Kelsey was awarded a Gilbrea Travel Award to facilitate her travel to the Canadian Association on Gerontology 2018 conference – 'Making It Matter: Mobilizing Aging Research, Practice & Policy' - held in Vancouver, BC (October 18-20, 2018).

 “What do Astronauts and Older Adults Have in Common?”: Highlights of the 2018 CAG 

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Canadian Association on Gerontology’s 47th Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting, “Making It Matter: Mobilizing Aging Research, Practice & Policy” in Vancouver, British Columbia. Not only did I present a paper on my research in progress “Group Fitness for Older Persons: The Role of the Exercise Instructor,” but a poster as well, “Exercise Instructors for Older Adult Fitness: A Content Analysis of Training Curricula.” Both of these opportunities were deeply enriching as I was able to network with other researchers and students in gerontology, receive feedback on my research in progress, and even recruit research participants.

One of the main highlights for me at CAG2018 was attending a Symposia Session titled: “Space Health and Aging: What do Astronauts and Older Adults Have in Common?” sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency. The panel described the many stressors that lead to a myriad of physiological changes that one might observe in older adults. For instance, they contend that six months in space can result in vascular stiffening that would take 10 to 20 years to occur on Earth. The underlying reason for this is that being in space is akin to being on bed rest, and 2 months of bed rest can age a person physiologically upwards of 30 years.

Not only did the panel discuss the physiological changes, and what that might mean for interventions for those of us aging on Earth, but also the psychological and social impacts of living in space. One panelist described space as an Isolated and Confined Environment [ICE], drawing a parallel to nursing homes on Earth. Between stress, sleep disruption, and isolation, the psychological toll on both astronauts and residents in long-term care is concerning. This is compounded by the anxiety surrounding death that both of these populations face. This panelist argued for further research, on both astronauts and older adults in ICEs, that addresses two taboo topics: death anxiety and intimacy (close proximity with others, engagement in sex and/or cuddling, and so forth).

I would like to thank the Canadian Association on Gerontology’s Michael T. Sharratt Scholarship and the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging for their financial support that made it possible for me to attend CAG2018.

Research Assistant, Stephanie Hatzifilalithis was awarded a Gilbrea Travel Award to facilitate her travel to the Canadian Association of Gerontology (CAG) 2018 conference held in Vancouver, BC.

The Keynote Lecture by Professor Dale Dannefer “Opening the Social: Sociological Imagination, Age and the Life Course” CAG 2018–By Stephanie Hatzifilalithis
Time: 9:30am - 10:30am,  Date: October 20^th 2018, Location: Grand Ballroom

The Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG) is the multi-disciplinary association in Canada for persons who work with or on behalf of Canada’s aging population. CAG held its 47th Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Thursday, October 18 to Saturday, October 20, 2018 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. Hosted by The Gerontology Research Centre at Simon Fraser University, the theme of CAG2018 was Making It Matter: Mobilizing Aging Research, Practice & Policy.

I have been a student member of CAG since I started my doctoral degree and have attended the conference for the last three years I always look forward to meeting with like-minded students and academics to learn about the wide array of gerontological research that is occurring across Canada. Reflecting on contemporary concerns from researchers, scholars, practitioners and older people about mobilizing research, the keynote speakers, Professors Carol Brayne, Roger Y.M. Wong, Dale Dannefer and Catherine Ward Thompson–all did justice in showcasing the implications of “making it matter” in the ageing realms.   

This year, I was particularly intrigued by a keynote lecture by Professor Dale Dannefer who discussed, “Opening the Social: Sociological Imagination, Age and the Life course”. Naturally, this lecture piqued my interest as a critical researcher because all too often we have conversations about ageing that inherently excludes ‘the social’. Simultaneously, our conversations about late life often remain tightly focused on the individual level rather than the life course and the contexts within which ageing operates. Professor Dannefer reflected on the present state of social gerontology and expressed that progress has both been limited and not benefitted from a retreat of theorizing in gerontology. Dannefer spoke to how social gerontology is still in its early development, and the fresh challenges in contemporary society such as the social consequences of austerity, and widening social and cultural divisions call for attention to ‘the social’.

A pioneer in developing cumulative (dis)-advantage theory as an explanatory life-course framework, Professor Dannefer discussed the links between the social dynamics of the life course and age. Professor Dannefer took us through a historical timeline, noting the development of social and cultural critiques and the importance of rethinking basic assumptions and searching for other environmental ordering principles. Following a look at different ageing cohorts, Dannefer spoke to how the nature of age cannot be fully grasped as something within individuals but needs to be considered as something between them and requires recognizing a connection between social structure and intra-cohort dynamics. Social forces in aging are imminent whether or not there are differences across cohorts, Dannefer explained. An argument was put forward about the mistakes that we in the field make when attributing ‘human nature’ to cultural practices and in gerontology specifically, for general purposes of aging. Professor Dannefer summarized by pushing the audience to understand and identify a paradigm that recognizes potentials for growth and change not just in childhood but also in adults of all ages. Ultimately, Dannefer urges scholars, researchers, practitioners and policy makers to reconsider the priorities currently set and look to how we can open the social and the social imagination of later life.

The session was very informative and covered an impressive range of issues that could have been expanded to a whole conference. As a researcher in the social sciences I was pleased to see that most, if not all, keynote lectures highlighted the importance of theoretical frameworks and the contributions they provide to the field of gerontology more broadly.

Thank you very much to the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging at McMaster University and the Social Science for Human Research Council (SSHRC) for supporting my work and my trip to Vancouver to attend this year’s conference, looking forward to next year in Moncton, New Brunswick. 

Alison nwas awarded a Gilbrea Travel Award to facilitate her travel to the Canadian Association on Gerontology 2018 conference – 'Making It Matter: Mobilizing Aging Research, Practice & Policy' - held in Vancouver, BC (October 18-20, 2018).

CAG Provides Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Age-Friendly Spaces

The theme of the 47^th Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG) was “Making It Matter: Mobilizing Aging Research, Practice, and Policy” – the conference organizers certainly delivered on this theme and made our short time in Vancouver matter. This annual multidisciplinary event brings together clinicians, academics, administrators, policy makers, government representatives, executives, researchers, students, and seniors to share emerging gerontological research. I found this collaborative opportunity to be particularly meaningful in its offering of diverse perspectives in gerontological inquiry. As a student-researcher investigating older adults’ perspectives on polypharmacy and de-prescribing, CAG 2018 motivated me to pursue engagement in these multidisciplinary settings by applying a social science lens to a largely bio-medicalized topic.

Much of the research shared throughout the conference presented the medicalized lives of older adults and offered numerous disciplinary interpretations. Of particular interest to me was Dr. Roger Wong’s keynote address titled “Improving Hospital Care for Seniors: System, Best Practice, Innovation”. Promoting the ACE Model (Acute Care for Elders), Dr. Wong, Executive Associate Dean, Education in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, discussed the development of geriatric programs in acute care hospitals using a system-based approach. He presented strategies to implement best practice, pondered the future of acute care innovation, and recommended the transformation of traditional hospital acute care settings into large senior-friendly spaces.

Inspired by Dr. Wong’s presentation on these senior-friendly spaces, I then attended a session on “Policy and Practice Considerations in Housing Development and Design”. Taking a disciplinary shift, senior-friendly spaces were again emphasized as essential to well-being in later life. Notably, Dr. Jim Dunn spoke to the significant implications of the aging population residing in car-dependent, low-density communities, presenting unique challenges for transportation, informal caregivers, and aggravating the experiences of social isolation. In this same session, Dr. Emily Roberts, Assistant Professor of Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University outlined the untapped potential of urban malls, presenting a strong case for their repurposing as dementia facilities.

While distinctively framed, these presentations were similarly compelling and are excellent representations of the multidisciplinary approaches that CAG takes to gerontological study. As I continue to train as a student-researcher, I look forward to both sharing and consuming exciting research at CAG 2019 in Moncton, New Brunswick.

I am very grateful to McMaster’s Department of Health, Aging, and Society, the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging, and the E.B. Ryan Scholarship for their support of my research and travels to CAG this year.  

Michael Kalu was awarded a Gilbrea Travel Award which allowed him to travel to the Canadian Association of Gerontology (CAG) 2018 conference held in Vancouver, BC on  October 18-20^th 2018.

Attending the Canadian Association on Gerontology Conference made possible by the Gilbrea Center for Studies in Ageing Travel Support

In this blog, I would like to share some of the lesson learned at an interdisciplinary conference- the Canadian Association on Gerontology Annual Conference-#CAG2018.

My conference experiences began during the Canadian Association on Gerontology Student Connection meeting, where we were taught the basic process of networking in large conferences like the CAG.  The lessons learnt in this session were useful in initiating conversation and critical discussions throughout the conference.

While there were many educative and practical sessions, I was really inspired when I met an 82-year-old Ph.D. student, who presented an aspect of her Ph.D. project entitled: liberating the voices of women aged 85 years and older. Her approach of being a “participant-researcher” to recruitment strategies gave me insight on the process of recruiting participants for my own Ph.D. project. As a healthcare professional, discussing my research with colleagues during monthly professional meetings may increase their interest to participate as well as acting as a gate keeper to prospective participants I may not have access to.

Closely related to my project, I reflected on the poster presentation by Dr Grenier and her team that argued that mobility often viewed as a binary concept to -(im)mobility, could be misleading. This gave me a different perspective to view mobility and it allowed me to reflect on how these ideas could be applied to my own Ph.D. project, which aimed at developing and testing a mobility enhancement comprehensive care model for older adults’ transition from inpatient rehabilitation to home in the community. My perception about viewing mobility limitation as an opposite of mobility has been challenged as I continue to reflect on its implication in my PhD studies.

I wish to sincerely thank the Gilbrea Center for Studies in Ageing for providing this funding that allowed me to attend the CAG conference. Overall, the conference was enjoyable and offered the opportunity to connect with other scholars and students from within Canada and abroad. I would recommend CAG to any professionals providing services or care for the older adult population. I am looking forward to attending the 2019 CAG conference in Moncton, News Brunswick.

Gilbrea Student Group member Stephanie Hatzifilalithis was awarded a Gilbrea Travel Award to facilitate her travel to the British Society of Gerontology (BSG) 2018 conference.

The Flagship Symposium: Critical Gerontology: Where is it presently, where is it going in the future? BSG 2018
Theories, methods & critical perspectives Time: 16:30 - 18:00 Date: 4th July 2018 Location: Theatre A

I was excited to attend this year’s annual meeting of the British Society of Gerontology (BSG). I have been a student member of BSG since my undergraduate degree but haven’t had the opportunity to attend the conference until this year. I looked forward to meeting with like-minded students and academics to learn about the wide array of gerontological research that is being conducted across the world. As a Society, BSG has over 620 members and were hosts to almost 600 delegates this year from 27 countries around the world. Situated at The University of Manchester campus, I was in a fortunate position to attend sessions led by international scholars and researchers in the field. Reflecting on contemporary concerns from researchers, scholars, practitioners and older people around the world about the injustices associated with ageing in an unequal world, BSG chose ‘Ageing in an Unequal World: Shaping Environments for the 21st Century’ as their conference theme. In addition to the many concurrent presentation streams and posters, were the Keynote Speakers, Professors Armando Barrientos, Susanne Iwarrson, Peter Lloyd Sherlock, Francie Lund and James Nazroo – who all did justice to showcasing the diverse realities of ageing.

This year, I was particularly intrigued by a flagship symposium chaired by Professor Amanda Grenier, the Director of our Gilbrea Centre, with Professor Philipson as the discussant entitled, “Critical Gerontology: Where is it presently, where is it going in the future?” Naturally, this session piqued my interest as a critical researcher because this title involves a surprising combination of words. All too often we have conversations about critical gerontological work that inherently excludes the evolving nature of the field itself. Simultaneously, our conversations about late life often remain tightly focused on the empirical content rather than the evolving nature of the theoretical lens. As noted by Professor Grenier and Professor Philipsson during the course of the symposium, to date, progress has been limited and not helped by what appears to be a retreat from theorizing in social gerontology more broadly.

This session engaged a number of leading scholars. Professor Julia Twigg, who has written widely on age and embodiment, focused on the role of dress in the material constitution of age and engaged in debates around cultural gerontology. Professor Calasanti who focuses on the intersections of age, gender and social inequalities, used an intersectional approach to age, gender and sexuality to lay the foundation for her present research on same-sex partner caregiving. Professor Higgs who investigates and theorizes ‘The Fourth Age’, discussed the social imaginary of dementia, personhood, identity and care in advanced old age. A pioneer in developing cumulative (dis)-advantage theory as an explanatory life-course framework, Professor Dannefer discussed the links between the social dynamics of the life course and age. Professor Kelley, reflected on the present state of critical gerontology and the health disparities over the life course, particularly those related to race, socioeconomic status, and disability. As Chair, Professor Grenier took us through a historical timeline, noting how critical gerontology emerged in the 1980s in the context of crisis affecting the funding of welfare states across Europe and North America, the biomedicalization of aging, and the development of social and cultural critiques of the discrimination facing groups of older people in capitalist societies. Professor Philipson, as discussant, summarized and reflected on the present state of critical gerontology and how it might develop with fresh challenges following the 2008 economic crash, the social consequences of austerity, and widening social and cultural divisions. This was followed by a lively debate reflecting on representations, lifestyles, and embodiment and the need to reconsider the theories and methods that underpin critical gerontology. The session ended with the panel reaching a consensus to reconsider the priorities currently set and to understand and identify new forms of vulnerability and exclusion. As a field we need to investigate the impact of economic performance, the growth in claims of intergenerational injustice, climate change, globalization, urbanization, and the pace of social change. Ultimately, reducing social inequalities remains a key challenge of critical gerontology.

The session was very informative and covered an impressive range of issues that could have been expanded to a whole conference. As a researcher in the social sciences I was happy to see that several of the presenters highlighted the importance of theoretical frameworks and the contributions it provides to the field of gerontology more broadly.

Thank you very much to the following for supporting my work and my trip to Manchester to attend this year’s conference: the Department of Health, Aging and Society, the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging, and the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging at McMaster University.

Gilbrea Student Group member Kelsey Harvey was awarded a Gilbrea Travel Award to facilitate her travel to the British Society of Gerontology (BSG) 2018 conference.  

Impressions from the 2018 British Society of Gerontology and Leisure Studies Association Conferences

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the British Society of Gerontology (BSG) 47th Annual Conference in Manchester, UK and the Leisure Studies Association (LSA) Conference in Bath, UK. My sincere thanks to the Department of Health, Aging and Society, and the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging for their financial support that made these opportunities possible. At both conferences, I had the privilege of presenting a paper on my own work in progress exploring the educative role of exercise instructors for older adults. In addition, I was also honoured to represent my advisor, Dr. Meridith Griffin (PI), and her colleagues, Dr. James Gillett and Dr. Gavin Andrews, for the SSHRC funded project “Playing with Memories: The Elicitation of Leisure Biographies” (see playingwithmemories.ca for details). Not only did I present a paper at BSG on this project, but I participated in a Symposia session: “Doing Leisure in Later Life: Meanings, Movements & Memories” alongside Drs. Cassandra Phoenix, Cornelia Guell, and Erica Bennett.

At both BSG and LSA, I observed that few scholars seemed to identify themselves within the specific academic fields of educational gerontology or leisure studies. Further, it seemed that it was primarily scholars in other disciplines who presented work that could contribute to these two fields. If this is the case, there is reason to be concerned that the theoretical contributions to educational gerontology and to leisure studies will be slowed or diminished as a result.

Please note: my comments in this blog are based on what I heard in presentations and discussions that took place at both BSG and LSA, and are in no way empirical or necessarily representative of broader discussions. That said, however, I believe that it is still important to understand why these sentiments were expressed.

At BSG, the discussion in the symposium “Lifelong Learning and Learning About the Long Life: An Exploration of Educational Gerontology” chaired by Dr. Caroline Holland, was the launch of the Society’s special interest group on educational gerontology (for details, see: https://ageingissues.wordpress.com/2018/07/09/active-minds-with-nowhere-to-go-getting-the-bsg-special-interest-group-on-educational-gerontology-off-the-ground-in-manchester/). This special interest group began in partnership with The Association for Education & Ageing, whose membership has been dwindling. The launch of the group was intended to drive interest to the topic of educational gerontology by leveraging the vast membership of BSG to bring together scholars and stakeholders who are interested in learning and education in later life.

In Canada, we have seen a shift in what constitutes educational gerontology.  Specifically, the Canadian Association of Gerontology’s educational gerontology interest group has recently been re-branded as “Teaching and Learning in Gerontology.” This signals a move away from established definitions of educational gerontology which encompassed three domains: 1) teaching gerontology, such as in higher education; 2) education about aging to the general populace; and 3) teaching older adults, also known as geragogy (Glendenning & Battersby, 1990), to a focus on only the first of those three domains – teaching gerontology.

 At LSA, a similar sentiment was expressed related to leisure studies. While still boasting over 150 attendees at the UK Association’s conference, and with university departments across Canada offering degrees in Leisure Studies, it was noted that what was once a strong academic field has seen a shift in attention toward a focus on tourism and hospitality. Although the vast majority of the papers presented at LSA did not reflect this trend, the shift toward focusing on fields advertising lucrative job prospects is not unusual as higher education responds to market incentives (I was told this as a Master’s student about the shift away from Adult Education programs toward Educational Administration programs). Additionally, like myself, a large number of the attendees of LSA’s conference did not possess a Leisure Studies disciplinary background. Indeed, the Conference’s title “Mobilising Change: Creative and Critical Leisure Practices in the Post-disciplinary Era” acknowledges this blurring of disciplinary boundaries as more interdisciplinary programs, departments, research, and even scholars become the norm.

What can be done? With a multi-faceted issue, such as this, multifaceted approaches might be required. However, if the principle concern, as a result of this shift, is the lack of theoretical contributions to both Educational Gerontology and Leisure Studies, then finding ways to attract emerging and existing scholars to contribute to the development of new and established theories within these disciplinary fields seems to be one approach. Comment on this blog with your ideas!

Michael Kalu was awarded a Gilbrea Travel Award to facilitate his travel to the British Society of Gerontology (BSG) 2018 conference.

The most rewarding experience for me at the British Society of Gerontology Conference was attending a symposium on critical gerontology chaired by Dr. Amanda Grenier, Director of the Gilbrea Center for Studies in Aging at McMaster University. Typically, as a clinician, gerontological theories and method, and critical perspectives on gerontology, are not often considered within my own research.  However, the scholarly arguments presented in this session challenged my perception and ideas about caring for older people. The questions of: (a) do we as “gerontologists” demonstrate an ageist attitude? made me think critically about whether my own work with older adults in the community and my PhD thesis research demonstrate any aspect of ageism; and (b) do we as “gerontologists” actually listen to older adults or do we develop interventions based on what we believe is the best for them?

It was clear that even though interventions developed based on evidence is important, does this evidence change over time? Further, how does frequent and ongoing interactions with older adults support or counter the evidence that informs our interventions? These questions led me to critically evaluate what we consider ‘evidence’ to ensure that the interventions we provide best meets the needs of the older adults who receive our care. 

These questions were further elucidated when I attended a session on care transition models for older adults, also an area of interest for my PhD study. In the care transition symposium, the research presented suggests that “patients/clients”, including older adult, do not actually want to be in-charge of their health—findings that may challenge the concept of self-management to care. This research has motivated me to think about how we might leverage the role of health coaches in managing older adults during care transitions, something I hope to build into my thesis work. 

BSG was a highly scholarly conference. Beyond the academics, I was also able to explore the beautiful “old” city of Manchester, where the conference was held.  This conference was a great experience and I will recommend attendance next year to colleagues, especially healthcare professionals who are, or hope to be, involved in interdisciplinary research.

Kelsey was awarded a Gilbrea Travel Award to facilitate her travel to the Canadian Association on Gerontology 2017 conference – ‘Evidence for Action in an Aging World’ held in Winnipeg, MB (October 19-21, 2017).

Physical activity and aging

Written by: Kelsey Harvey

Many informative and interesting presentations, symposiums, workshops, and keynote addresses filled the 46th Annual Scientific & Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG).  Given my research interest in physical activity and aging, the oral presentations on this subject made an impression on me. The five presentations were chaired by Dr. Joanie Sims-Gould, who also presented her team’s work on innovative community-based physical activity programs in British Columbia. Similarly, Lora Bruyn Martin, Research Application Specialist, described the knowledge translation and evaluation tools she and her co-author undertook to develop, mobilize, and reinforce a novel initiative to increase physical actively, thus reducing sedentary time, in individuals living in a long-term care residence. Dr. Michelle Silver presented her work with retired Olympic athletes. Dr. Brad Meisner presented on behalf of Ariane Seguin, whose qualitative interviews for her Master’s thesis were situated within the extant literature on older exercisers. Much like the work of Dr. Silver, Seguin’s findings focused on coping with life transitions and changes in functional abilities, but also acknowledged social support as a social determinant of exercise participation and challenging age-based stereotypes regarding physical activity. The final presentation, by Dr. Luisa Pedro on behalf of her team, returned to the implementation of a physical activity intervention in Portugal, which sparked a conversation among presenters and attendees alike on the fit, or lack thereof, of the present physical activity guidelines for older adults.

Questions and debates that remain include:

• Is vigorous activity appropriate for older adults?
• Since intensity is not only subjective, but also exists on a continuum, then what constitutes an appropriately high intensity recommendation for older adult exercise?
• How can the physical activity guidelines be more inclusive of other definitions of physical activity?

While scholars consider and investigate these issues, it is hoped that we will return next year, to CAG 2018 in Vancouver, to further advance this discussion and many more in gerontology and physical activity.

Physical Activity: Oral Presentations VII. Sunday October 21, 2017. Chair: Joanie Sims-Gould 

Stephanie was awarded a Gilbrea Travel Award to facilitate her travel to the Canadian Association on Gerontology 2017 conference – ‘Evidence for Action in an Aging World’ held in Winnipeg, MB (October 19-21, 2017).

Scholarship and Synergies: Ageing and the Humanities

Written by: Stephanie Hatzifilalithis

Having an educational background in Cognitive Neuroscience and now focus in Social Gerontology, Professor O’Neill’s keynote address entitled “Scholarship and Synergies: Ageing and the Humanities” captivated my interest. Prof O’Neill is a medical gerontologist at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Although trained as a medical doctor, Prof O’Neill has focused on work that collaboratively engages a wide range of disciplines, including scholars in the humanities, neurosciences, artists, ethicists, architects and musicians, and is passionately interested in developing the process of interdisciplinary research on the themes of aging and memory. Prof O’Neill is an advocate for the integration and uptake of the humanities in the medical field and has made a significant impact to the field of gerontology and geriatrics.

Prof O’Neill’s research and presentation focused on quality of life aspects of care and the therapeutic value of art in healthcare, with specific reference to Dementia. Although at first the disciplines might seem strikingly distinct, the synergies and potential strengths this cross-disciplinary lens holds can have significant implications on the well-being of people with dementia and older people in general. The utility of arts-based methodologies is on the rise in social research, a trend that was apparent in sessions and presentations held by Dr. Pia Kontos that were based on dementia and elder clowning, digital storytelling, theatre and dance. I have always found atypical interdisciplinary work fascinating and highly relevant in the field of aging- an inherently transdisciplinary field. Prof O’Neill’s keynote was able to encourage and advocate for the arts and their involvement in research and practice. This line of work has intriguing possibilities, and seems to be gaining traction as a research approach in gerontology. By engaging in the scholarship that involves the integration of various disciplinary perspectives one can see the significant value these synergies add to the research process, practice, communities and policies in our field of interest.

Thank you to the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging, CAG’s Legacy fund and the Department of Health, Aging and Society at McMaster University for the opportunity to witness cutting edge research and development in the field of Gerontology. 

“Scholarship and Synergies: Ageing and the Humanities”: Keynote Lecture. Thursday October 19, 2017.

Rachel was awarded a Gilbrea Travel Award to facilitate her travel to the Canadian Association on Gerontology 2017 conference – ‘Evidence for Action in an Aging World’ held in Winnipeg, MB (October 19-21, 2017).

Older Adults and Mental Health

Written by: Rachel Weldrick

As always, I was excited to attend this year’s annual meeting of the Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG). I have been a student member of the CAG for four years, and have attended as many annuals meetings since 2014. Each year I look forward to meeting with like-minded students and academics, and learning about the wide array of gerontological research that is occurring across Canada and beyond. Since 2014, I have also become a Student Representative with the CAG, proudly representing McMaster with the CAG Student Connection.

This year I was particularly intrigued by a session entitled, “Older Adults and Mental Health”. Naturally, this session piqued my interest as a mental health researcher because this title involves a surprisingly rare combination of words. All too often we have conversations about mental health that exclude mental health in later life. Simultaneously, our conversations about late life “mental health” often remain tightly focused on neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.

The session included a variety of oral presentations on several topics. Denise Waligora began the session with an engaging overview of the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s new Mental Health First Aid for Seniors training program. Sadaf Saleem Murad (University of Alberta) presented a systematic review of suicide prevention programs for older people. Norma Gilbert (Centre of Research and Expertise in Social Gerontology, Canada) showcased a program called Count Me In! – a workshop aimed at promoting mental health well-being among older people. Delphine Roulet Schwab and Cécilia Bovet (Institut et Haute Ecole de la Santé La Source, Switzerland) then provided a fascinating look at a project involving anti-ageism documentaries. Lastly, Olga Strizhitskaya (Saint-Petersburg State University, Russia) discussed her research on cognitive functioning and mental well-being among older people.

The session was very informative and covered an impressive range of issues in a single hour. As a social researcher, I was happy to see that several of the presenters highlighted importance issues pertaining to late life mental health and marginalized populations.  In particular, Denise Waligora’s critical look at late life mental health crises also included an important discussion of the different groups of older people who experience mental health concerns in later life (e.g. chronic/recurring; new mental health concerns in late life; symptoms of dementia; medical conditions with mental health symptoms), highlighting the need to consider life course trajectories and disadvantage. I was thrilled to see an emphasis on the life course.  Overall, I was happy to see a dedicated session to mental health in later life at this year’s conference, and I hope to see continued discussions at future meetings.

Thank you very much to the following organizations for supporting my work and my trip to Winnipeg to attend this year’s conference: the Department of Health, Aging & Society at McMaster University; the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging; the CAG Legacy Fund; and the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

“Older Adults and Mental Health”: Oral Session. Friday October 20, 2017.