Celebrating 30 years ... and counting!

Volume 30
Number 1
Winter 2012
ISSN 0826-4694
Centre on Aging
This issue
Celebrating 30 years ... and counting!
Celebrating 30 years.................... 1
Centre on Aging Research
Fellowship recipients................... 2
Connecting the Centre on Aging to
Community Organizations........ 3
Centre on Aging upcoming events
and news....................................... 4
Research Affiliate updates.......... 6
In memoriam: Henry Jacobs...... 7
Depression: do symptoms predict
Alzheimer’s disease and
dementia?..................................... 8
30.Number of years Research Coordinator Audrey
The Centre on Aging
Blandford has been with the Centre on Aging.
officially marks its
30th anniversary in
29.Current number of spring symposiums held to date.
2012. To celebrate this
28.Current number of years since the first student award
milestone, the Centre
was established—Jack MacDonnell Scholarship—was
will be acknowledging
first awarded in 1986; 26 students received the award
its anniversary at various
to date.
events throughout the year.
27.To date, 32 University faculty members have received
the Centre’s research fellowship award (1993–2012).
One of this year’s
26.Total number of recipients of the Faculty-Graduate
highlights will include
Student collaborative research grants (1999–2006).
recognition at our 29th
annual spring research
25.To celebrate its 25th year (2007), the Centre hosted a
symposium. Dr. Neena
one day conference and published 25 years of research
Chappell, the Founding
excellence.
Director of the Centre will 24.Current number of years since the Esther & Samuel
return to the University
Milmot Scholarship was established (1988); 19
of Manitoba to deliver
students have received the scholarship.
the morning plenary
23.To date, Research Affiliates represent 16 departments
presentation.
in 16 faculties/schools and one research centre at the
University of Manitoba.
30 facts covering 30
22.Current number of years since the University of
years
Manitoba established the Centre on Aging as a
Over the year, we will be
University wide research centre (1990).
highlighting facts you may 21.Established in 2007, the Graduate Specialization in
not have known about the
Aging is administrated by the Centre.
Centre on Aging. In this
issue are facts 30–21:
Centre on Aging
The Centre on Aging, established on July
1, 1982, is a university-wide research
Centre with a mandate to conduct,
encourage, integrate, and disseminate
research on all aspects of aging.
Director: Verena Menec, PhD
Canada Research Chair in Healthy Aging
Professor, Community Health Sciences,
Faculty of Medicine
The Centre on Aging News is published
three times a year and is available on our
web site or by request. Direct comments
and inquiries to
Centre on Aging News
338 Isbister Building
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg MB Canada
R3T 2N2
Phone: (204) 474-8754
Fax: (204) 474-7576
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.umanitoba.ca/centres/aging
Centre on Aging Research Fellowship recipients
The Centre on Aging is pleased to announce the
recipients of the 2012–2013 Centre on Aging Research
Fellowships.
Dr. Danielle Bouchard, Assistant Professor, Faculty of
Kinesiology and Recreation Management
Impact of obesity duration in postmenopausal women
Dr. Bouchard conducts research on how obesity affects
physical capacity in older adults. Menopause is a critical
period of a woman’s life where substantial changes
occur, including body weight gain that increases the risk
of obesity-related conditions including cardiovascular
disease, depression, and mobility impairments. In
Canada not only does the highest prevalence of obesity
occur among women who have reached menopause, but
it also the timeperiord in which the highest proportion
of women try to lose weight.
Dr. Bouchard will investigate whether there are
differences between characteristics of women who
became obese after menopause (age 60 or older) and
those who were obese earlier in life (ages 25 and/or 40).
Eighty women (40 in each of the categories) will visit her
research laboratory to have their metabolic health, body
composition, medication use, lifestyle behaviours, body
weight expectation, weight history, and functional status
assessed. If there are differences in these indicators, the
next phase of her research program will be to develop
and test obesity treatments based on the duration of
obesity in postmenopausal women.
This study is a crucial first step in defining a clinical basis
upon which we can develop and assess individualized
interventions based on obesity duration for
postmenopausal women.
Tax tip:
The Centre on Aging gratefully accepts donations from
individuals, corporations, and other organizations
who supports the Centre’s goals. Donors will receive
a receipt for tax purposes. Gifts can be designated for
2
Centre on Aging
Dr. Laura Funk, Assistant Professor, Department of
Sociology, Faculty of Arts
Volunteers and paid companions Supporting older adults
in in-patient and residential settings
Dr. Funk focuses her research on responsibility, health
and care/support across the life course, and encompasses
aspects of the sociology of health, aging, and family,
as well as social determinants of health. Ensuring
quality in-patient care for older persons is an increasing
challenge as health care institutions seek to contain and
reduce expenditures. As a result, the involvement and
utilization of both volunteers and paid companions
(private, unlicensed providers of friendship and support)
is being promoted. The work of these individuals,
though often ‘invisible’ can enhance the quality of care
for older persons. Little is known about the roles and
responsibilities of these more “peripheral” care providers.
In her research Dr. Funk will investigate how these
care providers interpret their roles and responsibilities
within health care facilities; how these are negotiated
with others in these facilities; how these roles and
responsibilities are interpreted by others; and, what are
the differences are in the interpretations of roles and
responsibilities between care providers and others in
these facilities. She has designed a qualitative study that
will involve interviewing and analyzing information
from volunteers, paid companions working in hospices,
personal care homes, and hospital geriatric units, as well
as facility managers, volunteer supervisors, and union
representatives in each of these settings.
It is anticipated that findings from this research will lead
to a full-scale, quantitative study of the organizational
utilization of, and policies with respect to, volunteers
as paid companions, within in-patient and residential
facilities providing care for older persons.
specific purposes such as guest lectures, fellowships
or scholarships. University of Manitoba alumni who
donate to the Annual Giving program can ask that
their contributions be targeted to the Centre on
Aging.
www.umanitoba/centres/aging
Connecting the Centre on Aging to Community Organizations: A look at
North Point Douglas Seniors Association
Submitted by Dr. Nancy Newall, Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre on Aging
Below is an excerpt from an article submitted by Nancy
Newall, PhD
“We don’t care where you come from, we are just happy
you came.”
—Rick Caslake, Program Manager, North Point
Douglas Seniors Association
Photos provided by Rick Caslake, North Point Douglas Seniors Association Program
What do you think of when you think of Point Douglas?
Crime? Poverty? Police hassles? According to the 2006
Census, Point Douglas has the lowest average household
income. But did you also know that it has one of
the liveliest seniors’ groups? They call themselves the
“SWAT” Team: Seniors With Attitude!
This winter I met with North Point Douglas Seniors
Association Program Manager, Rick Caslake. We talked
about their new home—the Barber House—and some
of the happenings at Barber House and the surrounding
neighbourhood. There is a dynamism and energy in
Point Douglas that should not be ignored. The purpose
of this article is to give you more insight into Point
Douglas and perhaps, to whet your appetite to get
involved in this community or your own.
Barber House in North
Point Douglas.
A seniors’ rock garden,
planned, planted and
maintained by seniors,
with “cuttings and
diggings” from their
own gardens. A source
of pride and a sense of
belonging for the 55+
residents of North Point
Douglas.
Summer 2011 marked the grand re-opening of Barber
House, located at 99 Euclid Avenue. Built in 1862, and
once the home of E.L. Barber, Barber House is now
the home of both the North Point Douglas Seniors
Association and the Eagle Wing Child Care Centre.
Creating an inter-generational community centre at
Barber House was the long-time goal of Sisters Initiating
Steps for a Renewed Society (SISTARS), a group who
wanted to help revive Point Douglas by creating an
energetic and creative hub. The house is a beautiful
place and the City of Winnipeg awarded it with an
Accessibility Award. Barber House gave the community
a true meeting place—it is alive with activity.
One purpose of Barber House is to bring people together
by creating a meeting place. States Rick, “We want to
provide a safe and comfortable place for people to come
to.” Barber House is open weekdays at 9:30 a.m. for free
coffee, tea, and juice. Available for use are a telephone,
computer, tables, chairs, newspapers, and books. Most
of all, friendly people are around to talk to and get to
know.
Mr. Rick Caslake (left) and Dr. Nancy Newall (right) share a
coffee break at Barber House
Barber House runs a Food-On-Wheels Delivery and
Recycling Program. Volunteers pick up groceries from
Sobeys and Extra Foods, sort, and deliver them to those
in need. A grant allowed them to purchase baskets to
deliver food and collect recyclables.
Connecting the Centre on Aging continued on page 4
Winter 2012 | Vol. 30 | Issue 1
3
Centre on Aging upcoming events and news
Mark your calendars as the Centre on Aging will be
hosting the following events:
19th annual research forum
Join us on March 13, 2012 as the Centre will be hosting
an exciting research forum. With issues facing the aging
population featuring prominently in the news and the
discussions becoming more relevant—as was recently
highlighted at Dr. Barnard’s Visionary Conversations
series in November 2011—our featured presenter
offers a unique perspective on how the community and
university can support our aging population.
an ambitious partnership involving the Ontario
government, postsecondary sector and Schlegel Villages
that resulted in the development of a centre of excellence
for research, training and innovation in senior health
care and wellness at the University of Waterloo. Lunch
will follow the presentation, as well as a more in-depth
discussion.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Noon to 1:00 p.m.
University Senate
Chambers, E3 – 262 EITC
Engineering Complex
Fort Garry Campus
Presenting will be Dr. Michael Sharratt, Executive
Director, Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research
Institute for Aging. Dr. Sharratt will be describing
Luncheon and discussion
Connecting the Centre on Aging continued from page 3
The Seniors Association is planning a workshop focusing
on stress and indirectly, elder abuse. The Association
has a confidential Power Line that family or friends can
call if they suspect cases of elder abuse. Eventually they
hope to purchase a community van to transport people
interested in attending events at Barber House. They also
connect with community members through home visits.
To understand the community residents’ needs better,
the North Point Douglas Seniors Association conducted
a survey, with research continuing in 2012. As word of
mouth spreads about the new senior centre at Barber
House, residents are coming to 99 Euclid to introduce
themselves and voice their opinions.
For more information on North Point Douglas Seniors
Association, go to: www.pointdouglasseniors.org.
North Point Douglas Seniors Association Mission Statement:
To enhance the quality of life for seniors 55 and over living in
Point Douglas, by alleviating poverty, increasing safety, offering
recreational and social opportunities, and providing a network of
support and resources for healthy independent living.
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Centre on Aging
Following Dr. Sharatt’s presentation, lunch and a
discussion will be held from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. in room
E3 – 262 EITC. After lunch, audience members will
have an opportunity to discuss with Dr. Sharratt the
village model of care at the University of Waterloo and
how it might inform discussions at the University of
Manitoba.
Please RSVP for the lunch only (474.8754) or email
[email protected] by Tuesday, March 6, 2012.
Spring research symposium
Registration for the 29th annual spring research
symposium is now open! You can register for the
symposium by mailing, faxing, or submitting the form
electronically. Visit the Centre’s Web site to download
the PDF registration form and to read more about this
year’s presentations:
http://umanitoba.ca/centres/aging/events/384.html.
This year, we have made registration available online!
Complete the online form at your convenience.
www.umanitoba/centres/aging
Symposium poster session
Once again, the Centre on Aging will be holding a
poster session on the Brodie Mezzanine from 9:00 am to
4:00 pm. Posters will be on display throughout the day
of the symposium. Research Affiliates and their students
are encouraged to submit posters for the symposium.
the aging baby boomer population. Her advisor was Dr.
Christina Lengyel (Human Nutritional Sciences).
Recent Centre on Aging publications
As the Age-Friendly Manitoba Initiative grows in
Manitoba, the Centre on Aging has published a number
of reports and fact sheets about age-friendly, as part of
Dr. Verena Menec’s age-friendly research. Available from
the Age-Friendly CURA link are the following reports
and summaries (http://umanitoba.ca/centres/aging/cura/
pubs/coa_cura_publications_reports.html):
Veselyuk, D., McArthur, J., & Menec, V. (2012). Age
Friendly Manitoba Initiative What’s been happening in
communities? Winnipeg: Centre on Aging, University of
Manitoba. (PDF)
If you are interested, contact Rachel Ines,
Communications Coordinator ([email protected] or
474.9854) to get a copy of the poster submission form.
Deadline for submission is April 9, 2012.
Research seminar series
The Centre on Aging will close its 2011–2012 research
seminar series on April 10, 2012. Join us for our final
presentation of the series when Dr. Ben Albensi,
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology &
Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, will discuss “The
involvement of NF-kB signaling in memory impairment
in Alzheimer’s Disease.”
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
405 Brodie Centre | Bannatyne Campus
Please note, Dr. Albensi’s seminar has been rescheduled
from March to April.
Age-friendly summaries were created based on
community consultations facilitated by CURA staff:
• Communication (PDF)
• Health and community services (PDF)
• Housing (PDF)
• Outdoor spaces and buildings (PDF)
• Participation (PDF)
• Transportation (PDF)
Centre on Aging awards due March 19
Applications for student awards and fellowships
tenable in the 2012–2013 academic year are now being
accepted. The following awards are open to students:
• Centre on Aging Betty Havens Memorial Graduate
Fellowship ($4000)
• Jack MacDonell Scholarship for Research in Aging
($4000)
Graduate Specialization in Aging
• Esther & Samuel Milmot Scholarship ($500)
Congratulations to Ms. Jacqueline Bugera who received
her Graduate Specialization in Aging certificate in
October 2011. Ms. Bugera completed her thesis entitled
Formulating a pasta sauce with added health benefits for
• Alzheimer Society Graduate Student Fellowship
(Two awards of $4000 each)
The application forms must be filled out as specified and
submitted to the Centre on Aging by March 19, 2012.
Late applications will not be accepted.
Winter 2012 | Vol. 30 | Issue 1
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Research Affiliate updates
Media updates
Dr. Danielle Bouchard (Faculty of Kinesiology and
Recreation Management) was the featured writer in “The
Learning Curve” column published in the Winnipeg
Free Press on February 4, 2012. In Dr. Bouchard’s
article “Never too late to lose weight,” she discusses
obesity and weight loss in older adults, identifying that
the consequences overweight seniors may face due to
diseases and impact on health can be more severe as
they age. One way to address this is through weight loss.
While many think that older adults do not care about
their weight, Dr. Bouchard’s research shows that no
matter what a person’s age, adopting and maintaining a
healthy lifestyle impacts a person’s mortality.
Article link:
www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/never-too-lateto-lose-weight-138701244.html
Centre on Aging Director, Dr. Verena Menec, was
interviewed on January 31, 2012 on the BT Health
segment for Breakfast Television. Dr. Menec is the lead
site investigator for the Canadian Longitudinal Study
on Aging (CLSA) in Manitoba. She discussed Manitoba
residents’ role in the 20 year study, which is the largest
Canadian aging study.
Participation in the CLSA involves two different groups,
between the ages of 45 and 85. Manitobans will be
contacted to participate in either a telephone interview
or to take part in a home interview and visit the local
data collection site. Manitoba Health randomly selected
and mailed out information packages on behalf of the
CLSA requesting their consent to be contacted.
Support for the CLSA has been provided by the
Government of Canada through the Canadian Institutes
of Health Research and the Canada Foundation for
Innovation.
A published interview in ResearchLIFE (2012) with
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
(SSHRC) President, Dr. Chad Gaffield, identified the
Centre on Aging for its role regarding aging research.
Currently, Dr. Verena Menec’s research on the AgeFriendly Communities CURA project is funded by
SSHRC. (University of Manitoba ResearchLIFE 1, 9–10).
Recent publications
Albensi, B.C. (Ed.). (2012). Transcription Factors
CREB and NF-kB: Involvement in Synaptic Plasticity and
Memory Formation. Bentham Books
eISBN: 978-1-60805-257-8, 2012
Presentations
Dr. Fran Racher (School of Health Studies, Brandon
University) is one of the scheduled keynote speakers at
the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba’s “Dementia Care”
2012 conference, to be held March 5–6 in Winnipeg.
Dr. Richard Milgrom (Department of City Planning)
and students in his Studio course presented Envisioning
age-friendly towns and neighbourhoods at the Manitoba
Planning Conference 2012. The conference was held in
Brandon MB on February 22–24, 2012.
Dr. Verena Menec (left) is interviewed during the BT
Health segment by Courtney Ketchen (right)
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Centre on Aging
Dr. Jo-Ann Sawatzky and Ms. Carol Enns (Faculty of
Nursing) delivered a seminar “The Manitoba emergency
nurses retention research project: Exploring the key
predictors of ‘intent to leave’” on January 24, 2012,
through the Manitoba Centre for Nursing and Health
Research.
www.umanitoba/centres/aging
The Centre on Aging resumed its Research Seminar
Series on February 6, 2012. Dr. Lorna Guse and
Dr. Elaine Mordoch (Faculty of Nursing) presented
“PARO: A highly sophisticated robotic animal
helping nursing home residents and family members
communicate and interact.”
Members of the research team Dr. Kerstin Roger
(Department of Family Social Sciences, Faculty of
Human Ecology) and student Research Assistant, Ms.
Jacky Phelan were on hand to share their perspectives as
well. Ms. Angela Osterreicher, University of Manitoba, is
also part of the research team.
Project team members pose for a photo after the
February 6 research seminar series: (left to right) Dr. Lorna
Guse, Dr. Kerstin Roger, Dr. Elaine Mordoch, and Ms.
Jacky Phalen
PARO in rest mode. PARO is a robotic seal designed with
sensors that respond when touched and react to light
and sound. It also makes the sound of a real baby harp
seal.
In memoriam: Henry Jacobs
It is with great sadness that the Centre on Aging
announces the passing of Mr. Henry Jacobs, a long
time friend and supporter of the Centre. Mr. Jacobs was
a current member of the Advisory Board. He will be
greatly missed.
Mr. Jacobs was the Assistant to the Associate VicePresident (Research) at the University of Manitoba.
He received the Peter D. Curry Chancellor’s Award in
1985–1986, to which he donated the monetary value to
the Centre on Aging’s endowment fund.
He had a long history and relationship with the Centre
and has been involved with the Centre on Aging since it
was originally established in 1982.
Pending his retirement from the University in 1987,
Mr. Jacobs was appointed Special Advisor to the Centre
on Aging in recognition of his continuing support of
the Centre’s research activities. He was appointed as
the community representative on the Centre’s Advisory
Board on September 1, 2000 and remained a board
member until the time of his passing, where he was
actively engaged and involved with the Centre’s events
and activities.
Winter 2012 | Vol. 30 | Issue 1
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Depression: do symptoms predict Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?
Are seniors with symptoms of depression now, or who
have a history of depression in the past, at more risk
than others of having Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in
the future?
Dementia is a progressive loss of cognitive (thinking)
ability that causes impairment in how a person
functions, and those who suffer from it often spend their
last days in institutional care. The most common type of
dementia is Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which affects some
4 million people in the U.S.
Since 1990, several research studies have found that
depression is associated with AD. However, it is not clear
whether depressive symptoms are really an early form of
AD/dementia, or whether seniors with those symptoms
are just more likely to develop AD/dementia later. One
theory is that cerebrovascular disease could be the root
cause of both depression and dementia.
Researchers from the Centre on Aging analysed the
relationship between signs and symptoms of depression
at one point in time (the “baseline”) and the actual
development of dementia five years later, in a study
involving 766 seniors. Their goals were to: (1) rate
several ways of measuring depression, and (2) find out
whether depression (as defined by any of those measures)
increased the risk of developing AD/dementia.
The researchers used interview data from a large
community-based long-term study of aging called the
Manitoba Study of Health and Aging (MSHA). The
various measures of depression were the 20-item Center
for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale,
and participants’ self-reported histories and duration
of depression. The CES-D focuses on four indicators
of depression: (1) positive affect; (2) depressed affect;
(3) physical well-being / sleep / appetite; and (4)
interpersonal factors.
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Centre on Aging
Researchers found that baseline scores of 16 or higher
on the CES-D were associated with double the normal
risk of developing AD/dementia by the five-year followup mark. However, those who reported a history
of depression in the past, and the duration of that
depression, did not show any greater risk of developing
AD/dementia. Of the four CES-D indicators, scores that
related to physical well-being / sleep / appetite symptoms
were most significant in predicting increased risk of
dementia.
These results suggest that seniors who score 16 or
more on the CES-D are more likely to be diagnosed in
the future with dementia. It is still not clear whether
depression causes dementia, or is simply an early
warning sign before dementia becomes full-blown.
However, the latter possibility is supported by this
study’s finding that a lifetime history of depression did
not predict any greater risk of dementia, whereas the
baseline symptoms measured at the start of the study
did.
Either way, medical caregivers should be alert for signs
of cognitive decline in elderly patients who score 16
or more on the CES-D scale. Elderly patients with
symptoms involving physical well-being / sleep / appetite
may need particularly close attention and follow-up for
signs of cognitive decline even when they do not score
more than 16 points on the CES-D.
Reference
Gatz, J., Tyas, S.L., St. John, P., & Montgomery, P.
(2005). Do Depressive Symptoms Predict Alzheimer’s
Disease and Dementia? Journal of Gerontology: Medical
Sciences. 60(6): 744–7.
This article was summarized by Margaret McKenty
www.umanitoba/centres/aging