwood
Two bedroom suites (2 single bedrooms that share a washroom) – Westwood
Rooms will be on hold for conference participants until April 30th. After that date, on campus accommodations may be less available.
Please book your room directly by clicking here.
Please note that food services on campus are not available from May to August. Therefore, conference participants are responsible for their own dining requirements beyond what is provided by the conference (i.e. lunches and breaks).
In addition to accommodations on campus, the Future Inns Halifax is offering a special rate of $103 for conference participants. Rooms must be reserved before May 27 to receive the special rate. Be sure to mention you are reserving for: Our Future is Aging – MSVU or quote block code 1606AGING The Future Inns is located in Halifax at 30 Fairfax Drive in the Bayer’s Lake shopping district. Please call 1-800-565-0700 to reserve your room. For more information click here or visit www.futureinns.com
Directions (View on Google Maps):
- From Downtown Halifax: From Barrington Street, proceed north towards the Bedford Highway #2 (heading to Bedford). Continue north on the Bedford Highway. The Mount Campus is located on the west side of the Highway, about an 8 minute drive from downtown Halifax.
- From Dartmouth: Cross the Macdonald Bridge or the MacKay Bridge towards Barrington Street in Halifax. Continue north on Barrington Street, towards the Bedford Highway #2. Continue north on the Bedford Highway. The Mount Campus is located on the west side of the Highway, about a 5 to 8 minute drive from the Dartmouth bridges.
- From the Halifax International Airport: At the Airport, take Highway #102 south to Halifax. Continue on Highway #102 until Exit 2. Go east on Exit 2 (Kearney Lake Road) towards the Bedford Highway #2. Go south on the Bedford Highway. The Mount Campus is located on the west side of the Highway, about a 20 minute drive from the Airport.
Halifax is perfect for exploring on foot and is home to some of the province’s most well-known tourist attractions, including: the Halifax Citadel, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Halifax Waterfront, the Halifax Public Gardens, and the Museum of Natural History.
Halifax features many pubs, restaurants, cafes and offers our visitors the experience of live Atlantic Canadian entertainment.
Mount Saint Vincent University is only a short distance from Downtown Halifax, so come and enjoy our world renowned maritime hospitality!
For more information on Halifax’s most popular activities, restaurants and sight-seeing destinations click here.
Thank you to Our Sponsors:
Nova Scotia Department of Seniors
Research Services, IWK Health Centre and Nova Scotia Health Authority
Northwood
Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation
In addition to our sponsors, this conference is being made possible through financial contributions from The Shaw Group, MSVU President’s Conference Fund, and the Dr. F.R. MacKinnon Endowment Fund.
Advancing Aging Research and Enhancing Seniors’ Lives for 20 years.