Will you be there when I'm old?

I went to this event last night, took notes, and there's a lot to say about it. That will come soon, but here's the description:

Will you be there for me when I'm old?: How Canada's aging population will impact the health care system

[ PDF (667 KB) Thursday, November 25, 2010, 6:30 p.m.
Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen Street West, Toronto


It's a fact: we're all getting older. Over the next thirty years, the proportion of Canadians over 65 is expected to double. It's also a fact that seniors need more health services. What impact will this demographic shift have on Canada's health care system? Will seniors swamp the system? Will health costs skyrocket? And will we be able to provide dignified and appropriate care to all who need it? Please join us for a lively discussion of the latest research evidence on this important subject.
This event is presented by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Institute of Health Services and Policy Research and its Knowledge Translation Branch. Refreshments will be served.

Experts:

Dr. Pat Armstrong
CHSRF/CIHR Chair in Nursing Research
Department of Sociology
York University
Dr. Peter Coyte
CHSRF/CIHR Chair in Health Services Research
Faculty of Medicine
University of Toronto
Dr. Christopher Patterson
Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine
Department of Medicine, McMaster University
Dr. Karima Velji
Vice-President, Clinical and Residential
Programs and Chief Nursing Executive
Baycrest

Moderator:

Megan Ogilvie

Health Reporter, The Toronto Star

Hospital or Homecare - "Little old ladies are crashing the system"

I read the article "Little old ladies are crashing the system" from the Globe and Mail, after having just had coffee with a friend who works very hard as a social worker with older adults who have been hospitalized. We were just discussing many of the challenges of trying to help older adults within this system, as well as what is involved in giving older adults safe, appropriate, and respectful care according to their needs and wishes.
 

This article hits on some of those issues, though Margaret Wente only skims the surface of the extreme circumstances faced by many older adults who enter and exit the Canadian hospital system. I think the point that care needs to be designed for the comfort and well-being of an older adult in the present is salient and points to an area where over-stressed and under-paid staff, a desire for system "efficiency" above all else, and a financially strained system, are resulting in over-processing older adults while failing to actually account for their immediate and future health and comfort.

Click HERE to view the article. I tried to embed it...but it looks like doing so would violate Globe and Mail copy write...

Now Businesses Can Be Certified "Elder Friendly"

Described in The New Old Age section of The New York Times (to read the article, click here), Elders in Action is a non-profit advocacy group based in Portland, OR, with the following mission: "To assure a vibrant community through the active involvement of older adults".

http://www.eldersinaction.org/about/

The organization provides a range of services including personal advocacy, speakers, workshops, a commission (to advise local members of government), and an "Elder Friendly" business certification. 

Want to see their video? Click here

I'm impressed with what this group is doing. How many places do you think have something like this? If you know of one, post a link or let me know. It's time to find out what is actually happening out there!

Photos of Old People

http://photosofoldpeople.com/page/2/

This blog is actually called Photos of Old People, check it out!

http://photosofoldpeople.com/page/2/

 What do you think? Sweet? Shocking? Beautiful? Offensive? Boring? Leave a comment!

Quiz About FALLS

My project involves recruiting older adults from various ethnic groups to participate in our study. For this reason, I was purusing the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care's website and came across the "Learning Room" which contained a number of quizzes, including one about prevention of falls and injuries. Interesting. Take the quiz to find out how much you know about safety and protection against falls - this quiz gives you answers as you go so that you can learn when you get the question wrong.

Click HERE to take the quiz! The website says it takes 20 minutes but I'm pretty sure I finished it in about 2 minutes. Also, when you're done, you get a printable certificate ooh - mine certifies my score of 8/10.

Hot off the Press - Seniors Health Report from the Canadian Chief Public Health Officer

 

Growing Older - Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Annual Report 2010 just released - on seniors' health

The Chief Public Health Officer's Report on the State of Public Heath in Canada, 2010: Growing Older - Adding Life to Years is now public and available on the Public Health Agency of Canada website: Click here!


I'm reading the report right now so comments soon to come. The Executive Summary so far has hit on some of the key issues (trends in the aging population, caregiving, accessibility, social engagement and isolation, age-friendly cities, elder abuse, health indicators and risk factors, etc.)

Ancestral Light

 

This past Tuesday night I had the pleasure of attending a talk by writer, scholar, and shaman, Malidoma Some, called Ancestral Light: The Healing Wisdom of Africa.

It happened that the day of the talk was November 2nd, otherwise recognized as "Day of the Dead" according to several spiritual and cultural traditions. The audience wore brightly coloured clothes representing core values of the West African tradition taught by Malidoma. I came from work so only had a red scarf, however was pleased to learn that this represents fire, strength, and celebration. Many people in the audience also wore traditional garments or intricately decorated masks. The vibrant visuals, warmth of the community gathering, and dynamic music of a string and percussion trio made for a particularly energetic and inspiring environment, even before the event had formally begun.

The host, Leslie Fell, gave a generous introduction and also invited the audience to share any personal ancestral tokens on a table at the front of the room. I had already placed my Grammy's handkerchief up there, along with many photographs, family jewelry, and other mementos representing the ancestors of the people gathered in the room. It was very powerful. By the time the event began the table was full of significant objects; it had become an alter.

To my surprise, before Malidoma went up to speak, Larry Nusbaum, the guitarist from the musical trio, came to the front and invited the group into a most amazing collective musical experience. He expressed his faith in all sounds that come from nature and in our potential to produce something beautiful together, then Larry handed out various instruments (these were dispersed among the 100 or so people in the room) and finally brought the group to silence. Then he invited us to begin, to follow our instincts. Something magical happened during the five minutes that everyone in the room was participating in this musical exercise - we all traveled through sound using what we had to contribute to some sort of rhythm, melody, etc. I had expected chaos but instead I was transported.

I think that may have been a "you had to be there" moment.

Afterwards, Malidoma took the stage and spoke, sharing his life learning and guiding the audience to connect with our ancestors and change the way we think about faith, love, and life purpose.

Who is Malidoma Some? According to the Ancestral Light ticketing/event website:
Malidoma Somé, PhD, is one of todays most eloquent champions of indigenous wisdom. His life and teaching form a bridge between the traditional ways of his people, the Dagara of West Africa, among whom he is an initiated elder, and the modern world. He is a gifted medicine man and diviner, as well as a compelling teacher and author.  For more than twenty years, Malidoma has shared the ancient knowledge of his tribe with people in the West who are increasingly disconnected from their ancestors, spirit and the richness of life in community. His voice awakens in our hearts the recognition that we are all born with a life purpose to fulfill and that we can do so in a deep and abiding relationship with all beings. Dr. Somé is the author of several books, including Ritual: Power, Healing and Community, The Healing Wisdom of Africa, and his acclaimed autobiography, Of Water and the Spirit  (These books will be on sale at the event).

I took notes throughout Malidoma's talk but I can definitely say that what I got most out of the whole event was that stopping to reflect on life, appreciating where we come from, and and imagining that we have been sent to this world by our ancestors for a particular reason, is a very powerful and energizing experience. We all get so caught up in our day-to-day details that it is easy to forget about having gratitude and love for being alive and for each being given the unique challenges and opportunities in our lives.

http://www.houseofngolo.com/dcdagaravillage/

Here are a few quote from Malidoma:

"Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt."

"We need an ancestral GPS!"

"Mistakes can be healing tools, however human arrogance insists on staying on the mistakes, not the healing."

"We need to reinvent gratitude."

"The more indigenous the person, the closer you are to the technology that modernity cannot explain."

"We do not want to enter a fashion where cosmetic speaks louder than authenticity."

When I think about it, there was something about this entire event that modernity wouldn't be able to explain.  I struggle to identify precisely what particular "point" was being made during the talk, or what the specific "point" of the whole event really was... Thankfully, the brightness, the light, the warmth, the music, the words, the listening and the community gathered left me satisfied and certain that actually identifying a unified reason why were were all there together was entirely beside the point.

Young or old, this event left everyone feeling more alive.