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Aging Vibrantly : Conversations to Empower Seniors

Aging Vibrantly : Conversations to Empower Seniors

By: Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario
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 Welcome to the Aging Vibrantly podcast, where we amplify the voices of seniors who impart their expertise and wisdom, to enhance our understanding of aging issues and ways of living a safe and fulfilling life with respect and dignity. Join Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario, and our special guests as they share insights about seniors’ rights, ageism, frauds and scams, powers of attorney, mental health and wellness, intergenerational connections, and dispel myths about aging. Each episode features an older adult who will impart their expertise and wisdom, to enhance our understanding of aging and living a full, safe and fulfilling life with respect and dignity. This podcast is produced and edited by Todd Miller of The Podcast Experts with the support of Lisa Widdifield, project coordinator. Funded by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program. Visit us at www.eapon.ca to learn more about prevention and how to support older adults who may be experiencing abuse.2024 Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Kindness is Contagious : Standing up Against Senior Bullying

    Kindness is Contagious : Standing up Against Senior Bullying
    Aug 6 2025
    In this episode of Aging Vibrantly, host Raeann Rideout and co-host Pauline Luening talk with Dr. Kirsten Madsen and Liza Franses about standing up against senior bullying and the development of Solutions: Everyone's Business. Senior to Senior Anti-Bullying Toolkit. We begin our interview with a brief background on the aim of the project, and evolution of the Toolkit, including the need and importance for the Toolkit, including the collection of data on the prevalence and nature of Senior to Senior bullying in Ontario, Canada that demonstrated seniors have experienced being bullied, engaged in bullying behaviours as well as witnessed bullying behaviours between older adults. Dr. Madsen and Liza Franses explained how they used this data to create the toolkit of best practices and strategies for older adults and those working with older adults to stop bullying. We are informed that this toolkit integrates communication styles for ethno-cultural communities, with the recognition of age and gender diversity using case scenarios and is currently being adapted older adults who are hard of hearing and/or have hearing impairments which include videos accompanied with ASL interpretation. During this episode you will learn : The difference between bullying and : Non-bullying Behaviour,Challenging Behaviour,Elder Abuse, and Criminal Activity Senior to Senior Anti-Bullying Toolkit: Aim: This Toolkit is intended to assist residences and organizations working with older adults to establish strategies for tackling bullying specifically between older people. Audience: Though this Toolkit is intended for senior leadership and staff from seniors’ residences and organizations, the more people engaged with this Toolkit the better. Until next time - Stay Vibrant! ______________________________ References & Resources: Senior to Senior Anti-Bullying Toolkit https://eapon.ca/factsheets/#Senior_Anti_Bullying_Toolkit Seniors Anti-Bullying Implementation & Evaluation (2022-2025) https://eapon.ca/factsheets/#Project_Overview Webinars featuring the Anti-Bullying Project https://eapon.ca/factsheets/#Webinars_Bullying EAPO Fact Sheets on Senior Bullying https://eapon.ca/factsheets/#bullying_olderadults ______________________________ About Our Guests: Dr. Kirsten Madsen is a faculty member at Sheridan College. She received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Sheffield in England where she focused her graduate work on anti-bullying. Currently, her focus is bullying amongst older adults, and is the Principal Investigator on Seniors’ Anti-Bullying Research in Ontario. Dr. Madsen conducts research and training with frontline staff in the area of bullying, aggression, age differences, gender differences, program development and ethics. Liza Franses is the Project Manager of the Senior’s Anti-Bullying Toolkit work at Sheridan College. She has worked with diverse older adult communities in the GTA, including long-term care, and a multicultural Seniors Active Living Centre. She is passionate about advocating on behalf of older adults and ensuring that they are consulted and engaged in matters that help them stay independent in their homes and engaged in their communities. ______________________________ Credits: Producer: Todd Miller, The Podcast Experts Podcast Coordinator: Lisa Widdifield Co-Host: Pauline Luening, Member of Aging Vibrantly Podcast Advisory Committee Music: Redpath Audio We want to thank HelpAge Canada for their financial support to produce Season 2 of the Aging Vibrantly podcast. ______________________________ Share your Feedback and Keep Connected **Don't Forget to Subscribe, Share, Rate and Leave us a Review wherever you get your podcast** Let us know if you enjoyed the podcast in the comments!! If you prefer to watch the interviews, full episodes are available on Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario’s YouTube Channel. Be sure to check our website eapon.ca to learn more resources on abuse prevention and protecting the rights and dignity of older adults. Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as constituting or implying endorsement by EAPO of any entity, product, service or organization mentioned, referenced, or linked
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    51 mins
  • Preparing for Caregiving

    Preparing for Caregiving
    Jul 23 2025
    Are you providing or receiving caregivng? In this episode of Aging Vibrantly, we speak with Amy Coupal, CEO of Ontario Caregivers Organization (OCO). Podcast host Raeann Ridout and guest co-host Tom Warner, learned about the amazing work the OCO does to support Ontario’s 4 million caregivers who provide physical and/or emotional support to family members, partners, friends and neighbours. Our discussion led to understanding the current and future concerns and complexities, prospective caregivers are facing in Ontario and what may be needed support them, based on OCO’s recent Preparing to Care Report. We also speak about the many benefits and joys of being a caregiver, but also the challenges and caregiver readiness; willingness and ability to meet the growing demand. The conversation brought to light the need for systemic changes to provide support for caregivers and receivers and the urgent need to take action to implement and expand services now to meet the growing needs and health care demands of seniors and caregivers in the future. We highlight the vast offerings OCO provides to caregivers, including OCO's free online and group or individual counselling programs, peer support and ‘I am a caregiver Toolkit’, e-Learning and more! During this episode you will learn: Caregiving brings joy when supporting someone important to you, and challenges when managing finances; navigating health care; and possible isolation. Insights from OCO’s, Preparing to Care: Perspectives of Ontarians who expect to be a caregiver in the next 5 years. The number of Ontarians providing physical or emotional support to a family member, partner, friend, or neighbour could increase by more than 50% - from 4 to 6.5 million people. 2.7 million Ontarians are expecting to face caregiving demands but have already decided they can’t or won’t do it. How can we prepare to be caregivers in the future? Until next time - Stay Vibrant! ______________________________ References and Resources Ontario Caregiver Organization OCO provides caregivers with one point of access to information, services, and supports that empower and help enable caregivers to be successful in their role. Where gaps exist in caregiver programs and services, OCO partners with caregivers, health care providers, and other organizations to find new and innovative ways to bridge those gaps so all caregivers, regardless of age, condition, or geographic location have access to the help they need. Preparing to Care Report 2025: Perspectives of Ontarians who expect to be a caregiver in the next 5 years https://ontariocaregiver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/OCO-Preparing-to-Care-Report-2025-EN.pdf Resource Library for Caregivers https://ontariocaregiver.ca/about/library/ SCALE: Online Counselling https://ontariocaregiver.ca/counselling-coaching/scale-counselling/ Peer Support https://ontariocaregiver.ca/peer-support/peer-support/ Advance Care Planning https://ontariocaregiver.ca/managing-care/advance-care-planning/ ______________________________ About our Guest Amy Coupal is the CEO of the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO). OCO exists to support Ontario’s 4 million caregivers who provide physical and/or emotional support to family members, partners, friends and neighbours. The result of this work is demonstrated through the breadth of direct-to-caregiver programs and services available through OCO, as well as the early successes of embedding caregiving in the culture of healthcare and the amplification of the voices of caregivers to influence decision making at a system level. As a caregiver for most of her life, Amy helped to support her brother who had Cerebral Palsy. She was also a caregiver to her mother throughout her cancer journey and now supports her father through older adulthood. ______________________________ Credits Producer: Todd Miller, The Podcast Experts Podcast Coordinator: Lisa Widdifield Co-Host: Tom Warner, Member of Aging Vibrantly Podcast Advisory Committee Music: Redpath Audio We want to thank HelpAge Canada for their financial support to produce this Season’s podcast. ______________________________ Share your Feedback and Keep Connected **Don't Forget to Subscribe, Share, Rate and leave us a review of our Show** Let us know if you enjoyed the podcast in the comments!! Please rate, review and subscribe to Aging Vibrantly wherever you get your podcast. If you prefer to watch our interview, full episodes are available on Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario’s YouTube Channel. Be sure to check our website eapon.ca to learn more resources on abuse prevention and protecting the rights and dignity of older adults. Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as constituting or implying endorsement by EAPO of any entity, product, service or organization mentioned, referenced, or linked.
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    39 mins
  • Transforming Care with a National Caregiver Strategy for Canada

    Transforming Care with a National Caregiver Strategy for Canada
    Jul 9 2025
    We are excited to launch Season 2 of Aging Vibrantly with an inspiring leader who is committed to ‘making Canada the best place in the world to give and receive care! In this inaugural episode, host Raeann Rideout and co-host Pauline Luening talk with James Janeiro, Director of Policy and Government Relations for the Canadian Centre for Caregiver Excellence (CCCE). According to the CCCE, “Canada is facing a caregiving crisis that will only get worse without real action. A perfect storm is brewing, demand for care is growing, caregivers are aging, the number of available caregivers is shrinking”. Given 1 in 4 Canadians is a caregiver and the current situation facing caregivers, we engage our guest in an insightful conversation on the role of CCCE to support and empower caregivers and care providers across all ages and diverse communities and how to best address the growing demands on caregivers and the need for A National Caregivers Strategy for Canada. James speaks to the 5.7 billion hours each year caregivers in Canada spend supporting others, the economic saving in health-care resources, their contributions to Canada’s economy ($97.1 billion annually), challenges of balancing work and care as well as the economic and health impacts, including lost productivity at work, loneliness and anxiety. Our discussion flows into the advocacy work of CCCE with caregivers, care providers and leaders across the disability, aging, healthcare, and illness communities from across the country and how this led to public policy solutions - 5 Pillars of Action in their National Caregiving Strategy for Canada. We wrap up our conversation with actions to empower older adults and the people who care for them to engage in CCEE’s advocacy initiatives. During this episode you will learn: How CCCE supports and empowers caregivers and care providers across all ages and diverse communities.The 5 Pillars of actionable public policy solutions in their National Caregiving Strategy for Canada to address the biggest challenges faced by caregivers, care recipients and care providers across Canada.Caregiving statistics in Canada: Highlights from the Caring in Canada Report (2024) 1 in 4 Canadians is a caregiver, and half of Canadians will be at some point in their lifetime.87% of caregivers experience loneliness, 73% experience moderate to high anxiety and 69% note a deterioration in their mental healthCaregivers provide care equivalent to 2.8 million full-time paid care providers each year. This saves billions of dollars in health-care resources$1,300,000,000 in lost productivity per year due to caregiving duties; absenteeism, presenteeism, turnover, etc.62% of caregivers balance work and care, representing 6.1 million employees—or 35% of the labour force. Be an Advocate: The Time to Act is NOW! CCCE’s campaign - Act on Care: Complete an on-line form on their website to send a letter to the Federal Government urging them all to support caregivers and care providers across Canada and support the National Caregiving Strategy for Canada. Until next time - Stay Vibrant! ______________________________ References & Resources Canadian Centre of Caregiving Excellence A National Caregiving Strategy for Canada https://canadiancaregiving.org/national-caregiving-strategy/ CCCE Wellness programs https://canadiancaregiving.org/resources/wellness-programs/ Resources for Caregivers https://canadiancaregiving.org/resources/caregiver-resources/ Act on Care https://canadiancaregiving.org/act/ ______________________________ About our Guest James Janeiro is the Director of Policy and Government Relations at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, a program of the Azrieli Foundation. James is a public policy and advocacy professional with over a decade of experience in politics, public policy and advocacy. James leads an ambitious national and pan-Canadian advocacy and policy development agenda focused on substantive and practical reform and anchored in A National Caregiving Strategy for Canada. ______________________________ Credits Producer: Todd Miller, The Podcast Experts Podcast Coordinator: Lisa Widdifield Co-Host: Pauline Luening, Member of Aging Vibrantly Podcast Advisory Committee Music: Redpath Audio We want to thank HelpAge Canada for their financial support to produce this Season’s podcast ______________________________ Share your Feedback and Keep Connected **Don't Forget to Subscribe, Share, Rate and leave us a Review** Let us know if you enjoyed the podcast in the comments!! Please rate, review and subscribe to Aging Vibrantly wherever you get your podcast. If you prefer to watch the interviews, full episodes are available on Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario’s YouTube Channel. Be sure to check our website eapon.ca to learn more resources on abuse prevention and protecting the rights and dignity of older adults. Disclaimer: This content is for ...
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    47 mins
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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.