In this episode, Donna is joined by Ashton Applewhite, an anti-ageism advocate, speaker and the author of “This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism” and the blog “Yo, Is this Ageist?” Ashton is a writer, an activist, and an internationally recognized expert on ageism who was recently named one of “50 leaders around transforming the world into a better place to grow old” by the Decade of Healthy Ageing platform, a collaboration between the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Ashton has become a leading spokesperson for raising awareness of ageism i ..read more

In this episode, Donna is joined by Brent Gingerich, Chairman and CEO of peopleCare Communities, who stepped up to serve as chair of our Board during the height of the pandemic. Highly regarded in the sector, Brent is known for exemplifying values-based leadership throughout the most difficult of times. Brent quite literally grew up in long-term care, in a family deeply committed to public service, and he shares his beliefs on how to create great places for seniors to live, and meaningful places for people to work. He explains that although the status quo of how we provide seniors’ care is uni ..read more

As women access seniors care in Ontario and other jurisdictions around the world, many of them are still frequently encountering gendered ageism and other healthcare inequities. In this episode, Donna discusses this issue with Dr. Paula Rochon, a geriatrician and research leader for Women's College Hospital and the Women's Age Lab in Toronto, and Dr. Paul Higgs, a sociologist and professor of aging at University College London. During their conversation, they focus on the unique health and wellbeing needs of older women, and the health inequities many of them face today. Paula shares more abou ..read more

In Ontario alone, the population of people over the age of 85 is set to double over the next 12 years. Currently, there are more than 40,000 people on the waitlist for long-term care in Ontario, while the system is facing significant staffing shortages. It’s time we develop new strategies for meeting the needs of our aging population. In this episode, Donna is joined by John Yip, the president and CEO of SE Health, a large home and community care organization that serves people in Canada and abroad. John brings an extraordinary skill set as a consultant, operator, leader and innovator in our h ..read more

To ensure seniors are better supported, it will ultimately be about taking collective responsibility, both across the health system and throughout society, for supporting our aging population. In this episode, Donna is joined by John Hirdes, a professor at the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo and a renowned long-term care researcher with nearly 40 years of experience and perspective. John has a wealth of information to share on what’s happening right now in long-term care, the changes he’s seen over the decades, and some very thoughtful advice on what we could be ..read more

If we hope to provide better support to our ageing population over the coming years, we’ll need to adopt a fresh perspective and reimagine the way we think about the important role of caregivers. In this episode, Donna sits down with Amy Coupal, the CEO of the Ontario Caregiver Organization, to hear her insights about the evolving needs of the ageing population in Ontario and what will be needed going forward if we hope to strengthen support systems for our diverse population of caregivers. As an entrepreneur, educator, and caregiver herself, Amy has a comprehensive view of the needs of senior ..read more

In this episode of Coming of Age, Donna shares an inspiring conversation with CEOs Cameron Love of the Ottawa Hospital and Dr. Michael Guerriere of Extendicare. Together, the two organizations run a transitional care unit in one of Extendicare’s long-term care homes, designed for people who no longer need to be in hospital, but who have high care needs and are usually waiting for admission to an appropriate long-term care home. They discuss the significant level of interest in this new model of care, how this innovative partnership came to be, and the “special sauce” that makes it all work. Th ..read more

As Ontario’s population of seniors continues to grow over the coming years, we will need to reimagine the way we provide care and support. In this episode of Coming of Age, Donna sits down with two experts in aging who are helping to drive this transformation forward through their work: Dr. John Muscedere, the CEO of the Canadian Frailty Network and a professor of critical care medicine at Queen’s University, and Dr. Alex Mihailidis, the CEO of AGE-WELL and a research chair in Rehabilitation Technology at the University of Toronto and the University Health Network. Together, Donna and her gues ..read more

Exploring new innovations in seniors’ care from a global perspective can inspire us and lead to fresh ideas on how we can best support our seniors. In the first episode of Coming of Age’s second season, Donna sits down with Vincenzo Paolino, a specialist in geriatric care equipped with an entrepreneurial spirit. Vincenzo’s background includes a degree in psychology, time spent in psychiatric nursing with a specialty in seniors’ care, and experience as a nursing director in a hospice for people with AIDS as well as a long-term care home, where he and his staff successfully implemented major cul ..read more

In this special episode of Coming of Age, the script is flipped as Donna takes on the guest hot seat. Instead of asking the questions, this time, Donna provides answers to questions asked by health communications professional Max Stern. Along with his former colleagues at Crestview, Max supported the Ontario Long Term Care Association throughout the pandemic. Together, Donna and Max take the time to catch up and reflect on shared experiences of supporting long-term care over the last few years. They also share some behind-the-scenes stories of what it has been like during this challenging time ..read more