By Cathy Taylor Non-profits and their workers across this country are at the forefront of helping communities survive and thrive. They are committed to serving their communities and have found innovative ways to do this throughout the pandemic. But we’re at a tipping point. If governments do not act to support this labour force now, […]
Canada’s health data infrastructure can be deadly but we can still build a world-class system By Teri Price May 19 2022, was the 10-year anniversary of my brother Greg’s death. Greg was a healthy, intelligent 31-year-old who had only told us of his potential diagnosis of testicular cancer days before. Our family was shocked and […]
Why not make our communities wiser? By John Muscedere and Alex Mihailidis The recently released 2021 Census data reveals Canada’s population is not just aging, it’s already aged. Baby boomers, who make up almost a quarter of Canada’s population, are now hurtling toward their mid-70s. That’s not a problem, as it is often made out […]
New UVic Canada Research Chair Kelli Stajduhar wants death to be a better experience By Stephanie Harrington Kelli Stajduhar started her nursing career in Winnipeg at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Around the same time her mother was dying of lung cancer. These two moments had a profound impact on Stajduhar. “I had this […]
Specialty toy lending program supports play therapy By Jessie Forbes Created to address the lack of access to specialist toys, which often come with a hefty price tag, a UK charity called Newlife has launched an innovative toy lending program that allow a child to borrow what’s called a Play Therapy Pods (PTPs). Each therapy […]
By Dr. Jessica Grahn With both Music Therapy Awareness month and Brain Awareness Week having taken place earlier this year, we wanted to explore the connection between music, Parkinson’s and the brain. Research is now available that highlights the effects of music on movement and the symptoms experienced by people living with Parkinson’s. The following […]
For some vulnerable seniors in BC, a hospital stay can lead to having nowhere to live. By Jen St. Denis In December 2021, Athanios Collias collapsed at a SkyTrain station in New Westminster. The 78-year-old would spend the next three months at Royal Columbian Hospital recovering from a painful pinched nerve. But while Collias was […]
Personalized medicine considers race, genetics, and environment By Bhawani Jain We all have different genetics and backgrounds, so why should we all receive identical medical treatment for a diagnosis or condition? Today, personalized medicine is on the rise, with treatments tailored to a patient’s unique characteristics, racial and genetic differences, as well as
The National Institute on Aging’s latest report titled: “Understanding Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Older Canadians and How to Address it” issues a stark warning: With the number of older persons who feel isolated, and or lonely expected to rise we’re at risk of personal, societal and economic impacts. As the aging population continues to grow […]
Tips for creating a welcoming practice By Laura Dan and Dr. Cyndi Gilbert Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, two-spirit, intersex, asexual, plus (LGBTQ2SIA+) individuals experience interpersonal, structural, institutional, and internalized discrimination at significantly higher rates compared to the general population. As a result, they’re more likely to
Accessibility