Technology

Optimal nutrition to support each stage of life is essential, and healthy aging is no exception. As we grow older, there are some key nutrients that need special attention1. These include calcium, vitamin D, your B vitamins and iron (to name a few)1. More often than not, with decreasing food intake, these key nutrients are lacking in our diets2. If...

Fifteen Canadian startups have been selected to compete in the AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge: Startup Edition. The competition is for startups whose technologies or services can improve quality of life for older adults or their caregivers. Finalists will be challenged to explain how their technology-based solution can positively impact older Canadians and/or caregivers. Five finalists will compete in each of three...

Respected Canadian nutritionist Julie Daniluk, whose books include Meals that Heal Inflammation, has devoted years of study and research into healthy eating after a lifetime of dealing with her own food allergies and sensitivities. Daniluk has learned firsthand the link between nutrition (or rather, poor nutrition) and pain and inflammation. “Chronic inflammation and poor digestion can lead to stress, anxiety...

Can sitting too much become a pain in the butt? “Maybe,” says interventional pain management specialist Kaliq Chang, MD, with the New Jersey-based Atlantic Spine Center, “but a sedentary lifestyle is probably just one of multiple potential causes of piriformis syndrome.” The syndrome takes its name from the piriformis muscle, which stretches from the lower spine to the top of...

A digital bowling game where participants mimic the motions of the popular sport is proving to be beneficial for people with dementia and physical impairments who attend adult day programs, according to new research supported by AGE-WELL, Canada's Technology and Aging Network. The motion-based technology can “provide meaningful engagement” for a wide range of participants in such programs where staff...

While certain health conditions can affect the libido and sexual capacity, many people still want and need intimacy, or have sexual desires, as they grow older. However, there seem to be taboos and preconceived ideas about the sexuality of older adults. What the research tells us Sexuality is defined by the World Health Organization as encompassing sex, gender identities and roles,...

William Leclair had much to celebrate when he approached his 55th birthday three years ago. The Toronto-based communications specialist was fulfilled in his career, proud of his family and he took delight in his circle of close longtime friends. “All things considered, I was in a happy place in my life,” says Leclair. What he did not celebrate was the...

The AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence is announcing a set of 24 research projects from across Canada that are poised to deliver real-world benefits for the aging population and their caregivers. Dr. Cosmin Munteanu (University of Toronto) will create interactive apps to reduce older adults’ social isolation. The projects are led by 50 researchers at 19 universities and research centres across...

Six million people in Canada live with some form of chronic pain, according to recent estimates by Statistics Canada. Long-term chronic pain can be complex, and the causes varied – including inflammation, injury, an underlying medical condition such as cancer. Other times, there may be no defining cause, such as in the case of fibromyalgia or chronic headaches. “A pain...

The Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) took the opportunity on World Melanoma Day (May 13) to urge Canadians to adopt sun-safe practices that will better protect them against melanoma and other forms of skin cancer. A new survey shows troubling trends in sun-safe behaviours among Canadians. This call to action from Canada’s certified dermatologists comes as the association releases new research...