PICTURES FROM THE 2013 SENIORS DAY AT QUEENS PARK

OGA Executive Director Norm Shulman (left) with Hon. Mario Sergio (right)

                   The Hon. Deb Matthew, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

The group of seniors and supporters present for the event

Not Happy With Work? Wait Until You're 50 or Older

ANAHEIM, Calif. October 27, 2013 (AP)

By MATT SEDENSKY Associated Press

Not happy with your job? Just wait.

A study by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 9 in 10 workers who are age 50 or older say they are very or somewhat satisfied with their job. Older workers reported satisfaction regardless of gender, race, educational level, political ideology and income level.

Consider Oscar Martinez.

If Disneyland truly is the happiest place on earth, Martinez may be one of its happiest workers.

Never mind that at 77, the chef already has done a lifetime of work. Or that he must rise around 3 a.m. each day to catch a city bus in time for breakfast crowds at Carnation Café, one of the park's restaurants. With 57 years under his apron, he is Disneyland's longest-serving employee.

"To me, when I work, I'm happy," said Martinez, who's not sure he ever wants to retire.

Though research has shown people across age groups are more likely to report job satisfaction than dissatisfaction, older workers consistently have expressed more happiness with their work than younger people have.

The AP-NORC survey found significant minorities of people reporting unwelcome comments at work about their age, being passed over for raises and promotions, and other negative incidents related to being older. But it was far more common to note the positive impact of their age.

Six in 10 said colleagues turned to them for advice more often and more than 4 in 10 said they felt they were receiving more respect at work.

Older workers generally have already climbed the career ladder, increased their salaries and reached positions where they have greater security, so more satisfaction makes sense, says Tom Smith, director of the General Social Survey, one of the most comprehensive polls of American attitudes.

"It increases with age," said Smith, whose biannual survey is conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. "The older you are, the more of all these job-related benefits you're going to have."

Looking at the 40-year history of the GSS, the share of people saying they are very or moderately satisfied with their jobs rises steadily with each ascending age group, from just above 80 percent for those under 30 to about 92 percent for those 65 and older.

But as in the AP-NORC survey, the age gap grows among those who derive the greatest satisfaction from their work, as 38 percent of young adults express deep satisfaction compared with 63 percent age 65 and up.

Smith says earlier in life, people are uncertain what career path they want to take and may be stuck in jobs they despise. Though some older workers stay on the job out of economic necessity, many others keep working because they can't imagine quitting and genuinely like their jobs.

Eileen Sievert of Minneapolis can relate.

The French literature professor at the University of Minnesota used to think she would be retired by 65. But she's 70 now and grown to love her work so much, it became hard to imagine leaving. She's instead just scaled back her hours through a phased-retirement program.

"I just like the job," she said. "And you don't want to leave, but you don't want to stay too long."

Walter Whitmore, 58, of Silver Springs, Ark., feels the same. He says he has plenty of things to occupy him outside of his account representative job at a grocery distributor, but having a reason to get out of the house each day brings a certain level of fulfillment. He sees working as keeping him vibrant.

No Charges Laid For Abusive Staff

     CTV reported earlier this month about a disturbing case in at a Peterborough facility where a woman in her 80’s suffering from Alzheimer’s was neglected and abused by the staff charged with taking care of her. Her son had placed a hidden camera inside of his mother’s room, and recording instances of one staff wiping their nose on the bed sheets, while another staff aggressively handled the mother, and even went so far as to wave a feces covered towel by her face.  While four staff members implicated in the videos were fired from the facility, police and the crown attorney have declined to arrest or charge the perpetrators, outraging the family of the abused woman. 

     This incident brings up several broader implications and questions about the way we view or treat elders.  One could argue that this sets a disturbing precedent as people who were recorded and caught committing elder abuse were not charged.  An elder abuse expert interviewed by reporters went so far as to claim that if this case had involved a child, or a younger person, than the four staff members would have been almost certainly charged.  This raises an interesting point, as to whether or not society views elder abuse as not as serious a concern as other forms of abuse.  You can find the report at http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/it-s-despicable-son-reacts-after-told-no-charges-laid-in-mistreatment-of-mother-1.1442579 .

Canadian Seniors Accumulating More Debt

The latest report of Canada's second-quarter, discussed here by Caryn Mills
of the Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/spending_saving/2013/08/26/
seniors_acquiring_more_debt_report.html, revealed somewhat frightening and
concerning issues regarding the economic stability of this generation's
seniors.  The report revealed that seniors had the greatest increase in debt
over the last year at 6.5 per cent, while total debt only increased by 6.1
per cent.  The article discusses various possible explanations for seniors
having higher debt rates. One of these is that seniors might be
intentionally taking on the debt themselves to help support family members
or their own children who are also financially struggling. While this may
certainly be a factor though, there is always also the possibility that this
is a reflection on how disadvantaged seniors might be in contemporary
society.  Another plausible explanation  that they take on debt to enhance
their lifestyle

Diana Nyad, 64, completes epic Cuba-to-Florida swim

 

LIZETTE ALVAREZ

MIAMI — The New York Times News Service

Her speech slurred and her face red and swollen, Diana Nyad conquered the treacherous Florida Straits on Monday and completed a 53-hour, 177-kilometre swim from Cuba to Key West.

Ms. Nyad, a 64-year-old endurance swimmer, now becomes the only person to have succeeded in swimming from Cuba to Key West without a shark cage. With her final stroke into Smathers Beach in Key West, Ms. Nyad proved that perseverance and big dreams can transcend age and injury.

Her official time was 52 hours 54 minutes 18.6 seconds, according to her website.

“I have three messages,” Ms. Nyad, her face scorched and puffy from so many hours in the saltwater, said as she leaned on her best friend. “One is we should never, ever give up. Two is you never are too old to chase your dreams. Three is it looks like a solitary sport but it takes a team.”

After two nights and two days of being buffeted by ocean waves, she walked on to Smathers Beach on Monday at 1:20 p.m. to the cheers of onlookers and her 35-member support team, which had kept a close watch on Ms. Nyad from five boats that trailed her during the swim.

Millions more exhilarated in her age-defying feat from afar, on Twitter and Facebook, viewing it with inspiration and pride.

One of the first to send a message on Twitter was President Barack Obama: “Congratulations to Diana Nyad. Never give up on your dreams.”

The ocean between Florida and Cuba is a notoriously fierce opponent, brimming with sharks, jellyfish, squalls and an uncompromising Gulf Stream current.

Last year, Ms. Nyad was defeated by all three. She was forced back on to the boat after storms knocked her off track, sharks menaced her and she was badly stung by box jellyfish. In 2011, her shoulder injured, she suffered her first asthma attack in the water and began to vomit, a turn of events that forced her to stop.

Each time Ms. Nyad vowed it would be her last. But she could not help herself. The swim across the Straits was her personal quest, one that until Monday seemed quixotic at best.

But this year nature tipped its hat.

Sharks steered clear, the swift current carried her along and storms took the Labour Day weekend off. Even the box jellyfish co-operated, although she was well prepared for their challenge. She wore a jelly protection suit and a mask to protect her face from their poison. Her body was coated with “sting stopper” gel to serve as a barrier from the venom. When she encountered box jellyfish near Key West, Ms. Nyad’s divers swam ahead of her this year to disperse them.

“I think that Mother Nature said: ‘You know what? Let her go,’” said Bonnie Stoll, one of her closest friends. “Diana also did her homework.”

To stay focused, Ms. Nyad did what she always does: she hummed her favourite songs in her head. Her strokes were calibrated to the cadence of the Beatles’ Ticket to Ride and Paperback Writer to name two.

Fired 80-year-old employees get $1.16 million

By: Sheryl Smolkin At Work, Published on Tue Aug 27 2013

    

Two recent decisions of the Ontario Superior Court send a clear message that employees who work into their 70s and even their 80s may be entitled to large damage awards if they are wrongfully dismissed.

This applies regardless of whether the employees are highly-paid former owners who expected to continue working after the business was sold or a modestly-paid machine operator.

Paul and Shirley Filiatrault were both over 80 in 2009 when they sold Tri-County Welding Supplies Ltd. to Air Liquide Canada Inc., and were subsequently fired. The Filiatraults took Air Liquide to court and in May, recovered $1.16 million in damages as severance pay.

Paul Filiatrault founded Tri-County in 1967 following a career with Air Liquide in Quebec where he started working at age 18. Tri-County was distributor for Air Liquide in the Kitchener area, where the Filiatraults moved.

An agreement signed in 1996 gave the Filiatraults the right to trigger a purchase of Tri-County’s shares by Air Liquide when they were ready to sell, at a price set by a share purchase formula.  

The agreement also said that when Tri-Country was sold, the Filiatraults’ three sons — company executives — could keep their jobs for at least three years. There were no similar provision for Paul and Shirley. The sale was completed in mid-September 2009 and four days later the senior Filiatraults were fired.

At the time, Paul was president and CEO and Shirley was vice president of Human Resources. Both were still very active in running the business.

Justice Beth Allen did not accept Air Liquide’s argument that the owners could be fired without notice because the agreement did not specifically cover their terms of future employment.

She ruled that the $11 million the Filiatraults received did not mean they had to resign or retire if the company was sold.

In spite of their 42 years of service, the Filiatraults agreed that damages be capped at 18 months. Using a five-year average of each of their salaries for 18 months, the judge awarded $898,950 to Paul and $262,500 to Shirley.

In contrast, Niranjan Kotecha worked as a machine operator for 20 years at auto parts company Affinia Canada ULC. In, 2010 he earned $44,000 and when he was fired a year later at the age of 70, the company gave him severance of $14,657.

Kotecha subsequently applied to over 225 companies for work, but was not granted a single interview. He sued his former employer, seeking 22 months of pay in lieu of notice (24 months minus two months of working notice.)

Affinia admitted that Kotecha was fired without cause and the only issue before the court was the appropriate amount of damages he should have received.

Based on 22 months of pay at an average annual salary of $44,000, in late July Justice Peter Hambly awarded him $83,795 minus the $14,657 he already received.

These cases illustrate that with the elimination of mandatory retirement, long service employees over 65 who are fired without cause can expect to receive damages for up to two years or more, even if they were not employed in professional or senior management positions.

In order to limit liability in wrongful dismissal cases, many companies now require employees to enter into employment contracts that clarify the rights and obligations of both parties beyond legislated minimum notice periods in the event of a dismissal. In unionized workplaces, these issues are typically covered in the collective agreement.

 

 

 

Canadians Want a National Strategy for Seniors Health Care

CALGARY - A poll released by the Canadian Medical Association says most people want a national strategy for seniors health care which includes an emphasis on keeping them in their homes as long as possible.

The Ipsos Reid poll, done annually as part of the association's national report card on health issues, said that 93 per cent of those surveyed indicated any such plan should address care at homes, hospitals, hospices and long-term facilities.

An equal number suggested the entire system could be improved by keeping seniors at home as long as possible, thereby lightening the load on hospitals and nursing homes.

"The results of this year’s CMA report card send a clear and direct message to policy-makers and public office-holders that all levels of government need to act to address the demographic tsunami that is heading toward the health-care system," association president Dr. Anna Reid said in a release.

Reid said research shows it costs $126 a day to provide care for a patient in long-term care versus $842 a day in a hospital. But making it easier for seniors to stay at home while getting the care they need would be the preferred and most "cost-effective option," she said.

The poll, conducted between July 17 and July 26 by phone with 1,000 Canadians, has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.

Other results from the poll found 89 per cent of those surveyed believed a national approach to seniors care should involve federal, provincial, territorial and municipal levels of government. And 78 per cent suggested the federal government has an important role to play in developing a strategy.

Only four out of 10 felt that hospitals and long-term care facilities in their area could handle the needs of seniors not able to stay at home. The same proportion said they were confident in the current health system’s ability to serve Canada’s aging population.

"The anxiety Canadians have about health care in their so-called golden years is both real and well-founded,” Reid noted.

"Let there be no doubt that a national strategy for seniors health care should be a federal priority."

The medical association's annual convention is being held in Calgary and runs until Wednesday.

Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose was scheduled to address the meeting Monday.Canadian Medical Association Report Card: National Senior Health Care Strategy Wanted

CP  |  By Bill Graveland The Canadian Press

Seniors are Good for Business

Seniors are a large and growing market!

• Seniors are one of the fastest growing population groups in Canada. In 2000, one out

of every eight people in Canada was 65 or older. By 2026, it is estimated that one out of

every five people will be a senior.

• By 2016 at the latest, Canada will have far more seniors than children aged 14 and under,

a phenomenon never before recorded.


Seniors have disposable income and can impact on your business!
 

Today’s seniors generally have more leisure time and disposable income than members of other

age groups.

Seniors’ households in Canada spent a total of $69 billion in 1996.

 

RETAILERS: seniors are modifying their homes!

89% of seniors want to “age in place”. Many seniors are modifying their homes to help them do so.
Important opportunities exist for retailers whose products can help seniors remain in their homesdespite the increasing frailty that develops with age.


HOTELIERS: seniors are traveling more than ever

Tourism is a big winner in an aging population because older people have the time, money and

desire to travel.

 In 1999, seniors made an average of more than 3 trips per person in Canada.
  

Jonathan Kay: Canadian doctors explain why so many of us die badly

Last week, I wrote a column about the problem of “unwanted care,” a term used to describe the aggressive, invasive, often debilitating heath treatments that are imposed on dying patients — frequently when they are senile or unconscious — during their last weeks or months of life. The example I provided, courtesy of Atlantic magazine author Jonathan Rauch, was of a 94-year-old man dying from internal bleeding and kidney failure in a U.S. hospital. Instead of providing palliative care, the doctors tried to get authorization to remove the man’s colon and put him on dialysis. “We are spending billions on health care that no one wants, and which often has no real effect except suffering and indignity,” I argued.
I ended by asking Canadian doctors and nurses to share with me their thoughts about the issue. Many did. And, with the authors’ permission, I will quote from some of their responses in the space below.

For the full story,  click the link below.


http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/07/11/jonathan-kay-canadian-doctors-explain-why-so-many-of-us-die-badly/

Exercise and Health and Wellbeing

It's been widely accepted that if you have problems sleeping, notice your moods vary or that your anxiety is a bit high... you may not getting enough exercise! Regular exercise doesn't just improve your frame of mind; research also confirms it decreases anxiety, improves rest and raises ones self-esteem. According to the American Senior Fitness Association, 60 percent of mature adults are inactive and as a consequence many suffer from these symptoms. With heart disease, cancer and strokes serving as the leading causes of death for mature adults, staying physically active not only helps to prevent many illnesses, it can improve the health of people who already have debilitating diseases or disabilities.

As the countries 78 million baby boomers have begun aging, "...there is a trend toward activities that are moderate in intensity and not so pounding on the body," says Richard Cotton, an exercise physiologist who is a spokesman for the American Council on Exercise. Comfort and lower injury risk are the major forces that have driven the switch to low-impact activities. "Because older adults are more prone to musculoskeletal injury, low-impact exercises are ideal for them," Cotton says. In addition, it has been documented that mature adults are much more likely to stick with a less grueling routine over the long haul.

The American Sports Data Corporation, an organization which tracks exercise trends, also agrees that the hottest exercise trends for mature adults are those that demand less "power" yet still burn a significant number of calories. The ASD's latest survey of 15,000 mature adults shows that although gym membership amongst the 55+ crowd has increased -- especially among women -- joint-jarring activities like aerobics and kickboxing are giving way to gentler pursuits such as pilates, yoga, tai chi, elliptical trainers and exercise bikes.

Pilates
Originally designed to give dancers muscle strength without bulk, Pilates was largely ignored by the general public for almost a century. Only two years ago, fewer than 10 percent of gyms offered classes in mat Pilates, a blend of stretching and calisthenics designed to enhance alignment, increase flexibility, and firm abdominal and back muscles. Currently almost 40 percent of facilities offer Pilates as a regular exercise class. Pilates is a body conditioning system made up of various exercises that help mature adults build strength by improving flexibility, agility and economy of motion. Pilates can even help alleviate chronic ailments and back pain -- all without building excess bulk. It has also been noted that with this type of fitness program there is often a marked improvement in posture and an increase in joint stability.

Yoga
Americans first turned to the 5,000-year-old stretching and relaxation technique in the 1960s, looking for a way to get "high" without drugs. Now, the yoga/tai chi category boasts over 11 million followers, almost double the 5.7 million who participated in 1998. Yoga helps mature adults maintain a fitter body, calmer mind and feel more relaxed. Recent studies have shown that Yoga can normalize your blood pressure and even balance your nervous system all while using breathing techniques to cleanse your air passages; this cleansing also helps mature adults prevent respiratory ailments.

Elliptical Trainers and Recumbent Bikes
More than 10 million Americans currently use elliptical trainers, a knee-friendly cross between a stair climber and a cross-country-ski machine. That's a surge of 177 percent over the 1998 level of 3.9 million -- and a sign that elliptical trainers have passed the litmus test of health club acceptance. More than 10 million Americans now recline while they pedal using recumbent bikes, an increase of about 50 percent since 1998. Not only are these machines more comfy than ordinary exercise bikes for mature adults, they also alleviate considerable amounts of stress off achy lower backs.

Tai Chi
Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial arts program that is said to help mature adults improve their balance and potentially avoid falls. According to Mayo Clinic research one of out every three adults 65+ is involved in an accident resulting in a fall. The slow, gentle and soothing movements of Tai Chi help older adults develop stronger muscles, improve balance control, enhance concentration and stabilize psychological well-being. The movements and philosophy of Tai Chi also teach one to relax, slow down, coordinate the mind and body and improve posture.

Fitness experts warn that by itself, any one of these low-impact exercises is not enough to stay fit. I recently posted a video interview with the founder of the International Council on Active Aging, Colin Milner, about the benefits of exercise and staying active as we age. While aging boomers are fueling the exercise trend toward kinder, gentler workouts, experts say that anyone who wants to stay fit -- particularly beginning exercisers -- should also consider incorporating low-intensity activities into their routine. The ideal routine combines the strength, flexibility and balance training of yoga and pilates with an aerobic activity such as brisk walking. Whatever exercise program you decide to embrace, remember to always check with your physician before you begin.

Alexis Abramson, PhD:

Science Proves Secret of Anti Aging

By: Theresa Boyle Health, Published on Tue Jun 11 2013

 

Daily use of sunscreen has been scientifically shown to prevent aging.

A study by the Queensland Institute of Medical Research followed 900 young and middle-aged men and women for four and a half years and found that those who wore SPF 15+ sunscreen most days had no detectable signs of aging.

“This has been one of those beauty tips that you often hear quoted, but for the first time we can back it with science. Protecting yourself from skin cancer by using sunscreen regularly has the added bonus of keeping you looking younger,” said lead author and epidemiologist Adele Green.

Silicone moulds were taken from the backs of hands of all participants and the start and end of the study to assess sun damage.

Half of the participants who had used sunscreen most days on their face, arms and hands showed no signs of aging, states the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. And they had 24 per cent less skin aging than those who used sunscreen only some of the time.

Researchers concluded that daily use of broad spectrum sunscreen — which protect against both UVA and UVB rays — slows the process of aging and prevents skin cancer.

All of the study’s participants were under age 55 to ensure that photo-aging rather than chronological aging was the major factor in any skin changes. That allowed researcher to conclude that up until middle age, it’s not too late to use sunscreen to lessen the impact of the sun’s rays on your skin.

 

Alberta senior, 72, gets job back in age discrimination case

By: Sheryl Smolkin At Work, Published on Tue Jun 11 2013          

A 67 year old Alberta government employee has been rehired and awarded back pay after a tribunal ruled she experienced age discrimination when her employment contract was not renewed.

In a December 2012 ruling the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal found that Joan Cowling was not seriously considered for a new contract as a labour relations officer when her contract expired. This was even though previous performance reviews had been positive.

Cowling was hired on contract by the province in 1999 as a Labour Relations Officer when she was 59. The contract was renewed in two and three year increments, ending in May 2007.

The years 2003 and 2004 were difficult years for her. Her husband became ill and died of cancer. During that period she asked to take some of the 54 days of sick leave she had accrued to take care of her husband. Her request was declined.

When her contract was up for renewal in 2003, she tried to negotiate a typical three-year contract as she was the sole wage earner and needed the income security. The renewal was limited to two years at the same pay and she lost all of her sick leave from previous years. In 2005, her contract was renewed for a final two years.

Throughout her eight years of employment with the Alberta government Cowling received good performance reviews and bonuses tied to performance every year.

Her supervisor gave her an excellent written reference when she left.

Prior to the expiry of her last contract in 2007, Cowling was advised by her supervisor that Alberta planned to restructure the Mediation Services Branch and her position had been downgraded. He said the purpose of the restructuring was to replace her position with a permanent “growth” or “developmental” position.

Related: Phased in retirement gaining traction

A competition was held for the new job and she applied. Cowling discovered that the duties and responsibilities of the new job were virtually identical to those of her old one. Nevertheless, she wasn’t hired.

In fact the ‘new’ position was never filled and the job description was later upgraded to “labour relations advisor,” which again was similar to Cowling’s previous job description.

In May 2008, Cowling filed a discrimination complaint based on age with the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

In her December 2012 ruling, Tribunal Chair Shirley Heafey reinstated Cowling to a one year renewable contract with Alberta Employment and Immigration (now the Department of Human Services). She also awarded her general damages of $15,000 plus five years of back wages (discounted by 30 per cent because she was a contract employee.)

Heafey found that the restructuring specifically targeted Cowling’s continued employment due to her age. By using language like “growth” or “developmental” position and seeking a person who could stay in the position five or 10 years, she was excluded from consideration at age 67, in spite of her qualifications.

Cowling tried to mitigate her damages by applying to several positions with the Alberta government, but no other job offers were forthcoming.

The Tribunal Chair said reinstatement was appropriate in these circumstances because neither Cowling nor witnesses for the province seemed to harbour any bad feelings towards each other. Furthermore, there was an appropriate open position in Mediation Services.

Heafey also referred to a provincial study entitled, “Engaging the Mature Worker,” that showed it was Alberta government policy not to squeeze out older workers and lose valuable mentors who possess “corporate memory.”

As a result, in December 2012 she ordered the province to reinstate Cowling, now 72, to a one year contract to a similar position she left in 2007. The employer will be able to re-consider the need for her services at the end of a year, but her age cannot be a factor.

Heafey also awarded Cowling $15,000 in general damages and left it to counsel to agree upon the exact dollar value of 5 years pay minus 30 per cent plus interest and costs. However, she retained jurisdiction if the lawyers could not agree.

Sheryl@sherylsmolkin.com

Why, in diverse Toronto, do different generations barely mix?

BUENOS AIRES—In Canada we hide our old people out of sight and we don’t much like to hang out with them. There’s little intergenerational mixing, which is the case in much of North America. When out socially, people tend to segregate by age. There are appropriate places for each group, but few that can effortlessly welcome everybody without somebody sticking out. Same rules apply to children and, especially, teenagers. Nobody wants to hang out with them.

We may not notice this until we go somewhere else. I’m spending two weeks in Argentina, and have been struck by how often the generations are together.

In Buenos Aires, old and young are out at the same restaurants and bars, late into the night. Kids walk with their parents on streets around midnight, or are asleep in strollers while parents have a drink and talk. At a tango performance the other night in a dark, boisterous hall, ages ranged from early twenties to people well into their seventies, all eating, drinking, and equally enthusiastic about the show, sitting at tables so close to each other our elbows touched when we moved.

Toronto’s rightly proud of its ethnic mashup. Why is it, then, that our generations barely mix?

I can’t remember the last time I was at a cultural equivalent in Toronto with people from the same span of ages enjoying such a vigorously social atmosphere. Whole parts of the city seem off limits to some age groups. A seventy-year-old at Dundas and Ossington at 10 p.m. would be treated like deer or coyote that made it’s way out of the ravine, lost in a sea of skinny jeans and beards, soon returned safely to the nearest Swiss Chalet.

It’s as if when retirement age is reached, people are expected to limit their socializing and give up on the rest of the city.

There are venues here in Buenos Aires that remain the domain of the young and young-ish, like discotheques, but generally socializing is much more fluid. In Toronto it ismicromanaged, relegated to very specific areas like main streets, where just the same it often faces resistance. Bars and restaurants are found throughout Buenos Aires’s residential areas, even on the ground floor of what would be condo buildings in Toronto, with people living just above sidewalk patios that are busy late into the evening — restaurants here only start to fill up after 9 p.m. There’s a level of comfort, with life going on at at all hours, that Toronto hasn’t begun to accept.

Though it doesn’t happen in mainstream, the generations do mix in pockets around Toronto, especially in the ethnic meeting halls,strip mall social clubs, and church basements belonging to cultures that have traditions of being all together socially.

Growing up partially in the Maltese-Canadian diaspora, with a culture similar to Argentina’s, I remember being one of those kids out very late, overhearing parents and grandparents conversations over rum and cokes and cigarettes, while we played under the tables, passing out exhausted on the ride home later. Those were the best nights.

It’s a mystery that with so many cultures in Toronto that mix intergenerationally, it hasn’t become part of our wider civic life.

Toronto Star May 25th
Wander the streets with the Star’s

Shawn Micallef on Twitter @shawnmicallef

Vitamin B may help fend off Alzheimer’s in elderly by reducing brain shrinkage

Elderly people could stave off Alzheimer’s disease by taking supplements of B vitamins, after they were found to reduce the brain shrinkage associated with the disease by up to 90%, an Oxford University study has suggested.

For fending off Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline, ditch the supplements and pick up a puzzle: Toronto study

Keeping the brain healthy while one ages is a great challenge as medical science has extended lifespans and learned to manage chronic illnesses in the Western world. Some say exercise is best, others vouch for supplements. But it turns out that mental acuity might be best maintained by sharpening a pencil — and your problem-solving skills.
Many Canadians purchase supplements infused with omega-3 fatty acids and B-vitamins for their purported ability to fight free radicals, improve cranial cell structure and increase concentration, memory and awareness. But researchers at the University of Toronto and St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto have found evidence proving otherwise.

Vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid can lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked to shrinkage of the brain in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Previous studies had shown that patients with mild cognitive impairment suffered 50% less brain shrinkage overall if they took B vitamins.
However, the new study of 156 patients by researchers at Oxford University, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that shrinkage was reduced by 90% in areas of the brain most vulnerable in Alzheimer’s patients.
Dr David Smith said: “Our work shows that a key part of the disease process that leads to Alzheimer’s disease, the atrophy of specific brain regions, might be modified by a safe and simple intervention.”
Experts cautioned against drawing any firm conclusions from the “early” results and said a balanced diet and exercise “can help to keep our brains healthy as we get older.”

Nick Collins, The Daily Telegraph, National Post Wire Services

Easing the Pain of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. Older adults often get osteoarthritis, especially if they are overweight. There are many helpful things you can do to ease the pain of osteoarthritis. Read on for some helpful advice.

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that affects the cartilage that cushions your bones at the joints. Cartilage helps your bones glide over one another. If cartilage breaks down, the bones rub together. Osteoarthritis is a chronic (long lasting) condition.

What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis causes pain and stiffness in the joints. Osteoarthritis is often worst in the knees, hips and small hand joints. In most cases, the exact cause of osteoarthritis is not known.

Who is at risk of getting osteoarthritis?

• Women and men can both get osteoarthritis.
• Being overweight increases the risk of getting osteoarthritis. This happens because extra weight causes more wear and tear on the cartilage and joints.
• There are more cases of osteoarthritis in men who are younger than 45, while women tend to get it when they are 55 or older.
• Osteoarthritis can also occur due to repeated joint stress from certain physical jobs or sports.
• Osteoarthritis is genetic. That means you are more likely to get osteoarthritis if a family member also has it.

How can I manage OA?

Osteoarthritis cannot be cured. The good news is that you can manage your symptoms.

To learn more about managing OA, follow the article here

Retrieved from the Eat Right Ontario website

People with hearing loss are more likely to suffer from dementia

A US based research has found that people who are hard of hearing have increased odds of developing dementia as they age. The research suggests that being hard of hearing can increase the speed at which thinking and memory deteriorates with age.

The study was conducted over a period of six years by a team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University and followed 1,984 people in their 70s - all had hearing and mental ability tests at the beginning of the study. There were then follow-up brain tests over the next six years. All were given hearing tests which involved listening to a range of soft and loud sounds in a soundproof room.

 

Over a period of six years, volunteers with hearing loss were found to have a rate of mental decline up to 40 per cent faster than those who could hear normally.

Levels of declining brain function were directly related to the amount of hearing loss, said the researchers.

On average, older adults with hearing loss developed significant mental impairment 3.2 years sooner than individuals whose hearing was sound.

The researchers hope that treating hearing loss can slow the onset of cognitive decline and dementia.

The study was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

 

Read full articles by Anna Hodgekiss of Mail Online  and James Gallagher of 

BBC health news 

Common myths of aging: Happiness and good memory possible

It is obvious that society holds several myths about the elderly. In an interesting article three myths that Dementia is an inevitable part of aging, that life satisfaction is low among the elderly, and that old people feel old are refuted by facts.

To read the full article by Micha Shalev, click here