Empowering Aging Canadians

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As a former professional athlete, what do you think is the key for healthy aging?

Being proactive with your health is everything. When I retired from hockey at a young age, I tried to stay engaged with my health, fitness, and diet. This allowed me to stay active, and motivated, and to push myself to achieve great ness in everyday life. The way I think about it is if you sit on the side lines and let life pass you by, your mental and physical health starts to deteriorate. You must live each day to the fullest and as you age, start new benchmarks to achieve your goals. Being proactive in your prime is the key to healthy aging.

Given your passion for brain health, why is it important to you and what

I was selected to be the ambassador for the Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s initiative. There, I work together with fellow NHL alumni to raise awareness about brain health and aging. Our collaborative mission is to help support research, education, care, and innovation in the fields of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. If you have a family history of diseases, be proactive with this information and make sure that you're taking the appropriate precautions to ensure you're staying on top of your brain health. To maintain a healthy brain, particularly when get-

ting older, it's important to keep your mind stimulated and active.

Amidst your busy daily life, how do you stay motivated?

Your life isn't a dress rehearsal, it’s the real thing. When you get up in the morning, you have the choice to walk down the right path. You have the choice to get help if you’re feeling down. You have the choice to engage with a healthy lifestyle. You have the choice to put a smile on your face and stay positive even when life gets you down. I choose this path for my friends and family. It motivates me to have positive relationships with my loved ones and the best gift I can give them in return is my health. Your health should always be a priority. My health ensures that I maintain wonderful relationships with my kids, wife, grandchildren, and friends. I will always choose a healthy path and I encourage everyone to do the same.

We chatted with Toronto Maple Leafs legend Darryl Sittler, who played with the Leafs for 12 out of his 15 NHL seasons. Inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989, Sittler is the only player in NHL history to score 10 points in a single game.

in AgeTech Innovation Week, October

2021. Hosted by AGE-WELL, this free virtual event is for anyone with an interest in technology and aging. Learn more here: agewell-nce.ca

How Nancy Greene Raine Stays Active, Youthful, and Healthy

As a former Olympic champion skier and Canadian Senator, Nancy Greene Raine shares her best tips for a healthy aging lifestyle.

The month of June is dedicated to seniors. What initiatives are you involved in to encourage aging Canadians to stay motivated and healthy?

I'm pleased to be part of a large network that kicks off summer by celebrating National Health and Fitness Day, on the first Saturday in June. This year, we're all amplifying the message to get outside and be active, since we know how important it is for both physical and mental health. While kids miss the organized community sports programs, it's good to see families finding all kinds of ways to be active together, and I'm pleased that so many seniors are walking in their neighbourhoods.

habits help throughout your life and I believe they lead to healthy aging. I feel lucky that even though I took risks as a ski racer, I didn't suffer any lasting injuries and so am still able to ski, play tennis, hike, cycle, and golf. It's really important to stay active, even if it's just going for a walk.

As athletes we learn the basics of good health: exercising, eating a good diet, and getting a good night's sleep.

As a former Olympic athlete, can you provide some advice on healthy aging?

As athletes we learn the basics of good health: exercising, eating a good diet, and getting a good night's sleep. These

What excites you most about this chapter of your life?

I love living where I do, in a condominium hotel in a beautiful mountain village, overlooking the tennis courts and with the ski slopes right outside the back door. I'm blessed with a husband who shares my love of sports, and with children and grandchildren in our lives to keep us young at heart. I love the way the internet gives access to things of interest all over the world, and that it makes staying in touch with friends so easy.

Learn more about National Health & Fitness Day at nhfdcan.ca

Stay Active, Age Healthily

As we age, our quality of life is foremost in our minds. Any older adult will tell you that they want to remain independent, stay healthy, and be able to make their own choices with respect to how and where they want to live.

There's no question that as our body ages, it changes, and that can provide us with challenges. One of the best methods to face our challenges is to be active in our bodies and our minds. The science is unquestionable. The simplest pill to age well is to be physically active and take care of yourself.

Being active doesn't mean having to run a marathon, but rather to move, go for a brisk walk, garden, ride a bike, or

do whatever interests you. Take care of yourself by getting seven to eight hours of sleep every night and try to eat foods that are good for your health.

It's never too late to make a change and every small change, will benefit your overall health. The key is to be active in your body and mind, stay socially connected (whether in person or virtually), and have fun. Remember, what you do everyday matters.

For more information on healthy aging, please visit activeagingcanada.ca

This article was sponsored by Active Aging Canada.

Precision Oncology Trials Will Improve Outcomes for Canadian Cancer Patients

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to diagnosis of patients with more advanced cancers. Targeted treatments will help Canada tackle this challenge.

Cancer specialists are concerned about the effects of the COVID19 pandemic on cancer diagnosis and treatment. Initial suspension of preventive screening programs and delays in treatment, along with patients avoiding doctor visits out of fear of catching the virus, have led to Canadians being diagnosed later and with more advanced cancers, which are harder to treat.

Tackling this challenge will require innovation to deliver better, more targeted treatments — providing the right treatment to the right person at the right time. Exactis Innovation is a pan-Canadian network helping clinicians

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected cancer diagnosis and treatment and how can the health care system solve this challenge?

Worldwide, there was more than a 50 to 75 percent reduction in some cancer screenings and surgeries. As patients start coming back, we're seeing more advanced cancers. There has been modelling that shows that there will be an increase in mortality over the next few years. To mitigate that, we'll need to rebuild our human resources, especially by hiring more nurses, to increase capacity. But to beat cancer, we'll also need to crank up our clinical research tremendously, with new treatments for better outcomes.

How will precision medicine help reach these goals?

Precision medicine gives you much better outcomes. If we have this tsunami of cancer patients, with even more advanced disease, and we keep giving them standard chemotherapy, the same outcomes will occur. We need research and innovation to get ourselves out of this. In Canada, we're slow to approve a variety of drugs, so the way that we access new treatments is by putting patients on clinical trials that give them access to these drugs.

do just that. Since December 2015, the Personalize My Treatment (PMT)™ initiative has been enrolling cancer patients into a registry that captures their medical history and the molecular and genomic characteristics of their cancer. The goal of the network is to increase the number of precision oncology trials in Canada and increase access to novel targeted treatments for Canadian cancer patients.

To learn more, please visit exactis.ca

This article was sponsored by Exactis.

How is Exactis Innovation advancing precision medicine in Canada? Though I'm based at Sunnybrook, I'm linked with all of the centres that are part of the Exactis network. For me, Exactis is about furthering the precision medicine agenda and bringing more trials to Canada to benefit patients. So as a centre, we're involved in the studies, but we also collaborate with principal investigators from other centres to advance that agenda toward precise treatments.

What most excites you about the advancement of precision medicine? Discovering biomarkers that can help you select the right treatment for the right person at the right time is hugely important. Also, in being more precise about treatments, it's not just about living longer, it's about living better. More targeted therapy helps to reduce the toxicity of the medications. Hitting the right target maximizes quality of life and minimizes toxicity. We always knew that one size did not fit all, we just didn't have the tools to be able to select treatments. We're moving into this era where we're starting to do that and it’s hugely exciting.

Dr. Gerald Batist Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, Exactis Innovation & Director, McGill Centre for Translational Research in Cancer

Dr. Helen MacKay Chair, Principal Investigator Coordinating Committee

Exactis Innovation & Head of the Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Sunnybrook Hospital

One of the best methods to face our challenges is to be active in our bodies and our minds.

Patricia Clark National Executive Director, Active Aging Canada

Patricia Clark

Abigail Cukier

Good News for Canadians: Our AgeTech Sector Is on an Upward Swing

Everyone is wondering what the world will look like postCOVID-19. One thing for sure is that technology will play a much greater role in the lives of older adults. The pandemic has shown how technology can help to combat challenges such as social isolation and loneliness, and help older people live safely and independently.

children, to socialize with friends, to participate in clubs and groups, to watch live virtual concerts, and to attend online courses. Tinning is even ordering their groceries online and has dabbled in telehealth.

Driving change that improves quality of life

New and emerging technologies are essential for the future of aging in Canada. Not only do technology-driven solutions support older adults and caregivers, they also help ease pressures on our health care system and long-term care facilities.

As Canada’s technology and aging network, AGE-WELL was created to drive this change and to facilitate the development of technologies and services for healthy aging. AGE-WELL includes over 250 researchers at 45 universities and research centres across Canada, 750 trainees, and more than 400 industry, government, and nonprofit partners. Almost 5,000 older adults and caregivers are involved to ensure that products are user-friendly.

Canadians and caregivers.

From smart-home sensors and remote therapies to virtual exercise programs and communications systems, the network’s innovations are making a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Take, for example, a messaging platform called FamliNet that offers seniors with little or no computer skills an easier way to stay in contact with family and friends. Additionally, there are medication and other reminder systems for people living with dementia and apps that help people manage their health at home. In all, over 100 technologies, services, policies, and practices are in development or already in use.

AGE-WELL is also helping to build a thriving AgeTech sector that’s part of Canada’s economic recovery. “We're driving the sector forward so that everyone is pulling in the same direction to ensure that technologies are actually having an impact on people’s lives and generating social and economic benefits for Canadians,” says Dr. Mihailidis.

“I didn’t use it much before, but I use it for absolutely everything now,” says the retired teacher, who lives in Toronto.

“Just about everything we do now in terms of education, culture, exercise, and socializing is tied to the computer.”

Tinning and her husband have full and active lives, and technology has enabled them to stay connected with their family, including their grand-

“We’re working together to deliver technology-based solutions that help older adults remain in their own homes and communities for as long as possible,” says Dr. Alex Mihailidis, Scientific Director and CEO of AGE-WELL.

Practical, cost-effective solutions to real-world challenges

AGE-WELL’s wide network, which supports over 50 startups, is making extraordinary progress in developing useful, cost-effective solutions to the real-world challenges faced by older

Moving forward, AgeTech must be a part of the solution for Canadians to age in place, to alleviate pressure on our health system, and to empower aging Canadians and caregivers.

Join in AgeTech Innovation Week, October 4-8, 2021. Hosted by AGE-WELL, this free virtual event is for anyone with an interest in technology and aging.

AGE-WELL is a federally-funded Network of Centres of Excellence. To learn more, visit agewell-nce.ca

AGE-WELL.

Together, We Can Combat Ageism

Age cannot and should not define who we are, what we do, and how we do it. And yet, older people are often referred to as frail, vulnerable, and a burden on society and sometimes even their family. This narrative is not only outdated, it's incorrect and unacceptable. In fact, older people are often known for their resilience in overcoming challenges and losses over time.

Combating ageism, the way we think (stereotypes), feel (prejudice), and act (discrimination) toward others or ourselves based on age, must be at the heart of a new narrative about growing older.

According to the World Health Organization, ageism

is linked to poorer physical health and contributes to social isolation and loneliness, which in turn has serious impacts on health and longevity.

Policies can address discrimination based on age and protect everyone's human rights, educational activities can build skills and enhance empathy, and intergenerational programs can contribute to the mutual understanding and cooperation of different generations

The rights of older people are human rights, so join the International Federation on Ageing to combat ageism through the global campaign to create an environment that enables and empowers older people to do what's important to them

Through Heart to Home Meals, Seniors Can Experience the Beauty of Aging

Aging is an inevitable aspect of our lives. With the right mindset and perspective, aging can be viewed as a gift rather than a challenge.

Some of the most memorable moments in one’s life occur within the golden years. Aging is an important transition in an individual’s life and maintaining healthy lifestyle practices through this time is vital.

By providing a service that eases this transition for seniors, such as a home meal service, the the beauty of aging is emphasized and balancing a healthy lifestyle is encouraged.

Heart to Home Meals brings delicious and nutritious meals right to seniors' doors

When aging at home, having access to nutritional meals is essential to maintaining a healthy and content lifestyle. Heart to Home Meals truly believes that life should get easier as

you age. This is why Heart to Home Meals has implemented a service with the lifestyles and nutritional needs of seniors in mind — delivering delicious and nutritious frozen meals right to its customers’ doorsteps.

The extensive menu has over 200 meals, soups, and desserts that have been created by a team of chefs and a dietitian consultant to ensure that Heart to Home Meals is providing the best nutritious meals for seniors.

With this service in place, lengthy hours of cooking and cleaning in the kitchen along with taking those frequent grocery store runs are eliminated, allowing seniors the opportunity to spend more time doing the things they love.

To learn more, visit hearttohomemeals.ca or call 1-855-996-9694 to order a free menu.

This article was sponsored by Heart to Home Meals.

Dr. Alex Mihailidis Scientific Director & CEO, AGE-WELL

Judy Tinning, 75, is among many older Canadians who have upped their use of technology during the pandemic.

This article was sponsored by

This article was sponsored by the International Federation on Ageing.

AGE-WELL, Canada’s technology and aging network, has brought bright minds together to deliver new technologies — to support older adults.

Dr. Jane Barratt Secretary General, International Federation on Ageing jbarratt@ifa.ngo

PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS CAN USE THE LIVEWITH ARTHRITIS

APP TO MANAGE AND ASSESS THEIR C ONDITION BETTER. THE APP WAS DEVELOPED BY ETREATMD WITH SUPPORT FROM AGE-WELL.

Safaa Abouelhouda

Dr. Jane Barratt

Tania Amerdeil

ews about Canada’s opioid crisis continues to make headlines, and while much of it focuses on illicit use, preventable deaths also occur in people who are prescribed opioids, such as morphine, hydromorphone, and fentanyl patches.

Prescription opioids are medications used primarily to treat acute and chronic pain, and they’re very beneficial for many Canadians, especially older Canadians. Unfortunately, accidental opioid poisoning is a very real and dangerous problem that occurs far too often.

disease, or using opioids concurrently with other medications that cause respiratory depression. The idea that opioid toxicity only occurs with illicit use is simply false.”

The good news is that there is a free, easy-to-use option that can stop accidental opioid poisoning in its tracks and prevent death. NARCAN® (naloxone) nasal spray, is generally safe to use for adults, children, and even animals, and is used to counter decreased breathing in cases of opioid poisoning. NARCAN® is available in pharmacies across Ontario.

Breaking down naloxone stigma to protect patients

Despite NARCAN®’s enormous potential benefits, opioid prescriptions significantly outnumber how many NARCAN® Nasal Spray Kits are given out by pharmacists. Stigma is a major factor, even though the statistics don’t support it.

harm in preparing for it is virtually nonexistent.

“We should consider NARCAN® the EpiPen® for opioids,” says Barnes. “We strap EpiPens® to kids, and there’s no stigma around that. NARCAN® is even safer than an EpiPen®, so there’s really no reason not to have it on hand.”

People who have been prescribed an opioid should ask their pharmacist for a NARCAN® kit.

Why seniors are at a heightened risk for opioid poisoning

“About a quarter to a third of opioidrelated deaths in Ontario involve prescription opioids,” says Angeline Ng, Director of Professional Affairs at the Ontario Pharmacists Association. “There are also age-related factors that can put seniors at higher risk of opioid toxicity, like having liver or kidney

“I think part of the problem is the use of the word ‘overdose,’ since this can be a loaded term,” says Ng. “I try to use more descriptive language with patients, like ‘opioid -related respiratory depression,’ to break down some of that stigma. This language also helps signal some of the signs of opioid toxicity.”

Many experts, including Mark Barnes, pharmacist and owner at Respect RX Pharmacy, believe that pharmacists should be mandated to offer their patients a naloxone nasal spray kit with every opioid prescription they dispense. The risk of accidental poisoning is enormous, while the

Empowerment through choice and knowledge

Even if an adult believes their risk of accidental opioid poisoning is low, there’s always the risk of diversion. “When there’s an opioid in a household, someone else might access it, whether intentionally or not,” says Barnes. “The friends and family of those who are prescribed opioids are at risk as well.”

Having NARCAN® Nasal Spray on hand could save your life or the life of a loved one. Knowing about the potential dangers of prescription opioids and understanding how to stay protected in an emergency situation is vital.

When confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial and medical crises that it triggered, many Canadians have taken a hard look at their health and wealth.*

In a joint survey conducted by cemetery, cremation, and funeral provider Arbor Memorial and digital estate planning* company Willful, it was found that 83 per cent of responding Canadians had engaged in at least one vital planning conversation last year on topics including end-of-life planning, eldercare, childcare, financial planning, changes in employment, and relocating.

In 2020, a third of all Canadians (34 per cent) said they had broached subjects surrounding end-of-life planning, such as making or updating their will, deciding on their end-of-life wishes, and estate planning. More than a third (37 per cent) said getting their end-of-life affairs in order — including updating or writing a will, funeral planning, and having tough family discussions around estate planning will be a priority for them in 2021.

Women are slightly more likely to initiate a conversation about end-oflife plans compared to men (36 per cent, compared to 32 per cent of men), and overall, the likelihood increases with age (25 per cent for those aged 18 to 34, 34 per cent for those aged 35 to 54, and 41 per cent for those aged 55 and over), meaning seniors are rightly planning ahead to lessen the burden on their children.

Making sure your end-of-life wishes are respected Death isn't a subject that everyone feels comfortable discussing, so many

simply avoid it. While we know it's an eventuality for all of us, it's only natural to push the topic out of our minds and focus on living life. But that doesn’t change the fact that all good things must come to an end.  And it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start a conversation with our loved ones about our end-of-life wishes.

Did you know that there are at least 87 decisions, choices, and things to do following the death of a loved one?

However, you can take care of many of these items right now. Knowing what’s involved in advance provides you with the opportunity to make decisions on your own behalf today, saving undue hardship for loved ones tomorrow. By planning ahead, you can choose the options that cater to your liking, culture, and budget. Do you want a religious or a secular ceremony? Should it be casual, formal, or unconventional? Do you prefer burial or cremation? Your individual plan can reflect what matters most to you.

How do I choose what’s best for me? There are several things to keep in mind when making your end-of-life plans. Your personal views about final wishes may affect your decision. Some cultures respect specific traditions or religious requirements following a death, for example. Should you and your partner have different preferences, there are also options to be together forever, while respecting individual wishes.

Then there are the financial considerations. Arranging in advance saves money and stress for your loved ones, helps ensure your wishes are carried out exactly as you want, and provides you with the comfort of knowing that it’s all been taken care of.

This article was made possible with support from Emergent BioSolutions Canada Inc.

In 2020, one third of all Canadians (34%) said they had broached subjects surrounding end-of-life planning, such as making or updating their will, deciding on their end-of-life wishes, and estate planning*

More than a third (37%) said getting their end-of-life affairs in order — including updating or writing a will, funeral planning, and having tough family discussions around estate planning — will be a priority for them in 2021

There’s no harm in being prepared. Ask your pharmacist for a NARCAN® Nasal Spray Kit with your opioid prescription today.

IMPORTANT TO HAVE A STRONG NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHTS OF CANADIANS AS WE AGE

Q: What is C.A.R.P. and what is its mission?

A: C.A.R.P. is the oldest, largest and most in uential organization in Canada that advocates for the interests of our older population. We are not for pro t, have over 325,000 members, and engage governments at all levels to push for policies and legislation that will help Canadians age in better health, with nancial security, and with stronger protection against ageism.

Q: When was C.A.R.P. created?

A: C.A.R.P. was founded 37 years ago. The initials originally stood for Canadian Association of Retired Persons. But now, of course, more and more Canadians are not retiring “on schedule” at 65 –they are continuing to work. We’ve retained the initials, C.A.R.P., because they’re so well known, but we no longer refer to our membership as necessarily being “retired.”

Q: What are the key things C.A.R.P. is ghting for?

A: We have three key pillars in our advocacy program.

First, health care. The Covid-19 crisis in our nursing homes revealed the shocking state of long-term care and the lack of appropriate care for older Canadians still living in their own homes and communities. C.A.R.P. called out for action long before the pandemic, and we continue to push for urgent reform and to hold politicians and bureaucrats accountable for Canada’s terrible performance. We’re also advocating for better home care and community care as the real answer to long-term care. In particular, we want to see a caregiver refundable tax credit to support family-funded home care.

But the long-term care crisis is just one indicator of how dysfunctional our entire health care system has become. We’re simply not delivering what other countries – single-payer public health care systems like ours – are able to deliver. Our wait times are too long, our systems are too complex and fragmented, and the costs are far too high in relation to what we’re getting for the money.

And there are other aspects of health care that urgently need to be xed. Seniors need to have better access to best-in-class vaccines (such as high-dose u, shingles and pneumococcal vaccines) that provide evidence-based protection from disease. And not just vaccines, but prescription drugs overall. Right now, seniors across the country don't have equal access to the best available pharmaceuticals. Nor is there equitable access to eye care, oral health, or hearing care. We need to see action on all these topics. C.A.R.P. intends to make health care the number one issue in upcoming federal and provincial elections.

Second, nancial security. For the rst time, increased longevity (good news) raises the possibility of outliving your money (bad news).

C.A.R.P. is pushing for reduction or elimination of mandatory RRIF withdrawals, increasing the Canada Pension Plan Survivor Bene t by 25 per cent (for people 65 and older), legislation to better protect investors, and adding safeguards for pensioners whose companies go bankrupt. Our goal is for seniors to have more control over their nances and stronger protection for de ned bene t pensions, so they are not left vulnerable.

Third, ageism. I wish it weren’t true, but we’re still seeing disturbing examples of ageism in the workplace and the marketplace – and even in some areas of government policy. There is more than a strong suspicion, for example, that the persistent neglect of our long-term care homes was in part caused by subtle and unspoken ageism coming from policy-makers. This has to stop now.

Q: What makes C.A.R.P. so in uential?

A: Three things.

First, our constituency is itself in uential. People over the age of 50 account for six out of every ten votes cast in federal and provincial elections. Politicians ignore us at their peril.

Second, C.A.R.P. is by far the largest organization representing older Canadians. The size of our membership immediately causes politicians and policy-makers to pay attention. Plus we have a decades-long track record of putting forward carefully researched and effective ideas for change. We do our homework, and this gives us ready access to the people deciding policy.

Third, we have a partnership with ZoomerMedia, the only media company in Canada that focuses exclusively on “Zoomers” –people age 45 and older. This gives us unparalleled access to a wide range of communications channels, including network TV, radio, a national magazine, and a suite of websites generating millions of page views per month. No other advocacy group has that kind of reach. When you join C.A.R.P., your voice is ampli ed many times over!

Q: What are the other bene ts of joining?

A: We’ve always had a strong portfolio of members-only discounts that can save you literally thousands of dollars a year. And our network of chapters enables you to plug into your local community and get involved to create positive change right where you live.

Q: How much does it cost and how do you join? A: Membership costs only $19.95 a year. You can nd out more about C.A.R.P., our policies, chapters, and bene ts at carp.ca I hope everyone who reads this will take a closer look, and then join our cause!

IT’S NEVER BEEN MORE

An interview with Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Of cer, C.A.R.P.