Optimal Aging: Living Well Later in Life

Sept 17 - Oct 22, 2026

How do we navigate our senior years in a way that maximizes our enjoyment and minimizes the challenges? In this series we will explore options for living in community, legal issues relevant to aging and how palliative care is not just about dying.  We will also learn how to exercise when our bodies may be compromised, seek the benefits of participating in music, and learn how our brains age, including promising new research in countering dementia.

6 lectures, live at the Bayshore Centre and live streamed on Vimeo

Thursday mornings 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Replays until May 2027 on Vimeo

Tickets for this series will go on sale in early August, 2026

Thursday Sept 17, 2026

A Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly: A Pilot Program for our Nation

Our project aims to implement the U.S.-informed Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) across Ontario and Canada, helping older adults remain healthy and happy in their homes. PACE integrates health, housing, and social services, applying the On Lok Protocol within Canada’s universal healthcare system. This model improves seniors' quality of life while easing pressures on hospitals and long-term care by reducing costly crisis responses. A successful pilot in Halton Community Housing demonstrated potential savings of $90 million per 100,000 participants. There are now eight centers in Halton and Hamilton. The goal is to expand PACE nationwide, making community care accessible regardless of income. Participants learn the model’s origins, its Canadian adaptation, and tools for local implementation. The model fosters trusted relationships and collaborative care teams that treat individuals holistically, addressing mind, body, and spirit—transforming aging in place through integrated, community-based care.

Lecturer - Paul Sharman

Paul Sharman is the Ward 5 Councillor for Burlington and Halton Region and serves as Deputy Mayor for Strategy and Budgets. First elected in 2010, he has been re-elected multiple times. Paul has played a key role in Burlington's sustainability efforts, notably advancing the 2018 Official Plan and advocating for the city to reach net carbon neutrality by 2041. He is also dedicated to improving senior care, helping introduce the U.S. Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to Halton, which supports older adults to age in place with community services. His background as a performance management consultant and recognized leader in accounting brings strategic expertise to his public service role, blending governance with his commitment to community well-being.

 

Thursday Sept. 24, 2026

You Don’t Have to Be a Musician: How Everyday Music-Making Supports Healthy Aging

Recreational music participation offers an accessible and engaging pathway to healthy aging. Active involvement in music has been shown to enhance auditory processing, strengthen attentional control, and improve speech perception in noise—a persistent challenge for older adults, especially those with age-related hearing loss. In this talk, I will highlight findings from my lab and others demonstrating that group singing, even among individuals with no prior musical training, can lead to measurable benefits over relatively short periods of participation. Inclusive community singing programs—such as those developed in the SingWell initiative—show particular promise, providing safe, judgment-free spaces where older adults of all abilities can experience the health, communication, and social gains that come from singing together. Beyond auditory improvements, group singing supports vocal strength, respiratory coordination, emotional well-being, and social connectedness. Collectively, this research positions recreational music-making as a scalable, inclusive approach to enhancing communication and quality of life in older adulthood.

Lecturer -  Dr. Frank Russo

Frank Russo is a Full Professor of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he directs the Science of Music Auditory Research and Technology (SMART) Lab. He is also the Scientific Director of SingWell, an international consortium on singing, communication, and wellbeing. With 100+ publications and $10M+ in funding, he is a leading researcher in auditory neuroscience, with particular expertise in topics concerning music, hearing, and speech.

 

https://www.torontomu.ca/psychology/about-us/our-people/faculty/frank-russo/

 

Thursday Oct. 1, 2026

Elder Law, Rights, Wills, LTC and Legal Issues in MAID

This presentation will provide an overview of major legislation and judicial decisions impacting the aging experience.  Examples of the many ways that the law affects aging will be discussed, such as eligibility for publicly funded home care, discrimination in health care services, and legal rules for Medical Assistance in Dying.  Strategies will be provided for working with and around the law to create an optimal aging experience.   Participants will be empowered to advocate for legal reform to improve their aging experience.

Lecturer -  Angela Yenssen

Angela Yenssen has been a staff lawyer at the Grey-Bruce Community Legal Clinic and Chair of the Grey Bruce Elder Abuse Prevention Network for five years.  She was a social worker who specialized in working with older adults before she became a lawyer.  She could not stop some situations of elder abuse she saw as a social worker, and went to law school to learn how to use the law to protect seniors from abuse. Angela is currently working in several rural counties in southwestern Ontario leading a project to educate the public about legal issues that arise as people age.  This work is funded through a grant from the Law Foundation of Ontario.

gblegalclinic.com/our-staff/angela-yenssen/

 

Thursday Oct. 8, 2026

Hope for the Best…Plan for the Rest - Improving the Illness Experience

Dr. Winemaker will describe seven keys for navigating a life-changing diagnosis for patients, families and providers.

Lecturer -    Samantha Winemaker

Dr. Samantha Winemaker is a palliative care physician who cares for patients with serious illness and their families in the home. She is an associate clinical professor at McMaster University in the Department of Family Medicine, Division of Palliative Care. She has won numerous awards for her leadership and palliative care education for health care professionals.

Website:  Waiting Room Revolution

 

Thursday Oct. 15, 2026

The Search for the Fountain of Youth

What if I told you age-related decline wasn't inevitable?

The search for the Fountain of Youth may be over. Science confirms that resistance training is the closest thing we have to a biological pause button against the ravages of time—the aches, the loss of independence, and the pervasive belief that you must give up things you love because you're "too old." Despite overwhelming research, adoption remains low, leading many adults to surrender strength every year.

Together, we'll dive into the compelling science proving how strength training can change your life. We’ll explore the benefits for both living long and living well, covering chronic disease prevention, maintaining mobility and independence, boosting cognitive function, and reducing pain. Finally, you’ll receive practical, actionable guidance on what resistance training should look and feel like, how often you should do it, and the mindset required for long-term adherence. Discover how choosing the road less travelled leads directly to the vibrant life you want.

Lecturer -     Clare Donaldson

Clare Donaldson is a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist, Barbell Enthusiast, clinic owner, educator, and unwavering believer in human potential. Clare has built her physiotherapy career and business around the belief that strength can be achieved at any age, and she's still looking for the person for whom that does not apply.

Clare co-owns CONNECT Rehabilitation in Owen Sound, where her multidisciplinary team aims to create exceptional care outcomes for their clients that go beyond the traditional model of simply getting people out of pain. She regularly mentors physiotherapy students through Western University, and is educating the next generation of Pelvic Health Physiotherapists through Pelvic Health Solutions.

https://www.connectrehab.com/about

 

Thursday Oct. 22, 2026

Mind Matters: Unlocking the Latest Secrets to a Healthy Brain

We all have the number one risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease: increasing age. Krista Lanctot, a leading Alzheimer’s researcher, will present groundbreaking insights into the underlying factors that drive the memory loss and cognitive decline that lead to Alzheimer’s disease. The presentation will highlight the latest evidence-based strategies for maintaining brain health, including lifestyle interventions and emerging preventive techniques. Attendees will also learn about current and future treatment options, offering hope and practical guidance for individuals and families affected by neurodegenerative disorders.

Lecturer - Krista Lanctôt