It's a wrap - thanks for attending the 2022 Aging Care & Research Symposium! Photo Credits: Jeff Crawford & Cameron Fitch, UNB Media Services.

  Partnerships between researchers and health care leaders are mutually beneficial and can help narrow the gap between knowledge production and translation of knowledge to practice. Calls for partnerships between academic and practice leaders are not new. Academic-practice partnerships are more important than ever given the current challenges facing health and social systems, including high demand for services, and limited financial and human resources. The UNB Long-Term Care Research Simulation Lab located at Loch Lomond Villa Nursing Home in Saint John NB is an example of a strong and productive academic-service partnership. The lab replicates a typical nursing home and operates under the gaze of long-term care professionals, enabling researchers to better understand the challenges facing health care professionals and to recognize how best to transfer research findings to practice. Dr. Rose McCloskey and Executive Director Cindy Donovan will present an overview of the simulation lab.
 

The integrated palliative model was developed in 2019, and implemented at the Maison Albert House in 2021. Since July 2021, the Maison Albert House has hosted over a hundred residents and their families. After a year of operation, the model has been tested and learnings captured. The Hospice SENB and the Maison Albert House Medical Director and Nurse Manager are available to present on their experience, learnings and the model, as well as recommendations on best practices regarding palliative care in NB.

 The Canada Research Chair in Healthy Aging explores the impact of social policy on older adults’ health in provinces facing the challenges of accelerated aging populations. This research program aims to develop: 1) evidence-based healthy aging policies in the Atlantic provinces by using interdisciplinary, intersectoral and participatory research methods; and 2) policy analysis tools to help decision-makers better understand the impact of public policies on the aging population. Two research structures will be established: 1) the Atlantic Observatory on Aging to monitor population aging across communities in the region; and 2) the Healthy Aging Policy Innovation Lab to enable collaborative and participatory development of evidence-based healthy aging policy in Atlantic Canada. 

 Discharge home from the hospital can be a confusing and challenging time for patients and their families. Transitions of care (TOC) may result in adverse effects, emergency room visits and hospital readmission particularly when there is poor communication or lack of coordination among patients and providers. Older adults are at high risk of medication related harm (MRH) on hospital discharge. TOC collaborations between hospital and community pharmacists in the United States have reduced medication-related readmissions, and improved patient care through a variety of interventions. A pharmacy-led TOC program could have a significant impact on the health and well being of seniors living in New Brunswick. The present study is a mixed method, quasi-experimental study to determine the impact of a pharmacy TOC program on patient experience, and relationships between hospital and community pharmacy teams, and health care utilization. Presented by Natalie MacDonald 

Recently, Ashley King and Daphne Noonan co-founders of Person Centred Universe partnered with Helen Sanderson Associates in Canada to

develop a One Page Profile Master Class. The collaboration aims to help long-term care

professionals develop and embed this powerful tool into organizational roles and processes, from whichever role they hold in the organization. Using this simple tool leads to a dramatic improvement in care by creating space for elders to exercise more of their voice, choices, and control in their care provision.

Having equitable access to information about services and programs can improve the quality of life for older adults.  Information that is provided via multiple platforms ensures that this will happen.  Research has examined the experiences of how older adults in New Brunswick obtain information about the services they require.  This has resulted in the development of an effective resource guide which can assist older adults in NB to navigate the complex array of information and services which are available.  Furthermore, a recent study investigated the communication strategies used in New Brunswick Long Term Care facilities during the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The success and challenges relating to the provision of information to the families of those living in long term care facilities will be discussed.  

New Brunswick is amongst the Canadian leaders in the promotion of Intergenerational activities to combat ageism and promote healthy aging.  The number of Intergenerational activities held during the pandemic doubled from June 1st 2021 to June 1st 2022!  Together we are moving ahead and sharing not only our experiences but also our observations as well as the value of collaboration and integration between generations.  Thus, we are contributing to the eradication of ageism which can lead to isolation, abuse, exclusion, depression, suicide or ill health of seniors.   Meeting the growing number of community leaders who are making this happen, has been an enriching experience for the presenter who stumbled into the domain by chance and became hooked by the value of the activity.  It will be a pleasure for me to share my iGAP experience, to present resources which can contribute to the organization of respectful, intentional, simple, fun and collaborative activities and to share a list of meaningful intergenerational happenings which were held in NB during the past years.  Join the growing number of enthusiastic, fun-loving yet focussed New Brunswickers who are interested in contributing to activities which promote meaningful interactions between seniors and youth.  Let the experience enrich your life as well as that of others. Le N.-B. est un chef de file dans le domaine de l’organisation des activités intergénérationnelles au Canada. Le nombre d’activités intergénérationnelles a doublé au N.-B. entre le 1er juin 2021 et le 1er juin 2022, et ce pendant la pandémie! Le sujet de l’âgisme et de la valeur des activités entre jeunes et aînés pour contrer les effets négatifs de la discrimination par rapport à l'âge sont de plus en plus reconnus.

L’animatrice, qui travaille dans le domaine depuis plusieurs années, désire partager ses expériences, en particulier celles reliées au projet iGAP (InterGenerational Action Plan), les ressources qu’elle a découvertes, les personnes engagées qu'elle a connues ainsi que le sentiment de valorisation personnelle dont elle jouit, particulièrement par rapport à l’activité intergénérationnelle de l’été 2021!