AGE-WELL 2023-24 Annual Report (EN)

AGETECH for AGING WELL

Canada’s Technology and Aging Network

Corporate Profile

AGE-WELL is a unique pan-Canadian not-forprofit organization that supports research and innovation in AgeTech. AGE-WELL is dedicated to accelerating the delivery of technology-based solutions that make a meaningful difference in the lives of older adults and caregivers. Our aim is to help older Canadians maintain their independence, health and quality of life through technology-based solutions that increase their safety and security, support their independent living, and enhance their social participation.

Launched in 2015 through the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program, AGE-WELL addresses a wide range of complex issues in technology and aging through transdisciplinary research, training programs, partnerships, knowledge mobilization and the commercial development of technologies, services, policies and practices for healthy aging.

Supported by three recent federal investments and partner contributions, AGE-WELL is driving impact across a trilogy of pillars—research, capacity building and adoption. Within these pillars, AGE-WELL leads research and innovation across eight Challenge Areas designed to move the dial when it comes to supporting older adults and caregivers in Canada—and achieving social and economic impact.

As Canada’s technology and aging network, AGE-WELL brings together more than 300 researchers from across the country. Over 450 partners in industry, government, academia and the community have joined our network, and the number continues to grow. We support over 70 startups through the AGE-WELL Startup Affiliate Program. We also train the next generation of leaders in AgeTech. Since inception, AGE-WELL has supported more than 1,400 trainees to be the innovators of tomorrow.

Our Vision

Canada’s leadership in technology and aging benefits the world.

Our Mission

To develop a community of researchers, older adults, caregivers, partner organizations and future leaders that accelerates the delivery of technology-based solutions that make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians.

Our Values

Excellence

Based on a strong and leading scientific research foundation

Collabortive Impact

Using a transdisciplinary approach, we share knowledge, ideas and resources across disciplines and stakeholder groups to generate better outcomes

Capacity Building

We train the best and brightest academic and industry talent

Leadership

We are recognized globally in the area of technology and aging

Innovation

We are engaged in a continuous process to create new ideas and solutions

Integrity

We uphold the highest ethical and intellectual standards in our research and business activities

Equity

We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our network

Acknowledgements

EXECUTIVE MESSAGES

Transforming aging through AgeTech

MESSAGE FROM THE SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR AND CEO

It’s an inescapable fact: we are all aging. Many of us are also caring for older family members and friends.

I am lucky to have two parents who are enjoying life and determined to stay in their own home. Technology is helping them do this—and helping me too. A smart activity sensor set up in their home detects falls and health trends, letting me know if anything is awry. So when I call my parents, I don’t have to start with: “Is everything okay?”

Sentinare is a non-intrusive tool, developed by AltumView, that is among hundreds of technologies and services supported by AGE-WELL, Canada’s technology and aging network. Since 2015, AGE-WELL has served as a catalyst for technological innovation that promotes healthy aging, while driving Canada’s growing AgeTech sector.

AGE-WELL has mobilized a vast community of researchers, older adults, caregivers, partner organizations, and future leaders to accelerate the delivery of technology-based solutions that make a meaningful difference in the lives of older Canadians and their caregivers.

Our network now counts over 300 researchers, more than 1,400 trainees, and over 450 industry, community, government and academic partners. AGE-WELL’s presence spans borders and continents. We nurture over 70 Canadian startups that are commercializing and selling products. Crucially, approximately 5,000 older adults and caregivers are working with us to change the future of aging.

In this report, you will read about the remarkable range of technology-based solutions (technologies, services, policies and practices) pouring out of our network and reaching people in Canada and worldwide. Remote therapies, smarthome sensors, systems that connect people—these are just a few examples. They are practical and life changing.

AGE-WELL is laser-focused on three essential areas—we call them pillars—that support a strong innovation pipeline: research, capacity building and technology adoption. Within these pillars, AGE-WELL leads research and innovation across eight Challenge Areas designed to "move the dial" when it comes to supporting older adults and caregivers in Canada, and achieving social and economic impact.

Dr. Alex Mihailidis Scientific Director and CEO, AGE-WELL

New and multiple Government of Canada funding sources are opening up a realm of exciting possibilities. AGE-WELL’s groundbreaking research program received an infusion of support this year from the Strategic Science Fund (SSF), jointly administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and Health Canada, enabling us to launch the AgeTech Advance: Healthy Aging Research Program. We have expanded our unique EPIC (Early Professionals, Inspired Careers) training program, with funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), to boost the number of highly qualified future leaders in research, government, industry and community organizations. We are also making our mark through an impressive pan-Canadian initiative called envisAGE. Co-led by MEDTEQ+ and AGE-WELL, envisAGE provides small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access to funding programs and services to help them innovative in AgeTech. envisAGE is funded through the federal government’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), with additional contributions from the Government of Quebec, industry, non-profits, and other partners.

Also helping us advance our mission, AGE-WELL is an enthusiastic member of the Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) portfolio at the University of Toronto. ISI supports large-scale interdisciplinary high-impact research networks. We also cherish our close ties with the KITE Research Institute at University Health Network.

Along with AGE-WELL’s associate scientific directors Drs. Jennifer Campos and Josephine McMurray, I want to thank everyone working so determinedly with us to transform aging and caregiving, and solidify Canada’s role as a world leader in AgeTech. 

Mimi Lowi-Young Chair, AGE-WELL Board of Directors

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD

AGE-WELL excels at bringing people together. It’s the ultimate connector in the AgeTech sector.

One example of many: AGE-WELL's annual conference, where hundreds of stakeholders from multiple sectors converge and dynamic connections are forged.

AGE-WELL’s role as a mobilizer and agenda-setter in the space is widely recognized and valued. It’s why government, industry and others turn to us for our expertise and insights. For example, AGE-WELL was contracted to consult with the FPT (Federal-ProvincialTerritorial) Ministers Responsible for Seniors Forum Working Group on The Role of Technology to Enhance Aging in Place. We are providing expert advice and critical feedback on three research projects in order to issue recommendations to the FPT Ministers Responsible for Seniors to support government policies for older Canadians.

We also share expertise through our four national innovation hubs located across Canada and focused on the key areas of policy, sensors and analytics, digital health solutions, and technology adoption in rural and remote settings.

AGE-WELL’s work could not be more important. With Canada becoming a “super-aged” country where, by 2035, 1 in 4 Canadians will be older than 65, we need practical solutions to support older adults and caregivers. AgeTech can enable Canadians to age in place safely, and transform care and support across all settings, including long-term care. Technology-based solutions benefit caregivers too, and ease pressures on the health care system.

The AgeTech sector has enormous potential to not only improve quality of life as we age but create good jobs and spark economic growth.

For nearly a decade, AGE-WELL has served as the recognized steward of Canada’s AgeTech sector. Our planning for the future involves building on the great things the AGE-WELL community has accomplished. We have the momentum to bring needed change and make a significant difference in aging well. 

Bridgette Murphy Managing Director and COO, AGE-WELL

MESSAGE FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR AND COO

When we created AGE-WELL a decade ago, we wanted to reach out and engage people like never before to deliver healthy aging solutions and advance Canada’s AgeTech sector. Take a look at where we are now; the infographic on pages 6-7 shows the scope, scale and outputs of this remarkable network.

AGE-WELL has grown tremendously over the past 10 years. It is a successful high-profile community of national and international partners and institutions, future leaders, innovation hubs, and broad-based advisory groups. The voices of thousands of older adults and caregivers inform everything we do.

Case in point: our annual National Impact Challenge has become a highly anticipated event that is unique in Canada. It recognizes top startups and supports entrepreneurship in Canada’s AgeTech sector. Older adults and caregivers are among the judges, bringing crucial insights. More than 200 startups have now taken part in these competitions, with over $300,000 in cash support through sponsors.

As you will read in this report, AGE-WELL teams are developing and delivering transformative technological solutions to help aging populations everywhere. Of course, technology can never replace the human touch, but it is an essential tool in the toolbox for supporting healthy aging.

We believe equitable access to technology is a human right. But reliable internet, and access, is not a reality for all.

AGE-WELL supports research involving underserved populations and addressing the “digital divide.” We will continue to advocate for equitable access to technology for older adults.

On behalf of the AGE-WELL leadership team, our thanks to ISED, Health Canada, CIHR, and the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) for funding our programs. As we transition from the NCE model, I want to express gratitude for all NCE has done. We are also indebted to our host institution, the University Health Network, as well as KITE, and to the AGE-WELL Board of Directors, committee members, researchers, trainees, staff members, partners, older adults and caregivers who work with us every day to realize our vision that Canada’s leadership in technology and aging benefits the world. 

Technologies

180+ AGE-WELL Solutions Services

Research Projects

70+

AGE-WELLSupported Startups

450+ Partners

Industry

Non-profits

Government

Academia

300+ Researchers

113+ International Collaborations Across 29 Countries

2,994

Total Number of Publications

5,000+

Engaged Older Adults and Caregivers

Highly Qualified Personnel

*includes active and alumni HQP

531

* includes research associates, technicians and summer students

Undergraduate Students 186 HQP members Professionals

4

National Innovation Hubs

335 Innovators of Tomorrow Certificates Awarded

1,429 Doctoral Candidates

152

256 Postdoctoral Fellows

304

Master’s Candidates

CHARTING THE FUTURE

Advancing a world-class aging innovation ecosystem

Funded through recent federal investments and partner contributions, AGE-WELL is driving impact across a trilogy of pillars— research, capacity building and adoption. Together, these pillars support a strong innovation pipeline from foundational research to technology adoption.

As the premiere Canadian AgeTech research and innovation network, AGE-WELL is committed to working across these three interconnected pillars to solidify Canada’s role as a world leader in aging innovation.

Here are the three pillars in our bold strategy—and some significant milestones this past year:

3

RESEARCH

KEEPING THE PIPELINE FULL

AGE-WELL is delivering on programs and services that strengthen and sustain Canada’s university-based AgeTech research ecosystem and provide healthy aging solutions for Canadians. This pillar gained new funding in 2024 through the Strategic Science Fund (SSF), jointly administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Health Canada, and through matching funds from private and public sector partners.

In the spring of 2024, AGE-WELL announced a major new research program called AgeTech Advance: Healthy Aging Research Program (HARP), which focuses on technology-enabled solutions that support healthy aging. Following a national call for proposals, nine innovative research projects from across Canada were selected for funding. Read more about this exciting new research program on page 15. 

TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION

GETTING SOLUTIONS INTO PEOPLE’S HANDS

AGE-WELL co-leads with MEDTEQ+ a large-scale Canadian initiative called envisAGE that brings stakeholders together to provide resources and support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to commercialize their technologies and accelerate access to AgeTech for older Canadians, caregivers and health professionals. The envisAGE initiative is funded through the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), managed by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, with additional contributions from the Government of Quebec, industry, non-profits and other partners.

In the fall of 2024, AGE-WELL and MEDTEQ+ announced the first cohort of collaborative projects supported through the envisAGE 1st Call for Innovations. We also launched the envisAGE 2nd Call for Innovations. In total, envisAGE will support over 80 SMEs to integrate their technology solutions in real-world settings over five years. It’s a remarkable program generating a real buzz, as evidenced at the envisAGE 2nd Annual Forum held in Edmonton, Alberta in October 2024. 

CAPACITY BUILDING

TRAINING FUTURE LEADERS

AGE-WELL is training the next generation of Canadian researchers and innovators in AgeTech. We are known for our global leading Early Professionals, Inspired Careers (EPIC) training program. With five-year funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Health Research Training Platform (HRTP), AGE-WELL has extended and expanded upon EPIC with a new national training platform called EPIC-AT.

Through this program, we are preparing graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers to be future leaders in digital health solutions for older adults with complex health needs. Powered by AGE-WELL, EPIC-AT is led by researchers from 12 universities and research hospitals across six Canadian provinces. 

THE

INTERDEPENDENCE OF

AGE-WELL’S

THREE PILLARS IS CRITICAL

No one pillar alone is sufficient to address the indisputable and urgent needs of our aging population. Within these pillars, AGE-WELL leads research and innovation across eight Challenge Areas, designed to "move the dial" when it comes to supporting older adults and caregivers in Canada—and achieving social and economic impact (see page 48).

As AGE-WELL transitions out of the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program, we gratefully acknowledge the significant new federal investments and partner contributions that fuel our work as the recognized steward of Canada’s AgeTech sector. 

AGE-WELL and THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

AGE-WELL is thrilled to be a member of the University of Toronto’s Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) program, which supports large-scale interdisciplinary research networks that address grand challenges. The ISI portfolio provides AGE-WELL with valuable additional supports, new office space and a brand-new simulated home environment that allows AGE-WELL researchers and innovators to demonstrate their technologies to diverse audiences. The ISI program also creates new opportunities for international research partnerships in collaboration with U of T.

While we are deepening our affiliation with U of T through its ISI program, AGE-WELL remains a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization with a national and international focus. As we move forward, we will continue to work closely with University Health Network (UHN), our host institution for the past decade. 

University of Toronto – Convocation Hall

VALUABLE INNOVATIONS

From smart-home technologies and virtual exercise programs to health apps and remote therapies, AGE-WELL supports an incredible array of solutions for healthy aging. Here’s a sampling of innovations from AGE-WELL teams and startups:

Smart-home technology:

Sensors, lighting, voice-activated reminders and prompts to support aging in place.

MAXminder™ :

An app for scheduling and monitoring of medications as well as daily appointments and activities.

Sentinare smart activity sensor:

Privacy-preserving remote health-monitoring technology by AltumView that send alerts when emergencies, such as falls, are detected.

Paul Lea uses MAXminderTM

Hand tremor device:

Made by Steadiwear, the Steadi-3 is a lightweight, battery-free glove designed to “intelligently” reduce tremors by stabilizing the wrist joint and forearm in people living with Essential Tremor and Parkinson’s disease.

Centivizer serious games:

A set of stimulating and fun technology-based games designed to engage older adults in physical and cognitive exercise.

Curovate remote rehab tool:

A mobile app for remote physiotherapy for people recovering from knee or hip surgery (see story on page 17).

The ALTA Platform®:

A compact device by Able Innovations that allows a single caregiver to transfer a person from a bed to a stretcher or imaging table, without risking injury to either, in a dignified manner.

Betty Faulkner

RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

AGE-WELL has become an internationally recognized brand for AgeTech scholarship, training, commercialization and implementation.”

Dr. Lili Liu, professor and dean, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, and AGE-WELL researcher

AGE-WELL is known for excellent research and real-world impact. Our research program is both discovery and application-based—always with a focus on pathways to impact.

And we’re succeeding. In all, more than 180 products (technologies, services, policies and practices) are moving through AGE-WELL’s innovation pipeline, or already in people’s lives and making a difference.

From smart-home sensors to virtual exercise systems and remote therapies, these are practical products designed for, and with the meaningful involvement of, older adults and caregivers. Our researchers also work closely with partners from industry, government and the community.

In 2023-2024, AGE-WELL managed 35 projects through 4 research programs, all through the lens of our Challenge Areas. Developed through wide public consultation, these eight Challenge Areas are designed to maximize progress in supporting seniors and caregivers in Canada, creating social and economic impact, and advancing the AgeTech sector.

This year, we established a brand-new research program to support mature projects that will produce results on a short timeline. The 2024 AgeTech Advance: Healthy Aging Research Program (HARP) is focused on technology-enabled solutions that support healthy aging. In the fall of 2024, following an open call for proposals, nine exciting projects were launched. 

Aderonke Agboji (pictured), a PhD candidate at the University of Northern British Columbia, has found that the use of eReaders can mitigate apathy for older adults living in both long-term care and community settings. The research is co-led by Dr. Shannon Freeman and supported by Rakuten Kobo and the Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN), an AGE-WELL innovation hub.

Research in motion: Dr. Marla Beauchamp (left) is leading a study that looks at how technology can help older adults with their mobility. Participants, including Michael Kasoian and Irene Schrieberl, are equipped with custom smartwatches to collect data. The study is funded by AGE-WELL and the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging.

Nurturing early career researchers

At AGE-WELL, we champion the rising stars of the AgeTech sector. We have created a new program to support early career researchers to build their independent research programs and teach the next generation of trainees. Our new AgeTech Advance research program is specifically designed to ensure that researchers in the first five years of their academic appointment get leadership opportunities.

And we’re opening up research opportunities internationally as well. In 2024, AGE-WELL and the University of Toronto partnered with the Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC) at University of Edinburgh to develop research collaborations on the theme of Future Care Approaches in Healthy Aging. More than 20 researchers from 10 institutions participated in a virtual workshop in which they quickly found common ground. Soon after, four projects were launched, following a joint funding call. Each project has at least one principal investigator from both Scotland and Canada. Read more about AGE-WELL’s international initiatives on page 46.

Closer to home, we continue to support four AGE-WELL National Innovation Hubs in the key areas of policy (Fredericton, New Brunswick), sensors and analytics for mobility and memory (Ottawa, Ontario), digital health solutions (Vancouver, British Columbia), and technology adoption in rural and remote settings (Prince George, British Columbia). These hubs have been incredibly successful and play a vital role in the AgeTech ecosystem. For details, see pages 18–19. 

EDI principles

Central to all our programs are the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). This year, we launched an EDI-focused webinar series with partners to build capacity in developing truly inclusive AgeTech. Topics included working with Indigenous communities, ageism, and Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis Plus (SGBA Plus). We also co-hosted a “policy rounds” webinar with our APPTA (Advancing Policies and Practices in Technology and Aging) innovation hub in which speakers addressed topics like the causes and consequences of the digital divide for older adults, and key barriers to enter into research for Black, Indigenous and older adults of colour.

EDI is core to our newest research funding program, which required applicants to clearly demonstrate how their project would integrate EDI principles in its design and execution, including how sex and gender would be considered throughout. Projects also had to show how they would meet the needs of populations at risk and equity deserving groups of older adults and care partners.

AGE-WELL has invested $1.8 million in projects that are led by Indigenous researchers or that include Indigenous populations. In one project, five urban Indigenous communities in B.C. identified the priority need for access to a culturally safe diabetes/weight management telehealth program. Among First Nations in Canada, diabetes is four-fold higher than in the general population. With the communities taking the lead, the I’M T’CARE program was co-designed, implemented and evaluated. 

Innovating in long-term care

AGE-WELL is delivering technology-based solutions to reach people in all settings they call home. Our innovations can enhance quality of life and safety for people living in long-term care. It’s already happening.

• 2RaceWithMe, an exergame to stimulate cognitive and physical health, developed by AGE-WELL researcher Dr. Mark Chignell and Centivizer, has been installed at 18 longterm care, assisted living and other community sites across six provinces.

Custom green walls by Just Vertical bring indoor gardening to long-term care homes in northern B.C., in a project led by the Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN).

• A digital recreation platform created by Welbi and designed to deliver personalized experiences in senior living communities and long-term care homes is helping more than 85,000 residents connect with each other and get out of their rooms.

• Our CTAAN innovation hub is piloting indoor garden units for people living in long-term care homes in northern B.C., in partnership with Just Vertical.

Impact Profile

Peter Crosby

TORONTO MAN SHOWS ‘APP-TITUDE’ FOR FULL RECOVERY FROM KNEE SURGERY

Being active has always been a way of life for Peter Crosby. That changed when the pain in his knees became severe, making everyday movements like getting up from a seated position difficult. Osteoarthritis and the wear and tear of playing basketball for many years had finally caught up with him and his doctor suggested it was time for knee replacement surgery.

Crosby isn’t alone. According to the latest data published in the CJRR Annual Report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, 110,000 joint replacements were performed in 2020-2021, split evenly between knee and hip procedures. They rank among the top three most performed day surgeries in Canada, the most common age group for knee replacements being 65 to 74.

Before surgery on his right knee in November 2023, Crosby, a retired social services manager from Toronto, contacted Nirtal Shah, a physiotherapist recommended by a friend. It turned out that Shah had developed Curovate, an app to assist people with their recovery from ACL tears, knee and hip replacements, knee osteoarthritis and general knee and hip strengthening through at-home, video-guided exercises. The app also sends reminders, creates checklists, measures hip and knee movement using just a smartphone, and helps chart a person’s daily progress as they recover. Shah thought Crosby could benefit from the technology.

“It was lucky that I found someone who could point me to unique technology that could help me before and after my knee surgery,” says Crosby. “Being able to do physiotherapy at home was incredibly convenient. It saved me a lot of time. From my perspective, it has worked very well.”

The creation of the Curovate physical therapy app was a collaborative effort. Shah worked alongside Dr. Jonathan Rose, an electrical and computer engineering professor at

the University of Toronto, with support from AGE-WELL. Available for download through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the app features a comprehensive range of tools through a subscription, including live webinars and informative blogs, plus additional one-on-one support from a physical therapist.

Crosby found the technology easy to use and intuitive. Since the beginning of 2024, he has been helping the Curovate team by testing and providing feedback on a newer beta version of the app. So far, it has earned a thumbs up for its improved written exercise descriptions and tracking abilities.

Crosby credits the app for his speedy recovery. “It was terrific,” he says. “I truly believe it was because of all the prep work I did. I started using Curovate about five months before my knee surgery, which helped strengthen my leg significantly. I know others who didn’t do this seemed to have struggled a lot more with their rehabilitation.”

While he may not be returning to his days of basketball playing, Crosby is living pain-free, busy tending to his garden and volunteering his time in support of environmental issues. He’s currently waiting for a surgery date to replace his left knee.

“You can bet I’ll be using the Curovate app again,” he says. “I’ve recommended it to many people, and I do so with considerable enthusiasm.” 

Peter Crosby

Nirtal Shah

FOUR REMARKABLE INNOVATION HUBS

The mission of AGE-WELL National Innovation Hubs is to engage a range of stakeholders in a specific location to advance innovation and the adoption of technology-based solutions, policies and practices for healthy aging.

AGE-WELL’s four hubs:

Advancing Policies and Practices in Technology and Aging (APPTA)

Fredericton, New Brunswick

APPTA serves as an intermediary between government policymakers, researchers, health care providers, older adults and other organizations. Based at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, the hub has established a wide network of collaborators who share the common goal of improving the lives of older Canadians through innovation and knowledge translation. APPTA connects the work being done with the current government priorities to best translate timely and actionable recommendations for change. APPTA is formed through a partnership between AGE-WELL and Research New Brunswick (ResearchNB). 

The Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN)

Prince George, British Columbia

CTAAN supports aging in northern and rural communities by making technologies more available to older adults, caregivers and the health care systems that support them. Their programs focus on testing, piloting, implementing and promoting new and existing AgeTech solutions tailored to northern and rural communities. CTAAN is built on a partnership between the University of Northern British Columbia, the Northern Health Authority and AGE-WELL. 

2024 Policy Stakeholder Meeting, Ottawa

Circle Innovation

Vancouver, British Columbia

Circle Innovation is a not-for profit organization that works with companies to guide the development of their digital health and other technologies or services. Circle helps companies connect with consumers, tech providers and other stakeholders to solve R&D challenges, grow revenues, create jobs and develop emerging technologies across Canada. The hub is a joint initiative of AGE-WELL and Simon Fraser University (SFU). 

Sensors and Analytics for Monitoring Mobility and Memory (SAM3)

Ottawa, Ontario

SAM3 is driving the development of sensor-based smart technologies that monitor older people’s health and well-being to keep them healthy, safe and as independent as possible. In the past year, SAM3 has worked on a growing number of projects with startups and research partners, including Tochtech Technologies and the National Research Council of Canada. The hub is a joint initiative of AGE-WELL, Bruyère Research Institute and Carleton University. 

KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION & COMMERCIALIZATION 6

Your work is making a meaningful difference in driving innovation in aging and caregiving in Ontario.”

The Honourable Victor Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

AGE-WELL is a powerhouse in Canada’s AgeTech sector. Check out Canada’s AgeTech Startup Map, shown on page 23. Published by AGE-WELL, it’s a fascinating glimpse of what’s happening in this dynamic sector. Notably, more than half of the companies on the map have a direct AGE-WELL affiliation.

AGE-WELL is proud of its growing portfolio of startups. We now count over 70 Canadian startups among our successes. Supported through our Startup Affiliate Program launched in 2019, these companies are developing and launching needed products, leveraging AGE-WELL investments to secure other funding, creating jobs and making sales. Combined, they have brought 67 products to market, filed over 50 patents and raised over $60 million in capital. They have created more than 350 jobs, and over 120,000 older adults and caregivers are estimated to have benefited from their products. 

GERAS Dance is an evidence-based rehabilitation program for older adults who want to improve their brain health and mobility. AGE-WELL funding supported its virtual delivery.

Entrepreneurship and impact

AGE-WELL fuels startups in many ways. We provide access to resources and connections that help companies succeed. This includes mentorship, expert services, exhibiting opportunities, innovation exchanges, potential research collaborations, and older adult and caregiver insight panels. Companies can tap into the wisdom of Michael Tamblyn in his volunteer capacity as AGE-WELL’s chief entrepreneur. As president and CEO of Rakuten Kobo, he brings a wealth of experience and insight.

Showcasing and supporting talented startups is at the heart of our annual National Impact Challenge. Over 200 startups have now participated in this competition with over $300,000 in cash support through sponsors. Read about our latest competition on pages 24–25.

AGE-WELL-supported startups are delivering big time. Consider a few examples from the last year: Tochtech Technologies’ award-winning bed exit and sleep monitoring platform was implemented across over 450 beds by the B.C. long-term care provider, Trellis Seniors. HeardThat, an app that turns your smartphone into a hearing-assistive device for noisy situations, reached a major milestone with one million user sessions. Lianna Genovese, founder and CEO of ImaginAble Solutions, was recognized with the Forbes 30 under 30. Her award-winning technology Guided Hands™ is a mechanical device designed to help people with limited hand mobility to write, paint, draw, and access technology. 

Lianna Genovese, (centre), founder and CEO of ImaginAble Solutions, with colleagues.

Michael Tamblyn, president and CEO of Rakuten Kobo

Kunal Sethi, CEO of UVX, developers of a device that uses a human-safe form of UV light to disinfect spaces.

envisAGE: a unique collaborative model

AGE-WELL and our partner MEDTEQ+ are co-leading a major pan-Canadian initiative called envisAGE which supports innovators to grow and scale their enterprises that will change the lives of Canadians. This large-scale initiative brings stakeholders together to provide resources and support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to integrate technologies that address the challenges of aging and build Canadian leadership in the AgeTech market. In October 2024, we announced the first cohort of envisAGE collaborative projects, and launched a 2nd Call for Innovations. envisAGE is funded through the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund, with additional contributions from the Government of Quebec, industry, non-profits and other partners. 

AGE-WELL is also pleased to partner with Alberta Innovates to create more opportunities for Alberta-based tech companies and researchers in the healthy aging space. AICE – Tech for Healthy Aging, powered by AGE-WELL and Alberta Innovates, is a priority call offered through Alberta Innovates’ Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) funding programs. The program offers amounts of $200,000 to $300,000 to support the development and commercialization of technologies for healthy aging. Results will be announced in 2025. 

Sabrina Boutin, executive director of envisAGE and VP of MEDTEQ+, announces the first 16 envisAGE collaborative projects to enhance older adults' quality of life with Canadian innovations.

AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge

And the prize goes to…

AGE-WELL NATIONAL IMPACT CHALLENGE

One of Canada’s most exciting startup competitions, the AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge recognizes top startups and supports entrepreneurship in Canada’s AgeTech sector. Hundreds of startups have joined these competitions over the years, with over $300,000 in cash support through sponsors.

Congratulations to Marnie Courage, founder and CEO of Incluzia Inc., winner of the 2024 AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge: Solutions for Healthy Aging. Incluzia has created an assessment tool that provides personalized home safety and modification recommendations. Courage said the $25,000 cash prize will help build team capacity, test the business plan and execute the marketing strategy to hopefully bring MyHomeFX and MyHomeFX Pro to market in late spring 2025.

Marnie Courage of Incluzia Inc. took home the top prize.

Front row: Hosts, judges and sponsors of the AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge. Back row: The four presenters on either side of AGE-WELL’s Scientific Director and CEO Dr. Alex Mihailidis.

AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge

The runner-up prize of $5,000 was awarded to Fallyx Inc., developers of a wearable, clip-on sensor for fall monitoring.

The judges

A People’s Choice Award, for which hundreds of votes were cast online, went to Thriving.ai Inc., creators of a digital platform uniting remote care, AI, wearables, and Internet of Things (IoT) to streamline care for older adults and those with chronic conditions.

The 2024 AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge was generously supported by returning key sponsor, the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI), with additional sponsorship from the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) and Smart & Biggar.

In June 2023, Root & Seed won the community category of the 2023 National Impact Challenge – Bold Innovations for Living, powered by AGE-WELL and SE Health. The winner of the startup category was UVX. Sponsors of the 2023 competition were: OBI, Spotlight Development Inc. (presenting sponsors), Metro (gold sponsor), CABHI (silver sponsor), Sodexo, SPACES and Bereskin & Parr (supporting sponsors). 

Rishi Mehta, Fallyx Inc.

Shain Khoja, Thriving.ai Inc.

AGE-WELL Startup Affiliates

Root & Seed

STARTING CONVERSATIONS: PLATFORM PRESERVES FAMILY STORIES AND CONNECTS GENERATIONS

A family’s legacy is woven from stories passed down from generation to generation. If those stories are absent, the sense of loss can feel profound.

Jennifer Siripong Mandel and Anika Chabra understand that loss well. It inspired them to launch Root & Seed, a Toronto startup which developed an online platform to record and preserve family stories in one place. To help start conversations, loved ones can answer the questions supplied, covering everything from favourite family recipes to birthday traditions. Root & Seed also offers several themed card decks around topics like genealogy and holiday celebrations to prompt sharing and storytelling. Both co-founders Mandel and Chabra wanted to offer a way to capture everyday stories for future generations for different reasons. “Jenn and I embarked on personal journeys to understand our families better,” explains Chabra, who has a South Asian background from India. “I was compelled by the sudden loss of my mom, who was 72. ln an instant, I was promoted to being the matriarch who was supposed to know how our family did things. I felt I missed my opportunity to get all the answers to their questions.”

Mandel knew little about her heritage—only that her father left Thailand to come to the United States at age 22. He married an Irish woman, lived in Boston to raise a family and assimilated into local American culture, leaving much of his own behind. “For 40 years, there was a void in my understanding of my Asian heritage,” says Mandel. “I realized I didn't know half of who I am at all. I wanted to reclaim and celebrate my Asian culture. I was able to do that by asking my father questions we’ve avoided. Our relationship grew stronger because of it.”

Indeed, the physical and digital tools are ideal for connecting families and facilitating meaningful intergenerational conversations, the co-founders say. Retirement and long-term care homes have also been using the tools for their ability to ease social isolation and loneliness, and build connections.

The company made headlines last year with a big win in the Community category of the AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge 2023 – Bold Innovations for Living, powered by AGE-WELL and SE Health. Root & Seed also picked up the People’s Choice Award (Community category) for which hundreds of votes were cast online before and during the event in Toronto.

“We really didn’t think we had a chance,” says Mandel. “We were up against people who were helping to save lives, improve mobility and treat diseases. We're happy AGE-WELL recognizes social health as an integral part of healthy aging. With our win, we’ve been able to augment our technology and optimize it for our elder Canadian population. So many doors have opened for us and we’ve been invited into a dynamic community. The mentorship and networking through AGE-WELL has been so valuable.”

Whether it’s in business or within families, what Root & Seed values most is empowering connections. As Chabra notes, “The benefits to all generations are clear. Everyone has a story and we want to help shine a light on all of them.” 

Jennifer Siripong Mandel and Anika Chabra

AGE-WELL Startup Affiliates

Able Innovations

INNOVATION DRIVEN BY TECHNOLOGY AND COMPASSION

Growing up, Jayiesh Singh’s parents would often find him with a screwdriver in hand, taking apart anything electronic in a quest to understand the inner workings. Today, Singh is co-founder and CEO of Able Innovations, a Toronto-based robotics company on a mission to advance quality of care, efficiency and safety in health care with its smart technology.

Singh, who graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Applied Science - Mechanical Engineering (Mechatronics), has always had an interest in elder care. He volunteered at a long-term care home where his mother worked, playing chess with residents and taking part in social activities. It was in that setting that his mother was injured while moving residents. For many years, Singh wondered what could be done to make a difference in the lives of residents and staff, and how he could combine his experience in robotics and engineering to develop technology that would have a positive impact on older adults and those who cared for them.

First, though, Singh spent a year understanding their challenges and developing a business case. He saw the burden faced by caregivers and health care professionals to execute tasks that involved lifting and moving people. It’s a time-consuming and physically demanding process that requires two or more caregivers and can lead to transfer-related injuries. As Singh notes, it’s a method unchanged since the 1960s, adding, “Innovation of any kind was lagging.”

While Singh had the inspiration for Able Innovations' revolutionary transfer technology through his lived experience, his co-founder, Philip Chang, was instrumental in making it a reality.

In 2020, Chang and Singh developed a pilot prototype intended for commercial use—the ALTA Platform®. The smart and automated device allows a single caregiver to transfer a person to and from a bed, without contact and without risking injury to either, in a dignified manner.

AGE-WELL supported the ALTA Platform at every stage, from funding through its SIP Accelerator and AgeTech Implementation Response (AIR) Program to the AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge, which

awarded Able Innovations $20,000 to help deliver a fullscale prototype for hospitals. Dr. Bruce Wallace, executive director of the AGE-WELL SAM3 National Innovation Hub, was instrumental in helping Able Innovations with proof of concept by conducting studies showing the device’s safety. It led to procurement of Able Innovations’ technology by Bruyère Hospital in Ottawa in 2023—marking a significant milestone for the company.

“I value AGE-WELL not just as funding partners, but as great connectors and supporters, too,” says Singh. “As Able Innovations grows, this has been essential, allowing us to stay on mission. It was AGE-WELL that took the initial risk to support us at a time when no one else was willing to. We're greatly appreciative of that.”

That mission includes putting the ALTA Platform in more hospitals and other settings, continuing to attract new investors to support expansion, and evolving the technology for use by at-home caregivers.

“Ultimately, the goal is to use this technology to help older adults stay at home longer,” says Singh. “That’s my dream.” 

Jayiesh Singh

The ALTA Platform®

AGE-WELL Startup Affiliates

ElderPRIME

A HEALTH MANAGEMENT SOLUTION FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILY CAREGIVERS

When Rob Parker's father got sick in his mid-70s, it took two years and 12 falls before he was accurately diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which can be tricky to detect because it often presents like dementia.

"My Dad couldn't remember what he talked to the doctor about, he couldn't remember the doctor's instructions, and he couldn't answer the questions," explains Parker. "Partly, this was due to his cognitive situation, but it's also common for most of us to forget details from a medical appointment."

A seasoned software designer and product leader, Parker says: "I saw small problems with massive ramifications that if we solved them, we could get people to earlier, more accurate diagnoses."

This experience led Parker to channel his 30-plus years of professional experience with his family caregiving experience to create ElderPRIME and develop its flagship product, PrimeHealth, with co-founder Carey-Jo Hoffman. This app acts as the electronic medical record for older adults and their families, helping to accurately track and communicate health needs and information. It also records, retains and securely shares doctors' instructions. The goal is to reduce diagnostic and medication errors, improve health outcomes and extend seniors' independence.

"In an older adult's life, things get complicated, especially on the health care side," notes Parker, whose company ElderPRIME is based out of Vancouver, B.C. and is an AGE-WELL startup affiliate. "We're helping people make the most of their time with the doctor by facilitating smooth communication within the circle of care."

PrimeHealth is a one-stop digital hub for appointment information, medication lists, symptom tracking and questions for the health care team. The app synthesizes this information and produces an agenda format for older adults to follow at doctor appointments. PrimeHealth also has voice transcription so older adults can record (with consent) their doctor's consolidated points at the end of each appointment, which are captured in their

PrimeHealth profile. Additionally, family members (with permissions) can contribute to the health information and easily access a fuller picture of their loved one's health. This is particularly helpful for family members who cannot be as involved in day-to-day care.

Parker, who is CEO of ElderPRIME, and his team engaged early on with older adults, families and health care professionals. "Some things really changed through the co-design process. A big shift was we needed to break many fundamental user experience rules to help older adults use PrimeHealth successfully." For example, the team determined features in the app must remain constant and there needed to be a lot of in-app explanatory text as a useful guide.

Parker was introduced to AGE-WELL in the early days of ElderPRIME while attending the AGE-WELL Annual Conference in 2022. He credits that event for kickstarting important relationships and connections for the company. Parker went on to enter ElderPRIME in the National Impact Challenge 2023 – Bold Innovations for Living, powered by AGE-WELL and SE Health. His company was runner-up (and winner of the People’s Choice Award) in the Startup category. ElderPRIME has since joined AGE-WELL's Startup Affiliate Program to continue the supportive relationship.

"Those two AGE-WELL events have been big jumpingoff points that have really helped propel our company forward," Parker shares.

ElderPRIME has about 250 PrimeHealth users as it works through its beta to refine the experience. The company’s first pilot program began with a home health care partner, and numerous other pilots are in development. Parker and his ElderPRIME team continue to work with potential partners across Canada to roll out PrimeHealth to older adults and families who need it. 

Rob Parker is founder and CEO of ElderPRIME

Funding Emerging Entrepreneurs

Funding emerging entrepreneurs

Two talented stars were selected to receive $50,000 awards through the 2024 AGE-WELL Emerging Entrepreneur Award. The award supports the development of emerging entrepreneurs to create and grow an innovative startup with potential for social and economic impact in Canada. AGE-WELL is grateful to the Yuen Family Foundation for their generosity in supporting the Emerging Entrepreneur Award Program. 

Arjun Puri 2024 Emerging Entrepreneur Award recipient

Arjun Puri is the co-founder and CEO of Symbiotic AI, which creates clinical decisionsupport tools to help improve heart care. Their product, Revaz AI, provides personalized risk management and treatment insights for coronary artery disease patients.

Justin Wyss 2024 Emerging Entrepreneur Award recipient

Justin Wyss is the founder of NovaSense Technology Ltd., working on a device to prevent pressure ulcers, which affect over three million people in North America each year. His solution involves a soft, flexible, stretchable pressure sensor array.

We also announced the 2023 AGE-WELL Emerging Entrepreneur Award recipients in the last fiscal.

Bronwyn Bridges

2023 Emerging Entrepreneur Award recipient

Bronwyn Bridges is the co-founder and CEO of PragmaClin, which has created a digital assessment tool for monitoring Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The ultimate goal is for people living with Parkinson’s to get help faster with more accurate results.

Lianna Genovese

2023 Emerging Entrepreneur Award recipient

Lianna Genovese is the founder of ImaginAble Solutions and creator of Guided Hands™, an international award-winning assistive device that enables anyone with limited fine motor skills to write, paint, draw and access technology.

Knowledge Mobilization

A go-to authority

AGE-WELL is continuously engaging with elected officials and other decision-makers to share expertise and inform public policy related to technology and aging.

For several years now, AGE-WELL has been contracted to consult with the Federal-ProvincialTerritorial (FPT) Ministers Responsible for Seniors Forum Working Group on The Role of Technology to Enhance Aging in Place. We provide expert advice and critical feedback on three research projects in order to issue recommendations to the FPT Ministers Responsible for Seniors to support government policies for older Canadians.

Our policy-focused national innovation hub in Fredericton, N.B., called Advancing Policies and Practices in Technology and Aging (APPTA), serves as an intermediary between government policymakers, researchers, health care providers, older adults and other organizations. APPTA gathers policymakers and discusses topics that address their current priorities and build networks at provincial, territorial and federal levels.

SHARING EXPERTISE

AGE-WELL has representation on prominent advisory bodies. For example, our scientific director Dr. Alex Mihailidis sits on the Canadian Space Agency Advisory Council on Deep-Space Healthcare, and on the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) Aging in Place Challenge program advisory committee.

AGE-WELL in collaboration with NRC and Canadian Standards Association, and the Ubiquitous Health Technology Lab (UbiLab) at the University of Waterloo, are leading a project to identify standards, frameworks, guidelines and best practices for the development of AgeTech. 

At the project level,

our teams are influencing policies and practices. Some examples:

• A University of Regina team has developed an interactive web-based platform that provides cutting-edge continuing education for long-term care staff. The platform focuses on stateof-the-art methods of assessing pain in people living with dementia.

• A team based at Simon Fraser University and University of Ottawa has developed an impact safety standard to make sure headgear sold for older adults meets an acceptable level of protection against head injuries from falling.

• Researchers at Wilfrid Laurier University are investigating how Canadian organizations address workplace challenges related to employees with mild cognitive impairment and youngonset dementia. The aim is to equip employers with the information, skills and technologies needed to co-create sustainable and inclusive workplaces.

Knowledge Mobilization

Reaching audiences everywhere

AGE-WELL reaches diverse audiences through events, webinars, videos and publications.

The AGE-WELL Annual Conference, held in Edmonton in October 2024 (see pages 32–33), attracted hundreds of partners and stakeholders to discuss current issues and innovations in the field of technology and aging. A year earlier, AgeTech Innovation Week (ATIW) 2023, hosted by AGE-WELL in Toronto, featured five days of wall-to-wall discussions, innovation and networking focused on opportunities in AgeTech.

Our AgeTech book series continues to grow. Published by Springer, these books cover transformative technologies for health, wellness and independent living. The concept was inspired by AGE-WELL’s eight Challenge Areas, with additional books commissioned to address issues like ethics and AgeTech, augmented reality for cognitive impairments, and technology in palliative care. We also provide thought leadership through opinion pieces. In the past year, Dr. Mihailidis, AGE-WELL’s scientific director and CEO, wrote op-eds for national and international publications including the Toronto Star, The Hill Times and Open Access Government. Journalists increasingly seek us out for media interviews on issues relating to aging populations and technological solutions. Last year, once again, saw a record number of media interviews. 

Nam Kiwanuka, host of TVO’s The Thread, interviews Dr. Alex Mihailidis, scientific director and CEO, AGE-WELL, for an episode called “The Dementia Dilemma.”

AGE-WELL 2024 Annual Conference

Conference highlights research and innovation shaping the future

AGE-WELL’s annual conference drew over 400 researchers, trainees, older adults, caregivers and partners form industry, government and the community. Held in Edmonton, Alberta in October 2024, the theme was Shared Visions, Shared Futures: Transforming Aging Together. The action-packed program featured 40+ speakers, 75 research posters and 30+ exhibits and demos of the latest technologybased solutions for healthy aging.

Dominic Carter, CEO of The Carter Group and Living Best, opened the conference with an inspiring keynote address. Living Best is a network of leading-edge mature consumers, startups and professionals focused on making AgeTech user-friendly and widely accepted. Its goal is to transform the aging experience in Japan and beyond through the mass adoption of technology created for and co-created by its users.

A special panel on Home Reimagined: New Perspectives for an Aging Population highlighted naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs), dementia villages, and technologies that support aging in place.

AGE-WELL 2024 Annual Conference

Attendees check out AgeTech innovations. Smart-home systems, virtual therapies, exergames and apps were just some of the products on display.

AGE-WELL 2024 spotlighted a multidisciplinary program of research and innovation from across Canada.

Also on the agenda: the always exciting AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge: Solutions for Healthy Aging, which recognizes and supports top startups in Canada’s growing AgeTech sector (see page 24).

Generous sponsors of AGE-WELL 2024 were: Alberta Innovates, the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), and the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) (Gold Sponsors), and Smart & Biggar, TELUS Business, and Government of the Netherlands (Bronze Sponsors). Promotional Partners were: CanAge, Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA), and YouAreUNLTD. 

TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION

AGE-WELL training provided me with an excellent foundation for my research and advocacy work. It delved into ethics, diversity and inclusion, racism and stigma, and how to engage with policy change effectively and build networks. As an emerging scholar, health care professional and researcher, it was invaluable.”

Kelly Davison, doctoral candidate, University of Victoria, nurse informaticist, standards specialist and AGE-WELL HQP

AGE-WELL is equipping the innovators of tomorrow with the knowledge and skills to drive innovation in AgeTech.

Our EPIC (Early Professionals, Inspired Careers) program has now trained over 1,400 highly qualified personnel, or HQP, from more than 120 institutions and organizations in 9 Canadian provinces, and 21 institutions in 13 countries worldwide. These trainees include undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, entrepreneurs, clinicians and research professionals.

Launched in 2015, the globally leading EPIC program encourages participants to consider the economic, social, environmental and ethical implications of their work and helps them develop the disciplinary and professional skills necessary to succeed in academic and non-academic careers. EPIC is made up of online course modules, workshops, webinars, experiential training opportunities such as internships and exchanges, as well as access to funding and multi-sectoral mentorship. Equity, diversity, inclusion and co-creation are integrated throughout.

Koorosh Roohi, an AGE-WELL HQP, presents a research poster at AgeTech Innovation Week 2023. Roohi is a PhD student in biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto and the KITE Research Institute at University Health Network.

BUILDING ON EPIC

Thanks to funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Health Research Training Platform in 2022, AGE-WELL has extended and expanded the EPIC training program through to 2027. We have created a unique national platform called Early Professionals, Inspired Careers in AgeTech (EPIC-AT). It prepares graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early careers researchers to be future leaders in digital health solutions for older adults with complex health needs. Powered by AGE-WELL, EPIC-AT is led by researchers from 12 universities and research hospitals across Canada and co-applicants in over 50 partnerships across various sectors. It is hosted at the University of Toronto.

AGE-WELL's trainee award programs have supported almost 240 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. With the support of our partners, we have enabled trainees across Canada to build their research capacity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of older adults and caregivers. Our ability to leverage partner funds for this support has grown dramatically over the past three years, highlighting both the value of our EPIC program and the need for AGE-WELL’s continued work in strengthening the AgeTech field in Canada.

We are also very proud of our EPIC alumni. Former AGE-WELL HQP who are within the first five years of their academic appointment continue to receive AGE-WELL support to build high-impact independent research programs in AgeTech.

MAKING AN IMPACT

Across government, academia, industry and the community, it’s hard to find someone who has not been part of our EPIC program. AGE-WELL trainees are securing jobs across all these sectors, and launching their own startups. We invite you to read some of their stories on pages 36–39.

AGE-WELL trainees are also in the spotlight at AGE-WELL’s annual EPIC Conference, which has grown to be the largest virtual trainee conference at the intersection of health, aging and technology. In 2024, the conference drew over 1,000 attendees from 25 countries. 

EPIC Alumni Profiles

Dr. Heather McNeil

GROWING THE ECOSYSTEM TO SUPPORT AGING IN PLACE

As an undergraduate health sciences student, Dr. Heather McNeil’s interest in the aging experience inspired her to take a course in the theories of aging. Her curiosity grew and, after graduation, she accepted a position at an assisted living home.

“That was a really eye-opening experience. It didn’t match up to what I learned in school, and I knew it was an area ripe for growth opportunities, change and positive impact,” reflects Dr. McNeil, a former AGE-WELL EPIC trainee who now works at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC).

Dr. McNeil returned to university for graduate work focused more on the social science aspects of aging. While doing a PhD in aging, health, and well-being at the University of Waterloo, she was introduced to AGE-WELL through her supervisor, Dr. Paul Stolee, an AGE-WELL researcher. A cornerstone of their research work together was Dr. McNeil’s co-creation of a group called Seniors Helping as Research Partners (SHARP).

Dr. McNeil explains: “The SHARP approach of nothing about us without us was fundamental to our research and continues to this day. It has stuck with me and, in my current NRC role, I am building an experts by experience group. It’s more commonplace today but, at that time, it was novel.”

In 2018, as a postdoctoral fellow, she furthered her connection to AGE-WELL as an EPIC trainee under Drs. Josephine McMurray of Wilfrid Laurier University and Heidi Sveistrup of University of Ottawa. Through EPIC, Dr. McNeil worked on DRiVE (Developing Regional Health Innovation Ecosystems), which examined how technology innovation can be fostered and driven by creating strong regional collaborations between users, researchers, policymakers, practitioners and industry. Understanding, valuing and leveraging different expertise to approach a problem from diverse angles has been an enduring theme in Dr. McNeil’s career. It began early in her academic career, solidified in her time at AGE-WELL, and carries forward to her present role as

Dr. Heather McNeil

program advisor for the NRC’s Aging in Place Challenge program. This program is an investment by the federal government to focus on improving the quality of life of older adults and their personal caregivers through innovation for safe and healthy aging in support of a sustainable model for long-term care that shifts the focus toward preventive home and community-based care.

“The hope is that the legacy for the NRC’s Aging in Place Challenge program will be technologies and innovations that are on their way to the marketplace, recommendations and guidelines that help support that adoption of technology, and all of that will help create the ecosystem of support for older Canadians’ choices to stay at home, live well and prevent transitions in care,” says Dr. McNeil.

She recognizes how instrumental EPIC training was in preparing her for future success. “The approaches and skills I learned through AGE-WELL are fundamental in my work today. It’s present in the importance I put on collaborating and consulting early, often and throughout everything we do; taking a multidisciplinary approach to problems to think about what we’re doing from various angles and leveraging the best of people’s expertise to solve a problem; and the idea of building the ecosystem around AgeTech and growing that network.”

Dr. McNeil feels the momentum behind AgeTech and is optimistic about the future. “Before I joined AGE-WELL, when I started thinking about aging challenges, I felt a little bit alone. I didn’t know there was such energy, enthusiasm and effort going toward making aging a positive journey by reframing how we think about it. What excites me is there’s a cohort of us; we’re making noise around it and working towards this bigger, better picture.” 

EPIC Alumni Profiles

Steve Iduye

A CONSUMMATE BUILDER OF BRIDGES

For Steve Iduye, nursing is a holistic vocation that must encompass compassion, communication and the use of data analytics to better determine and respond to the needs of each person.

A nurse scientist and an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Iduye is a consummate builder of bridges with experience learned during the last 24 years of his work in the fields of mental health, long-term care and health informatics. His career has spanned three continents, including a stint with the World Health Organization collaborating centre in Nigeria. When he came to Canada in 2009, he first worked in Goose Bay, Newfoundland, gradually realizing there was a need for nurses with graduate degrees who could close the gap between new technologies and care.

To that end, he completed a master’s in health informatics at the Faculty of Computer Science at Dalhousie University in Halifax, while he is scheduled to defend his PhD thesis in the same subject in the fall of 2024 at the University of Saskatchewan.

According to Iduye, health informatics is critical to understanding the needs of older adults who live in long-term care (LTC) homes. “We see LTC residents at their most vulnerable moments, and they need someone who listens and responds to their needs,” Iduye notes. “Health data analytics can echo residents’ voices and could help nurses understand factors such as loneliness better in older adults.”

It all comes down to what Iduye, a graduate of AGE-WELL’s EPIC program (Early Professionals, Inspired Careers), calls “InterRAI tool,” which can be used by nurses to assess residents' health needs and generate real-time reports that both detail risks and recommend steps to enhance care. According to Iduye, this tool complements nurses’ clinical judgement and supports quality care in LTC homes because “the data allows you to maximize the time you have with each resident so that they feel they have received the best care from someone who is interested in them.”

Growing up in Oyo State, Nigeria, Iduye watched his mother, a government-trained doula, help women throughout the region give birth, while an older sister became a nurse and worked in New York state. “Their work profoundly influenced me and when it was time for me to choose a career, it was easy,” he says. “Nursing was a familiar choice.”

On that path, Iduye was introduced to AGE-WELL, displaying his research poster at the network’s 2022 annual conference in Regina. He found the questions and exchange of ideas challenging, exciting and inspiring, and the relationships that began there continue to this day.

“AGE-WELL is so important for anyone who wants a career in health technology for older adults,” he says. “No matter if you are a researcher, an entrepreneur or someone who simply seeks to improve knowledge and skills, it gives you the chance to collaborate with and learn from others.

“I am so proud to be a part of AGE-WELL and its mission to improve and humanize science. As a young researcher, it has given me a pathway.” 

Steve Iduye

EPIC Alumni Profiles

Cathleen Edwards

EDUCATOR AND ADVOCATE FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS AND FAMILY COUNCILS IN LONG-TERM CARE

Cathleen Edwards always assumed her career would be in academia, but her journey led to the non-profit sector where she thrives in the role of education manager at Family Councils Ontario.

"We're a hidden gem and we're trying to build awareness of what we do," says Edwards.

Family Councils Ontario supports families and friends of long-term care residents to start and maintain effective family councils, works collaboratively with long-term care staff to improve the quality of life in long-term care homes, and informs public policy. The organization is a registered charitable non-profit funded by the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care.

Edwards had just started her job with Family Councils Ontario when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Not only did their small team have to pivot to working from home, but they had to help family councils across the province learn how to meet and function virtually.

With access to their loved ones limited by long-term care home lockdowns, family caregivers and family councils faced a multitude of challenges throughout the pandemic. Family Councils Ontario was there for support, and provided feedback and relayed concerns to the Ministry.

As education manager, Edwards creates resources in a variety of formats "to support building capacity of all our users, whether it's a family council member, the person who is leading the family council or staff who are working to support family council.”

Topics cover a broad spectrum including powers of a family council as written in the legislation, how to form and run a family council, training long-term care home staff on how to build and maintain positive relationships with residents' families and how to work with a family council. Elder abuse and neglect, capacity and consent, and self-care are other topics.

To develop such resources, Edwards collaborates with two Family Councils Ontario committees, a Resource Development Advisory Committee and a Diversity, Inclusion, Equitable Representation Committee.

Made up of end-users and individuals who come from equity-seeking minority groups, the goal is to ensure the resources meet everyone’s needs.

"It's really important to engage end-users from the start of creating a resource or else it's going to be a big failure," says Edwards.

Co-creation is an approach she experienced first-hand as a trainee in AGE-WELL's EPIC program. She particularly valued EPIC webinars on topics such as equity and inclusion, the annual conference, and the EPIC Summer Institute, where transdisciplinary teams, older adults and caregivers work together to create solutions to a problem. "I learned to appreciate the skills and strengths each brings to the aging sector."

Edwards learned of the EPIC training program while employed as coordinator of AGE-WELL’s Workpackage 1 –Needs of Older Adults, and the Dementia Ageing Technology Engagement (DATE) Lab, both led by Dr. Arlene Astell.

A past president of the board of the Toronto Council on Aging, Edwards holds a Master of Arts in Health and Physical Education from Brock University. She is an experienced college and university instructor, and a former recreation professional in a long-term care home.

Edwards is so enthused by the work of Family Councils Ontario that she is doing everything in her power to encourage other provinces and territories to enshrine the role of family caregivers and family councils in their long-term care legislation. "Ontario is the only province or territory in Canada that actually has a section of our legislation that outlines specific powers for a family council. Other provinces are looking to us as the leaders and experts to try and help guide them in this process."

For Edwards, it’s not just a job, it’s a calling.

"I'm very thankful I came across AGE-WELL and the EPIC program because they helped me to feel confident in finding my way outside academia. They really helped me find a path forward." 

Cathleen Edwards

EPIC Alumni Profiles

Dr. Armel Ayimdji Tekemetieu

MAKING AN IMPACT WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The world of artificial intelligence (AI) is growing as more people, companies and organizations explore the ways in which this revolutionary technology can make a positive impact in daily life. Dr. Armel Ayimdji Tekemetieu became well acquainted with the benefits of AI technology, particularly in the lives of older adults, during his postdoctoral studies in Conversational AI and Human Computer Interaction at McGill University. His research looked at the development of a conversational assistant to support older adults living in long-term care homes.

Dr. Ayimdji says that integrating this type of AI technology, known as chatbots, into existing care practices can help reduce response times, supporting both residents and caregivers. Given staffing challenges in long-term care homes and hospitals in general, “a chatbot can help start the initial conversation” when a need arises, says Dr. Ayimdji.

Throughout his academic and professional career, one thing that has remained key in his work is the focus on how AI technology can support people and enhance their quality of life. After earning his Master of Computer Science degree from the Université de Yaoundé 1 in Cameroon, Dr. Ayimdji came to Canada to work toward a PhD in Artificial Intelligence & Internet of Things at the Université de Sherbrooke. Dr. Ayimdji says that his desire to help people and his experience watching his own father struggle with cognitive impairment is what inspired his research.

“My father was a teacher. I learned a lot from him, but a couple of years after his retirement, he started forgetting a lot of things,” says Dr. Ayimdji. “That’s why, when I had the opportunity to do my PhD, I chose to come to Canada to work at the DOMUS lab at the Université de Sherbrooke where tech is being developed to help people with cognitive impairment and dementia.”

Another focus of his research was using AI to reduce loneliness and social isolation for older adults. As a Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) involved in the

AGE-WELL-funded research project, iNnovative Easy Assistance Reassuring System (NEARS) at the Université de Sherbrooke, Dr. Ayimdji had the opportunity to explore AI-based smart homes that enable older adults to stay connected to loved ones.

Dr. Ayimdji’s current work as a conversational AI architect with Quantify Analytics Canada has given him the opportunity to explore other ways in which AI can support people and companies through customer service solutions. He is currently working on assignment with one of the company’s largest clients, Google, building chatbots and other conversational AI software.

“It reduces the burden on human workers because the AI is taking on part of the job,” says Dr. Ayimdji. “I’m working on cutting-edge technology, and I’m happy to work on something I’m passionate about.”

As a graduate of AGE-WELL’s EPIC training program, Dr. Ayimdji was able to develop his skills and build industry connections. In 2019, he was awarded 2nd prize in the Science Slam at AGE-WELL’s 5th Annual Conference in Moncton, New Brunswick, and he participated in the AGE-WELL Summer Institute in Montebello, Quebec. He was also the Quebec representative on the AGE-WELL HQP Advisory Committee from 2019 to 2020.

Dr. Ayimdji says his training through the EPIC program played a significant role in opening doors in the industry and preparing him for the work he’s doing today.

“AGE-WELL has played a big part in what I’m doing currently and the opportunities I have had,” says Dr. Ayimdji. “An advantage to being in the EPIC program was all the different training I received. It helped build my self-confidence.” 

AGE-WELL’s EPIC Summer Institute 2024

AGE-WELL brought together 15 undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada and Scotland for the 7 th annual EPIC Summer Institute, held in June 2024 in Toronto.

The theme of the exclusive one-week training event was autonomy and independence. Older Canadians overwhelmingly prefer to age in place—in the homes and communities they know. Technology-based solutions can help older adults live independently and improve their quality of life, while also supporting caregivers and providing a cost-effective alternative to long-term care.

Summer Institute participants worked directly with older adults, caregivers and other stakeholders to co-create innovative solutions—technologies, policies and services that will empower older adults to age with independence and dignity at home. They worked through the design process—from defining a problem to brainstorming, developing business models and implementation plans, to pitching their projects.

Participating in the Summer Institute was an inspiring and effective learning experience.”

Dr.

Signe Lund Mathiesen, postdoctoral fellow in Auditory Aging, Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest

I developed skills that have already made me a more thoughtful researcher and effective entrepreneur.”

Cole Tamburri, PhD student, Psychology, University of Victoria

Participants worked in multidisciplinary teams to develop innovative projects targeting specific problem areas identified by researchers and stakeholders.

AGE-WELL extends sincere gratitude to the March of Dimes Canada; Aging in Place Challenge Program, National Research Council of Canada; Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC), University of Edinburgh; NORC Innovation Lab; and Dr. Atena Roshan Fekr and the PATH Project for their support in making the Summer Institute a success.

The event took place at the University of Toronto and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute - University Health Network. 

Team LinkEar won the Summer Institute pitch competition for designing an application solution that uses multiple cellphone microphones to provide conversation transcription and visual directional prompts to enable those with hearing loss to more easily follow conversations involving multiple people.

Team LinkEar

NETWORKING & PARTNERSHIPS 8

We have seen firsthand the power of the AGE-WELL network that has resulted in key collaborations and partnerships. The network only continues to grow its reach globally and increase the powerful force for innovation that it has become.”

Dr.

Richard McAloney, director, Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN)

We continue to expand and diversify our partnerships to ensure technology is seen as integral across all sectors serving older adults.

AGE-WELL is now partnered with over 450 companies and organizations, such as Best Buy Canada, Sun Life Financial, Canadian Red Cross and Canadian Frailty Network, all committed to enhancing the lives of older adults. We are also linked to more than 70 startups whose innovations are fueling change.

International partnerships are a strong and ever-growing focus. Take, for example, our new relationship with the

University of Edinburgh that has produced exciting research collaborations. Another global partnership has us working with organizations in both the United Kingdom and United States to encourage innovators to apply to win a major new prize related to technology and dementia (see page 46).

AGE-WELL's leadership in AgeTech innovation and implementation is widely recognized and leveraged by our partners. This past year, it led to increased engagement with the long-term care, seniors living and home care sectors around the implementation of technologies. We are also pleased to collaborate in the COURAGE initiative led by SE Health and the Covenant family on more effective policies around aging.

If you haven’t yet heard about envisAGE, it is a large-scale pan-Canadian initiative co-led by MEDTEQ+ and AGE-WELL. Established in 2022 with $47 million through the federal government’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), envisAGE brings stakeholders together to provide small and medium-sized enterprises with access to funding programs and services to help them innovate in AgeTech. Together with MEDTEQ+, we hosted the inaugural envisAGE Annual Forum in 2023, followed by another successful Forum in 2024. The envisAGE 1st Call for Innovations led to 16 successful collaborative projects, and a 2nd Call was announced in October 2024.

AGE-WELL is thrilled to be deepening its relationship with the University of Toronto. We are a proud member of U of T’s Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) portfolio, which increases the university’s capacity to support large-scale, high-impact interdisciplinary research. For more about AGE-WELL and ISI, see page 11. 

An engaged network

We are grateful to our many partners for their contributions and sponsorship of network activities, such as the annual National Impact Challenge. This support helps AGE-WELL raise the profile of AgeTech research and innovation, and the broader longevity sector.

AGE-WELL events like AgeTech Innovation Week 2023 and our annual conferences are a place for vigorous networking and forging new partnerships. These events attract audiences in the hundreds, underlining the importance people place on AgeTech and its power to change the future of aging. 

AgeTech Innovation Week 2023

Keynote speaker Christopher Kunney, managing partner at IOTECH Consulting, opened the envisAGE 2nd Annual Forum.

Involving Older Adults and Caregivers

Older adults and caregivers: Our inspiration, our partners

Older adults and caregivers are core to everything we do. AGE-WELL puts a premium on “co-creation” to ensure products are practical and will be put to use.

AGE-WELL's Older Adult and Caregiver Advisory Committee (OACAC) advises our scientific directors and informs our work. Older adults and caregivers also sit on our Research Management Committee and International Scientific Advisory Committee. They provide feedback to startups and industry through insight panels and conduct relevancy reviews of applications for funding. Older adults and caregivers also serve as judges at our pitch competitions.

Our project teams look to older adults and caregivers in so many ways. Take, for instance, the AGE-WELL DISRUPT project to better understand how people feel about social robots and what they want from them. The research team, led by principal investigator Dr. Julie Robillard, heard from over 1,600 people and was guided by an older adult advisory group, The League, throughout the project. Our innovation hub called CTAAN recently hosted workshops with approximately 140 participants to explore perspectives on technology among end-users living in northern and rural B.C. 

I rely on technology to live.”

Paul Lea, who contributes to AGE-WELL research projects and lives with dementia, in an interview with The New Reality, Global News

AGE-WELL Older Adult and Caregiver Advisory Committee (OACAC) Leaders

Ron Beleno, OACAC co-chair

Sherry Baker, OACAC co-chair

Caron Leid, OACAC vice-chair

AGE-WELL Honorary Fellows

The AGE-WELL Honorary Fellow Award recognizes members who have made long-term and substantial contributions to research and innovation in the AgeTech sector, as well as a significant contribution to AGE-WELL. Sincere thanks to our newest awardees:

Sherry Baker

2024 AGE-WELL

Honorary Fellow Award

Sherry Baker’s passion is to build safe and healthy communities from the ground up. For the past six years, she has been an integral member of AGE-WELL’s Older Adult and Caregiver Advisory Committee (OACAC) and currently serves as its co-chair. Her leadership in this role and contributions as an observer on the envisAGE Project Selection Committee have been instrumental in shaping AGE-WELL’s stakeholder-led initiatives. From 2010 to 2024, Baker led the development of the BC Association of Community Response Networks. She has served on numerous boards and committees, consistently demonstrating her dedication to advancing the well-being of older adults and vulnerable populations.

Susan Jaglal

2024 AGE-WELL Honorary Fellow Award

Dr. Susan Jaglal is a professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto, with cross-appointments to the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. She is a senior scientist at the KITE Research Institute at University Health Network. As academic lead for education and training for AGE-WELL, Dr. Jaglal was instrumental in the development and launch of AGE-WELL’s EPIC training program. She supports our spin-off training platform EPIC-AT, and served on AGE-WELL’s Research Management Committee for seven years. Her work with AGE-WELL has left an indelible mark on our innovators of today and tomorrow.

We also announced the 2023 AGE-WELL Honorary Fellow Award recipients last fiscal.

Rafik Goubran

2023 AGE-WELL Honorary Fellow Award

Dr. Rafik Goubran is vice-president (research and international) and Chancellor’s Professor at Carleton University. An AGE-WELL researcher from the very start, he is a founding member of Sensors and Analytics for Monitoring Mobility and Memory (SAM3), an AGE-WELL national innovation hub, and leads our Challenge Area focused on Supportive Homes & Communities. Dr. Goubran is a widely-recognized expert in sensors and analytics. He co-leads several multidisciplinary research programs on the design of smart environments for the independent living of seniors, and on vital sign monitoring.

Lili Liu

2023 AGE-WELL Honorary Fellow Award

Dr. Lili Liu is a professor in the School of Public Health Sciences, and dean of the Faculty of Health, at the University of Waterloo. She is a renowned researcher whose work examines how technologies can help older adults and family caregivers. Dr. Liu has also been an AGE-WELL researcher from the beginning, and leads our Challenge Area for Autonomy & Independence. She also mentors trainees, leads multiple projects, contributes to our publications initiatives, and does media interviews on behalf of the network.

Jim Mann

2023 AGE-WELL Honorary Fellow Award

A dedicated advocate for people living with Alzheimer’s, Jim Mann serves on multiple advisory councils and boards, including the CIHR Institute of Aging Advisory Board. He has been a member of AGE-WELL’s Research Management Committee for nine years and has spoken at many AGE-WELL events, including the first annual conference in 2015 and AGE-WELL’s Day on the Hill in 2018. He is an inspiration to network members. His wisdom and lived experience are invaluable to the work we do.

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP 9

Drs. Richard McAloney (2nd row, left), Lili Liu (2nd row, middle), and Shannon Freeman (3rd row, left) represented AGE-WELL on a delegation to the Netherlands in 2024.

As AGE-WELL has grown, so too has our international presence and impact. Our vision is that Canada’s leadership in technology and aging benefits the world.

Our partnerships speak volumes. In the past year, we have forged exciting new global relationships. For example, together with the University of Toronto and its ISI program, we partnered with University of Edinburgh’s Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC). In 2024, four projects were funded through a call for proposals on “Innovation through Future Care Approaches to Healthy Aging.” These projects involve researchers at both AGE-WELL and ACRC.

With the number of people living with dementia worldwide set to rise dramatically, AGE-WELL has joined forces with prominent organizations to push innovation. Our partnership with Challenge Works in the U.K. and AARP in the U.S. encourages innovators across North America who are delivering technologies for people living with dementia to apply to win the Longitude Prize on Dementia, which will be awarded in 2026. Along the way, AGE-WELL is pleased to deliver expert tailored support to innovators named semi-finalists in 2023.

Another way we promote innovation globally: through the UK Canada AgeTech Innovation Exchange. In 2023, eight U.K. companies and five Canadian companies with products that have the potential to improve the health and well-being of older adults participated in a fruitful in-person exchange. AGE-WELL was proud to partner on this program, led by the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) and Academic Health Science Networks (AHSN) in the U.K., and funded by Innovate UK.

AGE-WELL members are recognized and in demand internationally. Not long ago, our scientific director and CEO, Dr. Alex Mihailidis, was chosen as one of the Healthy Ageing 50 – 50 leaders working to transform the world to be a better place to grow older. The Healthy Ageing 50 is an initiative under the banner of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing that honours 50 leaders who are working to foster healthy aging.

We are active members of the European Connected Health Alliance Group (ECHAlliance Group), which connects 78 countries and facilitates multistakeholder connections around ecosystems, driving sustainable change and disruption in the delivery of health and social care. AGE-WELL is also represented on the board of the Brussels-based Active and Assisted Living Association. 

Global impact

AGE-WELL-supported products are being sold in a growing number of countries worldwide. Some examples among many: You can now find the assistive technology called Guided Hands™, developed by ImaginAble Solutions, in over 22 countries. Its inventor Lianna Genovese was honored with the Respect Award at the 2024 Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards. Steadiwear, another AGE-WELL-supported startup, is selling its tremor glove to an ever-increasing number of customers around the globe. In 2023, the company won the Living Best Pitch Competition held in Tokyo, taking home a prize of US$100,000 market support package from The Carter Group (Japan Market Resource Network). And then there’s Curovate, another AGE-WELL startup, whose ACL, knee and hip replacement app has been used by over 10,000 people globally since its release in 2016. 

The Curovate app has subscribers in 50+ countries.

AGE-WELL startup affiliate Steadiwear recently released its third-generation Steadi-3 glove designed to ease hand tremors. Pictured are co-founder Emile Maamary and Steadi-3 tremor glove user Betty Faulkner, who has lived with Essential Tremor for more than 50 years. The 'intelligent' glove allows Faulkner to do activities she hasn't done in years, like put on make-up, cook, handwrite and eat soup.

AGE-WELL CHALLENGE AREAS 10

Eight Challenge Areas drive AGE-WELL’s research and innovation in supporting older adults and caregivers.

A Challenge Area is an important but difficult and complex problem area that demands innovative, real-world solutions.

Supportive Homes & Communities

Aging-in-place is about being able to live independently in one’s own home and community through appropriate supports and services.

Example technologies: smart homes, sensors to monitor safety at home, online portals for community groups and programs

Autonomy & Independence

Older people try to maintain their autonomy and independence, even in the face of impairment, disability or illness.

Example technologies: assistive technology, stick-on hip protectors, rehabilitation technologies, stabilizing glove

Mobility & Transportation

Older adults look for inclusive transportation systems that make them feel comfortable, respected and safe. Increased mobility and confidence allow for more equitable access to environments.

Example technologies: smart wheelchairs, autonomous vehicles

Healthcare & Health Service Delivery

Older adults and caregivers face challenges like getting to doctors' appointments, obtaining health records, navigating the system and affording new technologies that improve quality of care.

Example technologies: virtual doctor visits, digital health apps, continuous glucose monitors, bed transfer platform

Cognitive Health & Dementia

Cognitive health issues impact older adults and caregivers, but there are proactive approaches to managing them.

Example technologies: medication reminders, digital cognitive assessment tools

Financial Wellness & Employment

Many older Canadians experience financial vulnerability and workplace exclusion as they age.

Example technologies: employment portals tailored for older users and caregivers, financial apps

Staying Connected

Staying connected is about strengthening the social networks of older adults and caregivers.

Example technologies: social platforms and apps, social and telepresence robots, hearing aids

Healthy Lifestyles & Wellness

A healthy lifestyle is not just about making conscious choices about nutrition, exercise and self-management of mental and physical health. It is also about the social, economic and contextual factors.

Example technologies: wearables, virtual access to exercise, fitness apps

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 11

Statement of Financial Position

AGE-WELL NCE Inc.

As at March 31

ASSETS

Current Cash and cash equivalents

Due from University Health Network

Unspent research grants held at participating institutions

Accounts receivable

Prepaid expenses

Total current assets

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

Current Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

Deferred contributions

Total current liabilities

Deferred contributions

Total liabilities

Net assets

Unrestricted

Total net assets

On behalf of the Board: 2024 $ 774,267 180,266 1,063,647 369,4322,387,612 270,204 1,203,864 1,474,0681,474,068 913,544 2,387,612 2023 $ 506,467 3,940,186 2,586,549 216,620 5,000 7,254,822 148,197148,197 6,590,027 6,738,224 516,598 7,254,822

Mimi Lowi-Young, Chair, Board of Directors

Please

Barbara Stymiest, Chair, F&A

Statement of Operations and Changes In Unrestricted Net Assets

AGE-WELL NCE Inc.

Year ended March 31

REVENUE

Networks of Centres of Excellence grant

Grant from other partners/organizations

Other sources of funds

EXPENSES

Research and training

Networking meetings and events Communications

Professional fees Travel Administration

Excess of revenue over expenses for the year

Unrestricted net assets, beginning of year

Unrestricted net assets, end of year

2023 $ 6,580,008 17,291 65,769 6,663,068 4,873,209 534,435 354,251 57,467 5,919 761,328 6,586,609 76,459 440,139 516,598

Cash and in-kind contributions from partners held and spent at network member institutions are not included in these statements.

Balance, beginning of year

Amounts received during the year – NCE

Amounts received during the year – Non NCE

Amounts recognized as revenue during the year – NCE

Amounts recognized as revenue during the year – Non NCE

Balance, end of year

The Network follows the deferral method of accounting for contributions, which include government and other grants. Deferred contributions represent unspent resources externally restricted for program expenses in future years. Changes in the deferred contributions balance are as follows: 2023 $ 12,132,831 1,026,995 27,500 (6,580,008) (17,291) 6,590,027

$ 6,590,02750,000 (5,423,265) (12,898) 1,203,864

Please refer to the audited financial statements on the AGE-WELL NCE website: www.agewell-nce.ca

LOOKING FORWARD

AGE-WELL will steadfastly continue to drive innovation, from groundbreaking research to real-world implementation. Let’s seize the opportunity that technology offers to empower older Canadians to lead healthy, independent and engaged lives, while ensuring that Canada’s AgeTech ecosystem thrives in years ahead.”

Dr.

Alex Mihailidis, scientific director and CEO, AGE-WELL

The Honourable Raymond Cho, Ontario Minister for Seniors and Accessibility (L), with Dr. Alex Mihailidis, scientific director and CEO, AGE-WELL

NETWORK COMMUNITY

as of October 2024

AGE-WELL NATIONAL INNOVATION HUBS

Advancing Policies and Practices in Technology and Aging (APPTA), Fredericton, N.B.

Daniel Dutton, Scientific Director

Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN), Prince George, B.C.

Shannon Freeman, Academic Director

Richard McAloney, Director

Circle Innovation, Vancouver, B.C.

Sylvain Moreno, Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director

Sensors and Analytics for Monitoring Mobility and Memory (SAM 3), Ottawa, Ont.

Bruce Wallace, Executive Director

STARTUP AFFILIATES

Able Innovations

Adrenalease

AltumView

Amintro

Axtion

Azimut Medical

Bisep

Blue Pier

Braze Mobility

Centivizer

Choro

CuraConnect

Curovate

Domilia

Easa Therapeutics Inc.

ElderPRIME

ElephasCare AI

Enable Analytics

eTreatMD

EvokeHealth

Fallyx

GERAS Dance

Gotcare

Hexoskin

Hyivy Health

HippoCamera

ImaginAble Solutions

Incluzia Inc.

IXIA

Lighthouse

Lisnen

LivingSafe

Marlena Books

MAXminder

(formerly Top of Mind)

Medly

Medtech-Motion

Memory on Hand

Mobisafe System

MouvMat/CatalystX

MyChirp

MyMatchWork

Nano-lit

Nightingale.ai

Niuz

OPEN Collaboration for Cognitive Accessibility

Orthosium

PhysioBiometrics

PragmaClin

Press-IR

Project Whitecard Digital

Prova Innovations

Qoltom

Quantum Robotic Systems

Root & Seed

Singular Hearing

Social Robots

Stabilo

Steadiwear

StrongerU Senior Fitness

TAGLAB Startup

Tenera

TherAppX

Thriving.ai Inc.

Tochtech Technologies

True Angle Medical Tech

Tuktu

uCarenet Technologies

UVX

Virtual Gym

VitalTracer

Welbi

WeTraq

NETWORK

INVESTIGATORS - Directly funded by AGE-WELL

Arlene Astell, The KITE Research Institute at University Health Network

Claudine Auger, Université de Montréal

Ron Baecker, University of Toronto

Clive Baldwin, St. Thomas University

Morgan Barense, University of Toronto

Marla Beauchamp, McMaster University

Beno Benhabib, University of Toronto

Colin Bennett, University of Victoria

Krista Best, Université Laval

Nathalie Bier, Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal

Ryan Billinger, George Brown College

Jennifer Boger, University of Waterloo

Mélanie Bourassa Forcier, Université de Sherbrooke

Ian Bruce, McMaster University

Joseph Cafazzo, University Health Network

Jennifer Campos, KITE – UHN

Mark Chignell, University of Toronto

Virginie Cobigo, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Theodore Cosco, Simon Fraser University

Andrew Costa, McMaster University

Karen Courtney, University of Victoria

Amine Choukou, University of Manitoba

Hilmi Dajani, University of Ottawa

Charles-Étienne Daniel, Université de Sherbrooke

Albert Danison, George Brown College

Tilak Dutta, University of Toronto

Daniel Dutton, University of New Brunswick

Qiyin Fang, McMaster University

Janet Fast, University of Alberta

Joseph Ferenbok, University of Toronto

Martin Ferguson-Pell, University of Alberta

Geoff Fernie, KITE – UHN

Alex Ferworn, Toronto Metropolitan University

Shannon Freeman, University of Northern British Columbia

Sylvain Giroux, Université de Sherbrooke

Cynthia Goh, University of Toronto

Kevin Golovin, University of Toronto

Rafik Goubran, Carleton University

Geoffrey Gregson, University of Alberta

Thomas Hadjistavropoulos, University of Regina

Justin Hall, University of Toronto

Maurita Harris, Wilfrid Laurier University

Jesse Hoey, University of Waterloo

Thomas Hoshizaki, University of Ottawa

Lillian Hung, University of British Columbia

Andrea Iaboni, KITE – UHN

Mirou Jaana, University of Ottawa

Jennifer Jakobi, University of British Columbia

Jalila Jbilou, University of Moncton

Charlotte Jones, University of British Columbia

Jeffrey Jutai, University of Ottawa

Dahlia Kairy, Université de Montréal

Monika Kastner, University of Toronto

Karen Kendall, Acadia University

Shehroz Khan, KITE – UHN

Nazir Kherani, University of Toronto

Susan Kirkland, Dalhousie University

Frank Knoefel, Bruyère Research Institute

Kristina Kokorelias, Sinai Health

Pia Kontos, KITE – UHN

Victor Kuperman, McMaster University

Donna Kurtz, University of British Columbia

NETWORK INVESTIGATORS - Directly funded by AGE-WELL continued

Isabelle Lacroix, Université de Sherbrooke

Andrew Laing, University of Waterloo

John Lavis, McMaster University

Gaang Lee, University of Alberta

Ofer Levi, University of Toronto

Karen Li, Concordia University

Jie Liang, Simon Fraser University

Jonathan Little, University of British Columbia

Lili Liu, University of Waterloo

Aaron Liu-Rosenbaum, Université Laval

Nancy Mayo, McGill University

Richard McAloney, University of Northern British Columbia

Rose McCloskey, University of New Brunswick

Joanna McGrenere, University of British Columbia

James McIntyre, George Brown College

Ali McManus, University of British Columbia

Josephine McMurray, Wilfrid Laurier University

François Michaud, Université de Sherbrooke

Antonio Miguel-Cruz, University of Alberta

Alex Mihailidis, KITE – UHN

Karyn Moffatt, McGill University

Sylvain Moreno, Simon Fraser University

Cosmin Munteanu, University of Toronto

Hani Naguib, University of Toronto

Goldie Nejat, University of Toronto

Megan O’Connell, University of Saskatchewan

Alexandra Papaioannou, McMaster University

Tejal Patel, University of Waterloo

Kara Patterson, KITE – UHN

Ito Peng, University of Toronto

Andrea Piccinin, University of Victoria

Milos Popovic, KITE – UHN

William Randall, St. Thomas University

Michael Reber, University Health Network

Robert Reid, Trillium Health Partners

Soham Rej, McGill University

Steven Reynolds, Simon Fraser University

Adriana Rios-Rincon, University of Alberta

Julie Robillard, University of British Columbia

Stephen Robinovitch, Simon Fraser University

Atena Roshan Fekr, KITE – UHN

François Routhier, Université Laval

Jonathan Rush, University of Victoria

Vered Shwartz, University of British Columbia

Kathryn Sibley, University of Manitoba

Luxey Sirisegaram, Sinai Health

Andrew Sixsmith, Simon Fraser University

Eleni Stroulia, University of Alberta

Babak Taati, KITE – UHN

Ada Tang, McMaster University

Neil Thomas, Bruyère Research Institute

Khai Truong, University of Toronto

James Tung, University of Waterloo

Alvaro Joffre Uribe Quevedo, University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Karen Van Ooteghem, University of Waterloo

Jennifer Walker, McMaster University

Vivian Welch, Bruyère Research Institute

Cari Whyne, University of Toronto

Michael Wilson, McMaster University

W. M. Wonham, University of Toronto

Robert Wu, UHN

Lixia Yang, Toronto Metropolitan University

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mimi Lowi-Young, (Chair) Health Care Executive and Health Systems Advisor

Barbara Stymiest, (Vice-Chair) Corporate Director

Jim Brookes, Retired Telecom Executive

Andrew Downes, Retired Physician Executive

Susan Kirkland, Professor, Dalhousie University

Anne Martin-Matthews, Associate Vice-President, Health, University of British Columbia

Alex Mihailidis, Scientific Director, AGE-WELL

Rebecca Repa, Executive Vice President, Clinical Support & Performance, Corporate Director, UHN

Ian Struthers, Retired Financial Services Executive and CEO

Robyn Tamblyn, Professor, McGill University

Bridgette Murphy, (Observer) Managing Director, AGE-WELL

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Robyn Tamblyn, (Chair) Professor, McGill University

Anthea Tinker, (Vice-Chair) Professor, King’s College London, UK

James Barlow, Professor, Imperial College Business School, UK

Yeh-Liang Hsu, Professor, Yuan Ze University, Taiwan

Jon Sanford, Professor, Georgia Tech, US

G. Burn Evans, (Observer) AGE-WELL Older Adult and Caregiver Advisory Committee

Alex Mihailidis, (Observer) Scientific Director, AGE-WELL

Bridgette Murphy, (Observer) Managing Director, AGE-WELL

Andrew Sixsmith, (Observer) Network Advisor and Challenge Area Lead, AGE-WELL

RESEARCH MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Jennifer Campos, (Chair) Associate Scientific Director, AGE-WELL

Sandra McKay, (Vice-Chair) Vice President, Research and Innovation, VHA Home HealthCare

Jim Mann, Community Member and Alzheimer’s Advocate

Rich McAloney, Director, CTAAN, University of Northern British Columbia

Cosmin Munteanu, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto

Andrew Sixsmith, Network Advisor and Challenge Area Lead, AGE-WELL

David Wright, Founder and Partner, YouAreUNLTD

Bryan Hong, Graduate Student - Doctoral, University of Toronto

Bridgette Murphy, (Observer) Managing Director, AGE-WELL

OLDER ADULT AND CAREGIVER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Ron Beleno, (Co-Chair) Ontario Region Representative

Sherry Baker, (Co-Chair), Pacific Region Representative

Caron Leid, (Vice-Chair), Ontario Region Representative

Phil Davis, Ontario Region Representative

Marjorie Moulton, Pacific Region Representative

G. Burn Evans, West-Central Region Representative

Chaitali Desai, Ontario Region Representative

Olive Bryanton, Atlantic Region Representative

Nicole Voisin, (Observer) Administration and Operations Coordinator

Bridgette Murphy, (Observer) Managing Director, AGE-WELL

HQP ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Bryan Hong (President) Graduate Student - Doctoral, University of Toronto

Jaisie Sin, (Vice-President) Graduate Student - Doctoral, University of Toronto

Lyne Ouellet, Graduate Student - Doctoral, University of New Brunswick

Amel Yaddaden, Graduate Student - Doctoral, Université de Montréal

Hui Chen, Graduate Student – Doctoral, Université de Sherbrooke

Cristina Getson, Graduate Student – Doctoral, University of Toronto

Kelsey Haczkewicz, Graduate Student – Master’s, University of Regina

Jonathan Low, Graduate Student – Master’s, University of British Columbia

Rebecca White, Graduate Student - Doctoral, Simon Fraser University

Samantha Sandassie, (Observer) Director, Education and Training, AGE-WELL

Alison Schneider, (Observer) Education and Training Manager, AGE-WELL

INDUSTRY ADVISORY GROUP

Sara Aghvami, Director, Best Buy Health

Rei Ahn, Program Research & Experience Lead, Best Buy Health

Michael Chrostowski, Director, Business Development and Partnerships, AGE-WELL

Chaitali Desai, Member, AGE-WELL Older Adult and Caregiver Advisory Committee

John Hamblin, Consultant, Smart Technology

Nicki Islic, Manager, Strategic Initiatives, CSA Group

Lindsay Jolivet, Project & Content Manager, Lumino Health

Melicent Lavers-Sailly, Director, Communications, Strategy & Stakeholder Engagement, Medtronic

Sandra McKay, Vice President, Research & Innovation, VHA Home HealthCare

Nish Sampath, National Ecosystems & Alliances, Senior Manager, Deloitte Canada

CHALLENGE AREA LEADS

Arlene Astell, University Health Network

Janet Fast, University of Alberta

Rafik Goubran, Carleton University

Don Juzwishin, University of Victoria

Frank Knoefel, Bruyère Research Institute

Lili Liu, University of Waterloo

Bill Miller, University of British Columbia

Andrew Sixsmith, Simon Fraser University

AGE-WELL ADMINISTRATION

Alex Mihailidis, Scientific Director and Chief Executive Officer

Jennifer Campos, Associate Scientific Director

Josephine McMurray, Associate Scientific Director

Bridgette Murphy, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer

Michael Chrostowski, Director, Business Development and Partnerships

Laura Laird, Research Operations Manager

Margaret Polanyi, Senior Advisor, Strategic Communications

Samantha Sandassie, Director, Education and Training

Alison Schneider, Education and Training Manager

Shalini Sethi, Finance Officer

Sydney Taylor, Project Manager

Nicole Voisin, Administration and Operations Coordinator

Meghan Wels, Communications Specialist

Annual Report Production

Editor: Margaret Polanyi

Designer: Tim Gottschick, www.bay6creative.com

Photography: Epic Photography, Geras Centre for Aging, Peter Power Photography, Warren Toda, University of Toronto News, Jeff Vinnick, Meghan Wels

AGETECH for AGING WELL

AGE-WELL

Toronto Rehab – UHN

550 University Avenue, 13th Floor Toronto, Ontario M5G 2A2 CANADA

T / 416 597 3422, ext. 7778 E / info@agewell-nce.ca www.agewell-nce.ca