Coming of Age: Meeting the needs of our aging population

Longer lives are one of humanity’s greatest achievements. So why do we still talk about Canada’s aging population as a crisis?

In the Season 6 premiere, Donna Duncan speaks with Dr. Parminder Raina, Scientific Director of the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging and lead principal investigator of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

They explore what gets lost when aging is described as a “silver tsunami,” why there is no typical older person and what it will take to help more people live with independence, purpose and connection. Their conversation moves beyond health care to consider housing, transportation, caregiving, technology and the design of our communities, and how better data can help Canada plan for a future where longer lives are the norm.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Canada is getting old—and that’s our biggest advantage for 2067 by Dr. Parminder Raina
Perspectives on Growing Older in Canada, the 2025 NIA Ageing in Canada Survey
Multisector Plans for Aging from The SCAN Foundation
National Seniors Council

Research discussed
McMaster Monitoring My Mobility
The EMBOLDEN trial
CLSA COVID-19 Questionnaire Study
A longitudinal analysis of the pandemic’s impact on the mental health of middle-aged and older adults
Factors associated with willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine among adults aged 50 and older

This episode is brought to you by our Sector Champion, StaffStat.

Canada is aging, and that asks all of us to think differently about care, our communities and what it truly means to age well.
Season 6 of Coming of Age brings researchers, policy leaders, residents and families into conversation about the choices, practical ideas and lived experiences shaping the future of aging and care.

Hosted by Donna Duncan, CEO of the Ontario Long Term Care Association, the season looks beyond the headlines, connecting the big questions facing our systems with the people whose lives are at the heart of them.

Watch the trailer, and follow Coming of Age wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube. We’re glad you’re part of the conversation.

Care doesn’t start with policy — it starts with people.

In this special episode of Coming of Age, host Donna Duncan sits down with the Honourable Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Ontario’s Minister of Long-Term Care, for a deeply personal conversation about leadership, responsibility, and what it means to answer the call to care.

A registered nurse, Minister, MPP, mom, wife, daughter.. and even a student… Minister Kusendova-Bashta brings all of these identities into her leadership. Drawing on her nursing experience at the bedside, she reflects on how care shapes the choices we make as leaders, as systems, and as communities.

This conversation goes beyond politics, portfolios and priorities. It’s about the leader behind the role, and why, in long-term care, leadership is more than a job. It’s a calling.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Pathways to becoming a nurse in Ontario and supports for entering a career in health care
Incentives to work in long-term care for nurses and PSWs
Ontario’s commitment to build and redevelop 58,000 long-term care spaces
In August 2025, Ontario committed to make Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program permanent and expanding it to serve more communities
Learn about the Improving Dementia Care Act that Minister Kusendova championed with MPP Laura Smith
Community access to long-term care pilot program
LTC Community Engagement Day. Engagement Day is a powerful opportunity to bring people together – residents, staff, families, and community leaders – to celebrate, connect, and advocate for long-term care. Join us September 18, 2026

If you are a member of the public or a family member with questions or comments about long-term care, please contact the Ministry of Long-Term Care or call their long-term care hotline, available 7 days a week at 1-866-434-0144.

Five years ago, Coming of Age launched during a global pandemic that exposed deep fractures in how we care for older adults.
For this milestone episode, host Donna Duncan reunites with our very first guest, award-winning journalist and author Moira Welsh to reflect on progress, persistent challenges and the future of aging in Ontario.

Moira’s new book, The Astonishing Lives of Older Women, shines a light on the gendered realities of longevity. Women live longer. They are more likely to experience financial vulnerability in later life. And too often, we fail to plan for what longer lives actually require.

So what has changed in the past five years?
Are we better prepared for aging culturally, financially and structurally?
And what would it take to shift from fearing aging to planning for it?

This conversation explores the evolving landscape of long-term care, the power and resilience of older women, and why aging well is not a private issue but a societal responsibility.

This episode was generously sponsored by our Sector Champion, PointClickCare.

Books and more by Moira Welsh:
The Astonishing Lives of Older Women: How to Create Pleasure Over Peril in Peak Longevity (available April 7, 2026)
How to live to 100 (or Die Trying) a new podcast with Moira Welsh
The Third Act, an ongoing first-of-its kind project that partners research expertise, thought leadership and journalism the Toronto Star is producing in collaboration with the National Institute on Ageing and Toronto Metropolitan University.
Happily Ever Older: Revolutionary Approaches to Long-Term Care

Other resources mentioned in this episode:
The Data: Long-Term Care in Ontario with insights on wait times, who lives in long-term care and more
Learn about the many ways Schlegel Villages is working to support its residents and neighbours – from sky-diving and other moments of living well.

Ontario is home to more than 330,000 people living with dementia today, a number expected to reach one million within a generation. Behind these staggering statistics are real people navigating profound changes in cognition, communication, and identity.

This episode brings together two experts in medicine and compassionate care to illustrate how Ontario’s long‑term care sector can honour the person first, always.
Dr. Sophiya Benjamin, Associate Professor at McMaster University and Schlegel Chair for Mental Health in Aging, and Co‑Founder of GeriMedRisk.
Adria Thompson, speech‑language pathologist, TEDx speaker, and founder of Be Light Care - the largest dementia education platform on social media.

This is a conversation about shifting from a medical lens to a human one, and about the powerful partnership between clinical expertise and compassionate communication that supports people living with dementia every day.

This episode was generously sponsored by our Sector Champion, ARJO.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
The Dementia Care App (coming soon), created by Adria Thompson, will provide instant access to more than 500 short, practical, easy-to-implement videos, all from the convenience of your smartphone. Whether you're a care partner at home or leading a care team, you can access fast, evidence-based support in the moments that matter.
Alzheimer’s Society of Ontario offers programs and services to help people living with dementia, care partners and healthcare professionals get the support they need.
Research Institute for Aging connects research to the real world and tackle the biggest issues facing an aging population, helping to change the way we age in Canada.
McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) works to optimize the health and longevity of Canada’s aging population through leading-edge research, education and stakeholder collaboration. Explore their network of resources from the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal, the Voice community engagement network for research on aging, the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and more