Naomi Mison, who is hosting an event to discuss virtual solutions to support loved ones during COVIID-19, has a conversation with her mother on Skype.

More than 30 virtual events are lined up, from health tips to art classes

This March will be the eighth annual Embrace Aging month taking place across the Okanagan.

Organized each spring by UBC Okanagan’s Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention (IHLCDP), the goal is to raise awareness and educational opportunities on issues relevant to seniors and their families, explains Nursing Professor Joan Bottorff, director of the IHLCDP.

“After living with COIVD-19 for a year, we have all learned how important all aspects of health are—good physical, mental and social health is vital for us all,” says Bottorff. “This is especially important for our aging population.”

Bottorff says that by 2036 it is projected older adults will account for 25 per cent of Canada’s population. That statistic alone makes programs that support successful and healthy aging vital for everyone.

“Embrace Aging Month brings into focus the importance of supporting older adults in our communities,” she adds. “We have organized a variety of events that will share information aimed at bettering the quality of life among older adults.”

Co-sponsored by Interior Savings Credit Union and Interior Health, March is filled with more than 30 free events, workshops and activities for seniors, their families and caregivers

But, she notes, the workshops go beyond supplying healthy aging tips.

“It’s also about having fun, consciously making a point to enjoy our days, even though some people may feel separated or isolated during the pandemic,” Bottorff says.

This year event organizers have teamed up with Border Free Bees to offer a number of workshops including how to build a home for mason bees and how to become a bee ambassador. Other events include online painting classes, a beading workshop, estate planning, walking tips, scam protection ideas and a Women in Syilx culture presentation by Kelowna Museums.

Participants will also hear from UBC Okanagan students and faculty about the latest research on the importance of gut health, nutrition, stroke care, tips on transitioning into a care home or aging at home, advice on how to get a good night’s sleep and tips to prevent falls.

All events, free and open to the public, will be offered virtually via Zoom. To learn more, visit: okanaganembraceaging.com

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in 2005 in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose territory the campus resides. As part of UBC—ranked among the world’s top 20 public universities—the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

The role of the nurse has been front and centre since the pandemic began.

Why 2020 shone the light on our nursing professionals

Even before the term COVID-19 was a household name, the World Health Organization had designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. It was to be a year of celebration, milestones and recruitment opportunities to encourage more people to think about nursing as a career.

Marie Tarrant, director of UBC Okanagan’s school of nursing, reflects on 2020 and how the events of the pandemic brought home the significance of nurses in our society today.

2020 shone the light on our nursing professionals. Is this something we should carry forward after the pandemic?

Yes, I think the important role of the nurse has been long overlooked in many ways. Within a hospital setting, the most important intervention in a patient’s progress and recovery is expert nursing care. Surgeries and other medical interventions can only be effective if there are skilled nurses to care for and monitor patients.

In preventive care, the delivery of infant and maternal health programs—primarily by public-health nurses—has also been responsible for substantial decreases in maternal and child mortality over the past century. In addition, nurses are often the most common health-care provider for education and counselling on chronic disease prevention and management such as smoking cessation, diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease.

Has the pandemic changed people’s perceptions?

I think so and I hope this continues once we have Covid-19 under control. The pandemic has highlighted how essential and impactful nurses are every day in the lives of their patients. Nurses have been on the front lines of the pandemic and sadly have been the health care professional most likely to be infected and to die from Covid-19. In late October, the International Council of Nurses released data showing that in 44 countries, more than 1,500 nurses have died of Covid-19. The true toll is likely to be higher and the majority of these are in low-income countries where nurses may be the main health-care providers for their population. This will have implications for the health care delivery in these countries for years to come.

Also, because of restrictions in health-care settings, nurses are often the only person with Covid-19 patients as they pass away. This has been the focus of a lot of media attention and has highlighted both the unique role of nurses in the pandemic and also the enormous burden that nurses have endured over the past nine months. This is also an issue that will have ramifications on the profession of nursing for years to come.

What led you into the career?

I was hospitalized several times as a child, and I have two older sisters who are nurses. I cannot remember a time when I didn’t want to be a nurse. It has been a highly rewarding career for me, and has literally taken me around the country and around the world. I have worked in large Canadian cities, in remote northern regions of Manitoba, Ontario, and Nunavut, and in one of the most densely populated cities in Asia.

There are so many different paths a nurse’s career can take. What advice would you give someone considering a career as a nurse?

What I always tell our incoming students and anyone considering a career in nursing, is that it offers such a diverse and rewarding career pathway. Just in our school alone, we have faculty members who have worked in all areas of clinical practice within a hospital setting. Outside of the hospital setting, our faculty have worked in such diverse nursing roles as flight nursing, research, education, school nursing, community and public health, and home care. They have also worked all over the world including in the United States, Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Within all of these roles and areas of practice, nurses can be working in direct clinical practice, in advanced practice nursing roles, in management and administration. In an academic career, nurses are involved in clinical and classroom teaching, research, community and professional service, educational leadership, and academic administration.

It wasn’t the year you planned, but it sure did put a focus on the profession. What’s next?

Going forward, it is clear that nurses will be heavily involved in the rollout of the Covid-19 mass vaccination campaign. Of course, nurses have always been on one of the main providers of vaccinations, but the context and scale of this vaccination campaign will be like nothing we have ever witnessed before.

While 2020 was earmarked as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, we need to recognize and celebrate nurses every day. It has been heartening to see all of the public support for nurses and other health care professionals over the past year. Nurses will always be there—at the forefront of health care.

Rick Mercer will deliver the 2020 keynote address. Mercer was a 2010 UBC honorary degree recipient.

Virtual ceremony takes place Wednesday as more than 1,900 students graduate

UBC Okanagan’s Convocation of 2020 will go down in history as a unique event. Instead of students, parents and faculty joining together on campus, the celebrations will be held virtually.

“The context of 2020 has made necessary a very different approach to our graduation ceremony this year,” says Deborah Buszard, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UBC’s Okanagan campus. “While the ceremony will be virtual, the remarkable achievements of our students are very real and worthy of recognition. I invite everyone to join me in celebrating the Class of 2020.”

This year, 1,925 students have qualified for convocation from UBC Okanagan—that includes 1,600 undergraduates, more than 270 students who have earned a master’s degree and 45 newly-conferred doctorate degrees.

While convocation is a time of celebration, it’s also a time of long-kept traditions. The program will begin with Chancellor Lindsay Gordon presiding over the virtual ceremony. UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Santa J. Ono and Buszard will both address the Class of 2020 live, dressed in full academic regalia. And graduates will have an opportunity to take a virtual selfie with President Ono.

UBC has arranged for Canadian icon and comedian Rick Mercer to deliver the 2020 keynote address. Mercer was a 2010 UBC honorary degree recipient.

Students have had the opportunity to purchase graduation regalia, special graduation gifts, create a personalized commemorative graduation video clip, download congratulatory signs and sign a guest book with congratulatory messages.

The virtual ceremony will last 45 minutes and it will be livestreamed on June 17, with a pre-show beginning at 2:30 p.m. The ceremony begins at 3 p.m. and a 20-minute virtual alumni reception takes place at 3:55 p.m. The ceremony can also be watched on YouTube, Facebook or Panopto, a platform that is accessible from many countries. To find out more, visit: virtualgraduation.ok.ubc.ca

“These are, indeed, unusual times, and UBC students have shown once again their resilience and ability to cope and thrive in the face of change,” says Buszard. “With everything they have accomplished over these past months and over the course of their studies, I couldn’t be more proud of the extraordinary UBC Okanagan Class of 2020. Congratulations.”

This year’s medal recipients

• Governor General’s Gold Medal: Mike Tymko
• Lieutenant Governor’s Medal Program for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation: Dominica Patterson
• UBC Medal in Fine Arts: Aiden de Vin
• UBC Medal in Arts: Ellie Jane Fedec
• UBC Medal in Science: Nicholas Kayban
• UBC Medal in Education: Alyssa Pembleton
• UBC Medal in Nursing: Christopher Popel
• UBC Medal in Management: Amanda Campbell
• UBC Medal in Human Kinetics: Madison Powls
• UBC Medal in Engineering: Tyler Ho

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in 2005 in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose territory the campus resides. As part of UBC—ranked among the world’s top 20 public universities—the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

Katrina Plamondon, assistant professor in UBC Okanagan’s School of Nursing.

The COVID-19 outbreak creates a clear image of unbalanced, unfair societies

A UBC researcher says the COVID-19 outbreak provides a distinct example of how different populations are differentially affected by health issues.

Katrina Plamondon, an assistant professor in UBC Okanagan’s School of Nursing, studies and looks for ways to support global health equity. Achieving health equity, she says, is about creating a world where regardless of where a person is born or lives, all people can reach their full potential.

“Health equity is something to strive for, it’s an aspiration,” she explains. “In a world of health equity, life trajectories aren’t determined by race, class, education or other unearned social disadvantages.”

Today, as the world struggles through COVID-19, it’s clear that at local, regional, and national levels, the world still has a long way to toward health equity, says Plamondon.

“Health is shaped by all sorts of social determinants, and different populations navigate and are affected by these determinants in different ways,” Plamondon says. “When societies are more inequitable, different populations or communities do not enjoy the same benefits as others.”

For example, Plamondon says the life expectancy of people living “rough” or without housing can be half of those who live in houses, have secure employment and education.

“In Canada, people living rough have a life expectancy of about 40,” she says. “This is a huge difference and it’s not by accident. It’s not because people living rough are biologically dispositioned to a lower life expectancy or aren’t as deserving—there are lots of systemic reasons why someone’s life trajectory lands there.”

And the COVID-19 outbreak offers another window into understanding how different populations are differentially affected by health issues. People working in jobs with poor benefits and protections face significantly different challenges in responding to public health advice—a circumstance that could be mitigated by social policies that protect job security and income if people need to be away from work. While the Canadian government has invested millions to help individuals, landlords and companies during COVID-19, many countries simply cannot afford to do so.

Populations already known to experience the greatest inequities are also experiencing the greatest impacts of the pandemic, she says. Racialized populations in the United States, displaced peoples, including climate refugees, those living in rural or remote communities, or people coping with housing insecurity, among others, were already facing inequities in access to healthcare and, in many cases, to basic human rights.

“At a time when the health of everyone affects everyone else, these inequities in access to care are a powerful demonstration of why equity matters to everyone.”

Plamondon says advancing health equity is complex, difficult and worth doing. While many people are aware of unfair differences in health across societies, Plamondon says the tendency is to pay attention to symptoms of inequities, rather than the causes. Governments, researchers and health professionals can pay a lot of attention to people with poor health, saying it is their individual responsibility to remain healthy.

Plamondon’s research has a focus on advancing health equity and she has written extensively on Canada’s role in global health research. One study, published in the International Journal for Equity in Health, identified a set of tools that can be used to guide actions to achieve health equity. “Our research shines a light on what can we do differently as we make decisions that influence people and their opportunities for health,” she says. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review to critically examine promising and empirically-derived strategies for advancing productive action on the root causes of health inequities.”

Based on this review, some things that can advance health equity are:

• Creating systems that acknowledge the importance of health equity in their policies and commit to identifying equity impacts of their decisions and bureaucratic structures
• Work with others, with particular attention to inclusion
• Take time to examine relationships between policies, actions, and equity outcomes
• Actively mitigate power imbalances (e.g., amplifying voices of historically excluded groups)
• Work with data in ways that show the health outcomes by different—and intersecting—social positions (e.g., consider both Indigeneity and gender in analysis, rather than gender alone)
• Tell the human story behind data, evoke compassion
• Offer feasible policy options alongside research results, offering policymakers starting points for making evidence and equity-informed decisions

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in 2005 in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose territory the campus resides. As part of UBC—ranked among the world’s top 20 public universities—the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

UBCO professor says frontline nurses grapple with a good death amidst new end of life options

While Canada may have legalized medical assistance in dying in 2016, the moral challenges continue for primary care workers, including nurse practitioners who can legally assess eligibility for and provide assisted death.

UBC Okanagan Nursing Professor Barb Pesut is also a Canada Research Chair in Health, Ethics and Diversity. Much of her research has focused on improving palliative care for diverse populations and ways to improve the quality of life for seniors living at home with advancing chronic illness. More recently, she delved into the policy, practice and ethical implications of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) for nurses. Today she discusses MAiD’s implications on Canada’s nursing professionals.

Your article in The Conversation states that medically assisted dying consists of many steps, including conversations with family and ‘normalizing’ the process. Can you describe how you can ‘normalize’ assisted death?

To understand how nurses normalize assisted death, it is important to understand how an assisted death is different from a normal death. In a MAiD death, individuals know the day and hour of their death, they go from life to death in a matter of minutes, and the procedure itself is highly medicalized.

For nurses, this stands in stark contrast to the typical death where people fade away over time, the moment of death is unpredictable and treatment is limited to alleviating symptoms. For nurses in our study, this process of normalization was an attempt to ensure that the goals of compassionate, patient-centred care remained the same across this different death.

For example, once the day and hour of a patient’s death was set, nurses worked tirelessly to ensure that patient had choices about what those final moments would look like. Where did they want it to happen, who did they want present, and what did they want to be doing in those final moments? Nurses normalized the rapidity of death by educating family extensively on what to expect and by staying present with them throughout the process. They had learned to de-medicalize the actual moment of death by creating rituals, by de-centring themselves as healthcare providers (what they described as making themselves “small”) and by hiding as much as possible the preparation and delivery of the medications. These strategies enabled nurses to apply some of the ideals of a ‘good death’ to this radical new end-of-life option.

Your recent research, But it’s legal, isn’t it? Law and ethics in nursing practice related to medical assistance in dying highlights the difference between law, ethics and morality. Can you briefly explain why it’s important to have clear lines between these three terms—especially when it comes to MAiD.

The question that haunts me is whether nurses have been sufficiently prepared to make an informed choice about their decision to participate, or not, in MAiD. There is a prevailing tendency to assume that what we make legal is de facto also right.

As professionals with a public trust, nurses certainly need to be cognizant of what is legal. But, they also need to do that hard moral work of determining, beyond the legalities, whether this is something that they can take part in without moral injury. Our data suggests that this is not an easy decision to make.

Historically, nurses have viewed themselves as patient advocates. Their raison d’être is to support patients in their pursuit of a healthy and whole life (and death). This can make it difficult for them to not support something that the patient chooses. Most nurses are employees of healthcare agencies and so their accountabilities also extend to their employers. There are examples in our data where refusing to take part in MAiD may influence their co-workers and their employment options. These two factors can make the choice to participate, or not, in MAiD a particularly difficult one.

Currently, there is a grey area regarding the eligibility criteria for an assisted death. Do patients need to prove they are end-of-life and who needs to see that proof?

This grey area is really the area of clinical judgement. The courts have recognized that many of the decisions related to the assessment of eligibility for MAiD are medical, not legal decisions. This has the potential to lead to quite a bit of variability in determining who is eligible and who is not.

Although many perceive MAiD eligibility to hinge on being at end-of-life, there is actually no criteria in the federal legislation that requires individuals to be at end-of-life. Further, the Superior Court of Quebec recently struck down the “reasonably foreseeable death” criteria, reinforcing the idea that those who are considering patients for eligibility in that province do not need to prove that someone is approaching end-of-life.

This is one of the reasons why nurses in our study found that this was such a different death experience. Some of those who were undergoing MAiD looked relatively well compared to those patients who they normally encountered at end-of-life.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

Annual event raises funds for healthcare in Ghana and Zambia

What: 11th annual Global Gala
Who: UBCO School of Nursing, in partnership with Okanagan-Zambia Health Initiative
When: Friday, November 15, doors open at 6 p.m., dinner is 7 p.m.
Where: The Laurel Packinghouse, 1304 Ellis St., Kelowna

UBC Okanagan nursing students are organizing a gala evening of food and entertainment as a fundraising initiative for the university’s Global Health Practicum program.

Each year, nursing students in the program have the opportunity to travel internationally and work with diverse populations. For the past decade, the students have offset costs of this program by hosting a Global Gala evening. The Global Health Practicum is part of the students’ final clinical practice experience and provides an opportunity to practice nursing in another setting outside of Canada.

This year’s formal event takes place at the Laurel Packing House on November 15. The evening will feature live entertainment and a Casino Royale twist, providing opportunities to help raise funds towards health initiatives, support outreach clinics and purchase medical equipment in Ghana and Zambia.

The event is in partnership with Okanagan-Zambia Health Initiative. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the three-course plated dinner begins at 7 p.m. More information is available at: globalgala.net

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

Collaboration brings cancer research to the community

What: Future of Health Forum on cancer care
Who:  More than 150 delegates and 30 renowned speakers
When: Friday, October 18, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: The Innovation Centre, 460 Doyle Ave., Kelowna, BC
Cost: $50 registration fee

With cancer remaining the leading cause of death in BC, the first-ever Future of Health Forum will focus on research, innovation and strides to improve outcomes for all cancer patients.

UBC Okanagan, Accelerate Okanagan, BC Cancer and Interior Health have joined forces to host an annual forum called Future of Health—an event designed to foster connection and provide an opportunity to exchange ideas around health research and innovation.

For this inaugural year, the Future of Health focuses on cancer and follows the patient journey from preventing and detecting the disease through to diagnosis and treatment and finding ways to support survivors and a patient’s quality of life.

“Our hope is that we have created an environment where clinical and academic colleagues can share their perspectives on the complex problems facing the health-care system today,” says Dr. Ross Halperin, regional medical director for BC Cancer—Kelowna. “Our strategy is to attract and engage the regional innovation community to assist in developing innovative solutions.”

Taking place at the Innovation Centre in downtown Kelowna, leaders in cancer care and research will discuss the current state of cancer care in BC and the innovative research that is shaping the future of health in this province.

“We have attracted top talent from across the country to take the stage at this event,” explains Anne-Marie Visockas, vice-president research and planning with Interior Health. “I think this speaks volumes about the collaborative nature of Canadian health care and our community’s reputation for innovation.”

Dr. Connie Eaves, an international leader in stem cell research will deliver the keynote address. Eaves is the winner of the prestigious 2019 Canada Gairdner Wightman Award for her pioneering discoveries and advocacy for early-career researchers and women in science.

“Dr. Eaves is an extraordinarily creative and accomplished biomedical scientist at the forefront of cancer research. Her work establishing the role of cancer stem cells in breast cancer and leukemia have led to paradigm-shifting insights,” says Phil Barker, vice-principal and associate vice-president, research and innovation at UBC. “She is dedicated to training the next generation of researchers to help find cures for cancer and her research is a superb demonstration of the value of collaborating across disciplines.”

The closing reception will include a screening of The Nature of Things documentary, Cracking Cancer. This short film recounts the journey of seven cancer patients at BC Cancer as they take part in the Personalized Onco-Genomics (POG) program—a cutting-edge clinical research initiative that is changing the way oncologists view cancer treatment.

“The strength of our region lies in our ability to collaborate and innovate. This event is another example of these skills at work,” says Brea Lake, acting CEO at Accelerate Okanagan. “Our hope is that this documentary will give hope to those living with cancer and inspire our innovative and entrepreneurial community to join in building the future of health and cancer care right here in BC.”

The Future of Health Forum takes place October 18 and is open to all, including researchers, clinicians, students, innovators, entrepreneurs and the public.

For event information and registration details, visit: futureofhealth.ca

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

Worker identity of being strong, providing for families should be redefined

New UBC research cautions men recovering from a radical prostatectomy to take it easy when returning to work.

School of Nursing Professors Joan Bottorff and John Oliffe are scientists with UBC’s Men’s Health Research program. They, along with study lead Wellam Yu Ko, recently published research exploring the journey back into the workforce following surgery to remove prostate cancer. Their research concluded a graduated or ‘reduced workload’ program is the best option following a radical prostatectomy.

“Most men are told by their physicians that it will take about four weeks after prostatectomy before they are back at work and at 100 per cent,” says Bottorff. “But that’s not the truth for most men. They do not fully anticipate the difficulties of returning to work and can’t quite cope with the workload. In fact, men are often surprised at how long their full recovery can take.”

The Canadian Cancer Society reports that 21,300 Canadian men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017. With more than 40 per cent of all prostate cancer diagnoses happening between the ages of 60 and 69 years, a substantial proportion of new cases occur in working men under the age of 59.

A radical prostatectomy results in a long period of recovery. It is often accompanied by urinary side effects, abdominal pain and reduced mobility. As a result, men’s ability to work is reduced, disrupting their sense of purpose and ability to provide for their family.

The study showed that men didn’t want to appear sick or weak, but felt pressured to return to work as quickly as possible.

“It’s clear they are not pitching in the same level as they did previously and they worry their workmates are going to think less of them,” says Bottorff, director of the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention. “This is more the case in men who do not have a lot of control of their work schedules, or have a physically demanding job.”

Yu Ko cites the experience of a self-employed businessman who returned to work full-time shortly after prostatectomy due to financial reasons. However, he was physically unable to exert himself and struggled to meet work demands. As a result, he thought of leaving his job but eventually opted to work part-time to support his family.

Other study participants noted a lack of concentration, not able to lift heavy items, and they found a full workday mentally and physically challenging. Many also reported the most common side effects of fatigue and urinary incontinence were unexpected and severely affected their return to work.

“When patients don’t feel like they are performing at 100 per cent, all day long, they think about bowing out and taking retirement,” Oliffe explains. “But, ending a career because of prostate cancer or after a prostatectomy isn’t seen as going out on a high point and the prospect of early retirement can be quite upsetting.”

The researchers say those considering a prostatectomy need to have a conversation with their employer before surgery about coming back on a graduated schedule, reducing physical labour and being prepared for a two-to six-month recovery. The study also suggests healthcare providers lobby in favour of return to work conditions that will not jeopardize a man’s ongoing recovery after surgery.

“We find if they do come back to work after that conversation and they are good to go, it’s still better to under promise than under deliver,” says Oliffe. “Going back to work isn’t always a choice and we highly recommend patients have a plan for a graduated return.”

The study, published recently in Qualitative Health Research, was led by doctoral student Wellam Yu Ko with partial support by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

More than 40 workshops, events and activities planned

From sleeping tips and arthritis care, to technology updates, scam protection and a refresher on Canada’s Food Guide—there is something for everyone at the upcoming Embrace Aging month.

This March will be the sixth annual Embrace Aging month taking place across the Okanagan. Organized each spring by UBC Okanagan’s Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention (IHLCDP), the goal is to raise awareness and educational opportunities on issues relevant to seniors and their families, explains Nursing Professor Joan Bottorff, director of the IHLCDP.

“Supporting successful and healthy aging is more important than ever before,” says Bottorff. “By 2036, it is projected that older adults will account for 25 per cent of our population. Embrace Aging helps us shine a light on the importance of supporting older adults in our communities, and to share information aimed at bettering the quality of life among older adults that we want everybody to know about.”

Embrace Aging Month has grown significantly since its inception, says Bottorff. Co-sponsored by Interior Savings Credit Union and Interior Health, the month of March is filled with more than 40 free events, workshops and activities for seniors and their families or caregivers

“UBC is in partnership with an increasing number of community agencies and we have expanded the program this year to address new topics as well as bring back those that have been in high demand,” she adds. “Included in this year’s program are presentations by UBC researchers on a variety of topics related to promoting healthy aging, along with a number of workshops, information sessions and fun activities.”

The goal of the month is to create an awareness of services, resources and educational opportunities and at the same time, connect seniors with service providers. There is a long list of activities throughout the month including films, cooking classes for men, information on estate planning and Mingle Mondays.

Along with these activities, organizers are screening Alive Inside, an award-winning film exploring how music therapy can help ease the suffering of people with Alzheimer’s.  With the support of Interior Savings, the film’s director, Michael Rossato-Bennett, will be available for Q&A sessions at each of the film screenings. The film will be shown in Kamloops on March 4, Kelowna on March 5, and Oliver on March 6.

Interior Savings is also offering five Impact Grants to help care facilities and home care providers get started with a Music and Memory program. Applications for this funding will open March 1 and details can be found at: interiorsavings.com/MusicAndMemory

Some of the Embrace Aging events this March include:

• Fall Prevention among Seniors
  March 5, 10 to 11 a.m., room RHS 129, Reichwald Health Sciences building, 1088 Discovery Ave., UBC Okanagan
• Managing Chronic Pain: The Arthritis Society
  March 11, 1 to 3 p.m., Okanagan Regional Library, 1380 Ellis St.
• Happipad: Inter-generational living opportunities to connect students and seniors
  March 14, 10 to 11 a.m., Chartwell Chatsworth Retirement Residence
• Benefits of Reflexology Workshop
  March 13, 2 to 3 p.m., Sun Pointe Village, 700 Rutland Rd. North
• Technology Workshop: All things Android
  March 14, 3 to 4 p.m., Okanagan Regional Library, Rutland #20-301 Hwy. 33
• Breathing troubles: Living well with lung disease
  March 20, 5 to 7 p.m., Laurel Packing House 1304 Ellis St.
• Senior’s Health Assessment
  March 29, H20 Centre, 4075 Gordon Dr.

A full list of all events and registration details can be found at okanaganembraceaging.com or by calling 250 807 8072.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

Discovery Channel’s Jay Ingram will talk about Alzheimer’s disease at a special presentation March 20, at the Kelowna Community Theatre as part of Embrace Aging Month.

March is Embrace Aging Month in the Okanagan

UBC Okanagan’s Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention has teamed up with Interior Savings Credit Union and the Interior Health Authority to present dozens of free events and activities to mark Embrace Aging Month.

For the past five years, March has traditionally been set aside as a time to celebrate growing old, while also getting pointers and tips on how to embrace the process. The aim is to inspire and inform the community on steps everyone can use to age well—both mentally and physically, says UBC Professor Joan Bottorff.

Bottorff, director of UBC Okanagan’s Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention, says not only are the number of older adults in BC increasing, but they are living longer than anywhere else in Canada.

“Focusing on how well we age is key to enhancing the quality of our later years,” says Bottorff. “There are many ways to support older adults so they can enjoy healthier and happier lives in a variety of settings and circumstances, and we want everyone to know about them.”

Topics such as the science behind sleep, technology tips, fraud prevention, maintaining mobility, understanding arthritis, and introductions to Pickleball and PokemonGo for older adults are a few of the events organized for March.

Along with those activities, organizers have planned a special presentation by Discovery Channel’s Jay Ingram. Ingram will be in Kamloops, Kelowna and Oliver in mid-March, where he will address the three questions everyone has about Alzheimer’s disease: Will I get it? What can I do to reduce my chances of getting it? And if I do get it, what happens then? His Kelowna presentation takes place Wednesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. at the Kelowna Community Theatre.

The month is co-hosted by the Interior Health Authority and Interior Savings. Kathy Conway, Interior Savings’ CEO, hopes the calibre of speakers and wide array of topics will help move the needle on building a more connected and age-friendly community.

“Interior Savings was the first financial institution in Canada to receive certification as an Age Friendly Business,” says Conway. “Our support of this event is an extension of that commitment. It has been remarkable to see the dedication of researchers, experts and local organizations who are all interested in helping our community age well.”

A full list of events is available at okanaganembraceaging.com. All events are free; however, registration is required.

About the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention

The IHLCDP is a research centre based at the UBC’s Okanagan campus. It encourages and supports research that brings the community and the university together to generate and use new knowledge for the benefit of individuals, families and communities.

About the Interior Health Authority

Interior Health is committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and providing a wide range of quality health-care services to more than 740,000 people living across B.C.’s vast interior.

About Interior Savings

Interior Savings is a member-owned, democratically-controlled credit union dedicated to creating local money while helping to build vibrant communities. The credit union offers personal and commercial banking and a full range of insurance and wealth management services to more than 70,000 members across 14 interior BC communities.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.