CABHI’s Community of Innovation podcast is proud to continue our series of episodes featuring conversations from the CABHI Summit 2022. This episode is the series’ third installment.
The dramatic confluence of social, health, economic, and political crises around the world has shone a revealing light on inequalities at so many levels and has increased the level of urgency to create healthy environments for all ages. Join our international panel as they delve into some of the challenges, opportunities, and creative solutions that communities have encountered on the way to building age-friendly and dementia-friendly environments.
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Bianca Stern is Executive Director, Health Innovation at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI). Her career spans over 35 years in health care within private and public sectors; including community, post-acute, and long-term care. She has also been involved in curriculum design, research, teaching, and student mentorship at university and college levels. Bianca has built on her Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy and Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Science, creatively intersecting the art and science of healthcare with innovation, technology, and industry. Bianca is a thought leader in the area of innovation, blending design thinking and arts-based tools with an inclusive, participatory user focus, capitalizing on emerging technologies and theoretical knowledge to stimulate innovative solutions for the journey of aging. Bianca currently oversees the innovation team at CABHI including the Design Lab, Seniors Advisory Panel, Innovation Office, and project pipeline. She is also actively involved in helping to foster a culture of innovation and knowledge mobilization at Baycrest Health Sciences and across the CABHI network partner sites.
Dr. Jane Barratt is the Secretary General of the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) comprising government and non-government members in 62 countries and representing some 50 million older people. She brings to this position over 35 years of experience in both public and private sectors in the fields of public health, community and aged care, and aging and disability. Dr. Barratt has strived to strengthen the roles of and relationships between government, NGOs, academia, and the private sector to help shape and influence policy to improve the quality of life of older people. Dr. Barratt is a Churchill Fellow, representative of the IFA at the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and directly responsible for formal relations with the Ageing and Life Course Department, World Health Organization.
Myrna Norman is an advocate and speaker for dementia. Through her own personal challenges and experiences living with dementia, she has made tremendous headway in bringing forth issues to the public and government alike. Myrna’s advocacy is far-reaching as she speaks on the topic with Dementia Advocacy Canada, the Alzheimer’s Society Advisory Group, and the Canadian Dementia Learning and Resource Network. Myrna is the author of Dementia Strategies, Tips and Personal Stories, Sometimes My Nana, and Sometimes My Papa.
Catherine McGuigan is the Chief Officer of the National Age Friendly Ireland Programme, a shared service, hosted by Meath County Council on behalf of the local government sector. This municipality-led, national program is based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Age-Friendly Program and is operational across all 31 local authority areas in Ireland. The program is focused on ensuring Ireland is responsive to the increasing needs of older people and adopting effective local policy approaches to respond to demographic aging. Catherine is a principal advisor at the strategic level, engaging with key leaders across the public, private, and NGO sectors and consulting democratically with citizens to reshape the way in which services are delivered. Her expertise lies in strategic planning and promoting collaborative approaches to effective service reform.
