Webinar Series

Upcoming Webinar: Details coming soon!

Archived Recordings

Topic: EntourAGE - Interweaving Generational Tapestries: A look at a person-centered intergenerational companionship program for older adults living with Dementia
Recorded on June 21, 2023

Presenter: Linda Garcia, Ph.D., and Annie Robitaille, Ph.D.. Linda Garcia is a Professor in the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences and Founding Director of the Life Research Institute (LRI) at the University of Ottawa. After co-creating the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Masters’ program at the University of Ottawa, initiating and creating the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, and creating the vision for the doctoral program in Rehabilitation Sciences and the university's Interprofessional Clinic, she founded the uOttawa LIFE Research Institute which now benefits from the membership and involvement of 132 members, including about 90 academics from 9 faculties. She served as Department chair of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology program at the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences and served a five-year term as Vice-Dean, Governance for the Faculty of Health Sciences. She represented the University of Ottawa at the Council of Ontario Universities’ Academic Colleagues group and was elected by her Ontario peers to be its chair. She enjoys working on issues that directly affect local older adults’ quality of life and has been a member of the Steering committee for the Champlain Dementia Network for over 15 years as well as having served with both the Ottawa Council on Aging and the Eldercare Foundation.

Annie Robitaille is an Assistant Professor in the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa and holds the Commissionaires Ottawa Research Chair in Frailty-Informed Care at the Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care at Perley Health. Annie completed her Ph.D. at the University of Ottawa’s School of Psychology in 2010 where her dissertation examined the role of social support on psychological distress among older Canadians using the National Population Health Survey. Following her Ph.D., Annie completed a postdoctoral research position in the Department of Psychology and Centre on Aging at the University of Victoria and the Integrative Analysis of Longitudinal Studies on Aging and Dementia (IALSA) research network. Her research focused on the analysis of longitudinal studies in order to answer questions about between-person and within-person change in aging-related processes. She also completed a postdoctoral research associate position with the Centre for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care at the Bruyère Research Institute and the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa. Her postdoctoral research focused on better understanding responsive behaviours for people living with dementia throughout the continuum of care. Annie’s current research focuses on better understanding the biopsychosocial factors related to the aging process with much of her research focusing specifically on those living with frailty in the community and in long-term care homes. Her research also aims to improve the quality of life and reduce the social isolation of older adults living with frailty across the continuum of care and their caregivers.

Objectives:
1. Exploring the impact of intergenerational companionship on older adults with dementia and their caregivers
2. The role of intergenerational companionship on the attitudes, beliefs, and career trajectories of students
3. Nexus for fostering partnerships between the education and healthcare systems

Topic: What are the benefits of intergenerational activities?
Recorded on May 24, 2023

Presenter: Emmanuel Duplàa and Béatrice Crettenand Pecorini. Emmanuel Duplàa is a professor at the University of Ottawa, specializing in information and communication technology (ICT) for learning). He is currently conducting research at the Faculty of Education on intergenerational learning with educational video games, digital literacies, and design processes in e-learning. Professor Duplàa is a Learning Committee Lead with the LIFE Research Institute.

Béatrice Crettenand Pecorini is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Education. Her main research focuses on an innovative educational technique for the psychological well-being of seniors and social inclusion: Digital Narrative Gerontology where seniors work in pairs with young adults. She is also interested in digital literacies, from early childhood to seniors. Béatrice is a member of the Learning Committee from the LIFE Research Institute.

Objectives:
1) To learn the benefits and limits of different intergenerational activities
2) To be made aware of existing intergenerational projects
3) To hear about the potential of developing intergenerational project at the residence.

Topic: Collaboration for Cognitive Accessibility

Recorded on April 12, 2023

Presenter: Dr. Virginie Cobigo. Dr. Virginie Cobigo leads research to improve the cognitive accessibility of our environment, using an inclusive research approach that fosters the meaningful contribution of individuals who experience cognitive accessibility challenges. She studied in France (Université de Caen, Université de Rennes) and Canada (Université Laval, UQAM) to become a Clinical Psychologist. She is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa and the Founder CEO of Open Collaboration for Cognitive Accessibility, a one-stop shop for cognitive accessibility expertise and resources. Open employs more than 30 individuals with a range of cognitive abilities, including persons living with dementia. You can visit their website at: OpenAccessibility .ca

Objectives:

1. Cognitive accessibility
2. Inclusive research
3. How to collaborate on research to improve cognitive accessibility

Topic: Stronger Together - Creating Dementia-Inclusive Communities

Recorded on March 22, 2023

Presenters: Catharina van Es is the Project Manager for the “Stronger Together Project – Making Ottawa & Renfrew County Dementia-Inclusive”. The project focuses on reducing the stigma associated with dementia so that people living with dementia feel supported, valued and respected. Catharina spent most of her career working in the financial services industry where she honed her skills of prospecting, presenting and leading teams. After a 40 career, she retired from BMO Bank of Montreal and found a way to give back to her community through the work of the project. This has been a truly rewarding experience for Catharina.

Ana Sofia is the Project Coordinator for the “Stronger Together Project – Making Ottawa & Renfrew County Dementia-Inclusive” initiative, funded by Public Health Agency of Canada. She visualizes and interprets data and has developed online dementia-inclusive training modules. Previously, Ana Sofia was the Finance and Administration Coordinator at Simon Fraser University (SFU) where she last tenured as a grant reviewer and stakeholder for a campus/community research initiative to fund sustainability centered research projects. Ana Sofia is passionate about collaboration, innovation, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and has previously contributed to the National Diversity Council’s certification program

Objectives:

Provide an overview of the project
Share the impacts
Citizen Science Approach

Topic: Building Bridges: Connecting with Older Adults Living with Frailty Through Music

Recorded on February 9, 2023

Presenter: Gertrude “Trudy” Létourneau. Trudy has been a therapeutic musician at Perley Health since 2000. Gertrude uses her vast experience as a flutist, singer, pianist and performer to engage, connect and build bridges with the residents, especially those living with dementia and PTSD.

Objectives:

Describe the role of the therapeutic musician at Perley Health
Gain a better understanding of communication challenges when working with frail elderly
Learn how to connect, engage and build bridges with older adults, especially those living with dementia or PTSD

Topic: Population based research on the health of older Veterans in Canada: The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

Recorded on January 25, 2023

Presenter: Dr. Christina Wolfson, Professor in the departments of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health, and Medicine, at McGill University, and senior scientist in the Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

Learning Objectives:

To become familiar with the design and conduct of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
To learn about the characteristics of self-identified Veterans who are participants in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
To be introduced to a research program on Veterans’ health in Canada.

Topic: Documenting the design of Ontario Long-Term Care homes from the frontline - perspectives and ideas for the future

Recorded on November 23, 2022

Presenter: Professor Chantal Trudel, BA, BID, MSc

Moderator: Maryam Attef, MDes, Research Coordinator, School of Industrial Design, Carleton University

Learning objectives:

1) How we studied the design of LTC homes remotely during the pandemic collecting first-hand accounts from various stakeholders in LTC.
2) Key aspects of home design that were important to residents, care partners and LTC workers during the pandemic.
3) Design ideas that were co-developed with residents, care partners and LTC workers.

Topic: From Research to Program Evaluation: Using administrative data for the development, implementation and evaluation of the RESPECT algorithm for palliative care

Recorded on October 19, 2022

Presenter(s): Dr. Amy Hsu, Investigator, Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care™ and at the Bruyère Research Institute. Research Chair in Primary Health Care in Dementia at Bruyère Research Institute. Lecturer, Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa.

Moderator: Mary Scott, Msc. Epidemiology, Research Coordinator at Bruyère Research Institute

Learning Objectives:

Describe how multitasking has been used to identify changes in motor and cognitive function.
Explain how subjective cognitive decline could be an early target for interventions used to maintain cognitive health.
Share preliminary multitasking findings with older adults from the community who report subjective cognitive decline.

Topic: What can Multitasking Tell us about Subjective Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Recorded on September 13, 2022

Presenter(s): Dr. Sarah Fraser, Associate Professor in the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa; Talia Salzman, PhD candidate in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa

Moderator: Dr. Annie Robitaille, Commissionaires Ottawa Research Chair, Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care™ and Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa

Learning Objectives:

Describe how multitasking has been used to identify changes in motor and cognitive function.
Explain how subjective cognitive decline could be an early target for interventions used to maintain cognitive health.
Share preliminary multitasking findings with older adults from the community who report subjective cognitive decline.

Topic: Rethink Aging: A Bold New Path to Life at Any Age

Recorded on June 22, 2022

Presenter: Dan Levitt, MSc., CHE, CEO Kin Village, Adjunct Professor, Gerontology at Simon Fraser, School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Sessional Instructor, British Columbia Institute of Technology.

Moderator: David O'Neill, Senior Business Lead, Senior Living, Perley Health

Learning Objectives:

Provide opportunities that come with an aging population, combatting ageism and promoting healthy living.
Explore the broader societal view: how we need to adapt our public policies, our institutions, our social structure, and our infrastructure to make these longer lives enriching and fulfilling.
Identify recent examples of age reimagined in Canada and around the world - it’s not about aging, or adding years to the end of our lives, it’s about living – creating a bold new path to living your
best life.

Topic: Understanding PTSD symptoms and dementia in older Veterans living in Long-Term Care

Recorded on May 25, 2022

Presenter: Kim Ritchie, PhD, RN, GNC(c)
Moderator: Michaela Adams, Master of Science (Candidate), Interdisciplinary Health Science Program University of Ottawa and Research Associate at Perley Health Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care™
Learning Objectives:
1. Gain a better understanding of current literature related to PTSD in older Veterans.
2. Learn how co-occurring PTSD symptoms and dementia are understood in Veterans who are living in Veteran Long-Term Care homes.
3. Explore the care implications of co-occurring PTSD symptoms and dementia in Veterans.

Topic: Making "nonessential" family/volunteers caregiving essential in long-term care

Recorded on April 27, 2022

Presenter: Annie Robitaille, PhD., Commissionaires Ottawa Research Chair, Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care™ and Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Moderator: Madelyn P. Law, PhD., Associate Vice-Provost, Teaching & Learning and Associate Professor Health Sciences, Brock University
Learning Objectives:
1. Gain a better understanding of the response to COVID-19 that pertains to family/volunteer/caregiver presence in LTC.
2. Increase the evidence about the impact of reduced levels of family/volunteers/caregivers on the emotional and psychosocial well-being of residents and caregivers.
3. Generate solutions and recommendations to revisit policies on family/volunteer/caregiver presence to improve the current situation and preparedness to future pandemics and outbreaks.

Topic: Why Keep Long-Term Residential Care?

Recorded on March 9, 2022

Presenter: Pat Armstrong, PhD., Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus, York University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Moderator: Jennifer Plant, Director, Clinical Practice
Learning Objectives:
1. Benefits of long-term care;
2. Critiques of long-term care;
3. Future of long-term care.

Topic: Research to Practice: Implementation Strategies to Improve Physical Activity Levels among Residents of Long-Term Care

Recorded on February 24, 2022

Presenter: Ariane Séguin Massie, Ph.D. Candidate in Kinesiology and Health Sciences at York University, and research Trainee of the Translating research into Elder Care (TREC) research program.
Moderator: Dr. Annie Robitaille, the Commissionaires Ottawa Research Chair, Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care, and Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Learning Objectives: By the end of this presentation you will be able to:
1. To review the role of implementation science for bringing evidence into practice.
2. To learn about the strategies currently used to implement programs and practices that aim to improve physical and functional outcomes among residents of long-term care.
3. To explore the practical applications of implementation science and implementation strategies to improve the health and overall well-being of residents.

Topic: Addressing Loneliness: COVID-19 and Beyond

Recorded on January 26, 2022

Presenter: Dr. Kristine Theurer, President Java Group Programs
Moderator: Danielle Sinden, Director, Centre of Excellence and Research Operations, Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care, Perley Health
Learning Objectives: By the end of this presentation you will be able to:
1. To review the mental health challenges facing residents in senior living communities and learn why and how a model of resident peer support and mentoring can help address loneliness.
2. To evaluate the research results of this approach and review its implementation in 10 continuing care communities.
3. To explore take home strategies to incorporate peer support and mentoring among residents.

For more information on the Java Group Programs click here: www.JavaGP.com

Topic: COVID-19 and Frailty: What happened and what lies ahead?

Recorded on November 24, 2021

Presenter: Dr. John P. Hirdes, Professor in the School of Public Health ad Health Systems, University of Waterloo; Fellow, Balsillie School of International Affairs and Senior Canadian Fellow and Board Member of interRAI.
Moderator: Dr. Annie Robitaille, the Commissionaires Ottawa Research Chair, Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care, and Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Learning Objectives: By the end of this presentation you will be able to:
1. Participants will understand what frailty is and how it relates to other aspects of health and aging;
2. Participants will learn about the impact of COVID-19 on the physical and mental health of older adults in community and residential care settings in Canada and internationally;
3. Participants will learn about what we can expect to be the short, medium and long-term consequences of COVID-19 for persons living with frailty.

Topic: Understanding the Degree of Frailty and its Implications for Clinical Translational Research

Recorded on October 27, 2021

Presenter: Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, MD, FRCPC, FRCP, Professor of Medicine (Geriatric Medicine & Neurology) and the Kathryn Allen Weldon Professor of Alzheimer Research at Dalhousie University.
Moderator: Dr. Annie Robitaille, the Commissionaires Ottawa Research Chair, Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care, and Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Learning Objectives: By the end of this presentation you will be able to:
1. To review how age-related damage, and decline in repair processes, results in cellular/molecular deficits that scale up to system levels, where they are jointly expressed as frailty.
2. To illustrate how variability in the degree of frailty and the degree of social vulnerability mean that carrying damage and expressing it clinically can be distinct.
3. To argue that studying people—and animals—who live with frailty, including them in clinical trials and measuring how the degree of frailty impacts their outcomes are ways to better understand the diseases of old age.

Topic: The Role of Meaning in Life and Social Interactions in Promoting Psychological Well-Being Among Older Adults

Recorded on September 27, 2021

Presenter: Dr. Marnin Heisel, Clinical Psychologist, Associate Professor, Psychiatry, Epidemiology & Biostatistics Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University; Lawson Health Research Institute
Moderator: Dr. Sharon Levine, CoE Committee Member/Board Member and Geriatric Psychiatrist
Learning Objectives: By the end of this presentation you will be able to:
1. Identify the role of Meaning in Life and social support in promoting psychological well-being among older adults;
2. Critically reflect upon theory and research investigating meaning-centered approaches to protecting against suicide thoughts and behaviour in later life; and
3. Appraise and discuss new research projects that aim to promote psychological well-being and reduce psychological distress among older adults in the context of life transitions and pandemic-related social restrictions.

Topic: Elder Abuse: You Have a Role to Play

Recorded on June 24, 2021

Co-Presenters:
- John E. Johnson, Vice-Chair of Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario, Co-Author of Elder Abuse - You Have a Role to Play
- Sabby Duthie, owner and operator of retirement homes within the Ottawa region, Co-author of Elder Abuse - You Have a Role to Play
Moderator: Stéphanie Cadieux, Director of Education, The Council on Aging of Ottawa
Description: John and Sabby will engage in an open dialogue discussing certain elements from their book Elder Abuse - You Have a Role to Play. This first-of-its-kind book undertakes the uncomfortable conversation that so many are unwilling to have — that elder abuse is widespread and very real. This book educates the reader to recognize elder abuse in its early stages before the damage is irreparable. John and Sabby will share real stories from families of different generations and backgrounds. Combined with reliable statistics, the result is chilling evidence that elder abuse exists in every facet of our senior citizens’ lives. The stories shared will encompass every level of contact, including doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, family members, social workers, and frontline workers at both retirement homes and long-term care centres. Participants are encouraged to ask questions to gain practical advice to help identify, intervene and prevent elder abuse!

You Have a Role to Play Book Cover To purchase a copy of the book please visit: www.bridgegencanadacentre.com. All net proceeds of the sale of each book will be distributed by BridgeGen Canada Centre, a non-profit organization, to groups supporting the fight against ageism and elder abuse.

Topic: Navigating the Journey of Caring for a Loved One with Dementia

Recorded on May 26, 2021

Presenter: Claire Webster, Founder and Ambassador, Dementia Education Program, McGill University and Founder and President of Caregiver Crosswalk Inc.
Moderator: Dr. Annie Robitaille, the Commissionaires Ottawa Research Chair, Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care, and Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Description: Receiving a diagnosis of dementia can prove to be a difficult reality for individuals and family members – especially during the time of a global pandemic. The key to navigating this journey is to find acceptance and avoid denial, become as educated as possible about the disease, understand how it will progress, make health care plans for the future, and ensure a safe home environment. It’s important to provide family caregivers with as much support as possible in order to avoid caregiver burnout. In this presentation, Claire Webster will share her journey as a caregiver to her late mother. She will talk about the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and share some important lessons that she learned along the way in terms of having the proper tools to manage the care of a loved one who has dementia. She will also explain how to navigate the health care system, and highlight the unexpected financial expenses that individuals need to be prepared for. Claire will also share the ripple effect that being a caregiver had on her own health, family and career, and the resilience that is required in order to recover from a severe burnout.

Topic: Long-Term Care: Safety and Quality of Life during COVID-19

Recorded on April 27, 2021

Co-Presenters:
- Dr. Benoît Robert, Chief Medical Officer, The Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre
- Kathryn May, Nurse Practitioner, TOH Nurse Led Outreach at The Ottawa Hospital
- Tania Paolini, Manager, Infection Prevention and Control, The Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre
Moderator: Jennifer Plant, Director of Clinical Practice, The Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre
Description: While the need to create a safe environment for long-term care residents and families is essential during this COVID-19 pandemic, supporting quality of life goals remains a central focus. This presentation will describe the collaborative approach to balance the risk of infection from COVID-19 with resident quality of life using concrete examples from the lived experience of local clinicians and infection and prevention control (IPAC) experts.

Topic: The Future is Now: Innovative living environments for older adults with cognitive impairment

Recorded on March 10, 2021

Presenter: Dr. Philippe Voyer, Laval University
Moderator: Dr. Annie Robitaille, the Commissionaires Ottawa Research Chair, Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care, and Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Opening remarks: Dr. Linda Garcia, Director LIFE Research Institute and Full Professor, University of Ottawa
Description: Many well-known projects such as Alzheimer’s villages and Greenhouse projects have been designed to stimulate culture change in homes for older adults with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. While the need to create the best living environments for this population has been known for years, COVID-19 has made this clearer than ever. The presentation will highlight the underlying principles of the most innovative special housing units and the research data that support them. Concrete examples will be presented, including a new residence recently created in Quebec City.

This is a partnership between the Perley Health Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care and the LIFE Research Institute at the University of Ottawa.