Coming of Age: Meeting the needs of our aging population

• The Future of Seniors’ Health in Rural & Northern Ontario

  Primary care is often called the heartbeat of healthcare, and in Ontario’s rural and northern communities, it’s a lifeline. As more than half of long-term care spaces await redevelopment, local care teams are stepping up with new ideas and strong collaboration to help older adults age with dignity and connection.In this episode, host Donna Duncan speaks with 3 inspiring women who are reshaping seniors’ care from the ground up:Dr. Tara Kiran, a family doctor, leading primary-care researcher at Unity Health and the University of Toronto. Tara led the OurCare survey that helped shape Ontario’s new Primary Care Act and hosts Primary Focus. Michèle Lajeunesse, Executive Director of the Marathon Family Health Team in Marathon, Ontario—about an eleven-and-a-half-hour drive north of Toronto. She’s seeing firsthand how team-based care is helping older adults stay well and supported in their communities. Jennifer Burns West, interim CEO of Haliburton Highlands Health Services and board member of the Senior Care Network. Jennifer is reimagining rural healthcare through integrated services and global innovations like green care farms.Together, they share insights, wisdom, test new care models, and build a more responsive primary care system strengthening seniors’ care across Ontario - including in long-term care homes, where collaboration is helping residents live well every day.This episode was generously sponsored by our sector champion, PointClickCare.Resources:Seniors Care Network is responsible for the organization, coordination and governance of specialized geriatric services (SGS) in the Central East Region of Ontario Health East.Learn more about OurCare Standard: a new way to assess primary care performance across Canada. Click here to listen to Dr. Tara Kiran’s new podcast, Primary FocusMentioned in this episode: Marathon Family Health Team and Haliburton Highlands Health Services

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• Veterans, Values and Visibility

  Canada’s service members are individuals who have served our country with courage and commitment - yet as they age, many find themselves navigating a fragmented care system that doesn’t fully reflect the values they upheld in uniform. This episode of Coming of Age brings together experts from Medicine and Military to discuss what it means to truly care for the veterans of today - and tomorrow.Joining host Donna Duncan for this conversation are: Major (Ret’d) Paul Hook, Managing Director of the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health ResearchProfessor David Pedlar, Senior Scientist at the University of Ottawa Institute for Mental Health Research at The RoyalDr. Samir Sinha, Geriatrician, Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing and a leading voice in the provision of geriatric and long-term careTogether, they explore the evolving identity of Canadian veterans - from World War II to Afghanistan - and the urgent need to modernize how we define service, deliver care, and uphold our social contract. Referenced in this episode: “Coming of Age and Its Related Complexities Among Canada’s Veterans” – a report by the National Institute on Ageing, lead author Dr. Madison BrydgesThis episode was generously sponsored by our Sector Champion, Arjo.Resources:Veterans Affairs CanadaThe Royal Canadian Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization. Click here to find your local branch.Veterans Wellness Alliance Ontario is driven by the mission to enhance the quality of life for veterans through comprehensive wellness services and advocacy.The Veterans Transition Network delivers mental health services specifically for Veterans from coast to coast.True Patriot Love is Canada’s foundation for the military community, supporting Canadian Armed Forces members, Veterans, and their families through grants, research, and advocacy to improve well-being, inspire recovery, strengthen families, and foster community connection.Wounded Warriors Canada specializes in providing culturally informed services that utilize a combination of education, counselling, and training approaches to support resiliency and recovery from post-trauma injuries.The Veteran Farm Project gives all Veterans the experience of nature through horticulture programs. The incredible by-product of the staff and volunteers' hard work is all the fresh produce grown.

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• The Shift to Complex Continuing Care in LTC

  Supporting complex care needs in our long-term care homes is becoming increasingly difficult at times, but it is not impossible. In this conversation, we’re learning how clinical expertise is merging with the mastery of caregiving to create a fast track to a future where complex continuing care is not only comprehensive but truly optimal.Andrea Thompson is Vice President of Long Term Care, Community and Hospice at Kensington Health in Toronto. Her career has taken her through a wide range of health care settings including long-term care, acute care, rehabilitation, complex continuing care, and community-based services. Lucia Rocha is President of the Family Council at the Gardens at Kensington Health. As a former caregiver, she knows first-hand what it’s like to support a loved one as their care needs change over time. People moving into long-term care are currently living with nearly six different health conditions on average. 87% of them need support with activities of daily living like getting dressed, taking a shower and eating.With an increasingly diverse population, as well as varying cultural, linguistic and spiritual needs, long term care homes are moving away from cookie-cutter approaches and turning toward what appears to be the key to providing the best complex continuing care – customization.Resources: Learn more about the growing number of services being at Kensington HealthSCOPE (Seamless Care Optimizing the Patient Experience) is a virtual, inter-professional care team that connects primary care providers to specialists, hospitals, community care and mental health resources in real-time.Making the Move to Long-Term Care? Family Councils Ontario has a guide from those who’ve gone through the transitionThis episode was generously sponsored by our Sector Champion, StaffStat.

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• What Caregivers Wish You Knew

  When we imagine a better future for aging and care, we must begin with those who live it firsthand. In this episode, Donna Duncan speaks with two caregivers who share their own experiences of moving loved ones into long term care. Laura Vita became a young caregiver for her father. Now a registered nurse, she brings a powerful mix of personal and professional perspective to this conversation. Christa Haanstra is a national leader in caregiver advocacy — and a caregiver to her father, who lives with front temporal dementia. She’s also the founder of 4C Strategy, where she helps health and community leaders center caregiver voices in care system design. While the move to long term care if often perceived as difficult and disconnected, Laura and Christa say it doesn’t have to be. In this conversation, you’ll hear not only about the challenges they faced, but also the relief they felt when they realized their loved ones would be safe and supported in their new homes. If community leads to continuity then caregivers are the ones who show us how best to balance policies and practises with peace of mind for families. Resources:New to caregiving or looking for peer support? Helpful resources available from the Ontario Caregiver OrganizationNeed to coordinate home care or apply to long-term care? Visit Ontario Health atHome Making the Move to Long-Term Care? Family Councils Ontario has a guide from those who’ve gone through the transitionWorried about significant changes in behaviour in someone you care for? Reach out to Behavioural Supports OntarioWhat’s the vision for a dementia-friendly Ontario? Learn about the Ontario Dementia Care AllianceThis episode was generously sponsored by our Sector Champion, Plan A.

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• Welcome to Season 5 of Coming of Age: Meeting the Needs of Our Aging Population

  With over 160,000 downloads and growing national reach, this season brings a bold new focus: Rethinking Aging, Reimagining Public Care.In a time of rising demand and urgent need, we’re challenging old assumptions about long-term care, ageism, and what it means to grow older in Canada. Through honest conversations, powerful stories, and expert insights, we explore how to build a system that truly supports aging with dignity and aging in place. This season, you’ll hear from caregivers, community leaders, global innovators and people most affected by how care is delivered. Eight thought-provoking episodes. Global perspectives. Real conversations and solutions.Join us this October, new episodes drop bi-weekly. Follow Coming of Age wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube.

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