Featured Guest Writer: Paula David

Gerontology is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “the comprehensive multidisciplinary study of aging and older adults.” While I always knew that, it never occurred to me that I would ever land a role where I would be associated with gerontology. As a young woman I knew two basic assumptions about aging; everyone gets old, and no one wants to get old because the end result is death. From the perspective of my youthful ignorance, aging seemed like a life chapter based on a continuum of loss. I envisioned and dreamt of career options that would challenge my imagination; sustain my insatiable interest in the human condition; and allow me to indulge and integrate my love of drawing, painting, creating music, and writing. I had no idea that specializing in gerontology and building a career working with older adults would not only accommodate all of these interests, but also allow them to expand and open new career trajectories in ways beyond my imagination.

I learned about a Life Course Perspective and how we are all living on a continuum of personal familial and community experiences, social, political, and educational influences impacted by environmental events within our own backyards, and around the globe. I found that the study of aging and working with elders enriched my life, as well as offered me so many opportunities to actually make a difference within my community. I learned that aging is not about endings at all, it’s about ongoing new beginnings.

Basically, I learned about the rewards of being a Gerontologist.

My career has taken me on many incredible adventures of discovery and learning. I am now an instructor, teaching and learning with students in The Chang School’s Aging and Gerontology Program. With our rapidly aging population, technological and medical advances comes a new generation of diverse, intelligent, and hardworking students interested in the social structure of older adults. A career in gerontology holds even more promise and more potential than ever before. It is an exciting time to be a student and an even more exciting time to be an elder.

Paula David has a PhD in Social Work from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Gerontology. She is semi-retired while still teaching sessional courses at both The Chang School and U of T. Paula sits on various community based, not-for-profit and academic editorial boards, providing professional development sessions in healthcare settings in both Canada and the U.S.

How The Chang School is Enhancing and Enriching Aging

The Accessibility Project

This Fall 2017 term, Ryerson community members were invited to apply to the new Accessibility Project. This is a community and grant program that offers funding opportunities up to $25,000 to develop, commercialize, and grow innovative ideas, products, and solutions for people with disabilities and aging populations. The 17 project finalists were celebrated at a launch event on November 15.

From left: Michael Benarroch, Provost and Vice-President, Academic at Ryerson University; Dean Marie Bountrogianni, The Chang School; Dr. Tom Chau, Research Director, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital; and The Honourable David C. Onley

Research Grant Awarded

In October, The Chang School was awarded a $20,000 research grant from eCampusOntario Digital Inclusion Research Funding to explore the digital inclusion for unpaid caregivers. Dalia Hanna, Program Director of Community Services at The Chang School, and a PhD student at the Department of Computer Science at Ryerson, will lead the project along with Kristin Newman, Assistant Professor, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Faculty of Community Services; Sandra Kerr, Director, Programs for 50+ at The Chang School; and Mary Bart of Caregiving Matters. The aim is to explore how digital technologies can support access to information and connect non-professional caregivers.

Programs for 50+

Whether you’re interested in personal enrichment, building new skills, or remaining active during your retirement, explore the wide variety of courses offered through The Chang School’s Programs for 50+. Unique non-credit programs are offered to stimulate your personal interest, self-actualization, and a continuing connection to a community of like-minded people.

Certificate in Aging and Gerontology

Many people don’t know what gerontology means, or believe you must be a registered nurse to work in the field. The Chang School is not only taking strides to create awareness of gerontology, but is also making it accessible. The study of gerontology is not only relevant for professionals such as nurses and social workers, it may also be of interest to non-professionals who may find themselves the primary caregiver of a loved one.

Stay tuned for future newsletter issues which will highlight some of the numerous research projects and technological advances from the Ryerson community that aim to break down social, psychological, and physical barriers for seniors and those with living with a disability.

Upcoming Events

The Chang School’s Programs for 50+ Presents “I’m Still Here (Living with Dementia),” an Act II Studio Production

This 50-minute play illuminates the realities of living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The goal is to help foster meaningful interaction and reduce unnecessary suffering among patients, caregivers, and their families.

When: Monday, January 22, 2018, starting at 4:00 p.m.
Where: Ryerson University
RSVP for I'm Still Here

50+ Festival

The Chang School’s 50+ Festival, which will run from June 1–3, 2018, will be celebrating 10 years! The festival partners feature services and products for seniors. If you are interested in exhibiting or participating in the festival, contact Melanie Santarossa at msantarossa@ryerson.ca for more information.

Talks at Toronto Reference Library – Toronto Public Library (TPL)

Did you know the TPL offers talks throughout the year? The Chang School is proud to partner with TPL to bring you some of these engaging talks. Topics vary, however previous talks have focused on retirement, health, and aging. To learn more, feel free to connect with the Toronto Reference Library about their “Author Talks & Lectures” listing.

National Events

• January
• Bell Let’s Talk Day is on January 25, promoting Mental Health awareness
• February
• Heart Month, Heart and Stroke Foundation
• Psychology Month, Canadian Psychological Association
• National Therapeutic Recreation Month, Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association

Did You Know?

The Long Wait for Long-Term Care

• For the first time, seniors outnumbered children in Canada in 2016. And those numbers will only continue to grow. According to the Ontario Long Term Care Association, since 2010 only people with high or very high healthcare needs are eligible for long-term care in Ontario. Further, they added that “the wait list for long-stay beds, as of June 2017, is 32,046.”
• Some seniors and their caregivers wait until long-term care is needed instead of researching for options and applying to wait lists. Ontario Long Term Care Association 2018 Budget Submission (PDF) claims that “what drives many seniors into long-term care is not their own needs but rather that their main caregiver falls ill or grows too frail themselves.” There are now resources available to get the conversation started about which options may be right for your loved one to help ensure you’re prepared.

Government Resources Available to You

• In 2017, the Government of Ontario established Canada’s first stand-alone Ministry of Senior Affairs (MSA), formerly the Ontario Seniors' Secretariat. The Ministry's website includes resources on healthy aging practices, housing, safety, tax benefits, as well as information for caregivers.
• Ontario’s new Action Plan for Seniors, Aging with Confidence focuses on areas that seniors say they care about most, including living independently for as long as possible and staying connected through social, recreational and volunteer activities. The plan also clearly defines four guiding principles to define its approach: inclusion, diversity, choice and self-determination, safety, and security.

Diversity in Senior Care

• Many senior patients who receive care, whether in long-term care or in their own residence, may have a language barrier and do not fluently speak English. Toronto has always been at the forefront of inclusion and diversity and it is expected to increase.
• “There are 56 ethno-specific homes across the province, serving ethnicities from Finish to Filipino to Portuguese, and faiths such as Catholicism and Confucianism. Given the GTA’s dense and diverse cultural landscape, many of these homes are based in and around Toronto” (Dziedzic, Sarah. “Why Ontario needs more culturally sensitive long-term care homes” July 19, 2016.)

How Music Is at the Forefront for Enriching the Lives of Seniors and Those Living with Dementia

• The 2014 documentary called “Alive Inside” demonstrates the power that music can have on those living with dementia.
• CBC News recently showcased how three Western University students are living rent-free in a seniors’ home in London, Ontario in exchange for musical performances.
• The Chang School is testing the theory that singing in a choir can actually improve the ability to hear as we age.

Contact Us

We want to hear from you! Is there a particular topic you’d like to read about in our next newsletter? Was there something you found informative in this edition? Or do you work in the fields of aging and gerontology? We’d like to hear from the “Voices in the Field.” You could be our next featured contributor!

Connect with us and email Kathleen Painter at kpainter@ryerson.ca.