Happily Ever Older: In Conversation with Author and Journalist Moira Welsh
- S2E26
- 35:25
- October 12th 2021
In this episode of CABHI’s Community of Innovation podcast, author and journalist Moira Welsh talks about her book Happily Ever Older: Revolutionary Approaches to Long-Term Care, and the idea that aging can and should be a fun and fulfilling moment in our life’s journey.
For Welsh, growing older should come with opportunities to learn new things, enjoy hobbies, and discover more about ourselves and the people around us. “We can always aim high to improve ourselves, no matter our age or ability,” she argues.
In this fireside chat, first aired at the 2021 CABHI Summit, Welsh highlights initiatives that are helping older adults, especially those living in long-term care homes, pursue their potential in the later stages of life. One of these initiatives is the CABHI-supported Albert Project, created in collaboration with long-term care provider Primacare Living Solutions and media production company Crosswater Digital Media. The project provides residents living with dementia therapeutic virtual reality experiences to reduce the need for behavioural management medication.
Listen to this conversation, hosted by Baycrest President & CEO Dr. William Reichman, to hear more from Welsh on the ways the longevity sector and society at large can shift perspectives on aging to one where we can, indeed, live happily ever older.
Learn more about Moira Welsh
Moira Welsh is an investigative reporter with the Toronto Star. She has written extensively on seniors’ issues, with a focus on long-term care, along with issues related to social justice, health, and the environment. Moira has co-authored investigations that have won three National Newspaper Awards and a Michener Award for Public Service Journalism. She was also a finalist for the Justicia Award for Legal Reporting and the Canadian Hillman Prize for journalism in service of the common good. She is the author of Happily Ever Older: Revolutionary Approaches to Long-Term Care, about evolving ways to live in our later years.
CABHI's Community of Innovation Podcast
CABHI’s Community of Innovation podcast is where topics on ingenuity, aging and brain health collide. Join us as we talk to experts in healthcare, research, technology and business, as well as older adults and their caregivers, about the innovative practices and healthtech solutions helping us all lead longer, healthier lives.
Dr. Allison Sekuler (FSEP, FPsyS, FAPS) is President and Chief Scientist at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI). A graduate of Pomona College (BA, Mathematics and Psychology) and the University of California, Berkeley (PhD, Psychology), Dr. Sekuler is also President and Chief Scientist and the Sandra A. Rotman Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Professor at the University of Toronto, and Professor Emerita at McMaster University.
Dr. Sekuler has a notable record of scientific achievements in aging, vision science, cognitive neuroscience, and neurotechnology; and her translational research aims to develop methods to prevent, detect, and treat age-related sensory and cognitive decline. She has won numerous research and innovation leadership awards, including being the first Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience (2001-2011) and one of WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada (2019). Dr. Sekuler has a long record of executive leadership, and currently chairs the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council’s Public Impact Value Proposition committee; serves on the Board of Governors for Hamilton Health Sciences and BrainsCAN; is a founding Steering Committee member of the Canadian Brain Research Strategy, a Scientific Mentor in CDL’s Neuro stream, and advisor for SXSW Pitch.
In her spare time, she is proving that you’re never too old to learn: Dr. Sekuler picked up her first drumsticks a few years ago, and recently earned her Professional Drums Certificate from the Berklee College of Music.
Dr. Rosanne Aleong is the Director of Research, Innovation, and Translation at CABHI. She also serves as the Executive Director of Research, Innovation, and Translation at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. She received her MSc and PhD in Neurological Sciences from McGill University, with her research focusing on inflammatory models of neurodegenerative disease; and body image and visual perception among adolescents and young adults. She has 20+ years of experience in neuroscience and brain health research across the lifespan.
In her current role at CABHI, she: (1) manages a support and services hub, enabling healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, not-for-profit organizations, and industry in conducting applied and evaluative research as well as innovation implementation and validation; (2) focuses on CABHI knowledge translation and knowledge mobilization initiatives; and 3) executive produces and co-hosts the CABHI Community of Innovation Podcast.