IA Knowledge mobilization

With the support of a 2023 CIHR Planning and Dissemination Grant, the Aging Research Centre-Newfoundland and Labrador (ARC-NL) held two community events in 2024. Older adults and researchers across the province, participated in the public consultations to determine research priorities and needs, identify common research interests, and form relationships to support project planning.

Visit the story Setting priorities and developing collaborative research on aging with older adults in NL on the Aging Research Centre Newfoundland website to learn more.

Heart failure will affect 1 in 5 adults in Canada. The Canadian Heart Function Alliance, is a research network dedicated to improving the prediction, prevention, diagnosis and management of heart failure. Watch this video to learn why it was created and what it has achieved so far.

Visit news and events on the Canadian Heart Function Alliance website for upcoming meetings, webinars, conferences, and educational competitions.

January is Alzheimer’s Awareness month and IA’s Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging (BHCIA) Research Initiative is delighted to spotlight a series of knowledge mobilization stories each week from the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA).

Visit the CIHR Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging (BHCIA) Knowledge Mobilization webpage to learn more.

The Institute of Aging is a proud funding partner of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium. The Consortium is a national hub of sleep scientists and clinicians advancing research and interventions to optimize sleep health throughout the lifespan. Sleep is an important part of brain health and overall heath for older people.

To learn more visit: Video: Introducing the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium

The Globe and Mail Decibel Podcast: How sleep affects our brains

Ottawa Citizen article: The high cost of poor sleep — from physical and mental illnesses to economic hits

Summary of key findings, knowledge mobilization and key accomplishments: Consortium's Progress Report to CIHR

Canadian Sleep Research Consortium Workshops & Webinars

In June 2024, a half day forum on “Ageism and Health Care, Community Care, and Support” brought together a diverse group of participants to discuss ageism, including older persons, researchers, health care professionals, and community organizations.

To learn more visit: Report: Shaping the Future: A National Forum’s Call to Action to Eliminating Ageism in Care and Support [ PDF (3.4 MB) - external link ]

Press Release: New Ipsos survey reveals critical need to combat ageism in Canada

Kelly C O'Neil’s program of work will generate new knowledge about engaging, understanding, and supporting older adults with complex conditions and the continuing care staff who provide services for them.

The Age with Dignity Research Centre, led by Dr. Manon Lemonde, brings together expertise from a wide range of disciplines, to advance the science of aging and inform best practices.

Visit the Age with Dignity Research Centre to learn more.

Researchers held in-person and virtual knowledge exchange sessions to advance priorities for Older People with Experiences of Homelessness (OPEH).

Watch the Joining the Dots of Older Homelessness seminar on YouTube.

To learn more visit:
Article: System failing growing number of seniors who are homeless

Podcast: Seniors and Homelessness, a Growing Concern

Canadian Medical Association Journal analysis: Tackling late-life homelessness in Canada

Researchers conducted the COORDINATEs (technology to support decisionmaking about aging at home) study in Canada, Sweden, and the Netherlands, to understand how older adults' mobility impacts their autonomy and housing decisions.

Learn about knowledge mobilization from this project and other projects on the JPI More Year Better Lives website.

Results from this Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) study provide a valuable resource describing the genetic architecture of metabolites and delivers insights into their roles in common diseases, thereby offering opportunities for therapeutic targets.

Learn more in this Impact story of the year (2023): CLSA research identifies metabolites that influence common age-related diseases.

Using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a team of McMaster University researchers developed age-specific performance charts to improve the identification of low physical function and mobility in mid-to-late-life older adults, allowing for early interventions to preserve mobility and function and improve quality of life.

Learn more about this Knowledge Mobilization Activity/Product (2023): Charting the course of healthy mobility.

The National Multidisciplinary Priority-Setting Summit on grab bar installation, aimed to prevent falls, reduce injuries and improve bathroom accessibility for older adults in Canada.

To access a summary of the summit, including priorities for action, recommendations and next steps, email: info@parachute.ca.

This series of conversations on the newest research findings, knowledge, and observations on topics related to healthy living and healthy aging, is now available.

Watch the InfoIRL/LRInfo videos featured on the LIFE Research Institute YouTube channel.

50 teams presented their findings at the Quadruple Aim and Equity End-of-Grant Workshop. Their research covered several topics including models of care for older adults.

Read the Summary Report and Evidence Brief Booklet to learn more.

The CIHR Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA) supported two conferences in the fall of 2023 focusing on translational geroscience in Canada. The Canadian Summit on Geroscience and the First Canadian Conference on Translation Geroscience.

Read a summary in the Journals of Gerontology and learn about the founding of the Canadian Translational Geroscience Network.

The network aims to generate discussions among professionals interested in promoting longevity and healthy aging. Its first meeting takes place September 5th and 6th, 2024 in Montreal.

Older Adults, Falls and Concussions: A National Multidisciplinary Priority-Setting Summit, aimed to help inform the way forward on the topic of Older Adults, Falls and Concussions.

Watch the summit on YouTube or email info@parachute.ca for a summary, recommendations and next steps.

The eHealth Innovations Initiative was designed to increase access to health systems for patients, fostering cross-sectoral partnerships, building capacity, and improving efficiencies for greater cost effectiveness of service delivery.

Find out about the key results and learnings from the eHealth Innovations Impact Assessment in the Summary Report and Infographic.

Watch the video: Seniors – Adding Life to Years (SALTY) project to learn about this study that aimed to add quality to late life for people living in long-term care and for their caregivers, including family, friends, volunteers, and care workers.

Visit the Seniors – Adding Life to Years (SALTY) project website to learn about results and dissemination including publications in academic journals, webinars, podcasts and research briefs.

Learn how research is improving intensive care and how tools can help ensure a smooth transition from the intensive care unit (ICU) to the home environment.

The Critical Care Pain Observation Tool for Families (CPOT-Fam), is a behavioural tool that families can use to help identify pain in non-communicative critically ill patients.

Message stelfoxt@ualberta.ca for details on publications in academic journals including the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool for Families (CPOT-Fam) and the Patient-Oriented Discharge Summary Tool (PODS-ICU).

Nicole Doria’s project aims to develop and apply a new model of care for older adults experiencing homelessness and substance use.

The goal of Dr. Stacey Hatch’s research, in collaboration with the Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health and the University of Calgary, is to develop effective knowledge mobilization strategies to increase the use of clinical practice guidelines for older adults with mental health conditions.

Dr. Thomas Hadjistavropoulos and his team address the under-recognition and under-treatment of pain among people living with dementia.

Visit SeePainMoreClearly to learn more.

Dr. Alexandra Papaioannou and her team develop new interventions and models of care for frail older adults and evaluate them across community, hospital, and long-term care settings.

Visit Geras Centre for Aging Research to learn more.

Dr. Gary Naglie and Dr. Mark Rapoport and their team focus on driving safety in older adults, especially those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Visit the Driving and Dementia Roadmap website to learn more.

The Flipping Stigma Toolkit, co-created by researchers and people with dementia, is aimed at supporting those with dementia and reducing the stigma and discrimination they face.

Watch the Flipping Stigma in Primary Care video to learn what health care professionals need to know about day-to-day life with dementia.

The toolkit is listed on the World Health Organization's Global Dementia Observatory Knowledge Exchange Platform.

Visit Flipping Stigma in Dementia to learn more and shop for items like T-shirts and postcards with proceeds going toward further research around understanding and addressing dementia-related stigma.

World Falls guidelines provide recommendations to clinicians working with older adults to identify and assess fall risks.

Visit World Falls guidelines website to read the Infographic and learn more.

Learn about a new clinical practice guideline for management of osteoporosis and fracture prevention in Canada.

Visit the Canadian Medical Association Journal to read the guideline.

Visit Osteoporosis Canada to learn more.

Visit the Active Aging Canada website for resources for health care professionals to help promote physical activity to older adults.

Read about the Reflection Room: Exploring pandemic-related grief in long-term care homes, in the Conversation.

Visit The Reflection Room and Saint Elizabeth Foundation websites to learn more.

Visit the Move & Connect webinar series that aims to connect older adults to information and services to support their physical, social, and mental health.

Visit Active Aging Society to watch webinar recordings and learn more.

Watch this video and read the project summary to learn about how older adults, caregivers, health and social care providers and researchers, from the Canadian Aging Action, Research, & Education (CAARE) for Mental Health Group, are working together to make a difference in the lives of older adults and their mental health.

Visit SE Research Centre to learn more.

The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) webinar series

Visit CLSA Webinar Videos to watch past webinars.

Visit CLSA Webinars to learn more about upcoming webinars.

Leveraging the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging research platform to mobilize COVID-19 research - Impact Story of the Year

Dr. Pia Kontos and her team use theatre and film to show how the stigma associated with dementia can lead to social exclusion

Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Kassim Said Abasse is looking to improve the quality of care for elders living with Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's, and other neurocognitive disorders

Valentina Antonipillai's research on long-term care workers' health and working conditions may guide policy reform

Onboard vehicle sensors that measure seniors' driving skills may prevent them from losing their licences prematurely

New technology helps older patients take meds as prescribed

Using virtual reality to train dementia caregivers

Read about promising practices & policies designed to keep residents, families, caregivers & staff safe from future pandemics

The Driving and Dementia Roadmap: A new resource on the World Health Organization's Global Dementia Platform

Watch the story on CBC National

Visit the Driving and Dementia Roadmap website to learn more.

Dr. Heather McKay and her team are expanding the reach of Choose to Move, to better serve the needs of more diverse groups of adults.

Visit the Choose to Move website to learn more.