Coming of Age: Meeting the needs of our aging population

If we hope to provide better support to our ageing population over the coming years, we’ll need to adopt a fresh perspective and reimagine the way we think about the important role of caregivers. In this episode, Donna sits down with Amy Coupal, the CEO of the Ontario Caregiver Organization, to hear her insights about the evolving needs of the ageing population in Ontario and what will be needed going forward if we hope to strengthen support systems for our diverse population of caregivers. As an entrepreneur, educator, and caregiver herself, Amy has a comprehensive view of the needs of seniors and caregivers, and how we can work together to create a more solid foundation of support for everyone.

Learn more about Amy Coupal: https://ontariocaregiver.ca/about-oco/leadership/

In this episode of Coming of Age, Donna shares an inspiring conversation with CEOs Cameron Love of the Ottawa Hospital and Dr. Michael Guerriere of Extendicare. Together, the two organizations run a transitional care unit in one of Extendicare’s long-term care homes, designed for people who no longer need to be in hospital, but who have high care needs and are usually waiting for admission to an appropriate long-term care home. They discuss the significant level of interest in this new model of care, how this innovative partnership came to be, and the “special sauce” that makes it all work. They also discuss how we need to champion collaboration to transform the system and meet the needs of our aging population, and why it will take all of us working together across different parts of the system to create an integrated continuum of living and care.

Learn more about Extendicare and Dr. Michael Guerriere: https://www.extendicare.com/about-extendicare/leadership-team/ 

Learn more about the Ottawa Hospital and Cameron Love: https://www.ottawahospital.on.ca/en/about-us/our-leadership-team/board-of-governors/governors/cameron-love/

As Ontario’s population of seniors continues to grow over the coming years, we will need to reimagine the way we provide care and support. In this episode of Coming of Age, Donna sits down with two experts in aging who are helping to drive this transformation forward through their work: Dr. John Muscedere, the CEO of the Canadian Frailty Network and a professor of critical care medicine at Queen’s University, and Dr. Alex Mihailidis, the CEO of AGE-WELL and a research chair in Rehabilitation Technology at the University of Toronto and the University Health Network. Together, Donna and her guests discuss strategies for reimagining seniors’ care, including the changes we still need to make as a society to provide a better foundation of support for everyone during the aging process.

Learn more about the Canadian Frailty Network: https://www.cfn-nce.ca/ 

Learn more about the AGE-WELL: https://agewell-nce.ca/

Exploring new innovations in seniors’ care from a global perspective can inspire us and lead to fresh ideas on how we can best support our seniors. In the first episode of Coming of Age’s second season, Donna sits down with Vincenzo Paolino, a specialist in geriatric care equipped with an entrepreneurial spirit. Vincenzo’s background includes a degree in psychology, time spent in psychiatric nursing with a specialty in seniors’ care, and experience as a nursing director in a hospice for people with AIDS as well as a long-term care home, where he and his staff successfully implemented major culture change. He is also the founder of queerAltern, a group that develops housing options for LGBTQI+ seniors. Since 2013, Vincenzo has been operating Almacasa, a collection of residential communities in Europe that take a unique approach to care. During the episode, he shares several inspiring insights and stories that could help us discover new possibilities for the future here in Ontario.

Learn more about Vincenzo Paolino: https://globalageing.org/staff/vincenzo-paolino/

In this special episode of Coming of Age, the script is flipped as Donna takes on the guest hot seat. Instead of asking the questions, this time, Donna provides answers to questions asked by health communications professional Max Stern. Along with his former colleagues at Crestview, Max supported the Ontario Long Term Care Association throughout the pandemic. Together, Donna and Max take the time to catch up and reflect on shared experiences of supporting long-term care over the last few years. They also share some behind-the-scenes stories of what it has been like during this challenging time, the important role of the media, and what changes are needed to care for our seniors now and in the future.

Learn more about Max Stern: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-stern/

It’s no secret that society has changed, and we’re asking much more of our health professionals and at a greater speed than ever before. It’s important that we find ways to ensure that our family doctors and other healthcare providers are supported, healthy and not overburdened. In this episode, Donna sits down with Kim Moran, the CEO of the Ontario College of Physicians, to discuss strategies for making this vision a reality. An accountant by training, Kim is also the former CEO of Children’s Mental Health Ontario. Kim brings a unique perspective to thinking about public policy and healthcare, and she always comes to the table with solutions—not just challenges. During the episode, Kim shares examples of healthcare programs and solutions that are working well within their communities, and which areas are still in need of structural reform.  Donna and Kim’s discussion echoes many of the conversations that are happening today throughout the health system, and what we’ve been advocating for in long-term care for many years: a greater support system for healthcare workers to help them avoid burnout and provide high-quality care to patients. 

Learn more about Kim Moran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmoran/?originalSubdomain=ca

As Canada’s population of seniors continues to grow, the country’s healthcare landscape is also shifting. It’s a time of great challenge and opportunity as we continue to find new ways of working together and creating better outcomes for those in need. In this episode, Donna discusses this issue with guest Dr. Jane Philpott, the Dean of Medicine at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, a former federal cabinet minister, a family physician, and most importantly, someone who has devoted her life to improving public, community and family health. Dr. Philpott brings a variety of unique experiences to the table, including her response during the pandemic to the local community in need, helping those who couldn't help themselves, and always championing empathy, compassion and a bias towards action. She speaks about the new strategic plan at Queen's University, which is anchored in revolution, disruption, radical change and action, explaining the process she and her team followed to come up with the framework. Donna and Dr. Philpott also discuss some of the changes healthcare professionals will need to set in motion in order to create a better system for all.

Learn more about Dr. Jane Philpott: https://familymedicine.queensu.ca/familymedicine/faculty-staff/faculty/jane-philpott

The transition to a long-term care setting can bring up a range of emotions for both a new resident and their care partners. The transition can produce feelings of anxiety and fear in seniors and is often the source of tremendous guilt and uncertainty for family members. In this episode of Coming of Age, Donna sits down with Deborah Bakti, a seniors’ care consultant, speaker, coach, and trainer who helps build positive connections in seniors' homes. She worked in seniors’ care for 11 years prior to starting her own business, and she also lived through the transitions when her husband and parents moved into long-term care and retirement home settings. During the episode, Donna and Deborah discuss how her experiences have equipped her to and understand the process of transitioning into long-term care inside and out, and how families and care teams can build strong connections with each other during this significant life change.  

As the needs of seniors grow increasingly complex with time, technology will need to keep up the pace. In this episode of Coming of Age, Donna sits down with William Charnetski, PointClickCare’s Executive Vice President of Health Systems Solutions and Government Affairs. During this episode, they discuss some of the current system challenges in seniors’ care as well as how better data and technology can help improve care and the care experience for seniors.

Learn more about William here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamcharnetski/?originalSubdomain=ca

As the number of seniors in Canada continues growing exponentially, the continuum of care will need to expand to keep up. Our healthcare infrastructure, policies and long-term care system will need to evolve in response to the rise in demand for services and quality care. In this episode of Coming of Age, Donna sits down with Dr. Nathan Stall, a geriatrician at Sinai Health System. Having completed his fellowship training in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Toronto, Nathan is also a research fellow at Women‘s College Research Institute, and is currently working towards a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research at U of T’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME). In his research, Nathan looks at the impacts of caregiving for those living with dementia and drug safety for older adults, while his clinical work is focused on acute care geriatrics. During the episode, Donna and Nathan discuss how the needs of seniors will continue to evolve in the future, and what we can all do to better support them.

Learn more about Dr. Nathan Stall: https://sinaigeriatrics.ca/our-team/