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Meet Paro at the IFA Offices in Toronto — Available for Trial
 PARO is a companion robot, developed by Dr Takanori Shibata, a researcher at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. PARO is a therapeutic robot with the appearance of a baby harp seal and weighs the same as a newborn baby.
Australia, Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom have been among the early adopters of robots in the care of older people and people with dementia. Denmark, for example, started using PARO in 2004 and PARO is now used in many settings that provide care for older adults to the extent that the Danish Technological Institute now runs a program of certification for PARO users.
If your organization (Canada) is interested in testing the positive impact that Paro may have in your care setting, the IFA has a Paro that is available on loan (no cost other that shipping) for 6 week trials. If you are interested please email Mr Greg Shaw at
Read more about PARO here. |
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Contribute to Discussions on Income Protection and Security at the IFA 13 Global Conference on Ageing
 With major demographic shifts unfolding in the next 35 years, it is important to discuss the challenges and opportunities that an ageing population presents in achieving a sustainable economy that can benefit a society as a whole. Achieving a sustainable economy, in a world where the growth of the number of older adults aged 65 years and older is faster than the growth of the working population, will be difficult if governments, organizations, and policy contributors do not face these challenges by exploring new sustainable pension and employment systems.
The IFA 13th Global Conference on Ageing welcomes abstracts that discuss the importance of a well-designed pension system to ensure a society’s future through sustainable development, the importance of implementing pension systems in developing countries, and integrating older people into the workforce with a policy focus on age discrimination avoidance.
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Save the Date: IFA Copenhagen Summit 2016
 While it is often recognized by governments and international agencies that population ageing will be the major driver of projected increases in disease burden in older people, the lack of prioritized cost effective interventions is a missed opportunity to reduce mortality, morbidity and disability. These interventions may well enable older people to maintain and improve their functional ability and contribution to society. The IFA Copenhagen Summit is an invitation-only international high level knowledge exchange platform of government officials, industry leaders and civil society on improving the capacity and capability of older people through reablement.
Save the Date!
If you are interested in receiving an invitation for the IFA Copenhagen Summit or updates on the Summit, please contact Ms Dana Bandola (dbandola@ifa-fiv.org). |
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Increase your knowledge around Age-friendly Cities and Communities TODAY!
 With the support of Grantmakers in Aging (GIA), the IFA had the pleasure of hosting the final of a three-webinar series about Age-friendly Cities and Communities (AFCC) on 31 July 2015, attracting over 150 attendees. With a dynamic presentation by Ms Gail Kohn, Age-friendly DC Coordinator, and a substantive question and answer period, this webinar used a government lens to showcase the journey of Age-friendly DC and the current initiatives being undertaken. Ms Kohn’s presentation further relayed the need and importance of involvement and champions within the community sector, NGOS, agencies to enable success and advancement of Age-friendly programs.
To gain access to this unique webinar recording and PowerPoint presentation, go to the IFA Bookstore, with no cost to IFA members and for a small fee of $20 for non-members! |
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What Data are the Right Data to Show that Public Research Works? — By Dr. Jane Barratt
 Dr. Barratt is the chair of the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) Monitoring Committee, which uses a variety of formal monitoring, reporting and evaluation tools to measure the relevance and performance of various socially relevant research programs the NCE supports. The NCE’s main purpose is to ensure that Canada’s most important research programs will result in all citizens leading healthier, happier and more prosperous lives. NCE’s next steps are to improve how success is measured and this starts with measuring the right things.
The NCE and its networks are embarking on an ambitious project to develop improved indicators that capture the social innovation that is happening as a result of its programs, in hopes of introducing these new indicators for the next NCE competition in 2019.
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Adult Immunization Advocacy Summit Report
 One of the most important public health achievements of the 21st century has been the development and uptake rates of vaccines to the extent that conditions such as poliomyelitis are no longer of epidemic proportions. Despite this advancement, vaccine preventable diseases as a high risk to healthy ageing are increasingly on the agenda of many governments and civil society. The Adult Immunization Advocacy Summit of scientists the IFA convened in June is an important step in the discussion on promoting a life course approach to vaccinations as part of an overarching healthy ageing policy at national and European levels.
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Representing the IFA at the United Nations: Ms Sandra Timmermann
 The IFA is excited to announce its newest representative at the United Nations, Ms Sandra Timmermann, to accompany the always dedicated IFA representatives Ms Helen Hamlin, Mrs Valerie Levy and Dr Cynthia Stuen. Ms Sandra Timmermann (Ed.D) is a nationally recognized gerontologist with a focus on ageing and its relation to business. Up until June 2013, when the MetLife Mature Market Institute was disbanded, she was the Executive Director and Vice President of MetLife. She founded the Institute in 1997.
Ms Timmermann’s areas of expertise are focused on global demographic changes and on retirement life stage issues on subjects ranging from retirement finances, family needs and intergenerational relationships, housing and ageing in place, employment, health and long-term care, and other transitional topics.
Read Ms Timmermann’s full biography here. |
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3rd International Congress on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine — ICGGM 2015
This congress will be the first meeting of the INPEA for the advancement of health care systems for older people in India. The Congress will be held at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and University College of Medical Sciences, which is are premier Health Care Institutes in the capital city of New Delhi. The conference will focus on the themes of:
- Clinical Geriatrics
- Social Gerontology
- Bio-gerontology
Registrations and abstract submissions are now open. Visit the conference website here and join colleagues in Delhi. |
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Dr. Sandra Hirst, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary
 Dr. Sandra P. Hirst RN, PhD, GNC(C) is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary (Alberta, Canada). She has held a number of leadership positions in gerontology including: President of the Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association; President of the Canadian Association on Gerontology, and President of the Alberta Association of Gerontology. Dr. Hirst has been a Board member of the IFA since December 2011. She has served in a number of Board positions including: editor of Global Ageing, chair of the Nominations Committee, and a member of the Conference Bid Committee. Her work for IFA is grounded in her belief that global connections promote synergies, which facilitate the well-being of older adults.
Read Dr. Hirst’s full biography here. |
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Do you have an opinion about a topic on ageing and wish for your voice to be heard? Have you previously written a blog and would like to showcase it on the IFA website?
The IFA blog posts tell a story and provide a platform for further discussion around a given topic. It is a space to be more informal and personal on a topic you are passionate about.
Please contact Ms Dana Bandola ( dbandola@ifa-fiv.org) for all potential contributions to the IFA blog. Read Mr. Shaw’s IFA blog contribution below:
Aligning Drug Approvals — «For the past 13 months my father-in-law has been undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma in Australia…» Read more here. |
Dear Readers,If you wish to make comments or recommendations on how we might improve this publication or would like to get involved in one of the projects please email Greg Shaw ( gshaw@ifa-fiv.org) or Izabella Kaczmarek ( ikaczmarek@ifa-fiv.org). You can contact us by telephone at +1 416 342 1655.
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