Author Archive
Geriatrics 601 – Driving and Dementia
The Centre for the Health Care of the Elderly (CHCE) at the Camp Hill Veterans’ Building in Halifax will be presenting Geraitrics 601: Driving and Dementia on September 23, with special host Professor Colin Powell, former head of the CHCE.
This is a full day with sessions providing an overview of the issue, legal issues and more.
September 23, 2011
8:30am-4:00pm
Royal Bank Theatre, Halifax Infirmary,QEII Health Sciences Centre (Capital Health)
Pre-registration ($50) Required by September 15, 2011
Registration Form Available From Peggy Hobbs (473-8603)
LIMITED SEATING. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
Caregiver Education Series in Amherst this spring
Diane Arden (Challenging behavior Consultant) and Fonda Hutchinson (Coordinator Volunteer Services-VON Cumberland Site) are delivering the family Caregiver Education Series in Amherst this September.
Here are the dates:
September 27th
October 4th,
October 11th
October 18th
October 25th
November 1st
The time will be from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., each Tuesday evening.
The sessions will be held at the Continuing Care Branch office,
71 Victoria Street, Amherst Nova Scotia.
For more information : 902-667-8796
Age UK TV ad
Age UK, a UK-based group with “a vision of a world in which older people flourish. We aim to improve later life for everyone through our information and advice, campaigns, products, training and research” has produced a marvelous new add that highlights the wide range of services and assitance they provide for older adults in the UK.
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Dr. Murray Nixon wins GANS Award of Recognition
At the GANS AGM late last June, Dr. Murray Nixon was given the annual GANS award of excellence. TO highlight why Dr. Nixon was such a great choice, we give you an excerpt from his nomination letter, written by Carmen Johnstone-Chapman, a social worker with the Geriatric Day Hospital, at the QEII Health Sciences Centre:
Dr. Murray Nixon and Carmen Johnstone-Chapman
Dr. Nixon has been a long time advocate for the older adult. He has always treated his patients with dignity, respect and compassion. He is known for his excellent listening skills and his exceptional interpersonal relations and rapport with patients and family members. He has shown this in the way he conducted himself in meetings, working groups and committees, always striving to better the cause for the older adult and keep team discussions/action plans patient focused. He has largely used a strength based approach in his practice which was very effective. He would speak of the value and strengths of the older adult, was mindful of their background and circumstances (and not just their disease), and would strive to find a way to improve patient care and continuity of care for our patients after they left the service as well.
Congratulations Dr. Nixon!
Our annual Student Award of Excellence was also presented that evening to Kimberly Monroe, who recently completed her Masters in Health Administration at Dalhousie University:
During her studies, Kimberly worked towards increasing her knowledge of the geriatric population as it related to healthcare administration. She worked directly with St. Vincent’s Nursing Home for special projects including Management & Design and Change Management, and a Quality Review. She has also utilized her knowledge of the continuing care system to develop logic models for Adult Protection Services and to conduct an Information Systems Review of the Continuing Care system in Nova Scotia.
And GANS also said farewell to our past-President Nila Ipson, who retired from the board of GANS after 15 years service. From all of us Nila, we thank you for all the hard work and dedication over the years!
Robin Latta, acting President, GANS and Nila Ipson, past-resident, retiring.
New blog from Geriatric Medicine Research
Geriatric Medicine Research at Dalhousie University/Capital Health, has a new blog launched earlier this month, that brings you up to date news from the world of research in aging. GMR has been leading the way in patient and carer centrered research into frailty and dementia for two decades: 
Founded in 1991 by Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, Geriatric Medicine Research (GMR) has pioneered an interdisciplinary approach to the study of aging, frailty and dementia that has allowed us to work with artists, philosophers, linguists, sociologists, applied mathematicians and data miners, just to name a few.
Innovative work being done by the GMR team here at Dalhousie University/Capital Health includes tools and services to allow for a more responsive system of care for aging patients, as well as work into the effects of social vulnerability on health and mortality. We have also initiated a specialized clinic to help elderly patients understand the benefits and risks of treatments available to them.Recent work has also begun to help better understand and provide for the needs of those who care for our expanding population of dementia patients, and we currently head up a cross-Canada network for knowledge translation in the field of dementia research.
GMR has a long history of research collaborations with groups as close as Ontario and as far flung as China. We hope you will take a minute to look explore our site, the varied work we do, and the many groups who work with us.
Check out their blog here.
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CAG Conference registration open
The Canadian Association on Gerontology is pleased to announce that registration is now open for their 40th Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting. This year, the conference is hosting the 4th Pan-American Congress of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 
“New Directions for Aging”
40th Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting
Canadian Association on Gerontology…Welcoming the 4th Pan-American Congress of the International Association
of Gerontology and GeriatricsOctober 21 – 23, 2011
Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaRegistration now open! http://www.cagacg.ca
Web: http://www.cagacg.ca
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/cag_acg
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cagacg
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What’s new in the Members Section?
Posted today in the Members Section Forum here on CAKEns: a great video on sex and gender differences in health and disease:
Marcia Stefanick talks about the medical differences between men and women and how the different chemical makeups of the different sexes can affect a person’s health and longevity. During the final quarter of the Stanford Mini Med School, some of the most timely and important topics in contemporary medicine and the biosciences are addressed. Stanford Mini Med School is a series arranged and directed by Stanford’s School of Medicine, and presented by the Stanford Continuing Studies program.
This area of the CAKEns website is available only to registered members. To renew your membership, simply click here and choose the appropriate subscription. The Members Forum has a host of great ongoing conversations around the area of aging. Join today and get involved!
GANS AGM – teleconference and bylaw info
At this year’s Annual General Meeting, we are offering the opportunity for a limited number of who live outside HRM, or are otherwise challenged to be there in person, to dial in and be part of it all. This call is free of charge so if you would like to dial in and hear what’s happening on our AGM conference call line, email us at info@cakens.com to get the dial in code and phone number. We are currently offering this to the first 5 members who email us.
Additionally, we have included here a current copy of the GANS bylaws with proposed changes that will be voted on at the AGM. The changes pertain to membership dues and their deadline (see section 1, parts IV and V) and AGM quorum requirements (see section 4, part I, D) . Click on this link to see the document: GANS BY-LAWS REVISED June 2011 (2)
For membership, as discussed in a previous email, GANS will, as of July 01, 2001, be reinstating an small membership fee. It is as follows:
groups/organizations: $50/year (allows two voting members at the AGM)
individuals: $30/year
student/senior/unwaged: $20 year
Membership can be purchased online here or by filling out the online registration form and mailing us your cheque.
Your membership is good for one year from the date that payment is received (or cheque clears) . Online payments are being handled via PayPal, one of the internet’s most secure companies. You do not need to have an existing PayPal account to use this option. GANS has chosen to use PayPal as it allows you to purchase membership with us without revealing your financial information to us (only PayPal will ever have that information.)
In other news, there is a new section to the GANS website - the FORUM, however access to this section is restricted to paid members only. In this section we are creating a networking hub for you and your colleagues, where news, information, events and other resources can be shared among our membership.
We hope to see (or hear) many of you at the AGM. Click here for the details.
Read the Ageing News Daily for latest updates
Check out the GANS Ageing News Daily – a daily online publication of great stories, links, info and resources direct from our GANS twitter feed.
Some of the stories in the latest edition’s Health Section cover topics like: 
- assisted living best practices
- elder abuse conference
- ethics guidelines in research
- smartphone apps to help caregivers and seniors
- long-distance care giving
This is just a sample from one section of this great daily resource. You can subscribe to the GANS Ageing News Daily – look for the SUBSCRIBE button on the top right side of the page.
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Join us at the 50+ expo!
Join us June 10-11 at the 50+ expo at Exhibition Park in Halifax. GANS will be part of the team at the Group of IX booth. Why are we hosting a booth? The Group of IX consults with the Nova Scotia Department of Seniors on the issues that are most imporant to 50+ people in Nova Scotia, and we want to hear what you have to say.
Stop by the booth and fill out a note telling us what your biggest concerns are as a senior, or about seniors. If you do, we’ll give you a free ticket on a chance to win one of two great gift baskets we have.
The 50+ Expo has a great line up this year – everything from Pete of Pete’s Frootique to Thane Dunn and the Cadillac Kings with their tribute to Elvis!
Hope to see you there!
Date: June 10-11, 2011
Time: 9-5 (dance on Friday night, 8pm)
Place: Exhibition Park, Halifax