Culture Change?!

I attended a conference in Ottawa last week (May 1-3) called "Walk With Me: Changing the Culture of Ageing in Canada". I am a new member to a group called 'CAARE' (Canadian Ageing Action, Research and Education) for mental health group supported by  Saint Elizabeth Health. Interestingly, this same conference was hosted by Edmonton in 2016.

I was fortunate to play a role as an 'expert by lived experience' contributing to a presentation that sought to encourage participants to consider a more inclusive approach to research and knowledge transfer by engaging with regular people like me. Their goals are to mobilize priority research questions on ageing ( already established through an in-depth survey); create public awareness, communication and call-to-action resources to recruit diverse members; and co-design self-governance and external engagement tools.

That's sounds overwhelming but bottom line is that the CAARE Group demonstrates how authentically engaging with ageing Canadians can affect change in the culture impacting ageing.

The focus seemed to be on longterm care (LTC) as most of the attendees were apart of that ecosystem. I was initially disappointed as I know that 90% of older adults live in the community setting. My colleague was quick to point out that the impact of the pandemic on LTC (both residents and staff) was horrific and the pressure from governments to change was great. That made sense.

That plenary speakers were inspiring to all sectors for sure! I have a new idol for leadership; Nouman Ashraf (snoumanashraf.com). He calls himself a 'pracademic' fascinated by leadership that enables impactful practices across organizational contexts:
"I believe that leadership work is people work, and that we must engage with others to achieve a more inclusive, sustainable and purpose-driven future".
Dr. Allen Power believes we must shift how we think about and treat dementia. He is working on a new book that I await;)

The event was inspiring and thought provoking for me as think about the next adventure in my life trajectory.