[Rejuvenate] Keeping Connected as We Age: The Importance of Social Engagement and Inclusion

As spring approaches, the warm weather is an incentive to get outside and be social with friends and family. Part of healthy aging is being socially engaged - but what exactly does that mean and why is it so important? Can social connections really have an impact on overall social health and well-being, especially for our aging population?

McMaster’s Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging is an interdisciplinary research hub that is dedicated to addressing issues of aging, including how and why social connections are critical to individuals and to society.  Join us for this lunchtime discussion with Drs. Anthea Innes and Constance Dupuis as they discuss research on the importance and benefits of social connections and aging, and describe some of the community projects and outcomes that have been developed at McMaster to foster these social connections.

About our speakers:

Dr. Anthea Innes is a Professor, the Gilbrea Chair in Aging and Mental Health, and the Director of the Gilbrea Centre. As a researcher, she has specialized in the area of dementia for the last 25 years. At the core of her work is a concern to engage with the lived experiences of those impacted by dementia, namely, those diagnosed with the condition, their family members and professional care supporters. Her research interests span the care continuum from pre-diagnosis to end of life.  She has been an advocate for community engagement, inclusion and involvement of people living with dementia for the last decade, and enjoys working in partnership with people living with dementia in the conduct of research, dissemination, and sharing of examples of what works in practice for those living with dementia to different audiences.

Dr. Constance Dupuis is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Gilbrea Centre and has a background in community development and feminist political ecology. Her PhD research focused on aging and learning from contexts where care across generations intersects with care for place/environment. She is passionate about community-based research and is keen to learn from/with hopeful possibilities for radical care.