YAU Magazine Issue 01

- INSIDEMOVE IT OR LOSE IT

SMART GARMENTS: THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE

GREY IS THE NEW BLACK

Age of Disruption

Compliments of

BOOMERS TAKE ON AGING AND HEALTHCARE

Our body transports approximately 7000 litres of blood back to the heart each day. Compression stockings and socks assist the venous system in overcoming the natural force of gravity and inactivity by helping veins move blood towards the heart.

The science of style.

Relieve tired, achy legs and swelling with scienti cally-engineered compression socks from . We offer medical and non-medical therapy solutions for all lifestyles. Change your socks, change your life! Visit sigvaris.com

Welcome to the UNLTD World

American Gothic is one of the most familiar paintings of the 20th century, transcending borders and lending itself to multiple interpretations and pop-culture parody.

The original composition, a dour duo standing sentry in front of their home, represents a moment in time: The house, the apron, the cameo brooch, the buttoned collar, the overalls, the round spectacles and, of course, the pitchfork, work together to tell a story about that era’s Everycouple.

So, too, does the YouAreUNLTD cover. Art director Linda Rapini set out to turn the original piece on its head, instead giving us a new couple: modern, vibrant Canadian Boomers who embody the YouAreUNLTD mindset – optimistic, empowered, informed – and are reinventing what it means to get older.

“Our couple represents the new healthcare consumer, using tools and technology to stay healthy and live well. They’re posing proudly in front of their home, where, thanks to innovations and a changing mindset, they’ll age powerfully, on their terms. It’s very inspiring.”

That’s what we’re here for – to inspire, smash stereotypes and change conversations in the context of age and care. Welcome to the new world order where Boomers aren’t patients; they’re healthcare consumers with high expectations for products, solutions, services and resources to help them age powerfully. Writer Chris Powell explores this middle-age-forever mindset and the longevity economy in our cover feature, “Age of Disruption.” Throughout this inaugural issue, you’ll discover innovations and meet compelling Canadians forging this social, cultural and technological shift.

YouAreUNLTD is committed to shining a light on evidence-based solutions in the context of aging and care. The goal is to educate, engage and empower you, as a consumer, caregiver, healthcare professional or innovator, about what it means to live without limits.

Can we live forever? That remains to be seen. But one thing’s for certain: We might as well die trying.

-

Michelle

Michelle Warren | Editor

EDITOR’S

FAVOURITE QUOTE -

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

-Margaret Mead

WARREN

PHOTO // JAIME HOGGE

Michelle Warren | Editor

Dissecting the Cover

Must-have accessories for the new healthcare consumer

Smartphone

78 percent of Canadians aged 51 to 60 own a smartphone: Apps and other mobile health technologies monitor wellness, while caregiver apps help with everything from pain-tracking to organizing everyday tasks.

AliveCor Kardiamobile

With this medical-grade EKG recording device you can check in with your heart and share important health data. www.alivecor.com

READ: BY THE NUMBERS, PG. 33

Age of Disruption

Yoga Mat Movement, including yoga and Pilates, is the perfect tonic for the aging body.

READ: MOVE IT OR LOSE IT, PG. 13

Smartwatch

Wearables help screen, track and manage health conditions, and can even automate and monitor smart home technologies.

POP QUIZ: WHAT ARE THESE NUMBERS? PG. 33

Muse is wearable brain-sensing headband is your personal meditation assistant. It helps calm a busy mind, which offers a myriad of science-based health benefits from reducing anxiety to improving sleep and energy levels.

www.choosemuse.com

WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE…

Sensor-based Underwear

Adrenalease promotes healthy posture with an array of sensor-based smart clothing, including bras and undershirts, while Myant offers Skiin, a line of smart underwear.

READ: STYLISH AND FUNCTIONAL, PG. 40

Ingestible Pill Sensors

These pills contain sensors that monitor medication adherence and transfer data to a wearable patch for wellness monitoring.

READ: GAME CHANGERS, PG. 12

Stylish Sun Safety

L’Oréal’s UV Sense looks like nail art, but it’s a tiny, battery-free sensor. It detects and tracks ultraviolet exposure, transfers data to an app on your smartphone and provides tips for managing sun intake. This is the first in a series of wearable technology accessories from L’Oréal: available in the US summer 2018 and globally in 2019.

Credits

PHOTOGRAPHER // Adrian Armstrong

AGENCY: FUZE REPS

WARDROBE // Skye Kelton

HAIR + MAKEUP // Ashley Readings

AGENCY: PLUTINO GROUP

MODEL AGENCY: B&M

ON THE WEB

Behind the scenes: Get the inside scoop on the photo shoot

www.youareunltd.com > WHAT’S NEW

BOOMERS IN CANADA

• 9.6 million Boomers comprise 29 percent of the population

• 1 In 4 adults are unpaid care providers: about half are 45 to 65 (prime earning years) and contribute more than $25 billion in unpaid labour to the healthcare system

• 83 percent plan to stay in their own home and pay for care as needed during their retirement years

GPS Crisis Averted Healthcare navigators steer caregivers in the right direction

CURRENTINNOVATORS

Technology

Analyzes Speech to Detect Alzheimer’s A glimpse into the minds of dementia researchers

WHITE COAT

The Great Debate: Pharmacy and the well-informed patient

PATHWAYS

Passion on the Fly Canadians swap typical “fly and fry” sun holidays for healthier pursuits

BENCH MARK

Unlimited Attitude: Senator Chantal Petitclerc

COMEBACK Resilience, Recovery and Reaping the Rewards

Inspiring stories of living well in the face of health challenges

CURRENTINNOVATIONS

Cars Have Sensors, Why Can’t Wheelchairs?

Braze Mobility gives wheelchair users a new “sense” of independence

AGE-WELL Technology through the ages ‘We ain’t seen nothing yet’

WALLET Dead Rich? No, Thanks Boomers invest in healthy aging

DIGITAL EDITION

Read Issue 01 online at www.youareunltd.com

CLICK Connect with the YouAreUNLTD community

PUBLISHER & CO-FOUNDERS

SIR2N PARTNERS INC.

Anne Marie Wright, Bonnie Hall, David Wright

MANAGING EDITOR

Michelle Warren

michelle.warren@youareunltd.com

ART DIRECTOR

Linda Rapini linda@youareunltd.com

DIRECTOR OF

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

Derek Estey destey@ensembleiq.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Mike Kimpton mkimpton@ensembleiq.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Daniel Alexander, Adrian Armstrong, Jane Auster, Gurminder Banga, David Brown, Lianne Castelino, Dr. Elaine Chin, Alexandre Claude, Francine Geraci, Jaime Hogge, Virginia Miles, Sue Nador, Katherine O’Brien, Chris Powell, Ted Rechtshaffen, Dawn Richards, Michele Sponagle, Karen Welds, Jasmine Williams and Lesley Young

SALES

CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Bonnie Hall bonniehall@sir2n.com

VICE PRESIDENT, SALES

Neil Sharma neil@youareunltd.com

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS & MARKETING

CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER

Anne Marie Wright annemariewright@sir2n.com

OPERATIONS & PRODUCTION

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

David Wright davidwright@sir2n.com

MANAGING DIRECTOR, DIGITAL

Cass Enright cass@youareunltd.com

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

Heidi Avery heidi@youareunltd.com

DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER

Michele Sponagle michele.sponagle@youareunltd.com

SOCIAL MEDIA & COMMUNITY MANAGER

Karen Kwan karen@youareunltd.com

YOUAREUNLTD.com

@youareunltd

LEAD INSTITUTIONAL SPONSOR:

LEAD BRAND SPONSOR:

Canada’s Technology and Aging Network

YouAreUNLTD is a trademark of Sir2N Partners Inc. 1205-3230 Yonge St. Toronto Ontario M4N 3P6. Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

YouAreUNLTD is designed and produced by EnsembleIQ Canada’s custom division; publications mail agreement no. 42940023. This magazine is printed in Canada at Transcontinental*.

The YouAreUNLTD magazine and its content are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws under both Canadian and foreign laws. None of the content may be distributed, copied, reproduced, republished, posted in any other work of publication (whether in hard copy/print, electronic/digital, online, or any other form) without express written consent of Sir2N Partners Inc. Contact: publisher@youareunltd.com. Unauthorized use of YouAreUNLTD’s content may violate copyright or other intellectual property laws.

The views expressed by contributors, and claims made by interviewees and/or companies, are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or staff at YouAreUNLTD. The Publisher, editor, staff at YouAreUNLTD and the sponsors and all other contributors of YouAreUNLTD including, without limitation, Wellwise by Shoppers Drug Mart, AGE-WELL and all other contributing sponsors do not endorse the products, services and points of view mentioned in the YouAreUNLTD magazine. The presence of advertising or a sponsor logo in the YouAreUNLTD magazine does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement by YouAreUNLTD, nor is it a guarantee for the quality, value or effectiveness of any products, services or methods advertised by YouAreUNLTD’s sponsors.

All YouAreUNLTD content is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is intended to provide readers with resources and information that they may find useful and of interest. The content is not intended to provide medical advice and, to the extent that medical advice is required, readers should consult with qualified medical professionals.

All YouAreUNLTD content is provided on an “as is” basis without any representation, warranty or condition, whether express or implied, statutory or otherwise, as to quality, accuracy, completeness, legality, currency, reliability, efficacy or fitness for a particular purpose. YouAreUNLTD and the sponsors of YouAreUNLTD including Wellwise by Shoppers Drug Mart, AGE-WELL, and all other sponsors and contributors shall have no liability, whether direct, indirect, consequential, contingent, special or incidental, related to or arising from YouAreUNLTD’s content or the use thereof, whether based on breach of contract or tort, including without limitation negligence, infringement of intellectual property rights, strict liability, breach of warranty, failure of essential purpose, fundamental breach or otherwise, even if advised on the possibility thereof.

YouAreUNLTD provides links to various websites only as a convenience and not as an endorsement. These websites were independently developed by parties other than Sir2N Partners Inc. and Sir2N Partners Inc. assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or appropriateness of the information contained in such sites. If you decide to access linked third party web sites, you do so at your own risk.

Living with vitality, purpose and boundless enthusiasm to learn and try new things.

—lianne

Spending quality time with family and friends –laughing, debating, reminiscing and fixing the world’s problems accompanied by good food and wine. One more World Series win by the Detroit Tigers would be the icing on the cake.

—chris

Remaining interesting to myself. I have cultivated diverse friendships across age groups, invested in continuing education and remain physically active with kickboxing.

—sue

Lianne Castelino is an award-winning broadcast journalist and host. Passionate about the craft of writing and storytelling, she is an experienced communications and public relations professional within the healthcare sphere. Lianne is also an entrepreneur with a digital media and video production company.

Chris Powell is a Toronto-based writer whose career pre-dates the dot-com era. He has interviewed everyone from Mike Babcock to Mike Myers, as well as hundreds of other people not named Mike. His work has appeared in consumer magazines including Reader’s Digest, Today’s Parent, Maclean’s and Canadian Business, as well as Leafs and Raptors magazines.

Sue Nador divides her time between Toronto and Ottawa. She often writes about middle-age relationships, and her work appears in Hu ngton Post, Corporate Knights, is Magazine, LiisBeth, VIA Rail, eHarmony Canada and others. Her blog, e Relationship Deal, has a loyal following. She and her husband have two grown sons and a golden doodle they spoil rotten in their empty nest.

What does aging well mean to you?

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To learn more, visit LoseYourReaders.ca or visit your eye care professional to learn more.

READERS LOSE YOUR

live

Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been.

-David Bowie

game changers

5 Fast-Forward Global Innovations

1 RED PILL, BLUE PILL, DIGITAL PILL…

It sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but ingestible pill sensors are here and being touted for treating a wide range of conditions, as well as health and wellness monitoring. ese pills contain sensors that tell caregivers when and if you’ve taken medication - ideal for people with cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and also those with mental health issues. While several companies are developing products and technologies, Abilify MyCite is the first digital pill to receive FDA approval: When a person ingests a dose, sensors in the pill activate and send a message to a wearable patch, which communicates to a mobile app, enabling healthcare professionals and family members to track information and support medication adherence.

2 TALK TO ME IN A LANGUAGE I CAN UNDERSTAND

A new tool is designed to make digital health information more accessible to Canadians by instantly transforming online text to a person’s reading level. “ is has the potential to impact millions of older Canadians, revolutionize how they interact with information online and improve decision-making shared between patients, caregivers and healthcare providers,” says project lead Dr. Cosmin Munteanu, an assistant professor at the Institute for Communication, Culture, Information and Technology at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

Supported by AGE-WELL, the browser plug-in is a joint effort of the Technologies for Aging

Gracefully lab at the University of Toronto and Heuristext Inc. e initial prototype uses one accessible reading level, but with the help of partner Skritswap, additional elements are in the works so that users can control readability. When this product comes to market it will empower older Canadians88 percent of whom have low health literacy and struggle to understand online health information - by translating often-complex medical information into lay terms.

3 CAPTURING AND CONNECTING WITH GREYMATTERS

GreyMatters is a revolutionary app that aims to change the quality of life and improve connections between people living with dementia and their caregivers. e customizable app enables users to load and arrange significant music, photos and stories specific to someone’s life and arrange these memories in a user-friendly storybook format. In addition, the user can tap into preloaded pop-culture content, such as top songs or film clips, which are relevant to the person living with dementia. Founder and CEO Jennifer Rozbruch came up with the idea after watching her mom use favourites stories, photos and music to connect with her grandmother, who lived with vascular dementia. Rozbruch is updating the app with a family-sharing feature so that people can add content to timelines and stories, even if they are living far away. www.greymatterstous.com

4 WATCH WHAT YOU SAY; KOHLER NUMI TOILET ISN’T JUST FOR THE 1%

At first glance, Kohler’s Numi voice-activated toilet seems like a new toy for the person who has everything (it will retail for more than $10,000), but dig a little deeper and there are tangible wellness benefits. For instance, its integrated bidet wand offers a convenient and independent hygiene option for people with limited range of movement. Of course, the promised mood lighting, foot warmer, music playback and deodorizer are nice touches, too.

5 TURN BACK

TIME

How old are you on the inside? Find out with iHeart, a tool to help people measure internal age and aortic stiffness, an indicator of overall health. e wearable device attaches to your fingertip to record arterial pulsations and feeds data to an app that calculates your internal age. You can use the health and wellness educational tool to monitor your body and adopt behaviours to lower your internal age, thereby reducing risk of disease.

www.goiheart.com

Move It or Lose It

The indisputable link between mobility and successful aging

BY LIANNE CASTELINO

Ten years into retirement, Patricia Skidmore is still in awe of her ability to make change and lead an active life. Her outlook wasn’t always so hopeful. In her 50s, Skidmore, professor emeritus, Brescia College at the University of Western Ontario, was riddled with pain and resigned to hip replacement or back surgery.

“I thought I was headed for a wheelchair,” says Skidmore, who lives in London, ON. To compound her health woes, she discovered she had diabetes – a worrying diagnosis, but also the catalyst that spurred her to re-examine her lifestyle.

“My mother died slowly of diabetes and it took everything from her, one by one. By the time she died, she was blind, she was on kidney dialysis and she couldn’t feel anything (having lost sensation in her legs),” says Skidmore, who vowed to enjoy, not endure, her life. All the research pointed in the same direction – she had to get moving: “I could see that I would be sedentary if I didn’t do something.”

The science of movement

“Try aging successfully without movement. It doesn’t happen.” Colin Milner, the Vancouver-based founder of the International Council on Active Aging, has been repeating this mantra for more than 20 years.

“We have the mechanism within us to move, not to sit, not to lie down all the time. e hunters and gatherers, the way they survived was moving, chasing, and the same applies today.”

Recognized by the World Economic Forum as being “one of the most innovative and influential minds” on the planet when it comes to aging, Milner is inspired by his grandmother, now 106 years old.

“ e research shows that between the ages of 35 and 75, we lose about 50 percent of our strength and 75 percent of our power if we are inactive,” says Milner. “ at’s one of the reasons you see many people, as they get older, struggle to

Twalk upright, because they are not strong. eir steps are farther apart and they are just not stable.”

Milner’s company is the epicentre of a global network spanning more than 35 countries and several thousand organizations, all striving to positively affect how people age.

“Any kind of movement is important,” he stresses. “ ings like tai chi are great for balance. Dancing is fantastic for balance and your brain, because when you’re dancing you are having to think about all the moves you’re doing.”

Aging on the move

ree mornings a week from 6:45 to 8:00 am, a group of 20 men and women gather for an exercise class run by the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging (CCAA). Among them are teachers, office workers, police officers, business people and others.

Founded in 1989, the CCAA develops exercise and leadership programs for older adults, pairing cutting-edge research carried out by the Faculty of Health Sciences at Western with training fitness instructors to understand this demographic.

“Many of the instructors are older themselves. ey really know their stuff,” says Skidmore, now in her 10th year of attending classes. “Every now and then they’ll change one of the exercises, have us do it differently because some research has come out and shown a better way.”

e class follows a routine: warm-up (5 minutes), cardio (30 minutes), weights (20 minutes), balance and stretching (15 minutes). All data, including progress, is charted.

Skidmore is now the poster child for positive movement. “I walk with no pain at all, and it used to hurt with a bad hip and a bad back. I sleep well because the back isn’t killing me,” she says, adding that her balance is better and she continues to enjoy gardening and horseback riding. “I’m very active, physically capable of doing what I want to do.”

e hair colour du jour is grey – preferably a silky silver. It was once startling among middle-aged celebrities; think Jamie Lee Curtis’s debut more than 10 years ago. Today, platinum hair is practically celebrated among those in pop culture, from trendsetters like Rihanna to the real deal, namely powerful stars, like Helen Mirren, John Slattery and Canadian model Maye Musk, who embrace the bold, eye-catching look. For those who choose to flaunt their natural hue, it’s a strong statement: Aging isn’t something to hide, but celebrate in all its sexiness.

Carlene Higgins, founding editor of Beholdr, a website on style for women over 35, points out how grey has become increasingly mainstream: Instagram posts of stunning greyhaired women by Princess Diana’s famous hairstylist, Sam McKnight; Sarah Harris, a Vogue UK editor with cool grey hair, who stars in a Redken campaign; and more relatable women documenting their journeys, such as Alex Fulton, an interior designer based in New Zealand, who shares her experiences on Instagram. “Inclusivity is definitely trending in marketing right now. However, the hope is that self-acceptance, such as going grey, represents a shift in attitudes rather than a fleeting fantasy,” says Higgins. While feeling empowered to embrace your natural beauty may drive your decision to take the leap, here are a few key considerations to mull over before shedding your existing colour.

Change more than hair colour

“Going grey is a good thing to explore, but it’s about timing and colouring,” says Vancouver image strategist Patti Morrison. People who fall into a blue or cool skin tone camp (you tend to wear black, navy, white and jewel

tones) will look gorgeous in grey hair, she says. But if you fall into a yellow or warm skin tone group (you tend to wear cream, brown, beiges, yellows and orange), you’re going to have to make some changes to your wardrobe and make-up to make grey hair work for you, according to Morrison. “I’ll work with those clients to add more black as a base into their wardrobe and encourage them to visit a make-up store to play around making peachy make-up more pink.”

Embracing the transition

For many, going grey is about ending the battle with dyeing their hair and reclaiming time, not to mention money. “ e vast majority of women who come into the salon wanting grey are sick and tired of colouring their hair all the time,” says Raphael Ness, master colourist and co-founder of Toronto’s Colour Lab. But if you’ve been dyeing your hair brown or black or red, colouring it grey to hide roots as it grows out isn’t the best strategy. “It’s not impossible,” he explains, “but by the time I bleach out the layers of red to get it to chicken yellow in order to tone it grey, your hair will break off in a brush. I break hearts every day in the salon with this news.”

“As someone who has had dark hair for most of my life, I would say going blonde first might be a good baby step toward going all the way grey,” says Higgins. “With blonde hair there’s less contrast, so it’s easier to blend, and it’s a way of mentally preparing yourself for a lighter look overall. en you can tiptoe more and more into ashier shades, highlights and eventually, all grey, only if you like.”

“It’s easier for men to go grey because their hair tends to be shorter,” admits Ness, who does have a trick for

Choosing grey is sexy and inspiring, no matter your age

BY LESLEY YOUNG

“Inclusivity is definitely trending in marketing right now. However, the hope is that self-acceptance, such as going grey, represents a shift in attitudes rather than a fleeting fantasy.”

‒Carlene Higgins, founding editor of Beholdr

managing the transition. Using a semi-permanent hair colour instead of permanent will help mask roots as they come in, while allowing you to let the natural grey show when you’re ready.

Pulling off the look

Are you ready? Attitudes are shifting, and going grey is part of a larger movement to lead a more authentic life. Why fight it when you can rock it?

All the experts agree that going grey necessitates the right cut. “A fabulous haircut is so important, as well as using product to style it,” says Morrison.

“ e reality is that silver hair is quite neutral, so contrast works really well with that sort of face framing,” says Higgins. For women, wearing warm lip glosses will help on days you don’t feel like making a big statement, while on days when you do, go for a vibrant lipstick like coral or a rich burgundy. “Likewise with clothing, rich pastels and solid colours such as navy or even army green are going to flatter your look best. But if you are more into blackand-white basics, try graphic prints, such as stripes, when you want to liven up your look.”

Most importantly, she says, “Anyone can go grey at any age these days; it’s really about owning it. And remember, if you wear your new look for awhile and just don’t feel like yourself, you can always dye it back. It’s just hair, and it’s your choice.”

The 50/50/50 factor: 50 percent of the global population has 50 percent grey hair by age 50.

CARE FOR GREY HAIR

As your hair turns grey, you’ll notice a different texture, tending more toward thick and wiry. That’s partly because the scalp produces less oil as we age. However, there’s plenty you can do to make your hair look and feel its best. There’s an entire category of products designed to enhance and hydrate grey and white hair.

• Use a hydrating shampoo and conditioner designed for dry hair.

• Look for something that fights frizz.

• Grey can take on a yellowish cast, so keep it vibrant with a silverspecific shampoo.

• Consider a leave-in conditioner to smooth wayward strands.

• Avoid styling products containing alcohol, as it tends to dry.

• Apply a deep conditioner at least once a week.

GREY GENES

Going grey is largely linked to genetics. As for blaming stress, sorry – there is no scientific proof. Occasionally, premature greying can be triggered by an underlying medical condition, such as a thyroid issue, anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency or vitiligo, which causes skin and hair to lose pigment cells. But chances are, if you’re 55 and you have grey hair, you’ve earned it.

WHY GREY?

Grey hair is a combination of normally pigmented hair alongside white hair. Individual strands turn white when follicles stop producing melanin, the pigmentation cells responsible for hair colour

AGE OF AGE OF

D I S R U P T I O N D I S R U P T I O N

Boomers take on aging and healthcare

BY CHRIS POWELL

Baby Boomers have left an indelible imprint upon everything from popular culture to science and technology, business and key issues such as women’s rights, sexism and civil rights. Now they are breaking down one of the last remaining obstacles in their path: aging.

Loosely defined as those people born in the post-war period stretching from 1946 to 1964, Boomers comprise a large and immensely powerful segment of the global population.

ey are celebrated for giving the world everything from the Beatles (though technically John, Paul, George and Ringo were all born before the end of World War II) to Stephen Hawking and the Jarvik 7 implantable artificial heart.

ey are also criticized by younger generations, particularly the Millennials, for advancing conspicuous consumption and the birth of the “Me Generation.” Yet arguably, no group possesses the unique combination of resolve, stubbornness and, yes, self-interest required to change the thinking around age and aging.

ere are an estimated 1.6 billion people aged 50 or older in the world, and that number is expected to double over the next three decades as improved healthcare and growing awareness of the importance of diet and exercise extend human life.

e typical human lifespan increased by 30 years during the 20th century, according to the World Health Organization. In Canada, life expectancy at birth is now 81.1 years, and 20.2 years at age 65.

is longer lifespan is defined not by a longer period of extreme old age, but extended middle age – prolonging the time that people are at their most creative and productive. e Financial Times recently identified over-50s as the “new business start-up generation,” while a 2016 report from the UK’s Centre for Ageing Better stated that older workers “are vital for the future of the economy.”

While North American society has historically discounted and marginalized older people – think how advertisers tend to group people 55 and over into a single, homogenous entity – Boomers are sweeping aside the notion that life after 50 is a gradual decline into irrelevance.

If jolly old St. Nick represents what aging and old age looked like for the Greatest Generation and the Silent Generation, then Canada’s hugely popular “Fashion Santa” – a dapper, debonair figure originally portrayed by the 50-plus model Paul Mason – might reasonably be considered the Boomer equivalent. His hair might be grey, but he’s not wearing sandals with socks or spending his days and nights in front of the TV.

Canada’s 9.6 million Boomers account for more than a quarter (29 percent) of the population, but this 50-plus crowd is redefining the accepted notion of what “old age” looks like.

THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 1.6 BILLION PEOPLE AGED 50 OR OLDER IN THE WORLD

“Fashion Santa” Paul Mason

there are an estimated 1.6 billion people aged 50 or older in the world

PHOTO // PAUL MASON MANAGEMENT

The longevity economy

Research suggests that these older Canadians intend to work longer (30 percent of Canadians aged 65 to 69 have either a full- or part-time job, according to Statistics Canada), live better, keep moving and stay sharp.

anks to a steadfast refusal to accept the conventional notion of aging, they are a powerful consumer demographic, reshaping such industries as travel (the Canadian Tourism Research Institute predicts that people 55 and older will be the main pleasure travel market in the next decade, spending $35 million a year) and automobiles (think of heated seats that can alleviate arthritis symptoms, as well as automatic tailgates, lumbar support and autonomous vehicles).

A recent report by the Media Technology Monitors found that 66 percent of older Boomers (defined as people 61 to 71) and 78 percent of younger Boomers (51 to 60) own a smartphone, while 58 percent of younger Boomers are likely to own a tablet, and 41 percent are likely to own a console video game system such as PlayStation or Xbox.

e upshot is that Boomers continue to be active consumers well beyond the traditional retirement age. e combined economic impact of the world’s 50-plus population has been pegged at $15 trillion US, making the so-called “longevity economy” the third largest economy in the world, behind only the US and China.

is, in turn, gives rise to unprecedented opportunities for new business models, products and services designed to respond to the changing conversations and expectations about aging, as well as healthcare.

The new healthcare consumer

Getting older is inextricably tied to health issues, and the sheer size of the Boomer population means that pressure on Canada’s healthcare system will continue to build in the coming decades.

It has been referred to as a “grey tsunami,” but that is something of a misnomer. Rather than destroying everything in its path, the Boomer generation is actually remaking the healthcare system according to its own wants and needs.

Boomers have grown accustomed to getting things their way, and healthcare is no different: e family doctor is no longer the only authority, but a healthcare collaborator; long wait times for the ER or specialists are unacceptable; and Boomers are increasingly pushing for solutions that will allow them to maintain an active lifestyle and age at home.

According to a survey by the Royal Bank of Canada, 83 percent of Canadian Boomers want to stay in their own home and pay for care as needed as they head into their retirement years.

Dawn Richards, volunteer vice president of the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, an advocacy group working to increase both public and political awareness of arthritis (which afflicts 33.2 percent

e new healthcare consumer expects more from the retail experience. ey don’t want to have the same old conversations around aging.

eresa Firestone, SVP, healthcare businesses for Shoppers Drug Mart

of women and 21.3 percent of men between the ages of 55 and 64), says that Boomers are actively involved in creating a better system.

“As we age, we need to understand the right and responsibility of taking care of ourselves,” she says. “You need to ask questions … [and] look to other healthcare professionals, like your pharmacist, to provide information.”

Richards is currently working on projects to help design studies that drive improved patient outcomes. “It’s important to communicate with researchers and companies about what it’s like to live with different issues so they can develop better studies and better products,” she says. “You have to be your own advocate, and part of that is taking responsibility for, and control of, your life, understanding what you can control, and making that part of your daily routine.”

When Dr. Laurent Marcoux took over as president of the Canadian Medical Association, he noted in the organization’s official journal, CMAJ, that “(t)he mindset is different than before, and we are the ones who serve the patients. We have to put the interests and the needs of our patients as a whole before our own.”

Empowering aging consumers

Changing attitudes toward health and healthcare are giving rise to new opportunities for businesses to connect with Boomers on their terms. Research shows Canadians want to take charge of the way they age, therefore are seeking products and services that enable them to respond to their specific lifestyles and challenges.

A new store concept introduced by Shoppers Drug Mart called Wellwise fills that gap, offering a wide variety of products and services for people who want to stay active and well, from weekend warriors to Boomers and caregivers.

eresa Firestone, senior vice president, healthcare businesses for Shoppers Drug Mart, says the store’s concept is defined not by illness, but wellness – an important distinction.

“We are more than a store; we are a solutions provider,” says Firestone. “ at spans everything from our product selection to education programs, training our staff to understand the demographic, and having experts on hand to consult on diet, sleep, mobility aids, exercise and more. It’s big-picture wellness, and the focus is on helping people live active, healthy lives.”

In addition, Wellwise offers an array of personalized home solutions that promote mobility (ramps, stair rails) and home comfort (bathroom safety, lift chairs), with a strong design aesthetic – such as bath benches in a variety of finishes – that appeals to style-conscious Boomers.

Shoppers has also worked hard to ensure that Boomers, who are notoriously prickly about being regarded as old, don’t perceive Wellwise as what Firestone calls an “old people’s store.”

Instead, it employs a bright, modern aesthetic that encourages customers to examine and try out products, while tech-savvy Boomers can shop online at www.wellwise.ca. “ e new healthcare consumer expects more from the retail experience,” says Firestone. “ ey don’t want to have the same old conversations around aging.”

is longer lifespan is de ned not by a longer period of extreme old age, but extended middle age – prolonging the time that people are at their most creative and productive.

Healthcare is an area where AI is already playing a significant role. According to venture capital database CB Insights, about 86 percent of healthcare providers, life science companies and tech-focused healthcare companies currently have some form of involvement with AI, which has multiple applications – from improving drug discovery, to diagnosing eye diseases, to early detection of diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Toronto futurist Jesse Hirsh is enthused by technology’s ability to facilitate better health, saying it has the potential to change the conversation around aging and healthcare. “It can make everyone’s life easier, and allow caregivers to focus on the human side of caregiving instead of the logistical aspects.”

Caregivers rise to the challenge

Caregivers are a key constituency in the aging equation: An estimated one in four Canadians is an unpaid caregiver for a loved one.

According to Carers Canada, half of these caregivers are between the ages of 45 and 65 (their peak earning years) and contribute more than $25 billion in unpaid labour to the healthcare system. According to Statistics Canada, 61 percent of caregivers are juggling work and caregiving responsibilities.

ese caregivers tend to be younger and more tech-savvy than their predecessors, with a greater expectation of the role that technology can play in healthcare.

Changing the system for everyone

From healthcare professionals to patients and caregivers, no segment of today’s healthcare system is immune to the transformative power of technology. In a world where information about every ailment is readily available via Dr. Google, the system has no choice but to adapt.

Patients in some jurisdictions already have the ability to book a doctor’s appointment online, and can even access test results and medical records via the web. ese developments are merely the tip of the iceberg.

Segments as diverse as retail, publishing and music have all been radically transformed by technology, and healthcare is no different. ere is one key difference, however: Unlike those industries, healthcare isn’t changing to meet the demands of youth, but the requirements of the over-50 crowd.

Boomers have been criticized in the past for their influence on every element of society. Yet, they are bringing about changes that will benefit not only themselves, but also future generations.

ON THE WEB

Boomers are changing healthcare; is your practice ready?

www.youareunltd.com

No group possesses the unique combination of resolve, stubbornness and, yes, self-interest required to change the thinking around age and aging.

since you asked

Numbers

Staying healthy is in the hands of Doctor You

The question: Why is it important to know my lab numbers and how can I use them to benefit my overall health?

Information is power. If you’re looking for a picture of your true total health and what the future may hold, it’s all in your numbers.

What numbers? Your health numbers revealed by simple tests – many of which you can do at home on a regular basis. Once you know your numbers, you can put that knowledge to work to achieve optimal health.

For the first time in history, there are more citizens over age 65 than under the age of 15. e “grey tsunami” has arrived. Early in my practising career (30 years ago), I realized that many patients in long-term care facilities didn’t know how to take better care of themselves throughout their adult lives. is lack of knowledge resulted in disability and disease in later life.

Today, however, we have the knowledge and diagnostic tools to be proactive. Many healthcare challenges are manageable if we adopt proven low-cost, healthy lifestyle behaviours to reduce our chances of getting sick.

139/89

low or high blood pressure? ON THE

WEB

To find out, read our guide to measuring, monitoring and maintaining a healthy blood pressure

www.youareunltd.com > CARE

The Case for Home Health Tests

How to monitor your numbers

From traditional devices, such as scales, glucose metres and blood pressure cuffs available in pharmacies, to smart and wearable devices to track and analyze your heart rate, breathing and lifestyle behaviours in real time, there are plenty of ways to track and monitor your own numbers. Using at-home kits – I have a comprehensive product called Health in a Box (www.healthinabox.com), however there are many kits available online – you can test your blood, saliva and urine to measure blood sugar levels, hormones, nutrient levels and even discover genetic predispositions.

Using your precise medical data, you can then create a personalized health plan with help from healthcare professionals.

You can live healthier and longer. It’s up to Doctor You.

Email your questions to: editorial@youareunltd.com

In Canada, many people are sun deprived. This can result in vitamin D deficiency, which is associated with depression, bone pain and muscle weakness. Testing is not usually included in routine medical screening, so it’s easy to miss. Measuring your level of vitamin D through at-home testing helps determine whether you need a supplement, especially during the winter months.

Dr. Elaine Chin is a practising medical doctor, health coach and bestselling author of Lifelines: Unlock the Secrets of Your Telomeres for a Longer, Healthier Life. She’s passionate about helping people live longer, more rewarding, and disease- and disability-free lives. Visit her blog. www.drelainechin.com.

Yes. I live with dementia. Let me help you understand.

I was diagnosed when I was 45. I love to watch sunsets with my partner. I’m Mary Beth.

LEAR N MORE AT I live with dementia .ca #I live with dementia

empower

Aging is not lost youth, but a new stage of opportunity and strength.

-Betty Friedan

YOUNG CAREGIVERS OF PARENTS WITH ALZHEIMER’S

BY SUE NADOR

I didn’t think I’d be changing my mom’s diapers, brushing her teeth and helping her sponge bath in my 20s,” Kathryn Fudurich says. The 29-year-old is talking about her 63-year-old mother’s decline following a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s almost a decade ago. “My values and priorities were just immediately changed. I feel like I have all the wisdom that people get later in life.”

Fudurich is one of the young adults in the new documentary Much Too Young: e Untold Story of Young Caregivers & Alzheimer’s. Co-directed by Christopher Wynn and Russell Gienapp, Much Too Young shows the day-today heartaches and surprising joys of caring for a once-vibrant parent. ere is also a Much Too Young virtual reality app that uses immersive storytelling to take viewers deeper into the hidden world of people with Alzheimer’s.

Wynn’s earlier film, Forgetful Not Forgotten, documented the last six years of his father’s life after his diagnosis at 57 when Wynn was in his late 20s. “I didn’t really focus on how it affected me as a younger caregiver,” says Wynn. But while promoting his film, he met several families affected by the early onset of the disease. “I thought, ‘Wow, I should really do a follow-up project,’” he says. “Even though it’s a small percentage, there’s still a lot of families dealing with this disease at a younger age.”

Much Too Young explores Alzheimer’s from a new angle. Wynn says Alzheimer’s is perceived as an old person’s disease, where the main caregiver is a spouse in their 70s or 80s with middle-aged children. With Much Too Young, he hopes to educate and engage a younger demographic, not typically interested in this topic: “If I don’t have the disease in my family and know there’s a film about other 20-yearolds, I’m more inclined to [be interested] just because they’re my age.” As he points out, the incidence of Alzheimer’s is rising dramatically, and these young adults could be future caregivers – or develop Alzheimer’s themselves.

Memory Ball co-founder, Kathryn Fudurich

Wynn credits co-director and cinematographer Gienapp for capturing the intimacy of family dynamics. None of the scenes are staged, and there were no re-takes. “He wanted to keep it organic,” Wynn says. Adding to the poignancy are reels of family movies juxtaposed with the harsher scenes of today. In one old clip, Moira Fraschetti, diagnosed at 50, is celebrating Christmas with her children. Her daughter, Kathleen Fraschetti, recalls that Christmas. Her creative engineer-turned-stay-at-home mom sewed matching fancy gowns for her and her siblings. “We had these ridiculous hats with little tassels on the ends,” she laughs. Now, Fraschetti guides her mother through the simplest of tasks, such as setting the dinner table and buttoning her blouse.

The unique challenges of young caregivers Having a parent with early-onset Alzheimer’s poses unique challenges for the young caregivers in Much Too Young. ere are time-consuming physical tasks that parents typically do for their infant children. As Fudurich patiently struggles to get her mother ready for bed, she tries to converse despite her mother’s gibbering: “Shut up, shut up. She doesn’t want her shucking jobs. She doesn’t want … johnny, johnny!”

As the young caregivers discover, their priorities change quickly. Chris Wekeles, a graduate student at the University of Toronto, explains: “Before all this happened … I had an idea of what I wanted to do. And where I wanted to go next.” But juggling his studies with caregiving is difficult. “I always feel like I’m not doing enough at the lab. And I always feel like I’m not doing enough at home,” he says. “ at’s when it’s most stressful.”

Unlike cancer, which is more in the public eye, Wynn says there is far less acceptance of Alzheimer’s and far less support. is often leaves the caregiver feeling profoundly alone.

“It’s hard for people to offer their hand or their ear for support when they have no idea what

L-R: Caregivers Gloria and Aurelie Bouliane

empower champions

it’s actually like at home,” Fudurich says. “ ey think, ‘Oh, your mom is a bit confused’ when your whole life is crumbling and being rebuilt in a completely different way.” Ironically, the one person who could have understood her pain was her mom. She used to be the “constant go-to,” Fudurich says. “She was never the person who didn’t have the answer.”

Adding to the sense of isolation, Fudurich says, are the visuals typically seen on Alzheimer’s resources – “two smiling, white-haired people with sunshine in the background.” ey remind these caregivers of their grandparents, not their parents. While there are support groups, it’s hard for younger caregivers to feel a sense of connection with other participants. Wekeles says, “I can’t relate to a caregiver who is probably my parents’ age. ey know just as much about what it’s like to be a 26-year-old as I know what it’s like to be a 60-year-old.”

Several years ago, Fudurich took matters into her own hands. With a few other young caregivers, they created the Memory Ball. is annual Toronto gala raises awareness and funding for support programs. e gala has helped young caregivers find each other. Fudurich and Fraschetti are now friends. “It’s nice to know that there are other people who are in a similar situation,” Fraschetti says. “Because before meeting Kathryn, I hadn’t known anyone who had a parent with Alzheimer’s.”

Creating empathy and action for a growing problem

Much Too Young sheds light on a growing problem. “I just think it’s an eye-opener for a lot of people,” Wynn says. Fudurich participated in a screening at a conference for healthcare professionals and was surprised that even this group had little appreciation of the reality of her family’s situation. She thinks the film does a very good job of showing what have become,

It’s a film about families; it’s a film about love and about caring.

PHOTO // ALEXANDRE CLAUDE

Co-director Christopher Wynn

of necessity, daily routines. “I’m not a nurse,” she says, adding, “ ere’s not enough assistance out there to give one-on-one care to everyone.”

e documentary is currently available online through TVO and is coming to the Knowledge Network in British Columbia. More screenings are planned, many at chapters of the Alzheimer’s Society across the country. “We knew the Alzheimer’s community would be receptive,” Wynn says, “but we hope to grow bigger.” He and Gienapp want to take the film to public and nursing schools, international conferences and beyond. And they want to attract American and UK broadcasters, and stream through Netflix. “ at’s our hope,” he says.

Much Too Young is not really a film about Alzheimer’s. “It’s a film about families; it’s a film about love and about caring,” Wynn says. ere is scene after scene of young caregivers finding joy in the parent they have, rather than the parent they lost. Fudurich says that at the beginning of her mom’s disease, “I was so desperate for her to go back into mom mode.” And now? “Looking at each other and her smiling is what I want.”

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.

More than half a million Canadians are living with dementia today; in the next 13 years that number is expected to double.

16,000 Canadians under the age of 65 are living with dementia. 8 million informal caregivers, including adult children, provide 75 percent of dementia care in Canada. The annual combined direct (medical) and indirect (lost earnings) cost of dementia in Canada is $10.4 billion.

By 2031, that figure is estimated to rise to $16.6 billion per year.

(Source: Alzheimer Society of Canada)

Caregiver Resources

Alzheimer Society of Canada: Alzheimer Societies offer support, information and education in communities across Canada. Start your search at www.alzheimer.ca.

Memory Ball: Annual fundraising and awareness gala hosted by the Young Leaders Council of the Alzheimer Society of Toronto. Facebook and Instagram @MemoryBallTO

Baycrest: Online resources for people with dementia and caregivers, including coping strategies and support groups. www.baycrest.org/dementiaresources

Dementia: A Caregiver’s Guide: A book to help caregivers support their loved one while making time for their own self-care. Order it via the Baycrest eStore.

The Change Foundation: Health policy think tank has information for young carers, including inventory of Ontario services and resources. www.changefoundation.ca/ ontarios-young-carers/

Young Carers Meetup: Alzheimer’s Society of Toronto program meets bimonthly to provide emotional support and resources; option to join online or by phone. www.alz.to

The Memory Clinic: Stories of Hope and Healing for Alzheimer’s Patients and Their Families by Tiffany Chow, MD. Offers advice to caregivers on providing compassionate care. Available at bookstores.

All-Alzheimer’s: This new inspirational website targets Toronto caregivers and covers everything from what to do in an emergency to sourcing meal delivery services and tapping into dementiafriendly arts and entertainment. Founding partners Barbara Allan, Chloë Arnould and Liliane Vidicek all have cared for a loved one affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia. Their goal is to show caregivers that “Life can continue with joy!”

www.all-alz.com

Video stills (above, L-R): Aurelie Bouliane with her mom, Gloria, and dad, François, who is living with Alzheimer’s; Kathryn Fudurich and her mom, Patricia; Chris Wekeles with his dad, Peter; Kathleen Fraschetti with mom, Moira.

BY DAVID BROWN

Stylish and Functional

SMART CLOTHES: THE NEXT FRONTIER IN HEALTHCARE

“Wearables” entered the popular lexicon only in the last decade with the proliferation of bracelet-style fitness trackers such as Fitbit, followed a little later by smartwatches from big mobile brands, including Apple and Samsung.

But another generation of smart wearable technology – smart clothes – is already here and brings with it enormous potential for healthcare consumers and their caregivers.

e makers of these smart clothes embed various types of sensors, almost imperceptible, into everyday clothing. In turn, these garments provide near-constant streams of biometric data about the wearer, from basic stress and emotional comfort levels to vital signs, such as heart rate and respiration.

e health and wellness benefi ts promise to be sweeping and profound: prediction, prevention and (remote) management of chronic conditions, reduced hospitalization rates and extended independence for people later in life.

e inspiration for Toronto-based “textile computing” company Myant came out of the challenges that founder Tony Chahine faced as his father suffered from Alzheimer’s.

“ e idea came from Tony’s inability to talk with his father,” says Ilaria Varoli, executive vice president at Myant. “It was hard to know what he was thinking and feeling, if he was cold or sick.”

Biometric sensors on the body can gather such information – literally telling caregivers or healthcare professionals that the wearer is cold or sick – but to be practical,

the sensors needed to be seamlessly integrated into the clothing.

And now they are.

Montreal-based Hexoskin got its start in 2006 in an effort to address some of the healthcare challenges associated with an aging society. Its smart shirts, which are now on the market, offer cardiac (ECG) monitoring as well as lung function and activity monitoring. Health professionals and researchers are using the connected Hexoskin platform for research, and Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques will be wearing Hexoskin technology when he goes into space later this year.

Another Montreal company, OMsignal, gained traction when fashion brand Ralph Lauren adopted its technology to create a line of smart shirts. OMsignal also uses ECG, respiration and physical activity sensors. Aside from comfort and quality, OMsignal prides itself in developing artificial intelligence capabilities that turn non-stop rivers of data into real, possibly life-saving, information.

“We collect so much data, in a way it has never been collected before, that you can’t reasonably expect anyone to look at it,” explains CEO Frederic Chanay. For instance, in a recent study, 30 women aged 35 to 67 wore an OM biosensing bra during daily activities. e sensors captured more than 4,000 hours of biometric signals, including 20 million heartbeats. Every heartbeat has a unique signature. Artificial intelligence makes it possible to identify changes in one’s ECG signature, which could be an early warning sign of heart disease or intermittent arrhythmia.

Hexoskin smart shirts offer cardiac (ECG) monitoring as well as lung function and activity monitoring.

Skiin smart underwear can notify the wearer when stress levels are too high, and future versions will be able to warm the wearer directly when body temperature dips too low (or even send a signal to a smart thermostat to heat a room).

Myant will be going to market later this year with its Skiin line of smart underwear. Its six sensors monitor a similar array of important biometrics, but the company describes Skiin as bi-directional; it monitors, gathers and can transmit data, but it will also be possible to instruct the garment to perform a task. For now, it can notify the wearer when stress levels are too high, and future versions will be able to warm the wearer directly when body temperature dips too low (or even send a signal to a smart thermostat to heat a room).

“ e long-term plan is to deliver therapy on demand or remotely,” says Varoli. at could mean electric muscle stimulation or the ability to determine whether the wearer is taking medications properly.

Myant is even working with Zoll Medical Corporation to develop new wearable defibrillators. Privacy concerns aside (and many will feel uncomfortable about such monitoring), it will be possible to generate a remarkably detailed health and well-being profile of anyone willing to don a piece of smart clothing. at could be invaluable for, say, the child of an aging parent with a chronic condition, or one who is slowing down but isn’t ready to move out of their home.

“ is doesn’t replace all care or the eventual need for care,” says Varoli. “But I think it extends the period of time where people can still be independent and everyone else would otherwise be worried about them.”

HIP’SAFE

French wearable airbag company Helite is touting these airbag hip protectors. Worn around the waist like a belt, the Hip’Safe contains sensors (gyroscopes and accelerometers) that constantly analyze the motion of the wearer and can detect a fall within 0.2 seconds, prompting airbags to deploy instantly, absorbing as much as 90 percent of impact.

Wear It Well

For now, Hip’Safe is available only in Europe, retailing at €649, or about $1,000 Canadian.

ADRENALEASE

Good health starts with good posture. Developed in Canada, Adrenalease posture apparel includes adjustable elastic straps that run down under the armpit and attach together, gently pulling the shoulders back, and putting the wearer into a position that relieves muscle stress. Company founder Noureddin Chahrour was still a kinesiology student at the University of Toronto when he started the company. He’d been dealing with neck and shoulder pain – as do a growing number of people thanks to increasingly sedentary lifestyles – and tried different braces. “They were either too clunky, they were bulky, they stuck out, I couldn’t wear anything over top of them and they were not adjustable,” he says. He tried Kinesio Taping, which spurred the idea for adjustable straps embedded into a T-shirt. After initially accepting an offer from Dragon’s Den and then walking away when he realized he’d undervalued his company, Chahrour’s business is taking off, selling T-shirts, tank tops and his latest product, a sports bra.

POSTURECOACH

PostureCoach is unique in the wearables market because it targets caregivers. “They often are involved in a lot of bending and twisting, and lifting heavy loads, so the risk of back injury is a real concern,” says Dr. Tilak Dutta, a scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–University Health Network. He developed PostureCoach in partnership with Saint Elizabeth Health Care, along with funding from AGE-WELL. More than eight million Canadians are caring for family members or friends, which often involves chair and bed transfers, dressing, toileting and bathing. PostureCoach has two sensors, one for the upper back and one for the lower back, that vibrate if the wearer is in the wrong position. Caregivers are often taught how to lift, but this gives the prompt in real time – when they are actually doing the lifting – to develop the “muscle memory” to do it safely every time.

Hexoskin

Hip’Safe

Adrenalease - www.adrenalease.com

Three commonsense wearables designed to protect and promote good habits

Low-intensity electrical impulses stimulate the neural pathways and generate muscle contraction, improving motor function, including the ability to stand and to grasp objects.

In hospitals the therapy is delivered with iPad-sized stimulators. Now Milos Popovic, a world-renowned University of Toronto expert in rehabilitation engineering, is working with Myant to create shirts and pants embedded with electrodes that deliver the stimulation.

“Garment-based FES is intended for use at home to train and assist people to do daily activities, such as standing, transferring and grasping objects,” says Popovic, Rehab Chair in Spinal Cord Injury Research and director of research, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network. “For older adults whose mobility and participation in society are limited by neurological conditions, the potential benefits are enormous.”

The treatment could give back independence lost through paralysis, making daily activities, such as eating, dressing and bathing, possible once again. In turn, it reduces the caregiving toll on families and the healthcare system.

With funding from AGE-WELL, the researchers at Toronto Rehab and the University Health Network are testing the shirt on people with upper-limb paralysis, and holding focus groups with clinicians and users to figure out how to bring the innovative new therapeutic clothing to market.

Wearable Therapy

Bastien Moineau, post-doctoral fellow, University Health Network, wears a shirt embedded with FES technology.

Advancements in functional electrical stimulation (FES) are leading to new treatments that “reawaken” muscles of people suffering paralysis from strokes or spinal cord injuries.

“For older adults whose mobility and participation in society are limited by neurological conditions, the potential benefits are enormous.”

- Milos Popovic

And so are you.

I live with a chronic illness, rheumatoid arthritis, but I am not a patient. I am a healthcare consumer.

Resilience, Recovery and Reaping the Rewards

BY DAWN P. RICHARDS

I live with a chronic illness, rheumatoid arthritis, but I am not a patient. I am a healthcare consumer. And so are you. “Patient” is derived from a Latin word meaning to su er. While this meaning applies at times, being defined as such isn’t the way I approach life – and I know others who feel the same. ere’s a sense of passivity linked to the word patient, while “consumer” denotes the ability to make choices.

at’s what I do when I seek the services of healthcare professionals, pay for those services through my taxes and actively make informed decisions about my health. Words matter, and it’s time to change the vernacular to reflect a new era of informed and conscious healthcare consumers – those who take responsibility for their wellness and expect more in return.

Seizing control and carving your own path as you navigate the healthcare system are essential. Comeback highlights inspiring stories of aging, recovery and people building new and rewarding lives in the face of health challenges. I hope they inspire the healthcare consumer in you.

LIVING WELL WITH OVARIAN CANCER

Sharon Halpern describes her job as “staying alive,” and after 18 years of living with ovarian cancer, she is very good at her job.

Halpern was just 51 when diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer in 2000. After her initial surgery and treatment, she went in search of information to help her adjust to her new reality. At first glance, the statistics were grim and overwhelming, but Halpern looked for the light: She found it in a pamphlet from Ovarian Cancer Canada that featured the story of a woman thriving six years post-diagnosis.

“I read that story and it gave me hope … I took that pamphlet and I put it under my pillow. I slept with it. Because that’s how important it was to me,” recalls Halpern, who continues to buoy herself with survival stories.

She calls the women behind such stories her Ovarian Cancer Sisters, and says she derives hope and comfort from shared experiences. “Listening to their stories. Hearing what happened to them and all the different treatments that they’ve experienced was so inspiring to me.”

Today, she is one of those storytellers, sharing insights through her volunteer work with Ovarian Cancer Canada. She feels strongly about giving back and sees this as part of her legacy.

Dawn Richards, PhD, is founder of Five02 Labs Inc, a boutique firm that provides scientific and patient-based services to clients. She is a strong healthcare consumer advocate and the volunteer vice president of the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance.

GPS

Crisis Averted

Healthcare navigators steer caregivers in the right direction

BY VIRGINIA MILES

While not all of us will face a life-changing healthcare crisis –a frightening diagnosis, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer’s; an elderly parent or partner who needs immediate placement in long-term care; or a loved one with a serious illness – it’s important to understand how your life will change and what you can do.

I have seen it happen again and again. Your world is turned upside down. You are stressed and stretched to the limit. How are you going to cope?

Welcome to the Canadian healthcare system

In this moment, what you seek is guidance. Unfortunately, our healthcare system is complex, fragmented and largely uncoordinated. Most people are left scrambling to find their own resources and, as a result, often fall through the cracks.

Many other systems also come into play: legal, financial, government, insurers and employers. ese overlap healthcare challenges to compound the complexity.

I need help! Deep breaths. It’s time to take control – you are responsible for your own healthcare (or that of a loved one who can’t take care of themselves). Taking control will lead to better health outcomes, as you make the most informed and appropriate choices.

So where do you turn for help?

Friends and family for moral support and to tap into their previous healthcare experiences.

Healthcare professionals for expertise in their specific area of practice.

Healthcare navigators to guide you through the maze.

Navigators – your partners in care

Government-funded navigators are already working in Canadian hospitals, primarily in cancer care. Private healthcare (or patient) navigators, however, are relatively new to Canada. e rise of this service reflects the challenges of navigating a complex, siloed healthcare system that differs from province to province.

Healthcare navigators support and empower patients, while helping access care and services. e navigator is part of the healthcare team – nurturing the relationship between the individuals and their healthcare providers to ensure optimal care. ey are independent and accountable to the patient, not an employer or institution, allowing them to advocate without bias. ese services are not covered under government or private insurance plans. Prices are generally about $100/hour. More and more, people see healthcare navigation as an investment that offers peace of mind, much like paying lawyers, financial planners and other professionals for expert advice. Navigators fill a gap in the system, giving you options in crisis and proving a sensible investment to help access the healthcare resources you need and deserve.

When his 83-year-old dad suffered a massive stroke, Robert instantly jumped into the role of caregiver to navigate the stroke rehabilitation world, about which he knew nothing. The 48-yearold is an associate professor at an Ontario college. This demanding career, plus his role on many committees, leaves little free time. With siblings either dealing with their own medical issues or living

outside of Canada, Robert was responsible for developing a plan to support his dad upon his release from hospital into the care of Robert’s frail 81-year-old stepmother. With no in-home support services offered, Robert knew he needed advice, so he engaged the services of a healthcare navigator. This is how they were able to help:

• Educated him about the stroke rehabilitation process

• Provided links to stroke care and rehab resources

• Advocated for his father at care team meetings

• Secured a longer stay in hospital, followed by rehabilitation in a convalescent facility

• Offered in-home rehabilitation and home support options to family and caregivers

• Acted as a sounding board and support for family concerns

Virginia Miles is a healthcare navigator who owns and operates Compass Healthcare Solutions, www.compasshcsolutions.com.

If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.

- Frank A. Clark

learn

Q&A:

A glimpse into the minds of dementia researchers Frank Rudzicz and Liam Kaufman

L-R: WinterLight Labs co-founders Liam Kaufman, Maria Yancheva and Frank Rudzicz. (Not pictured, Katie Fraser.)

PHOTO // DANIEL ALEXANDER

current / innovators

Technology Analyzes Speech to Detect Alzheimer’s

BY KATHERINE O’BRIEN

Although a cure for dementia is many years away, exciting Canadian research has the potential to transform dementia care. YouAreUNLTD caught up with WinterLight Labs president Frank Rudzicz and CEO Liam Kaufman to talk about their groundbreaking tablet-based speech analyzer, which can detect Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages. The technology works by extracting variables from recorded speech snippets and analyzing linguistic clues, such as tone or rate of speech.

Where is your automatic speechbased assessment tool being used?

FR: We’ve set up pilot projects at four senior living communities that use the tool to monitor the progress of dementia in residents and, in some cases, to provide objective evidence that they need more care. We’ve also struck up partnerships with three pharmaceutical companies that use it for research and development.

How did you identify the need for the speech analyzer?

LK: We did lots of research and spoke to physicians and pharmaceutical companies about what could be done to benefit an aging population. One in 10 Canadians is at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease after age 65, so, given demographic trends, dementia is going to be a huge, huge issue. I think it’s more of an issue now than 20 years ago, and I think it will be even more of an issue 20 years from now.

How will your assessment tool make a difference in people’s lives?

LK: On the simplest level, our assessments are less anxiety-provoking for patients than traditional pencil-and-paper memory tests – in fact, some people really enjoy doing them. More importantly, our speech analyzers are much quicker than current tests, which will free up doctors to better assess patients. Our speech analyzer could play a critical role in the diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Catching the disease early is crucial – it means people will have time to make changes to their lifestyle, like eating better or

taking up more exercise, which might slow progression. Finally, we hope our partnerships with pharmaceutical companies will lead to the development of new Alzheimer’s therapies.

What are the challenges?

FR: We’ve had to pivot several times to get our business model, especially in the early days. On an ongoing basis, we must be meticulous in our protocols to make sure our data covers co-occurring conditions. For example, we need our algorithms to work with people who have different accents or who are different ages.

LK: We also need to be sure that the diagnostic process eliminates other causes of cognitive impairment, such as depression, which overlaps with dementia.

How do you envision the technology evolving?

FR: e technology might evolve into something more passive – a tool that collects information as patients are going about their day, like some projects that track breathing patterns of patients

A BRIEF HISTORY

The start-up incorporated in September 2015 and the following year won AGE-WELL’s Technology to Support People with Dementia pitch competition. As well, the aging and technology network provided WinterLight with funding that helped them get off the ground.

In 2017, WinterLight finalized $1.5 million in seed funding and joined Revera’s Innovators in Aging program.

with COPD. Since we deal with language and meaning, we must be careful that patients’ privacy is maintained.

LK: Or, to probe eye movement for clues to dementia – the more modalities you measure, the better you can capture someone’s cognitive state. As well, we hope our technology can be used to detect a range of cognitive conditions and central nervous system disorders. In the long term, we might be able to use our technology to predict pre-dementia. We’ve actually tracked televised interviews of Gene Wilder and Ronald Reagan, looking for signs of Alzheimer’s disease before they were diagnosed. But we need much more data before we can make any claims, and, right now, this project is on the back burner.

What are WinterLight’s goals?

FR: Our short-term goal is to expand our network of partners and to further validate our technology under a variety of use cases. Although our speech analyzer is currently being used by our partners for research, ultimately, we’d like to roll out the analyzer to doctors’ offices and hospitals. We also fully expect the analyzer to be used in retirement homes and long-term care facilities.

How has the speech analyzer been received by the medical community?

LK: We are taking something that doctors already do and making it more objective and reliable – I think they are excited about that, but cautious. Doctors typically want to see three, four or even five studies. So, we need to publish more studies.

The Great Debate: Pharmacy and the well-informed patient

Professor Zubin Austin and pharmacy student Samier Kamar tackle the realities of engaging (and disengaging) the new healthcare consumer.

How do you deal with the well-informed patient: one that is smart, well-researched and comes to you with his or her own opinions and questions?

Samier Kamar

The well-informed patient is an asset to healthcare. It’s nice to have someone come in to the pharmacy having done his or her research. It triages the questions I would ask and opens up a dialogue. Pharmacists like to say we are the most accessible healthcare professional – you don’t have to book an appointment; just come and we can answer your questions.

Professor Zubin Austin

SAMIER KAMAR

4th year PharmD student  Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto

I agree. Patients are their most powerful healthcare provider, and an educated patient is going to respond best to the therapies we dispense and advice we give. However, now people are looking online at invalidated sources, talking to neighbours, etc. How do you draw that distinction between a person being well-informed and thinking they are well-informed?

SK

It is a fine line. It depends on how they bring up a topic, whether it’s a means of discussion or argument. Regardless, we have to listen to what they say.

ZA

Yes, first and foremost we need to respect patients. Respect, however, doesn’t mean anything goes. There is a lot of “fake news” in the healthcare world. How do you tell a patient that the thing they believe in might not work?

SK

I think it is multifaceted. It depends on who is in front of me, the generation or the age of a patient …

ZA

I don’t like where you are going with this. I think it’s too easy to say a 60-year-old knows less than a 40-yearold, or a 60-year-old can’t find things 20-year-olds can. People are way more complicated than that. … Age might be an important consideration, but only one of many.

SK

You jumped the gun. You thought I was going to say just because they are older, they have less knowledge or don’t use the Internet as much. It’s the exact opposite. The Boomer category is very informed, but sometimes they think they know better. They have enough life experience and they’ve done their own research, the attitude is, “I really don’t need your help, just give me the medication.”

ZA

They’re busy. Oftentimes the Boomer generation is taking care of other people. … So many are involved in managing their parents’ care, and that is a hugely important role that a good pharmacist can support. Not simply from a medication perspective, but from a system navigation perspective.

SK

Definitely. Boomers have so much power in society, with their kids and with their parents. We need to, as clinicians, prove to them our worth. My advice to them is that when you go to the pharmacy you approach it as you would going to your doctor. Set aside some time to discuss your healthcare needs.

ZA

This demographic is really important for pharmacists and healthcare professionals to pay attention to. If we can keep them well into their 60s, 70s and even into their 80s, the service we are doing for the healthcare system and those individual patients is enormous.

SK

We have to take the initiative. I don’t think patients have to do much, other than open the door to conversation.

ZA

I am glad you raised this point, because from a professional point of view, there are so many small but meaningful things we can be doing differently – introducing ourselves by name, explaining that we are the pharmacist, instead of just hiding behind the counter and only coming out when we are asked a question, then scurrying back. Asking people up front “How can I help?” rather than waiting to be asked. If you have a relationship with your pharmacist, that is going to make it more likely you’re going to say, “This is what is happening with my dad or my child or my husband.” That longitudinal relationship is what’s really crucial.

SK

That’s what makes the well-informed patient such an asset. I hope to uphold the power and strength of healthcare in community pharmacy. That’s why it is important to first listen to the patient. Find out what information they have and discuss it. Say, “Hey, bring the article you have, and let’s talk about it and see whether I think it is correct or not” and make decisions from there.

ZA

I would like to live in your utopian world.

SK

Yes, the caveat being we have to inform them. They may be seeing only one piece of the evidence. We are their coaches and we have to guide them in the right direction. By all means, encourage patients and the public to research more about their health – it’s their body.

ZA

Research more, but be literate about how you are doing it; that’s the key. It’s really easy to find information. But just as we worry about fake news, it’s important to be really critically aware of what you are reading. And that is where we have a wonderfully important role to play in society.

SK

I think we can agree on that!

PHOTO

ZUBIN AUSTIN Academic director, Centre for Practice Excellence The Murray B. Koffler Chair in Pharmacy Management

elevate

We are always the same age inside.

- Gertrude Stein

Travel is an important behaviour that promotes brain health and builds brain resilience across the lifespan.

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Passion on the Fly

Canadians swap typical “fly and fry” sun holidays for healthier pursuits

BY MICHELE SPONAGLE

Many Canadians in their teens and 20s travel as a rite of passage between finishing school and getting serious about career, family or both. Later in life, the motivation changes. Having been there and done that, mature globetrotters are moved to explore by a bigger purpose, whether it’s to learn, to volunteer or to pursue newfound passions.

For Anita Draycott, 67, from Stouffville, ON, travel means hitting the links: “I took up golf late in life and have been addicted to the game now for about 25 years.” She’s turned her passion into a pursuit and is now a professional golf writer who has played more than 500 courses on six continents.

Because the season is short in Canada, she and her husband, William, bought a timeshare in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 12 years ago. “Our one week in the sun has morphed into three months every year,” says Draycott.

She still travels internationally to feed her wanderlust. “I love to experience new places, customs, cuisine, etc.,” she says. “You could say I am addicted to travel and get itchy feet if I don’t have an upcoming trip in my calendar. I really believe that one learns a great deal by travelling – about other people, places and yourself.”

Shetland Islands, Scotland

The travel boom

Draycott is part of a demographic now dominating travel. According to data from the Canadian Tourism Research Institute, travellers aged 55 and older are filling planes and hotels more than any other age group.

ey take an estimated 2.3 million trips within a fiveyear period and spend more than $35 billion annually.

And to boot, travel is good for you. According to a joint study from the Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, in partnership with the U.S. Travel Association, travelling keeps you healthier. Women who vacation at least twice a year have a significantly lower risk of coronary disease and heart attack compared to those who take a vacation only once every six years or more. Men who skip an annual holiday have a 20 percent higher risk of death and 30 percent more heart disease.

Heading to a new destination also lessens stress, increases creativity, lowers the risk of depression, and boosts happiness and life satisfaction, according to recent research. e Global Coalition on Aging also did a deep dive on the subject in a white paper meta-analysis titled Destination Healthy Aging: e Physical, Cognitive and Social Bene ts of Travel. It found that travel is closely tied to successful aging. Its benefits are linked to being physically active, reducing stress, meeting new people and engaging in meaningful social interactions.

As Dr. Paul Nussbaum, president and founder of the Brain Health Center, Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA, notes: “Because it challenges the brain with new and different experiences and environments, travel is an important behaviour that promotes brain health and builds brain resilience across the lifespan.”

at’s true for Paris, ON resident Jennifer Budd, who retired in 2016 after 35 years working in healthcare. For the 57-year-old, being able to travel more is all about nurturing her creativity. e long-time artist and painter shifted gears in 2008 to make colourful works of art using felt. Her passion for the technique opened the door to unique opportunities when she started selling her work through her company, Woolscapes.

Recently, she was invited to teach felting to women raising sheep in Fetlar, one of the Shetland Islands, off the coast of Scotland. “It was an incredible experience,” says Budd. “As an artist, it was inspiring to see landscapes just waiting to be created in felt.”

Now, Budd seeks out other felters wherever she goes. “It’s a wonderful starting point for meeting locals who share my interest in fabric art.” Next year, she plans to go to Australia and New Zealand, destinations well known for their wealth of sheep and wool.

Hand in hand, travel and creativity are the perfect combination, promoting wellness for the mind and body.

Route to Healthy Aging

Along with creating great memories, travel can do wonders for your overall well-being and quality of life.

◆ The Framingham Study, which has continued to be updated since it began in 1948, showed that women who went on holiday every six years or less had significantly more risk of developing a heart attack or coronary death, compared to those that vacationed at least twice a year.

◆ One study found that women who do not take vacations are twice as likely to develop depression as those who choose to pack their bags and head out of town.

◆ The Mayo Clinic cited a reduction in stress as a good reason to travel since it helps reduce the chances of developing a wide range of maladies, from headaches to irritable bowel syndrome.

◆ There’s no need to go on a long vacation. With breaks of just a day or two, 89 percent of respondents to one survey said they were able to leave stress behind.

◆ Being more active while exploring is key to health. According to a 2012 study published by The Lancet, for people over 40, eliminating physical inactivity can result in an increase in life expectancy roughly equal to that achieved by eliminating obesity, nearly on par with the impact of eliminating smoking.

◆ Neurogenesis – the creation of new neurons in the brain – is driven, in part, by new experiences, including travel.

TRAVEL TIPS

Buy travel insurance if you are going anywhere outside of Canada. Keep in mind that one 24-hour stay in a US hospital costs $20,000 on average. Answer health questions honestly or risk invalidating your insurance.

Be smart with meds. Keep them in the original prescription bottles, and have pharmacy receipts handy should you be questioned by customs agents.

Consider compression wear: Long periods of sitting can cause blood to pool in the veins in the feet and lower legs, leading to localized swelling, tiredness and aches, or in a worst-case scenario, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a clot that forms in the vein. Compression socks boost circulation, curb swelling and soothe weary limbs.