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This visualization shows the relations between universities. Each arc represents a project that has people in more than one university.

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• 1.1a ITNE-SK - Indigenous Technology Needs Exploration – Saskatchewan

  This project, in partnership with the Community Research Advisory Committee at the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council, is examining the ways Indigenous communities use technology in relation to 1) pathways to care for Indigenous older adults who are affected by dementia and 2) the experiences of their caregivers.

  Award Term: April 1, 2018 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $157,130 

   

• 1.1b ATICON - Aging Technologies for Indigenous Communities in Ontario

  The ATICON team’s goal is to increase the accessibility and cultural safety of technologies developed through the AGE-WELL network. They do this through community-based research with Anishinaabe adults and by supporting meaningful knowledge mobilization activities between Indigenous community partners and AGE-WELL investigators.

  Award Term: April 1, 2018 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $132,130

   

• 1.2 TUNGSTEN - Tools for User Needs Gathering to Support Technology Engagement

  This project is creating tools to involve older adults in technology development, from the early stages of design and testing of products, right through to marketing and advertising. These tools include products such as decision support kits and an e-commerce platform for products for people living with dementia.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $753,031

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $8,626

   

  
       

• 1.3 OA-INVOLVE - Older Adults' Active Involvement in Aging and Technology Research and Development

  This project is developing best practices for incorporating the experience and insight of older adults in technology and aging research. It has equipped AGE-WELL researchers with practical guides to support implementation.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $800,853

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $1,950

• 1.5-CAT - Feasibility of mixed reality technologies for people with dementia

  People with dementia are keen to continue their everyday activities but require support to do so. It is established that people with dementia can benefit from current digital technologies such as smartphones and tablets, which have functions that we all rely on to help us manage our daily lives, such as calendars, schedulers and reminders as well as the social and communication functions. Newer devices, including Mixed Reality technologies, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, offer additional functions that could support people with dementia, but these have not been fully investigated. This study will examine the feasibility of Mixed Reality Technologies for use by people with dementia. This will include several different technologies that link the physical and virtual worlds in different ways, i.e. through headsets, screens and physical objects. We will invite 30 people with dementia to play a selection of games on different devices and observe them while they play. We will video-record their interactions and end the session with an interview about their experience interacting with the devices and games. The data will help us to identify which types of interaction are easiest, most comfortable and enjoyable for people with dementia. It will also tell us what does not work and what people do not like. This information will enable us to develop a framework for using Mixed Reality technologies to provide prompts and support to people with dementia in their everyday activities.

• 1.6-CAT - Evaluating the usability of interactive mobile technology for driver rehabilitation after stroke

  Resumption of driving is critical to the health and quality of life of the estimated 62,000 Canadians affected by stroke each year. As tablets are increasingly being adopted by older Canadians, there is an opportunity to use this technology to address a critical need in stroke rehabilitation for evidence-based driving interventions that are contextually relevant, accessible, and cost effective. In this study, we will conduct usability analysis of the iPad™ and DriveFocus® mobile app alongside individuals with stroke and their caregivers to develop training protocols and improve the user experience for this new form of driver retraining.

• 1.7-SIP A5 - Dancing for good health: The GERAS DANCE online community of learning
• 2.1 INToCARE - Innovative Technology for Caregivers

  This project is surveying caregivers and creating personas that illustrate caregiver needs. The team works with caregivers as active partners and has a crowdsourcing website of caregiver personas for technology developers, clinicians and other caregivers to identify existing and novel solutions.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $402,303

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $39,182

• 2.2 MovIT-PLUS - Portal for the Systematic Monitoring and Training of User-Caregiver Dyads after Provision of Assistive Devices

  This project aims to help older adults and their caregivers in using assistive technologies (AT) such as canes, walkers, wheelchairs or scooters. The team is refining a web-based system that allows caregivers to monitor AT use from multiple devices and access ongoing training on how to use AT with older adults.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 575,916

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 5,216,772

• 2.3 CARE-RATE - Online Assistive Technology Rating and Recommending System for Caregivers

  The CareRate project is developing an online tool that connects caregivers to products they need to support themselves and older adults with dementia. CareRate uses natural language processing and artificial intelligence to present simple "yes/no" questions that rapidly refine search results to target relevant information to help caregivers find what they are looking for more quickly. 

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 415,800

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 49,042

• 2.4 ATforCC - Assistive Technologies that Care for the Caregiver

  This project studies caregivers’ needs and goals and how assistive technology can impact their lives - do they help or hinder? The study’s findings are helping inform evidence-based policy decisions, NGO advocacy efforts and the successful development and adoption of AGE-WELL products.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 456,958

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 150,511

• 3.1 VIGIL - Mobile Robotics for Activities of Daily Living Assistance

  This team is creating assistive robots that can be used at home, as well as in hospitals, seniors' residences and long-term care. The robots will be able to help older adults with daily tasks, monitor their well-being and signal for help in an emergency. The project is also developing a telepresence device to enable “virtual visits” for remote consultations with medical professionals.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 809,187

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 83,200

• 3.2 CoPILOT - Collaborative Power Mobility for an Aging Population

  The team is developing intelligent control technologies for scooters and powered wheelchairs that will enable older adults with physical, perceptual, and cognitive limitations to drive their mobility aides independently.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 920,737

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 5,222,076

• 3.3a EMOTEC - Emotional MOtivation for TEchnology that Cares

  This project is developing computational models of emotional alignment between older adults with dementia, care partners, and technological assistants. The goal is to promote adoption and engagement with technologies, such as virtual or robotic assistants, by older adults.

  Award Term: September 1, 2017 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 168,000

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 4,150

• 3.3b NEARS - iNnovative Easy Assistance Reassuring System

  NEARS is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based user friendly smart-home. Users can easily install and personalize the smart features to their own needs, transforming their home into a smart home. Older adults will age in place in their home, connected with their friends and family members, thanks to NEARS short-period and long-period monitoring capacities and real-time cognitive assistance.

  Award Term: September 1, 2017 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 161,763

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 65,000

• 3.7-S5 - Barriers and facilitators of integrating an immersive wheelchair simulator (miWe) as a clinical tool for training powered wheelchair driving skills

  Training is an essential aspect of power wheelchair (PWC) service delivery. However, training is not provided to a sufficient degree because of lack of time, knowledge and resources, which can lead to sub-optimal wheelchair driving skills and decreased confidence in one’s abilities. Training using a validated and portable virtual reality platform may address the need to increase the amount, frequency and efficacy of PWC skills training. The McGill Immersive Wheelchair simulator (MiWe), which has been already developed and validated for PWC training, is an innovative platform for this purpose. However, integrating MiWe into clinical practice is a challenging process. The ultimate goal of this project is to investigate the potential to implement MiWe as a PWC skills training program in a rehab setting. Stakeholder opinions will be collected through four focus groups and an online survey targeting therapists and clinical program directors.

• 3.8-CAT - Impact of Environmental Awareness on Powered Wheelchair Driving Performance and Safety

  Individuals who do not have the strength to propel themselves in manual wheelchairs can benefit greatly from the use of powered wheelchairs, which have been linked to a higher overall quality of life. According to a report, however, 20% of power mobility devices users had experienced at least one major collision within the last year, and 11% of these users had been hospitalized. Powered wheelchair users of all ages have reported that they often face difficulties while navigating tight spaces and backing up. Although new cars have sensors that assist in backing up and collision avoidance (and are mandated in the U.S.), commercial wheelchairs do not have this technology. Our proposed research aims to understand the impact of environmental awareness on driving performance. Existing intelligent wheelchair research has attempted to autonomously or semi-autonomously perform tasks such as collision avoidance and backing up; however little attention has been paid to exploring environmental awareness with current commercial wheelchairs, and to understanding how this awareness impacts performance while executing challenging driving maneuvers. Further investigation in these areas can lead to the development of new tools that not only assist novice drivers as they learn how to drive powered wheelchairs, but also help drivers who are excluded from powered wheelchair use due to safety concerns, especially if they have deteriorating physical and/or cognitive conditions. It is anticipated that this project will 1) create tools to evaluate environmental awareness with existing chairs and drivers, 2) help understand the role of environmental awareness while driving, 3) provide recommendations on tools that might enhance environmental awareness, and 4) potentially help increase access to powered wheelchairs and safety for a large population that is currently excluded. This pilot will be the start of an iterative process to evaluate various technologies developed within AGE-WELL WP3 (Technology for Supporting Functional Autonomy and Independence) with stakeholders.

• 3.10-SIP A1 - Usability testing of a mHealth application and internet portal for managing chronic arthritis and joint health

  The incidence of arthritis conditions is projected to increase markedly as the number of older adults in Canada increases. Currently, the diagnosis and care of arthritis and its symptoms occurs at clinics and hospitals. Unfortunately, this is expensive to healthcare systems, inconvenient for patients, involves extensive waiting lists for services and ultimately leads to insufficient monitoring of patients’ symptoms. These issues are multiplied for Canada’s vulnerable senior population. The LiveWith Arthritis Plus (LWAP) platform addresses these problems by making heavy medical imaging equipment and diagnosis accessible by a smartphone and a web portal, in the convenience of the home. Having developed a successful prototype, the next obvious step is to ensure that LWAP meets the needs of end users, including older patients with arthritis, care providers and clinicians. This research will involve user studies in collaboration and consultation with key stakeholders including The Arthritis Society of Canada, Pain BC and Arthritis Consumer Experts. This research project will be led by Dr. Diane Gromala, Canada Research Chair and Professor in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University. Dr. Gromala brings extensive experience in the field of human-computer interaction and has a decade of experience collaborating on CIHR-funded arthritis research. The successful completion of this project will enhance our understanding of the specific needs of older users regarding technology and chronic disease self-management, align research with the commercialization requirements for medical devices, enable eTreatMD to proceed with future clinical trials of LWAP and ultimately position the company to launch LWAP nationwide in 2018. This collaborative research will also generate end-user interest and trust, in order to ensure that this initial market push is done with a product that has been validated and meets relevant users’ needs. eTreatMD projects that total downloads for LWAP could reach 200,000 new users globally by 2019.

• 3.13-SIP A2 - Scalable Heuristics for Assistive Design and Elaboration

  An increasing number of designers wish to conceive innovative products or services for older adults with special needs and family caregivers. Both groups have distinct but overlapping needs that require good understanding and close working between designers and these intended end users. However, little practical knowledge is available in efficient and attractive ways to integrate them into the design process.

  The DATcares workshop highlighted this problem and introduced an innovative bottom-up approach that showed how relevant design principles could be identified by a transdisciplinary effort gathering caregivers, researchers, occupational therapists, designers, technology developers, industries and policy makers. Following these findings, it was decided to replicate this approach at a bigger scale in order to share successful design principles throughout the design community.

  Scalable Heuristics for Assistive Design and Elaboration (SHADE) is a documented resource to support the design of assistive technology that cares’; namely, to support designers in creating products and services that better support the fundamental needs of both caregivers and care-recipients. SHADE encompasses the key-components of the well-being and the integration of caregiving within various occupational roles (employment, leisure, social interactions...) that enhance the quality of both their caregiving and their relationship with the care-recipient. Additionally, SHADE provides recommendations to integrate technologies and services in the social environment of those who are receiving care.

  With this in mind, SHADE defines, disseminates, and supports a set of design heuristics and user-centered methods to globally improve the quality of assistive technologies by encompassing caregivers' and care-recipients' holistic needs. These heuristics will be conveyed to industry and practitioners through a deck of cards and a reference booklet, providing definitions of design principles, best practices and concrete examples. These products will be downloadable for free and premium printed versions will be available at production cost.

• 3.14-SIP A3 - Adrenalease Posture Apparel Expansion

  Older adults and care givers suffering from neck and back pain often find that traditional posture braces are large and hinder their daily lifestyles. As a result, they are often not able to do the activities they love or often compromise their health by removing their posture brace.

  Adrenalease’s posture performance products are the only patented adjustable solutions for helping people improve their posture and alleviate back and neck pain, while simultaneously allowing them to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. Adrenalease Inc. aims to make a meaningful impact on the lives of seniors to engage in physical active and utilize proper movement patterns by having better posture with Adrenalease posture apparel. The risk of injuries also decreases when neutral posture is maintained. Our second goal is to decrease the likelihood of back injuries when caregivers are lifting and caring for family and loved ones. We are working on advancing our technology to include Shape Memory Polymers with sensors embedded in the fabric.

  We developed relationships with many health care professionals to endorse and promote our product line such as Pharmasave on a nationwide level and Wellwise by Shoppers Drug Mart. We are in the process of changing our packaging to comply with industry standard by having it in English and French. With the help of SIP Accelerator we can speed up the process of packaging production as well as other marketing materials. Adrenalease would like to attend the Pharmasave National Buyers Conference in Vancouver being held in April 2018 as we generate more leads and sell our products. We would like to work with AGE-WELL network to enter new market opportunities and help grow our business with medical distributors. Our posture apparel is currently patent-pending in 40 countries and we would benefit from the legal advice of tapping into these different markets.

• 3.16-CAT - A Smart Clothing and Assistive Robotic System for Older Adults

  Our goal is to develop an autonomous assistive system for the important daily activity of dressing that combines both socially assistive robotics and smart clothing to aid older adults with cognitive impairments. The progressive loss of cognitive function hinders an individual’s ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). With respect to the different ADLs, dressing is the most impacted by dementia, and the inability of dressing independently negatively impacts the quality of life for older adults and their families. Furthermore, clothing has a significant influence on self-esteem and social identity of persons living with dementia, and can remain important even in the context of relatively advanced dementia.

  We propose a novel autonomous assistive system that provides dressing instructions and monitors the overall dressing activity to provide feedback. The system uniquely combines smart clothing and assistive robotics technologies. A socially assistive robot will help older adults to select clothes based on weather, activity and preferences, and then prompt the user to find and then put on the clothes. The robot will continuously monitor the activity through its multimodal perception system to ensure that the clothes are put on properly, since the robot is able to search for dressing failures including clothes that are put on only partially, backwards or inside-out. The perception system uses an innovative combination of vision and embedded sensors in the clothes.

  We expect this system will improve the quality of life of older adults by promoting their independence, and reduce the burden on caregivers. This proof-of-concept project will pave the way for needed research in the emerging areas of smart clothing and assistive robotics for healthcare. This project fits well within the AGE-WELL WP3 TECH-FAI Workpackage, which focuses on developing technologies for supporting functional autonomy and independence.

• 3.17-CAT ELEVATE - End-user Led EValuation of Assistive TEchnology (ELEVATE)

  New technologies are promising in their potential to help older adults with cognitive and physical limitations and their caregivers. For example, technology can be used to reduce caregiver burden, promote independence, manage safety risks and reduce stress. Despite these benefits, bringing these technologies to market remains a challenge. In fact, few older adults and caregivers benefit from assistive technologies in their day to day lives. To address this issue, there has been a move towards consulting with older adults and caregivers during the technology development process, but this approach is not always implemented or successful. As such, there is a need for a common guide to evaluate technologies throughout the development process to ensure they are aligned with the needs and values of older adults and caregivers. The specific aims are to: 1) complete a scoping review of existing tools to develop the evaluation content and criteria; 2) conduct focus groups with end-users to a) establish the importance of distinct evaluation criteria and b) identify new ones; 3) develop the evaluation framework and tool and vet it with AGE-WELL investigators; and 4) promote the use and implementation of the End-user Led EValuation of Assistive TEchnology (ELEVATE) tool across Canadian and international research groups and industries. ELEVATE will: 1) assist engineers and researchers to create useful technology solutions that lead to positive change in the lives of older adults and their caregivers; 2) accelerate the commercialization pathway by providing technology developers with a simple and vetted method to align their products with the needs and values of target end-users; and 3) provide AGE-WELL with a minimum dataset tool to evaluate developed technologies.

• 3.18-SIP A4 - Improvement of access to home therapy for patients with chronic kidney disease: The implementation of a new remote monitoring technology in the treatment of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis in the province of Quebec Home therapy is an important and often underutilized dialysis option. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) affords chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients the independence to maintain their quality of life compared to in-centre hemodialysis (ICHD) (1). In 2016, across Canada (excluding Quebec), 50.4% of PD patients were 65 years of age or older (2). Clearly, to increase the use of home dialysis especially in this population segment, initiatives that consider and facilitate the challenges faced by elderly end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are critical. Obstacles to increasing the use of home dialysis include the complexity of PD therapy machines and patients with limited care-taker support (3). The Amia automated PD system with Sharesource connectivity platform provides real time monitoring and recording of the therapy as well as an interactive interface with the care team and patient. This allows for acute trouble shooting and remote evaluation of the patient. We hypothesize that the use of Amia with Sharesource coupled with the addition of a nurse navigator (NN) will increase the number of ESRD patients choosing home therapy. The expected cost savings to the health-care system of Amia with Sharesource will be important, as the cost of home dialysis is much lower compared to the cost of ICHD (4).
• 3.19-SIP A4 - Backup Sensor Technology for Wheelchairs (BSTW) Powered mobility can improve quality of life for older adults who are unable to walk or use manual chairs; however, 20% of powered mobility users report at least one major collision within a year. Safety is a major concern when determining eligibility for powered mobility device use and can often to lead to exclusion. Older adults with a diagnosis of dementia are especially likely to be excluded because of visuo-perceptual difficulties experienced, which can make powered mobility device operation challenging or even impossible. Loss of mobility can in turn lead to depression and an increased reliance on caregivers. The objective of this project is to commercialize at larger scale, a low cost, after-market solution that can transform any mobility device (wheelchair/scooter) into a “smart” device that can automatically detect obstacles and provide the driver with multi-modal and customizable feedback. We are thus moving beyond our initial project scope that was limited to just wheelchairs. In addition, the goal is now to commercialize this system as part of a larger platform that can provide objective data in order to inform and augment training, assessment and provision processes to prevent undue exclusion of individuals from the use of powered mobility devices. This project can improve quality of life and restore dignity of older adults by increasing driver awareness, and safety of the driver as well as those in the surrounding environment. Moreover, mobility is a fundamental human right – our proposed technology can enable access to powered mobility by a large population that is currently being denied this right.
• 3.20-SIP A5 - The Steadiwear Glove
• 3.21-SIP A5 - Robotic Stair-Climbing Assistant (ROSA)

  Stairs pose a significant obstacle for seniors wishing to “age in place” within their own homes. Stair-related falls are a serious safety issue that puts seniors at risk and strains our health-care infrastructure. This problem is exacerbated when seniors attempt to carry everyday items like laundry baskets, groceries, etc., while using even short flights of stairs. Existing solutions do not address the problem directly or are prohibitively expensive. Also, the benefits of fall-proofing measures, such as extra stair railings, are nullified if seniors’ hands are occupied while holding objects. This lack of viable alternatives contributes to seniors leaving their homes prematurely.

  George Brown College (GBC) has teamed with Quantum Robotic Systems Inc. (QRS) to develop
  a Robotic Stair-climbing Assistant (“ROSA”) for residential use. ROSA will be a small, easy-to-use robotic cart with semi-autonomous features that will carry household items (e.g., laundry, boxes) up and down stairs automatically. The project will produce a functional ROSA prototype that will carry up to 100lb while being virtually hands-free.

  ROSA will be a readily accessible solution that will reduce the risk of falls and allow seniors to
  remain in their homes longer. It will also create a product that will allow QRS to expand into the residential market

  The project will build upon technology already developed through prior QRS/GBC collaborations. QRS has developed and patented a novel stair-climbing technology. Using this core technology, QRS and GBC have collaborated to develop proof-of-concept prototypes for three types of assistive devices: a stair-climbing mover’s cart (“Doll-E”); a service robot for the home; and, a stair-climbing wheelchair. QRS’s first-to-market product is Doll-E, intended for commercial applications. This project will combine and enhance existing features from QRS’s stair-climbing cart and service robot to create the company’s first residential application

• 3.22 - Usability testing of a digital health app to support older adults with Chronic Kidney Disease make a successful transition onto dialysis
• 4.1 CONNECT-TECH - Promoting Social Connectedness through New and Innovative Communication Platforms

  Research indicates that as many as 43% of older adults living in the community feel socially isolated. The negative effects are well documented: depression, stress, functional decline and death. Our web-based Connections platform helps seniors to interact comfortably online with family, friends, caregivers, and organizations for better support and connectedness.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - September 30, 2019

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 717,889

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 140,340

• 4.2 CONNECT-PLAY - Promoting Social Connectedness through Playing Together- Digital Social Games for Learning and Entertainment

  Research has shown that digital games can enhance older adults’ cognitive abilities, social connectedness, and overall wellbeing. This project builds on research evidence to create customizable, socially stimulating, computer and tablet-based learning games for older adults to enjoy with peers or in an inter-generational format.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 797,207

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 396,330

• 4.3 CONNECT-CREATE - Promoting Social Connectedness through Collaborating on Digital Storytelling and Knowledge Creation and Sharing

  This project focuses on the design of technological platforms to enable older adults to use digital storytelling as a means of communicating and socializing. Older adults use these platforms and tools to create digital stories covering significant events in their lives and/or their communities.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 976,669

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 641,817

• 4.8-CAT - Improving the Learnability and Usability of Mobile Devices for Older Adults
• 4.9-CAT - Promoting quality of life through creative and collaborative music-making with an assistive digital music technology

  This research explores the use of assistive music technology as a catalyst for creativity, collaboration and enhanced quality of later-life within assisted living communities. Previous research has attributed significant social, emotional and cognitive benefits amongst senior citizens to their involvement in musical activities. However, research that addresses age-related barriers to ‘musicking’, which include the accessibility of conventional musical instruments, is limited. Our research will thus investigate systematically the use of an innovative assistive digital music technology that may mitigate such barriers, thus maximizing the potential for access to the creative, social, psychological, and physiological benefits of musical engagement in later-life. We will focus on the Soundbeam, an assistive digital music technology that uses motion sensors to translate body movements into music and sound. Soundbeam offers a stable and versatile technological platform that enables both touch and touch-free interaction in unlimited musical styles, as well as the built-in ability to record and share musical creations online, thus further promoting social connectedness.

  The feasibility of such technologies as tools to support creativity and quality of life amongst older people in assisted living contexts remains under-researched. Accordingly, we aim to improve the lives of Canadian seniors by: 1) engaging seniors in creative social practice through music and sound, by developing novel musical practices and artefacts using the Soundbeam; 2) fostering creative musical collaborations, learning and play that harness the potential of an assistive music technology within later-life contexts; and 3) exploring the feasibility of the Soundbeam as a tool that can contribute to enhanced quality of later-life. Our project will therefore make an original contribution to knowledge concerning the role of technology in creative arts-based approaches to enhancing the quality of later-life.

• 5.1 AMBI-MON - Ambient-Based Physiological and Functional Monitoring

  This project is developing sensor systems that can be embedded in an individual’s environment to deliver health and functional information in real time in order to 1) help monitor the health of older adults and 2) predict and prevent health problems.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 1,097,670

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 140,340

• 5.2 PRED-FALL - Technologies to Predict, Prevent, and Detect Falls

  Falls are the largest cause of injuries in adults over age 65. The aim of this project is to develop and evaluate new technologies to predict, detect and prevent falls and fall-related injuries among people at high risk in both long-term care and acute care environments. The research team is developing and evaluating low-cost solutions such as compliant flooring, fall mats and padded furniture along with wearable protective gear.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 785,997

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 1,001,242

• 5.3 IIES-PHYS - An In-home Intelligent Exercise System for Physical Rehabilitation, Enhancing Musculoskeletal Function, and Preventing Adverse Events

  This research team is developing technologies that can be used for delivering appropriate, individualized rehabilitation and exercise programs at home or under the guidance of a therapist. Technologies include sensor-based interfaces and a telerobotic rehabilitation platform that can be used at home. 

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 729,290

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 924,181

• 5.12-SIP A2 - Commercialization of SlingSerter for Home Care

  Home caregivers’ most challenging activities when caring for individuals with very limited mobility relate to transfers to and from beds, and to mobility-in-bed. Mechanical lifts reduce the demands of these activities, but do not eliminate them. Most notably, for a lift to be used, a sling must first be placed under the care recipient. This is a physically strenuous process if the care recipient cannot assist: either the individual is manually rolled onto one side, then the other to permit sling placement, or a slide sheet is used to pull a sling under their body. Sling placement is particularly difficult for home caregivers who work alone or care for people in low and/or wide beds. Unfortunately, this difficulty is so great that it often reduces the frequency of transfers or leads to the sling being left under the person, thus increasing the risk of pressure ulcers.

  SlingSerter is an effortless alternative: sling straps are inflated using compressed air and gently unfurl under the care recipient. Once 3-5 straps have been placed, they are connected to a lift and used to raise the person a short distance above the bed. It is then easy for the caregiver to place a sling, change bedsheets, provide incontinence care, or reposition the person in bed.

  This project will make SlingSerter available to home caregivers through a partnership with Prism Medical (a Handicare company), who have an established line of home lifting products. Guided by feedback from homecare providers, family caregivers and care recipients, we will work to prepare a version of SlingSerter that is optimized for homecare. An effortless sling insertion method will reduce physical demands on caregivers, promoting care recipient health and mobility by enabling more frequent transfers and reducing the incentive to leave slings under people between transfers.

• 5.13-SIP A3 - Development strategy for an interactive health monitoring system to increase senior independence and well-being

  This project will build on the previous SIP WP5.7 project completed by Welbi with AGE-WELL. The purpose for this project is to develop improvements for Welbi, a senior care technology company that is helping improve assistive care of older adults (65 years and older) in Canada. The project will focus on the development of a new chatbot feature for Welbi’s mobile health tech application. There are very few senior-focused health applications on the market today that collect detailed quantitative data as well as qualitative data. Welbi will collect quantitative data via its integration with existing wearable technology devices from manufacturers such as Fitbit. This project will help with the development of the new chatbot feature which is powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence, and this will help Welbi collect the qualitative data needed to take its predictive software to the next level.

  This project will help Welbi develop a plan and hire the necessary staff to commercialize this new feature of the software platform. AGE-WELL’s portfolio of senior care technologies will benefit from this project. This project will help improve Welbi’s software so that it can have tremendous benefits and major impacts on the lives of seniors living in Canada as well as family members acting as caregivers for them. Welbi’s mobile application has the potential to greatly increase the independence of seniors and ensure they and their family members stay aware of any health changes or potential risks that are detected. The new chatbot will be specifically designed for seniors, and this feature will greatly increase levels of interaction with them. The chatbot will collect data about the senior’s health and well-being, and will also provide health information, related tips, and activity recommendations based on health status, activity levels, location, and weather.

• 5.14-SIP A3 - Longitudinal study of bed entry/exit and sleep patterns for older adults through Data Analytics

  Problem statement
  As people age, a number of things change in their lives, including mobility and sleep patterns. Typically, with increasing age mobility declines and fall risk increases. Any acute illness can also affect mobility. Similarly, sleep is increasingly interrupted, such as going to the bathroom more frequently. Poor sleep can cause poor mobility the next day. With the development of sensors that can be deployed in older adults’ homes, there is an opportunity to identify mobility and sleep biomarkers that can predict changes in health status for increased fall risk. However, monitoring potentially thousands of aging older adults is a huge challenge and the IBM Data Analytics tools may provide a platform to be able to meet this challenge.

  Research purpose
  The SAM3 research team has between 9 and 12 months of continuous bed pressure and corresponding health data and fall history for each of over 20 older community-dwelling adults from a previous project. This big data set provides a unique opportunity to analyze typical longitudinal data as expected in a real deployment within IBM software tools to allow existing lab only implementations to potentially have commercial deployment.

  Anticipated impacts
  If the research team can convert mat big data into sleep and mobility knowledge that can be used to identify changes in health status, SAM3 will be one step closer to bringing a novel solution to market. Then mats with smart algorithms may be able to identify health changes in older Canadians before they get so severe that they require expensive hospitalizations. A goal will be the identification of methods to implement and scale the analysis algorithms, which is necessary for any sensor based solution to get to market. This would be a win for older Canadians and society as a whole.

• 5.15-SIP A3 - Towards a personalized treatment of overactive bladder Overactive bladder (OAB) is an incurable urinary disorder that affects up to 18% of Canadian adults. Successful treatment can improve quality of life by alleviating anxiety, social withdrawal, depression, and preventing falls while urgently seeking the bathroom. Falls are the largest cause of injuries in adults over age 65, among which OAB is highly prevalent (30%). Current treatment options (and limitations) include: (a) pharmaceuticals (poor patient compliance/side effects); (b) spinal nerve stimulation (expensive and invasive implantable device); and (c) tibial nerve stimulation therapy provided near the ankle (which requires ongoing clinic-based treatment). The clinical efficacy and long-term compliance of these therapies are notably limited. Additionally there can be significant side-effects. We recently showed clinically that our novel saphenous nerve (SAFN) stimulation therapy effectively improved OAB symptoms, without any reported side-effects. We also showed that this could be done using transcutaneous stimulation via stimulation pads applied to the skin rather than requiring a percutaneous needle procedure in the clinic. The goal of this renewal application is to investigate the time course and dose-related treatment profile of our novel OAB therapy in newly-recruited patients. The successful completion of this project will provide an informed approach to treatment titration (i.e. optimizing stimulation regimen) of individual patients using a therapy that can be provided at the patient’s home.
• 5.16-CAT - Wearable sensor-based automatic frailty and fall risk assessment in older adults

  Frailty in late life is a public health challenge which contributes to increased risk of multiple adverse outcomes, including falls. Based on recent estimates, 10% of community-dwelling older adults are frail and another 41.6% are pre-frail. Detection of frailty at the pre-frail stage paves the way towards alleviating the associated risks by employing intervention strategies. Additionally, since frail older adults have a high risk of falling, detection of frailty can help prediction of prospective falls, which in turn serve as a basis for fall prevention efforts. However, the ability to establish a diagnosis of frailty and prediction of future falls remains a major challenge in the geriatric population.

  The aim of this project is to develop a wearable sensor-based platform for identification of frailty status and prediction of future falls in older adults. This wrist-worn, smartwatch-based platform will be used to automatically calculate measures of functional performance including walking speed, power of sit-to-stand transitions and activities of daily living. Using these measures, models will be developed for the target population to classify their frailty status into non-frail, pre-frail and frail and predict their risk of falling in the future.

  The outcome will be used in identifying the transition from non-frail to pre-frail stage, which is increasingly recognized as the stage to target with different therapeutic modalities. The Canadian healthcare system is facing a serious challenge in the form of an aging population, prevalence of chronic diseases and the accompanying rising costs. In response to these challenges, the proposed novel technology, capable of identifying frailty status of older adults at the pre-frail stage and predicting prospective falls, could improve the quality of care for older adults while reducing the cost of care through early detection/intervention.

• 5.17-CAT - Proof of concept development of an active insole to reduce falls in older adults

  Falls and mobility impairment are common side effects of aging. Falls represent a significant injury risk and limiting mobility to avoid falls can reduce independence, quality of life, and contribute to further declines in mobility. The most cost effective way to reduce the health, economic and quality of life impact of falls in older adults is to prevent falls in the first place. In our work and that published by others we see the potential of miniature and low cost electronics for developing an affordable new insole technology to more effectively prevent falls and their related injuries. Feedback from seniors has highlighted the importance of discrete assistive technologies. In addition, for our industry partner Kintec Footlabs, developing custom insoles for seniors to assist with sensory impairment, pressure relief and pain is an important element of their business. Integrating smart technology, balance monitoring and active feedback into an insole platform that many seniors already use in a cost effective way has the potential to impact fall prevention and mobility on a large scale. In this first stage of the project we will be advancing instrumented insole technology that we developed to monitor plantar pressure patterns during daily activities to integrate active vibration feedback. Active vibration feedback at both the sensory and subsensory levels has been shown to improve balance, reduce falls and increase mobility. We will use this proof of concept insole technology to define and assess the vibration intensity, sensory and actuator locations and mobility performance in a cohort of seniors to tune settings and identify the design criteria for an effective system. A low cost instrumented insole provides the potential to gather quantitative population data on balance and mobility for the first time and the opportunity to deploy injury prevention technologies at a meaningful scale.

• 5.18-CAT - Rehabilitation as a health strategy for persons with chronic conditions and associated issues of aging: A web based application

  Project Goal:

  To determine the usability and utility of iamable, a web based application developed to provide access to rehabilitation strategies to patients who are receiving treatment from occupational therapists (OTs) and physiotherapists (PTs) in primary care.

  The usability evaluation will occur in 3 phases.

  1. Concurrent Think Aloud method, conducted in collaboration with the McMaster Digital Transformation Research Centre, with 8-10 older adults who identify as “familiar users” of technology.
  2. Heuristic evaluation with ‘double’ experts (2-4 physiotherapists and occupational therapists with experience with technological innovations in practice).
  3. Iamable app utilization by dyads of patients and therapists across 5 primary care sites; 26 dyads will be asked to integrate the Iamable app into ‘usual care’ to support the patient’s chronic disease self-management.

  Project Outcomes include:

  • An evidence-based, SM app which will be utilized by people with chronic conditions and by members of interdisciplinary health care teams.
  • Increased accessibility, availability and affordability of rehabilitation strategies to optimize function and participation of people with chronic disease.
• 5.20-SIP A4 - Development of an automatic braking system for rollator walkers Every day, millions of people rely on a rollator walker for support with independent mobility. A key feature of rollator walkers is the ability to lock the brakes in place for stability when standing or sitting (on the device). Current rollator walkers have a manual braking system that requires users to remember to engage the brake to prevent the device from rolling away and causing a fall. This dependence on memory to engage the brake creates a significant safety hazard for users, particularly for those with cognitive impairments (e.g. dementia). This project aims to reduce the risk of falling due to failing to manually engage the brakes on a rollator walker by developing an automatic braking system. The purpose of our research is to develop an automated braking system that is user-friendly and feasible for commercialization. Our method will include user and product testing that trials the device on a population with consideration of parameters such as diagnosis, physical status and cognitive ability. Automatic rollator walker brakes are currently not active in the market, despite millions of rollator walkers used daily. “A simple fall can set in motion a whole cascade of events that is detrimental to seniors and also to the health-care system” (LeClerc, 2017). Most rollator walker users are seniors. An estimated 1/3 of seniors fall at least once annually, with annual spending to treat falls among seniors estimated at $2 billion in Canada and $50 billion in the United States. Preventing falls eliminates injuries, hospitalizations, deconditioning due to prolonged recovery times, chronic pain, and deaths. Our device will facilitate a higher quality of life by facilitating user independence and safety, which promotes ongoing successful aging and improved general fitness. This can save millions of health-care dollars due to fall prevention and maintenance of overall health.
• 5.23-SIP A5 - Context awareness indoor activity monitoring for aging-in-place
• 6.1 MEN-ASSESS - ICT applications for Screening, Assessment and Interventions to Enhance Mental Health

  This project focuses on applications of information communication technologies (ICTs) for screening, assessment and interventions to enhance mental health among older adults. Products include customizable ambient activity technologies to reduce anxiety and challenging behaviours, a driving simulator to provide interesting experiences, a model for managing wandering risk, and a quality rating scale for mental health apps. 

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 780,730

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 195,873

• 6.2 COG-ASSESS - Automated Assessments of Cognitive Impairment using Environment-based Sensing

  This project is developing a variety of hardware-software platforms to monitor a person’s daily-life activities in order to recognize changes that may predict future physical or cognitive decline. Furthermore, the project is developing products that encourage physical and cognitive activity and wellness. 

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 574,672

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 359,939

• 6.3 PAIN CARE - Improving Pain care for Older Adults through the Use of Advanced Technologies

  This team is developing innovative and affordable solutions to improve pain management in people with dementia who reside in long-term care facilities. This includes work toward an affordable and unobtrusive automated system that uses facial recognition technology and AI to monitor pain in people with severe dementia, app development/evaluation to facilitate assessments conducted by nursing staff, web-based training in cutting edge pain assessment for staff of rural and remote long-term care facilities and knowledge mobilization efforts using social media. 

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 560,070 

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 570,589

• 6.5-CAT - Assessing Cognitive Ability using Automated Assessment of Speech

  Clinical measures of cognition typically rely on time-consuming, subjective and expensive assessments. However, our recent advances in computational linguistics, signal processing, and machine learning now allow for objective, automatic, and rapid analysis of cognition, through speech. Our prior work has focused on binary classification problems between people with or without a particular disorder, such as Alzheimer’s disease. In this grant, we will use these modern tools to objectively assess cognition, differentially in people with post-stroke aphasia and memory impairment, by measures of speech and language at 5 time points. This will be applied to a new technological medium – the telephone, which will allow for broader data collection and unique insights in human-computer interaction.

  Dr. Frank Rudzicz leads this project, with two industrial partners: WinterLight Labs, and CBI Health Group. WinterLight Labs will supply speech-based assessment to support data collection and data analysis. Patients will be recruited at CBI Health Group clinics, and clinical assessment will be provided by Drs. Regina Jokel and Andrea Iaboni. Research will be conducted at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest, and the University of Toronto.

  Our primary objective is to validate the computational speech-based assessment techniques relative to current gold standard assessments. This will involve modern machine learning that is more incisive than the current state-of-the-art. This will be accomplished within two elicitation platforms: a traditional web-based interface, and a phone-based interface. Optimizing the latter is crucial in order to establish the feasibility of using this platform across as wide a population as possible.

  In the short term, this project will 1) validate current automatic cognitive assessments, 2) create a new industrial collaboration between a large healthcare network and a local technology startup in Canada, and 3) further our understanding of cognitive function in different patient populations among older Canadians.

• 6.8-SIP A1 - Product adaptation and verification of a technology to monitor cognition in older adults

  Problem: According to the Alzheimer's Association, about 600,000 Canadians have some form of dementia, costing more than $10.4 billion annually. In 15 years, this number will climb to 937,000. Early diagnosis and ongoing validation of treatments with respect to cognitive impairment is critical to promote healthy aging amongst this population. Thus, there is increasing demand for rapid, user-friendly technologies to identify early decline in brain function. Yet, there are currently no cost-effective ways to monitor the physiological impacts of treatments for cognitive decline. Research suggests evoked potentials using electroencephalography (EEG), may provide such a measure. However, current state-of-the-art requires numerous 'leads' and extensive clinical training. Standard EEG testing puts strain on the cognitivelyimpaired, who have trouble sitting still for typical 1-hour examination periods: 25 minutes of EEG cap set-up and multiple paradigms each taking some 10 minutes. 

  Purpose: We will validate the use of a low-cost, 'rapid output' EEG platform for the diagnosis and assessment of cognitive impairment. NeuroCatchTM is a clinician-friendly software tool, translating established brain waves into a clinicallyaccessible, understandable framework. NeuroCatchTM outperforms existing EEG tools by extracting critical brain data in about 5 minutes. NeuroCatchTM has been tested amongst people with brain injuries and concussions. Given that the cognitively-impaired have similar challenges, reworking the product for this population is a logical next step.

  Impact: We will verify NeuroCatch's capacity to assess functional brain status amongst people with cognitive impairment, establishing a new product for healthy aging. Funding will support minor design changes, field-testing and deliver a validated prototype. Led by trainees, this project delivers a cheaper accessible tool for clinicians, saves healthcare costs, improves diagnosis and treatment monitoring and reaches the global cognition market, ultimately improving the lives of aging adults in Canada and internationally.

• 6.10-CAT ALADIN - ALADIN: Adaptive Lighting for Alzheimer and Dementia Intervention

  This project will produce a smart light system to improve the sleep quality of dementia patients. Disruption of circadian cycles in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) patients worsens in time. This leads to sleep problems, nocturnal wandering, and daytime irritability and manifests in a set of neuropsychiatric symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, anxiety, agitation, aggression, wandering and yelling. These increase the burden on caregivers both at homes and in institutional facilities. More than half a million people in Canada are diagnosed with dementia and we spend $10.4 billion annually for caring.

  Typical lights at homes and care facilities are static and not tuned to activate the circadian cycles of older adults. We propose to develop Adaptive Lighting for Alzheimer and Dementia INtervention (ALADIN), a versatile light that addresses the lighting requirements for older adults. ALADIN is a wake-up lamp that doubles up as a daytime ambient lighting. This light will be auto colour temperature tuning, aligned with the sunlight pattern. This project will eliminate the existing multiple light sources that are manually adjusted throughout the day and provide a simplified design of a single lighting device, programmed to deliver the right type and level of light in time. Our team of technologists, clinicians and caregivers will work closely to ensure that the light addresses the needs of ADRD patients and is easily operable by them.

  While the LED technology is very mature to create dynamic lighting, several questions related to user-centric design such as perception of light by aging adults, physiological effects, user control of lights, etc., will be addressed through the feedback of users. Successful development of lights will immediately help clinical researchers to embark on much needed, well-controlled long-term studies to target the ideal lights for dementia patients.

• 6.12-SIP A4 - Technology-enhanced multimodal meditation for enhancing wellness in long term care

  Ethical wellness care for the elderly is urgently needed as many residents in long term care are anxious, lethargic or depressed. Our society urgently requires more, and better, therapeutic options to deal with our aging, and increasingly long-lived population. Stats Canada estimates that close to 25% of Canadians will be over the age of 65 by 2036, increasing health-care costs and socioeconomic burdens. To deal with this challenge, Canada needs to develop innovative, evidence-based methods that can maintain wellness in the aging population without requiring an unsustainable increase in the number of caregivers. The Interactive Media Lab at the University of Toronto, with its extensive experience in human factors engineering and technology evaluation, will assist industry partner Praxis in evaluating its virtual reality (VR) for neurocognitive rehabilitation and preparing that technology for commercialization. Praxis has developed technology-enhanced mindfulness meditation (TEMM), which has shown promising results within a psychiatric practice. The motivation behind TEMM is to utilize knowledge of brain properties to provide immersive experiences that promote calm awareness, positive affect and sensory receptivity to external/environmental input. In this project we will evaluate the use and effectiveness of TEMM for seniors with cognitive impairment and dementia as a necessary step towards commercializing the technology. Praxis will refine its immersive multimedia suite based on our research results from field testing TEMM in long term care. The first phase of work will involve field testing and the second phase will involve scientific evaluation of TEMM in long term care and a comparative analysis of how TEMM outcomes vary across different settings (e.g., acute care vs. neuro-rehabilitation care vs. standard long term care). Outcomes assessed will include wellbeing, amount of stress-reduction and changes in cognitive function for people using the technology.

• 6.13-SIP A4 - Feasibility study of an interactive digital technology in reducing bathing-related agitation in a residential care facility The MindfulGarden project comprises three feasibility studies exploring the use of interactive digital interventions to arrest and de-escalate anxiety and aggression in frail elderly suffering from hyperactive delirium and/or dementia. Two studies have been approved for implementation in September 2018. Fraser Health has approved a pilot study for Peace Arch Hospital to determine the efficacy of MindfulGarden in reducing hyperactive delirium. A concurrent study at Delta View will address hyperactive dementia in long term care. This application to AGE-WELL is in support of a third study at Delta View Rehabilitation Centre validating MindfulGarden as an important treatment in reducing bathing-related agitation in dementia residents. Bathing is well recognized as an activity associated with resident stress and aggression and violence against caregivers. In a study of 1,565 ‘bath sessions’ administered to long-term care dementia residents, 46.8% involved some degree of agitated behaviour, with 27.5% involving actual physical resistance (Cooke, 2006; Cooke & Gutman, 2005). A 2014 report from the University of Lethbridge also shows aggression and caregiver distress, with 40% of staff reporting feeling powerless and emotionally drained on a routine basis. (Source: Spenceley, S. 2015). There is an urgent need for new tools and treatments that can reduce residents’ stress in the bathing environment. In Cooke’s study, of six factors examined including air and water temperature and type of bathtub, increased privacy and the presence of windows in the bathing area were statistically significant in reducing physical agitation during bathing. MindfulGarden offers a digital approximation of the natural environment that might be viewed from a window. It combines a waterproof TV screen with sensors that respond to patient vocalization and movements to trigger a visual ‘garden’ that has been shown at proof-of-concept in 2016 to de-escalate challenging behaviours associated with delirium and dementia so that care can continue (demo: https://vimeo.com/296919077).
• 6.14-SIP A5 - PATHFINDER: A Smart Lighting System for Fall Prevention and Wayfinding for Seniors
• 7.1 PRI-TECH - Policy and Regulatory Issues in Enabling Technological Innovation

  This project examines current policy and regulatory frameworks and developments that are relevant to the licensing, approval, regulation, reimbursement and evaluation of new technologies and innovations resulting from AGE-WELL. Recommendations will be made for how innovation in health technologies for older adults can be accommodated and stimulated within existing policy and regulatory frameworks, as well as how these frameworks might be modified to support safe adoption of promising and effective technologies. 

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 665,328

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 130,000

• 7.2 DRIVE - Developing Regional Health InnoVation Ecosystems

  This project explores how technology innovations can be fostered and driven in what we refer to as Regional Health Innovation Ecosystems. The research team will develop models for AGE-WELL that will facilitate partnerships in local collaborations among researchers, policymakers, practitioners and industry. 

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 523,213

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 173,680

• 7.3 3DHC - Data-Driven Decision-making in Healthcare

  The objective of this project is to develop and prove the feasibility of home health monitoring and data-driven decision support systems based on various data sources. The outcomes of this work include: 1) a knowledge base of mHealth, machine learning, and artificial intelligence for healthy aging; 2) frailty prediction algorithms based on wearable data; and 3) interRAI Community Health Assessment decision support algorithms.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 469,091

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 123,534

• 8.1 AT-SELECT - Understanding the Issues around Adoption of e-Decision Support for Self-selection of Assistive Technology by Elders

  This project investigates factors that contribute to the adoption of an e-decision assistive technology (AT) tool for older adults and their caregivers. The project has two objectives: 1) to evaluate the feasibility of adapting a UK e-decision support system to the English and French Canadian context; and 2) to explore the readiness for an e-decision support system for self-selection of AT in Canada (SmartAssist).

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 531,821

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 443,696

• 8.2 ADT - Aging, Disability and Technology: A Framework for Research, Implementation and Policy

  This project looks at how assistive technologies are accessed by Canadians. The research team identified funding and services gaps, and explored ethical, social, and policy issues, including data privacy and confidentiality. They are working with policymakers, the users of technology, researchers and others to support the development of policies that can improve access to technology in a fair way.

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 548,958

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 171,819

• 8.3 PRIV-SENSE - Privacy, Security, and Ethics of the use of Emerging Technologies: Development and Validation of a Framework for Research and Policy

  This project aims to develop a framework to describe the influence of ethical, security and privacy factors in technology adoption. The project will explore these concepts through the creation of a mobile application to promote safe and rational medication use by older adults and people with disabilities. 

  Award Term: April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020

  AGE-WELL NCE Investment: $ 584,391

  Total Non-NCE Contribution: $ 428,675

• AAL - StayFitLonger - a technological platform to promote healthy aging at home
• AW-CAT-2023-02 - Needs Evaluation to Learn Valuable Information about Aging in Canada (NELVIA-Can)

  The Black population in Canada is younger than the total population in Canada, and is steadily aging. Across the provinces, Ontario has the largest Black population with Toronto being the centre. However, there is a lack of information on the specific challenges Black older adults face. Thus, the purpose of this study is to understand the challenges Black older adults face when completing daily and community activities, their solutions to overcome the identified challenges, and technology solutions used to support them. The findings will support the development and redesign of technologies and policies that can address the identified needs; and the development and dissemination of design guidelines that emphasize the needs, preferences, and abilities of Black older adults. 

• AW-CAT-2023-03 - Beginning to Co-Design Virtual Geriatric Care for Diverse Older Adults Living with HIV

  Nearly half of the Canadian population living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are now older than 50 years of age. Older persons living with HIV (PLWH) face numerous aging and HIV-related care needs that can be met by geriatric specialists. However, HIV care has only recently been acknowledged as a domain of geriatrics. Despite this, clinical recommendations and models of care for providing geriatric care through virtual means are lacking. Virtual care can better meet the needs of individuals who live in rural and remote areas but must be delivered in a culturally appropriate manner. As such, this research is the first step in a larger program of research aimed at co-designing, implementing and evaluating culturally appropriate virtual geriatric care for diverse older adults living with HIV. As the population with HIV grows older, the culturally appropriate application of geriatric principles to virtual care can enhance their quality of care and overall wellbeing.

• AW-CAT-2023-04 - Socially Assistive Robots for Enabling ElderCare: Creating and Validating a Best-Practices Strategy

  Shortages of healthcare professionals and an increasing aging population have placed enormous pressures on health and social care systems. There is a clear global supply-demand mismatch occurring between the rising care needs of our aging population that is quickly outpacing the supply of care workers. Socially assistive robots can be considered disruptive technology that can enable older adults to live healthy and dignified lives, while supporting their care needs. Such technological innovation can be a crucial driver in helping to address care challenges. Although robots have the potential to decrease caregiver workload and improve care outcomes for older adults, their use has been limited in practice with many essentially creating more work for caregivers. This novel project aims to tackle these issues by generating and executing a needed strategic and best-practices plan for the successful adoption of socially assistive “collaborative” robots that provide complementary care and adapt to different tasks. This project will aid in eliminating technological and implementation barriers, while promoting adoption through the unique combination of direct experience, interaction and co-design. A key outcome is the dissemination of a best-practices plan for successful integration of robots providing complementary (not extra) care work.

• AW-CAT-2023-06 - A Digital Active Aging Training Program for Chinese Older Adults in Canada during the Post-COVID Era

  The project aims to mobilize a multi-disciplinary research and community team to develop and validate a digital multi-domain active aging program to promote the biopsychosocial wellbeing of Chinese older immigrants in Canada. It addresses three questions: 1) what are the sociodemographic risk factors for psychosocial functions and resilience of Chinese older adults in Canada? 2) do they benefit from the cloud-based digital multi-domain active aging program? 3) does the add-on resilience-building module enhance the training efficacy? The study takes a pretest-intervention-posttest design. The results have significant health and social implications in promoting cultural integration and psychosocial wellbeing of minority populations in Canada. The digital active aging training program would ultimately reduce the burden on Canadian economic and healthcare systems during the post-COVID era.

• AW-CAT-2023-07 - iTrain my Brain: At-home Cognitive Enrichment to Improve Mobility

  Everyday mobility involves attending to moving visual objects (e.g., pedestrians) while in motion (i.e., motor multitasking). Motor multitasking poses challenges for older adults due to age-related declines in cognitive, sensory, and motor functions, thus increasing the risk of falling. We have shown that training cognitive control functions can improve motor multitasking and reduce falls risk, however training of visual processing is understudied despite its everyday relevance. There is also a growing need to improve the availability and delivery of evidence-based training programs to older adults for whom personal or external factors (e.g., frailty, pandemic safety, extreme weather, residential care) preclude out-of-home participation in falls prevention programs. Our preliminary research demonstrates improvements in walking, cognition, and motor multitasking following four weeks of visual attention training. These promising results were observed with participants free of motor or cognitive impairments, thus our immediate objective for the proposed 1-year period is to expand recruitment to individuals living with frailty and/or hearing loss who have increased falls risk. Our long-term research program will involve partnering with the training software company to adapt the program for use in residential care contexts.

• AW-CAT-2023-08 - Use of GuardIO, a Health Canada-licensed Mobile Application, and Machine Learning to Describe Mobility Patterns of Persons Living with Dementia

  The goal of this project is to examine the acceptance and usability of GuardIO - Family Care, mobile application. It supports persons with cognitive impairment and their care partners to develop risk mitigation strategies through understanding the patterns of their mobility by leveraging a cloud-based telematics platform licensed by Health Canada. This enables the care partners to receive timely care and support. This Health Canada licensed app is developed by WeTraq and available on app stores and SunLife Lumino Health marketplace. It combines GPS and WiFi to provide real-time location monitoring and safety alerts. It does not require an additional device other than one’s personal smartphone. We will use machine learning driven analytics to describe mobility patterns of participants with dementia and without dementia (care partners). This information can be used to identify changes in mobility to inform decisions about personalized care and support services. Increasing prevalence of dementia in Canada calls for strategies like GuardIO to address risks of getting lost and going missing, while supporting the health and wellbeing of persons aging in place.

• AW-CAT-2023-09 - Winter Slip Prevention using Bioinspired Pressure Sensitive Adhesives as Wear-resistant Footwear Outsoles

  Icy winter weather increases the risk of fall-related injury and decreases outdoor activity levels for older adults and can lead to a downward spiral of negative health effects. Slip resistant winter footwear can help address this problem. The best existing footwear provides good slip resistance when new, but our studies have found that even modest use can change the surface properties of the outsoles and reduces their slip resistance substantially. This type of footwear incorporates composite materials in their outsoles that include hard particles/fibres embedded in a soft rubber substrate that can become damaged relatively easily. Pressure-sensitive adhesives have the potential to create outsoles that are wear resistant because their adhesion properties are found throughout the outsole (not only in the outer surface layer). The objective of this project is to develop a new type of slip resistant winter footwear based on these pressure-sensitive adhesives. 

• AW-CAT-2023-10 - Wearable Biosensing-enabled Intervention to Increase Older Adults' Neighborhood-specific Mobility Self-efficacy and Actual Mobility Behavior

  Extensive efforts have been undertaken to motivate older adults to be mobile beyond their homes, which is crucial for their healthy aging. Specifically, efforts to increase confidence in their outdoor mobility have received much attention as confidence is an important prerequisite of actual behavior. However, previous studies have focused only on increasing older adults’ confidence in overall mobility. We suggest focusing on increasing confidence in their mobility in the context of their neighborhoods specifically. By doing so, we can encourage older adults to start by venturing outside their homes and into their neighborhoods, leading to further travels. The more specific their confidence is to the desired task, the more likely they are to undertake it. We found that simple wristband-type biosensors can increase neighborhood-specific mobility confidence. With wristbands collecting stress data from older adults, we can easily draw a neighborhood-wide stressor map that includes locations, pictures, and details of environmental stressors (e.g., steep stairs, uneven sidewalks) in their neighborhoods. The stressor map can allow older adults to preview how they can be mobile with less stress in their neighborhoods, thereby raising their mobility confidence in their neighborhoods. This project significantly contributes to Canadian healthy aging by sparking new socio-cognitive mobility interventions that focus on raising older adults’ neighborhood-specific mobility confidence.

• AW-CAT-2023-11 - Investigating Indigenous-friendly technology-supported approaches to aid in health promotion

  Health literacy skills allow an individual to interpret health information, to find and use their own sources of health information and to understand when information is poor or misleading. Health literacy skills are essential for Indigenous communities to receive healthcare. Digital health technology (DHT) helps spread information on health, instill healthy behaviours, and promote health. However, less is known in terms of Indigenous people's health literacy and their use of DHT. There is a clear need to paint a picture of how Indigenous people are disproportionately affected by adverse health outcomes and how DHT may significantly advance Indigenous seniors' health. The objective of this research is to create an indigenous-led plan for developing digital health approaches to support health initiatives among indigenous seniors, including digital health campaigns, online healing, and wellness campaigns. The main goal of this project is to create a plan for developing digital health approaches that will support and promote healthy living for seniors in Cross Lake. The project has the potential to inspire other indigenous communities in Manitoba and Canada to use our roadmap.

• AW-CAT-2023-12 - Implementation and Evaluation of a New App to Improve the Quality of Life of Older Caregivers of People Living with Dementia

  Caregivers of people living with dementia experience significant stress which can negatively affect their mental health. Psychological interventions that focus on building skills and providing strategies to improve their wellbeing have been shown to improve caregiver mental health. Although mobile apps are available for informal caregivers of people living with dementia (ICPDs), existing apps do not adequately address the stress experienced by ICPDs. The goal of our study is to test a newly developed app that focuses on providing stress management strategies for older caregivers of people living with dementia. The developed app is informed by previous research and co-created with caregiver partners. The app will include research information about stress and coping strategies that caregivers can use to manage their stress. Given the demands that ICPDs face daily, the creation and evaluation of an app that aims to provide stress-management strategies has the potential of improving the quality of life of ICPDs.

• AW-CAT-2023-16 - Developing a Digital Technology Evidence Portal or Toolkit for Mitigating Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults

  Social isolation and loneliness are serious public health concerns linked to increased mortality and poorer mental and physical health outcomes in older adults, leading to increased health and social service use. Several approaches including digital technology have been described to mitigate social isolation and loneliness but there are disparities in access to digital technologies especially among older adults related to equity issues such as lack of digital skills, disabilities, gender, discrimination, geographic divide, socio-economic status and affordability. Our objective is to develop a digital evidence portal or toolkit to support decision making about the use of technology to mitigate social isolation and loneliness in older adults and promote healthy aging and socially connected lives. This project will inform health policy and practice aimed at keeping older adults socially connected and healthy within their homes and/or communities. It will contribute towards building a strong evidence architecture as part of WHO’s strategy to address social isolation and loneliness which is a priority issue considered in the Decade of Healthy Ageing.

• AW-CAT-2023-17 - Addressing Ethical Challenges in AgeTech: Co-creating a Way Forward with National and International Communities

  AgeTech is about using technologies, such as e-health, robotics, artificial intelligence, and mobile devices to support the health and independence of older people. While AgeTech has many benefits, it also brings ethical challenges, and could be seen as a double-edged sword. Technology can lead to efficient and cost-effective services, but it can also be disruptive to people's lives. In-home health monitoring systems raise concerns about privacy. The digital divide of unequal access and use of technology can have a substantial impact on a person’s health. These kinds of ethical issues are often overlooked by technology researchers and developers. The aim of our project is to ensure ethical thinking is part of the design and development of technology from start to finish. The project will promote ethical design thinking by encouraging and supporting culture change within AgeTech research and industry. The goal is to contribute to more effective and inclusive technologies for healthy aging. As a 1-year Catalyst project, we will be laying the foundations for future work that will be mapped out in a plan of action.

• AW-PP2019-PP3 - PATH: Program to Accelerate Technologies for Homecare
• AW-PP2019-PP4 - An Open Platform of Serious Games for Cognitive Assessment and Intervention
• AW-PP2019-PP5 - A Smart Home System for Persons with Cognitive Impairment
• AW-PP2020-PP6 - Building technology-enabled, aging-focused rapid learning health systems in Canada
• AWAIR-2022-01 - Implementation of a validated digital memory augmentation platform to enhance memory for everyday events Memory loss can have profound consequences for the self-identity, personal autonomy, and social relationships of those affected, which can in turn further worsen memory loss. A promising approach to mitigate memory loss is Digital Memory Augmentation (DMA), in which portable devices capture information about everyday episodes, allowing for later review and recollection. HippoCamera is a unique DMA platform that uses smartphone technology to mimic how a critical brain structure called the hippocampus supports the acquisition and retention of new memories, making it the first and only neuroscience-guided digital memory aid. Our project partner, CABHI (The Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innova on at Baycrest) has created Leap, a diverse online community of over 1,000 older adults and caregivers who come together to evaluate the design and usability of digital solutions aimed at older adults. This community provides an excellent environment to implement HippoCamera and continue to iterate key features and functionality through rounds of structured user testing and feedback.
• AWAIR-2022-02 - Bridging culture and care through community-based research: Implementation and evaluation of a digital diabetes program for Indigenous communities

  In Ontario, Indigenous older adults face a significantly disproportionate level of diabetes compared to the general population. With the growing use of digital health programs to support disease management, the University Health Network (UHN) developed the bant platform to support diabetes self-management. The UHN team partnered with the Barrie Area Na ve Advisory Circle (BANAC)’s Mamaway Wiidokdaadwin Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team to leverage the bant platform and co-develop a collaborative service for equitable access to diabetes care. Our teams found that older adult patients require cultural and service level changes to facilitate timely access to culturally-safe diabetes care. Using a community-based approach, we aim to evaluate the extent to which the program was successfully implemented, and the barriers and facilitators to implementation. With BANAC recognizing technology-facilitated health care options as a regional priority, we plan to host a knowledge translation community event with the Indigenous Health Circle to explore the applicability of scaling bant across the care centres in North Simcoe Muskoka.

• AWAIR-2022-03 - Implementing and enhancing the 2RaceWithMe intervention to increase resilience, and reduce social and physical frailty 2RaceWithMe gives residents in long-term care enjoyable exercise and a way to experience parts of the outside world that they are no longer able to travel to all while being comfortably seated in a chair or wheelchair. Residents can also video conference with their family while exercising, thereby reducing social isolation. The project will use three phases of investigation: baseline, three-month follow-up, and final follow-up, and will conduct focus groups at each phase. This project will include user-centred design and refinement of the intervention based on feedback from residents, staff and family. The aim will be to learn from AGE-WELL innovation hubs and research centres and from our successful implementation of 2RaceWithMe at York Care Centre to develop an implementation plan that will first be tested and refined at the Faubourg du Mascaret care home in Moncton. At the conclusion of this project, we expect to have a highly refined implementation plan that can be used to implement 2RaceWithMe successfully in a variety of settings. This will allow us to scale up sales of 2RaceWithMe, with the goal of being the market leader in exergaming solutions for older people throughout North America.
• AWAIR-2022-04 - Increasing access to advanced falls risk assessments for seniors living in supportive living settings using the ProMote virtual care platform Identifying seniors at particular risk for falling requires an expert clinical assessment. However, clinicians with this expertise are scarce and, for seniors in rural settings, travelling to an urban clinic for assessment is impractical and costly. Virtual care can help solve this access barrier, but videoconferencing is inadequate for a falling risk assessment and the current falls risk assessment tools are limited in their ability to identify the root cause of these vulnerabilities and guide treatments to reduce falling risk. Novel approaches for the delivery of virtual care are needed to ensure that equitable access to care is addressed while ensuring that the quality of the assessment and outcomes are not compromised. Our team has developed ProMote, a virtual care platform incorporating a telepresence robot to support authentic interaction between the patient and clinician, as well as a markerless motion capture system for data collection. The overall goal of this project is to reduce the risk of falls for seniors in supported living environments through exercise programs targeted at their specific vulnerabilities related to their coordinative abilities (i.e. balance, coordination, movement patterns).
• AWAIR-2022-05 - Assessing the effects of implementing AgeTech to support dementia care in a rural setting in northern British Columbia The Northern Health Authority’s newest facility showcasing the use of AgeTech to support high-quality care and enhanced quality of life for persons living with dementia will open in April 2022. This new and innovative approach to the integration of technology is the first of its kind in rural and northern British Columbia. Our interdisciplinary team worked together to identify client and community-specific needs and various AgeTech solutions to maximize the quality of care and life for persons living with dementia, reduce workload demands, and enhance the working environment for those who support them. Together, we seek to embed AgeTech in a small-sized facility using a person-centred model of care where persons are supported through various technologies to remain more active, engaged, and live well. The goal of this project is to describe the development, implementation, and functioning of a smart technology approach in this new facility during its first year of opera on. We will focus on three types of AgeTech prioritized by our partners: 1) Non-invasive technology (Nano-Lit), 2) Technology to enhance environment and wellbeing (Just Vertical), and 3) Technology to enhance physical health (Centivizer). Data gathered over the first year of opera on will highlight areas for ongoing technology innovation and inform policy decisions for future planned initiatives across northern BC.
• AWAIR-2022-06 - Pilot implementation of the ARMM device in a long-term care setting Ambulation of residents in long-term care requires a minimum of two healthcare practitioners to complete, where one practitioner is responsible for walking with the resident and another would follow closely behind with a wheelchair. Due to limited staff resources, particularly in a long-term care setting, there are typically only two physiotherapists available on a me-limited basis. The Ambulation, Retraining and Mobility Mechanism (ARMM) device is an assistive product that attaches a resident’s wheelchair to their walker. The purpose of this device is to allow the therapists to increase the number of residents they can see, since they can complete the ambulation on their own, without requiring additional support from another therapist or aide. This allows for increased frequency of patients’ ambulation which can lead to improved physical outcomes. In addition, with the lateral bars as a support system, patients feel safer getting proprioceptive feedback when they are leaning to avoid tipping and falling. The purpose of this project is to: (1) Focus on the early stages of technology pre-implementation and employ a user-centred approach to map the workflow at Perley Health, (2) Examine the challenges and opportunities associated with the process, and (3) Test the use of the ARMM device with a group of 15 residents and capture feedback from both the residents and physiotherapists.
• AWAIR-2022-07 - Evaluating the efficacy of a smart activity sensor for senior care using the RE-AIM framework Dr. Jie Liang and AltumView have developed the Sentinare sensor, a powerful and unique AI sensor that uses deep learning algorithms to monitor the ac vi es of seniors, collect their health statistics, and notify the caregivers immediately when emergencies such as falls and the wandering of dementia patients are detected. For this project, we will collaborate with the partner organizations by installing the system at their sites, and thoroughly studying its applications in different senior care settings, including long-term care, memory care, assisted living, and independent living. We will study five outcomes that are important to the impact and sustainability of the solution, namely Reach, Efficacy (Effectiveness), Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance. The project will collect valuable feedback to improve our solution and insightful information for policymaking on how to adopt technology to benefit senior care, which will help to scale up our proposed solution, provide better protection for our seniors and society, and mi gate the challenges faced by our aging population.
• AWAIR-2022-08 - Implementing Walk-BEST technologies in a senior’s independent living facility: Building a model to meet the needs of all stakeholders Many seniors do not walk well enough to gain health benefits from walking and poor walking quality can be dangerous. Most falls occur when people are not walking well. We are planning to implement three technologies to improve the quality of walking among residents of a senior’s independent living facility. The main technology is the Heel2Toe™ sensor, a small device that clips to the side of the shoe and provides positive auditory feedback for a “good” step. To augment the effectiveness of the Heel2Toe sensor, we will also provide weekly workshops on how to walk BE er, Faster, Longer, STronger (Walk-BEST). To improve the joint and muscle function needed to Walk-BEST, the Walk-BEST Chair has also been developed with an accompanying illustrated exercise guide. The triple C implementation model will guide the process through 1) Consultation to prioritize ideas, identify areas of improvement, and design a process map, 2) Collabora on to clarify the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder with respect to the service to be implemented and the organizational culture, and 3) Connectedness to standardize protocols and identify resource needs. The project aims to improve the health and physical functioning of residents in seniors’ residences through implementing the Walk-BEST technologies in one residence in Montreal and the development of a best practice implementation model.
• AWAIR-2022-09 - VRision Program – Scaling of a validated Virtual Reality training program for improving vision in older adults Maintaining good vision allows seniors to stay independent and active, reducing their chances of isolation and developing depression and demenia, and notably helping them age in place. The VRision-system can be an incredibly valuable tool for improving vision in healthy older adults so they can continue their daily activities. The system consists of a stand-alone Virtual-Reality (VR) headset and specially designed activities (stimulations) that train users to follow objects in 3D space while introducing degrees of distractions. Information about the completion of each stimulation is transferred in real-me to a clinic where vision experts and refined algorithms tailor future tasks to appropriately challenge users, thereby improving their ability to maintain eye stability and their field of view. For this project, our team will compare two strategies: (1) Providing a unit in an interprofessional clinic where clients can visit regularly, and (2) creating a loaning system for clients to use VRision in the comfort of their homes. By evaluating the number of users, effectiveness for improving vision and quality of life, adoption by participating settings and staff, adherence to therapy, cost of intervention and adaptations, and project maintenance, we will identify which strategy gets VRision successfully into the hands (and eyes) of more seniors.
• AWCAT-2019-128 - Smart Technologies in the Home: Developing and Testing Strategies for Seniors with Severe Mental Illness
• AWCAT-2019-131 - Mobilising the Older Adult's Voice Within Community-Care Through Transforming into Data Their Personally Reported Outcomes of Engaging with Health Services
• AWCAT-2019-133 - Cognitive assessment with speech and machine learning
• AWCAT-2019-136 - Beyond Ability411: A Participatory Action Research Study to Scale-Up a Web-Based Service About Assistive Technologies for Older Adults in British Columbia
• AWCAT-2019-138 - Ubiquitous Cognitive Assessment in the Aging Population
• AWCAT-2019-142 - Game Design Service Platform for Seniors' Health and Well-being

  Research in the field of serious and therapeutic games (STG) has been on the rise in recent years, particularly with regard to the development of games for the elderly. The objectives of these STG are the adoption of healthy lifestyles, lifelong learning, adaptation and rehabilitation in order to improve the quality of life. The STG partly compensate for the motivation that is not always there and which requires different leverage with age and context. However, due to the difficulties inherent in research and development, many projects do not result in the development of a product that is accessible to seniors. Some STG do not have an effective design despite a promising concept, others are not hosted online. Still others do not have the technical infrastructure to collect usage data. Research produces scientific results, but the end of funding often marks the end of the STG. Thus, our project has two general objectives: to produce STG much more quickly and effectively, and to allow STG to persist and be accessible to seniors beyond the period of research funding. To achieve this, our research group will design a centralized service platform that can provide expertise to researchers, but also to practitioners and seniors, among others, who wish to produce a STG or who have needs that can be met by these technologies. A first STG will be produced and evaluated in collaboration with Le Réseau québécois de la recherche sur la douleur. Supported by an innovative business model, the Digital Game Design Service Platform for Seniors' Health and Well-being is an ambitious and innovative project that will transform several issues related to STG research and development into opportunities for successful collaborations for the benefit of seniors.

• AWCFN-CAT-2023-05 - Connected, at-Home, Accessible Remote Monitoring in COPD (CHARM-COPD): a Program of Care in COPD involving Virtual Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Integrated Care and Remote Clinical Monitoring

  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent and disabling chronic condition that contributes to frailty, morbidity, and mortality in older adults and incurs a high cost to the healthcare system. People with COPD often lack the support needed to manage their condition at home and in the community, and as a result rarely seek care for exacerbations until hospitalization is needed. Many patients are readmitted to hospital within 30 days of discharge. Our collaboration to create a scalable Program of Care (CHARM-COPD) for people with COPD combines new initiatives at Toronto Grace Health Centre, University Health Network, and the University of Toronto. We will create and evaluate a comprehensive program that is feasible and acceptable to COPD patients. CHARM-COPD consists of Virtual Pulmonary Rehabilitation with a respirologist, Remote Clinical Monitoring, Integrated Care with close monitoring by nurses and therapists, and novel remote monitoring including continuous monitoring of activity, coughing and sleep. Our project aims to meet the needs of most COPD patients, including those impacted by frailty, low digital health literacy, lack of English language proficiency, and other issues that impact equitable access to care.

• AWCFN-CAT-2023-13 - Stronger Together: The Feasibility of an Interdisciplinary Virtual Care Program Targeting Older Adults at Risk for or Living with Frailty

  The limited awareness and understanding of frailty, infrequent screening of frailty in health care settings, and reduced access to health services are factors that increase the vulnerability of older adults to poor health outcomes. Barriers to access including the availability of community-based services, functional status, cost, and limited transportation services result in less than optimal care and the increased risk of future adverse health events. Virtual care via the use of technology to extend health care services into the community provides an opportunity to increase access to services, reduces barriers, and increases the support for older adults to build self-management strategies for health. The aim of the project is to develop and evaluate the use of an interdisciplinary virtual care program targeting older adults at risk for or living with frailty living in rural areas of Nova Scotia. 

• AWCFN-CAT-2023-14 - FUSE-for-Frailty: A Technology-based Solution to Empower Self-management of Daily Health-related Behaviors Linked to Frailty

  Frailty is common in older adults, but it is not assessed as standard clinical practice in Canada. Frail individuals are less likely to avoid or recover from illness/injury, resulting in increased rates of hospitalization and death. However, unlike some age-related conditions, it is possible to reverse declining health to prevent frailty or restore a person to non-frail status. We have developed a system for at-home use (FUSE) that includes wearable biosensors and a web-based ‘dashboard’ that can 1) monitor health-related behaviors, and 2) provide personalized feedback to help manage health-related behaviors. These behaviors include things like physical activity, sleep and mobility.. Project activities will be grounded in a participatory research approach with input from individuals who represent end users of the system (or the information gained from it) including older adults, community program representatives, and clinicians. Together, the team will work to advance FUSE so that it includes other behaviors specifically important for frailty prevention. We believe that empowering individuals to self-manage daily health-related behaviors is a critical and promising approach to frailty prevention.

• AWCRP-2020-01 - Indigenous methodologies: building capacity for telediabetes care in Urban Indigenous communities. (I’M T’CARE)

  Indigenous methodologies: building capacity for telediabetes care in Urban Indigenous communities. (I’M T’CARE)

  Among First Nations in Canada, diabetes prevalence peaks at age 55-64. These rates are almost four-fold higher than the general population (36.4% versus 9.9%) ¹. Representing more than half of Indigenous peoples in Canada, urban (off-reserve) Indigenous people face disproportionately poorer diabetes-related outcomes secondary to access barriers, racism, structural violence, lack of culturally safe care ^2-4. Geographic/jurisdictional challenges ⁵ also limit diabetes services such as telediabetes.

  Telehealth is welcomed and cost-effective in those > 40 years old ⁶ but outcomes for Indigenous older adults (Elders) ^7-9 are lacking due to minimal access to collaboratively developed culturally safe telediabetes programs; thus highlighting the community-driven needs ¹⁰. 

  Our CIHR grant, “Building Indigenous Pathways for Diabetes and Obesity Prevention and Management with Urban and Rural Communities in British Columbia” (IDOH2), partners with six urban Friendship (FC) and Métis Centers (MC) (off-reserve) in the BC Interior. These communities identified the need for e-health/telediabetes and electronic medical record (EMR) access.

  Purpose: This 3-year project will examine, in partnership with IDOH2 Friendship/Metis partners and Advisory Teams, how multidisciplinary telediabetes “one-stop” care impacts access and health outcomes for urban Indigenous older adults and caregivers. 

  Outcomes: Indigenous physicians and local providers are trained as diabetes “experts”, culturally safe multidisciplinary telediabetes clinics are embedded within FC/MC programming; Indigenous older adults, and caregiver/families access and benefit from services; an Indigenous telediabetes “expert” training and implementation toolkit is disseminated across Canada and beyond.

• AWCRP-2020-02 - Location tracking-based health status indices and their integration into clinical support tools in long-term care.

  Many long-term care (LTC) homes are starting to use real-time location tracking systems (RTLS) to locate where their residents are at a given time or to find equipment. However, there is an opportunity to use information about someone’s movements or walking path over time to tell us something about their health status. For example, individuals’ daily walking distance can tell us about their level of activity, or the time spent in the proximity of others can tell us about their social interactions. As such, this study aims to accelerate the use of RTLS in improving health and well-being for older adults living in LTC homes.  Like most sensor data, RTLS data is not clinically useful in its raw form; rather, algorithms are needed to transform this information to help clinicians make decisions. In this study, we aim to harness RTLS data to create Space-Time Indices for Clinical Support (STICS).  We will validate these STICS and evaluate their use for clinical decision-making.  This project also integrates stakeholder consultation and an ethical and policy analysis of the use of RTLS technology in LTC, to allow us to pro-actively address ethical concerns at all phases of development and implementation. 

• AWCRP-2020-03 - Precision mental health: A stakeholder-informed, Big Data approach to psychological wellbeing

  One in five seniors suffers from some form of mental illness.  Lack of attention and support for mental illness not only harms the person, but also costs the healthcare system and economy billions.

  Our challenge is to identify:

  1. What seniors believe is good mental health
  2. Factors that make and keep a person mentally healthy.

  Our objectives are to:

  1. Understand seniors’ definitions of good mental health
  2. Identify who is more likely to be at risk and/or showing early signs of poor mental health
  3. Link people with help and support specific to their needs.

  Our project will use detailed information about the lives of thousands of people, collected in large study of aging, and advanced computer programming, such as machine learning. Rather than using traditional statistics that are only able to determine how a few variables are related to another, we will use machine learning to determine how many variables interact and relate to mental health. This will lead to the development of an “early-warning system” identifying seniors at risk and connecting them to personalized pathways for better mental health.

• AWCRP-2020-04 - Wearable technology implementation and innovation to prevent fall-related hip fractures and traumatic brain injuries in older adults

  Falls cause 95% of hip fractures and 80% of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in older adults. These injuries are twice as common among older adults in long-term care (LTC) and acute care, than seniors living independently. Falls management in these settings requires complementary strategies to prevent falls, and prevent injury when falls occur. This research program focuses on facilitating the use of proven technologies, and developing new technologies for preventing injuries from falls in older adults. In Project 1, we will work with care providers to co-develop and evaluate strategies to increase uptake with wearable hip protectors. We will build on our success in implementing hip protectors in LTC in BC’s Fraser Health Authority (FHA), where hip protectors are worn in 60% of falls, and reduce fracture risk 3-fold. We will adapt and evaluate the FHA hip protector implementation model to LTC sites in Schlegel Villages (SV) in Ontario. In Project 2, we will also co-design and evaluate the usability of wearable technologies to prevent fall-related TBI. Our deliverables include evidence-based strategies for implementing hip protectors in LTC, and wearable devices designed to prevent fall-related TBI. Ultimately, this project will advance the health, safety, and mobility of seniors.

• AWCRP-2020-05 - Designing Innovative Social Robots through end-User ParTicipation (DISRUPT)

  Social robots are designed to help humans by interacting with them. These types of robots are promising in their potential to support the brain health of older adults, for example by reducing stress and providing reminders for important activities. Despite these benefits, few older adults use social robots, due to misunderstandings about what robots can and cannot do, difficulties in connecting with the robot, and concerns about ethical issues. The goal of the Designing Innovative Social Robots through end-User ParTicipation (DISRUPT) project is to test a new approach for the development of social robots that brings together experts in different areas in a co-creation process. In a first step, we will use surveys and interviews to gain a better understanding of the benefits and harms older adults experience when they interact with social robots. In a second step, we will host workshops with older adults, computer scientists, engineers, ethicists and health care providers to co-create robots. The DISRUPT project will also include different knowledge exchange activities, like tweet chats, webinars and policy development. Altogether, the DISRUPT project will play a key role in showcasing the benefits of engaging older adults in research, social robot co-creation and policy, and in advancing the field of social robotics.

• AWCRP-2020-06 - Development of smart homes for aging in place; at Résidences Le 1615 & Le 1625

  Though the benefits of aging in place, it is still a challenge to develop assistive technologies that are affordable, sustainable, and scientifically proven to be effective, efficient and satisfactory for all.

  In this research-action project, a federated chain of technologies will be co-designed and implemented in two collective residences for seniors. All 65 tenants will have a water damage prevention system. Twelve will also benefit from customized ready-to-use monitoring and assistance scenarios. Once deployed, an Internet of Things infrastructure will collect data. Crunching these data, learning algorithms will feed independent but cooperating context-aware applications that will provide feedback to seniors, families, caregivers, and building managers, thus empowering elders and crafting care circles. Blockchains and smart contracts will enforce privacy and help users regain control over their data.

  This project will lead to 1) a guide for implementing smart environments in collective residences; 2) commercialized assistive technologies at the lowest costs and with demonstrated usability through a rigorous research process, involving partnership with seniors and their ecosystems; 3) studies measuring their impact on autonomy, quality of life and costs. In the long run, these technologies will be implemented at a larger scale in various collective housings using a cooperative business model.

• AWCRP-2020-07 - Advanced Technologies for Pain Care in Older Adults with Dementia

  Despite its high frequency, pain in older adults is under-assessed and undermanaged. Seniors with severe dementia have difficulty communicating the subjective state of pain due to cognitive impairment. Pain in this population leads to responsive behaviours that are often misattributed to psychiatric disturbances, resulting treatment psychotropic rather than analgesic medication. Psychotropic medication has been shown to hasten death and increases fall risk. Our work will improve pain care in older adults with dementia who have limited ability to communicate their pain. We are working on the following technologies and areas:

  1. Development of computer vision systems to monitor pain behaviours and warn long-term care (LTC) staff when pain appears to be present in seniors with severe dementia. This improved diagnostic tool is intended to work as LTC residents go about their daily routines.
  2. Tablet app development and refinement to facilitate the monitoring and recording of pain behaviours by LTC staff;
  3. Refinement and dissemination of interactive web-based platforms capable of providing cutting edge pain education to LTC staff in rural and remote areas;
  4. Public policy and large scale knowledge mobilization to facilitate adoption of our solutions and to address practice and policy gaps in senior care.
• AWCRP-2020-08 - Technologies for assessment and management of wayfinding risks for persons living with dementia in their communities

  It is commonly known that 3 out of 5 people living with dementia will wander. The consequences can vary and include minor injuries, high search and rescue costs. If not found within 24 hours, there is a high chance of injury or death. The purpose of this proposal is to examine the application of technologies for understanding, assessment, and management of wayfinding risks among persons living with dementia in their communities. We propose four studies. Impacts are realized through five products: (1) a reliable and validated measure that predicts risks of going missing, (2) a mobile app that uses the predicted risk levels to recommend a personalized strategy for people with dementia and their care partners to mitigate these risks, (3) a brief scale to assess the usability of technologies used to locate a person who is  missing, (4) a national coordinated strategy for the collection of data on missing older adults to inform programs, product designs, and policies, and (5) algorithm-informed search using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for finding missing or lost persons living with dementia.

• AWCRP-2020-09 - Introducing New Technology to Monitor the Health Data of Older Adults With Multi-Morbidities Related to Dementia in Indigenous Communities

  The Morning Star Lodge, in collaboration with their community partner, Star Blanket Cree Nation, will utilize 3 new technologies to be introduced to Indigenous older adults in a research project to monitor health status. Indigenous older adults living in rural communities have multiple health issues that may lead to early onset dementia, yet they lack the accessibility to and readiness for new technologies to monitor health data and health status. Health education is needed to understand the ways nutrition, exercise and self-management of health issues can impact multiple diseases (primarily around diabetes and heart disease) and how these health issues can be related to early dementia onset. Working with our community partner we will introduce and evaluate 3 new technologies to thirty participants to monitor diabetes and age-related health information, including blood glucose, blood pressure, weight, and other data which includes a non-invasive blood glucose monitor to provide needle free diabetes care; a blood pressure monitor; and a smart scale/body analyzer to measure body fat, water percentage, muscle mass and bone body mass index (BMI). The impact of using these technologies to monitor health data and promote healthy behaviours and healthy lifestyles will be documented.

• AWCRP-2020-10 - Inclusive Interactive Apps to Reduce Older Adults' Social Isolation and Digital Marginalization

  Older adults increasingly report being socially isolated – potentially affecting many aspects of fulfilling, healthy, and safe golden years. Concurrently, advances in mobile, connected, and smart technologies afford new opportunities to maintain meaningful ties with our loved ones or with our community peers, or to simply increase our quality of life by making access to services and products much easier. To this extent, older adults who live socially isolated could benefit from a greater digital participation. Yet, the current ecosystem of design paradigms, interfaces, digital services, and knowledge marginalizes and excludes many older adults.

  In our community-driven design research, we aim to break this cycle of digital marginalization / social isolation and empower older adults to live more independently and socially more connected. For this, we establish a new transdisciplinary model of sustainable and ethical design and validation of senior-centred digital tech, based on collaborations between diverse academic investigators, users, community stakeholders, and industry. Our resulting products consist of a set of new interactive and interconnected applications, deployed on emerging platforms (voice-first, mobile, VR, tabletop), that empower older adults’ to participate in the digital space, reduce social isolation, and facilitate meaningful connections to family members.

• AWCRP-2020-11 - Living More with SMART Technology: Exploring the feasibility, usability, sustainability and scalability of SMART solutions to support increased quality of life in Continuing Care.

  Older adults value autonomy and independence as key features of healthy aging. Most research to date has focused on maintaining autonomy and independence in community; less attention has been placed on understanding how to maintain autonomy and independence when ‘home’ is an institutional setting such as long-term care, or within home support programs. The goal of Living More with SMART Technology (LivMoreSMARTech) is to support technology development that improves the independence, functioning, wellbeing and quality of life of older adults in continuing care while remaining affordable and not labour intensive. Our aims are: 1) to understand the lived experience, needs and desires for well-being among older adults with complex conditions in continuing care; 2) to implement and evaluate off-the-shelf technology solutions, individually customized to maximize well-being, that are supported and sustainable; and 3) to understand how best to incorporate sustainable, person-centred technology solutions into continuing care settings that result in scalable outcomes including adoption into organizational policies, procedures, programs and care planning. LivMoreSMARTech takes a person-centred co-design approach to achieve its objectives, and utilizes the action research cycle of planning, acting, evaluating and reflecting in order to continuously refine our understanding of the research problem.

• AWCRP-2020-12 - SMART - Socially Mobile Assistive Robots for Telecare and Daily Activities of Older Adults

  Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) can uniquely provide assistance to human users through social interaction. A great variety of SARs for elderly care have been designed, tested and evaluated, and even though they demonstrate great potential, they still only remain research endeavors. Why? Many factors come to play, such as the cost and investment required to bring to market and maintaining these robots, finding the right application where user expectations and SARs’ capabilities are both met, and providing compelling evidence to help propel the necessary changes to policies and regulations to support their use in real world settings. The SMART core project aims to set up the needed environment to evaluate SAR technologies through field trials in long-term residences and homes. Doing so will help identify needs, requirements and barriers, which will orient technological research activities, through iterative co-design cycles with incremental refinement and exploration. We also want to help move policy makers beyond what are frequently reactive responses to technological breakthroughs, by identifying settings and frameworks that will facilitate a more timely and effective transfer of knowledge from the SAR research community to decision makers.

• AWCRP-2020-13 - Monitoring My Mobility (M3): A mobility self-monitoring tool for older adults and their caregivers

  Problems with everyday mobility, such as walking and driving, are common as we age and can negatively affect health and well-being. Our consultations with older adults and caregivers revealed a clear interest in using wearable tracking devices to self-monitor mobility as a vital health indicator. However, there is currently no wearable that comprehensively monitors mobility and that is valid for predicting important health outcomes in older people.

  In our research, we will customize a wearable sensing device (i.e., smartwatch) to monitor different aspects of mobility (e.g., steps, distance travelled) in a group of 1500 community-dwelling adults, 65 to 80 years old. Participants will wear the smartwatches for 1-week intervals every few months throughout the 2-year study period. Additional health measures will be captured through in-person assessments, quarterly phone calls, and monthly diaries.

  Machine learning and advanced statistical methods will be used to identify trajectories of change in mobility over time and how these trajectories relate to important health outcomes. With input from older adults and caregivers, we will then design a mobility self-monitoring tool. Ultimately, our goal is to develop a tool that can help prevent or delay mobility problems in later life by facilitating early detection and treatment.

• AWCRP-2020-14 - The use of automated vehicle technologies by individuals with dementia: A potential tool for delaying complete driving cessation.

  With road-safety on one side and serious consequences of driving cessation for individuals on the other, driving cessation is considered one of the most challenging issues in dementia. The prospect of Automated Vehicles (AVs) has generated excitement about their potential to solve the problem of driving cessation for persons with dementia (PWD) who can no longer drive safely. However, this prospect is compromised by concerns about PWD’s acceptance of AVs and the safety of PWD’s use of different types of AVs. In this multi-phase study, we will investigate the current perceptions of PWD and care-partners of AVs, develop and refine educational material on different AV types and functionalities for use by PWD and care-partners, and investigate the safety of using different AV types by PWD. In the first phase of the study, we will conduct semi-structured interviews with PWD and care-partners about their perceptions of AVs. During the interviews, we will present participants with the initial version of the educational material on AV functionalities. The results of this phase will shed light on the current PWD’s perceptions of AVs and help to refine the educational material of AV functionalities. In the second phase, we will use Canada’s most advanced driving simulator to test the safety of different AV types for use by PWD. The results of this project will be instrumental in clarifying whether AVs may offer a safe and acceptable method of delaying the need for complete driving cessation in PWD.

• AWCRP-2020-15 - Cog@Work: Co-Creating Sustainable Workspaces for Aging Workforces

  In 2015 the United Nations identified “full and productive employment and decent work for all” as one of its Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Cog@Work is examining how Canadian workplaces approach employees who develop mild cognitive impairment or early-stage dementia (MCI/Dem) to identify gaps, model sustainable workspaces, and develop novel supportive technologies. Our work will explore employers’ accommodations of employees consistent with existing disability legislation and the immediate and long-term wishes and aspirations of people with MCI or early dementia in relation to staying at work or transitioning out. We have partnered with employers, employees, healthcare, insurance, lawyers, policy makers and other stakeholders to identify facilitators and barriers to sustained employment for those diagnosed with MCI/Dem on the job. The outcome of Cog@Work will be threefold: 1. A model of current and optimal workspaces for employees with MCI/Dem; 2. A policy agenda addressing current gaps and drivers for developing sustainable workspaces; and 3. Requirements for employer-facing technology innovations to support sustainable workspaces. Products will include a Cog@Work website and resources including organizational case studies, sustainability models to demonstrate economic and social return on investment, prioritized product requirements, and a national support network of organizations with sustainable workplaces.

• AWCRP-2020-16 - Enhancing Employability of Older Workers and Family Carers

  Financial well-being is foundational for individuals’ physical, mental and social wellness, as well as their engagement and productivity as workers. Secure employment is key to financial well-being, yet many in society experience employment instability: job loss, underemployment, precarious employment, poor quality jobs. Two vulnerable groups that have received little attention are older workers and family carers.

  The proposed project will enhance an existing cloud-based prototype platform and online vocational guidance tool (My MatchWork (MW)) designed to help overcome employment barriers for these two vulnerable populations and extend its reach beyond Alberta. MW is a Software-as-a-Service application comprising a machine learning-informed interactive vocational guidance tool. Coupled with ongoing training and support from MW staff, the tool delivers beneficial customized employment profiles for individuals, good matches for employers, and outcome data agencies need to support vocational initiatives. MW is currently beta testing the tool and support package with community partners.

  We will use multiple data sources (national purpose-built surveys; interviews with older workers, carers and potential employers; MW intake data) to generate knowledge that: contributes to the body of knowledge; enhances the platform’s ability to address carers’ and older workers’ employment challenges; and demonstrates the platform’s impact on labour market success of the target populations.

• AWCRP-2020-17 - Evaluating and scaling up MOvIT+
• AWCRP-2020-18 - Social enterprise as a sustainable solution to promote the employment and digital inclusion of older adults with cognitive disabilities
• AWMIRA-CAT-2023-01 - The YourCare+ Self-Referral Platform for Home and Community Support Services – A Proof of Concept Pilot toward Large Scale Deployment

  Community services for older adults with supportive care needs, and their caregivers, are fragmented with no central points of navigation and access, therefore limiting knowledge of and use of these important support services. YourCare+ (https://yourcareplus.ca/) is a not-for-profit, social prescribing platform that provides practical information and state of the art tools that address immediate needs to help people self-manage care in the home. We will conduct a proof-of-concept pilot to test the beta version of the YourCare+ Self-Referral Platform with older adults and caregivers living in private dwellings with supportive care needs. This platform will allow users to digitally navigate and self-refer to home care and community support services using a validated self-reported health assessment to identify service needs. The platform will generate customized lists of service recommendations in a user’s specified geographic area. The YourCare+ Self-Referral Platform offers an automated mechanism for self-navigation based on validated assessment systems used in Home and Community Care Support Services across Ontario. 

• AWMIRA-CAT-2023-15 - Development of Assistive Listening Technology Best Practices for Live Music

  The prevalence of hearing loss in the Canadian population increases dramatically from 38% of people in their 40s and 50s to 93% of people in their 70s. While hearing aids can provide benefit in some social situations, they are not well suited to listening to live music in environments such as concert halls, an activity that can be important for continued social engagement, connectedness, and wellbeing. Live music venues usually have assistive listening systems utilizing wireless headsets, but these headsets do not typically work well with most hearing aids. In the planned research project, we will investigate several different alternative assistive listening technologies that send audio signals directly to the sound-processor chip in a hearing aid via magnetic or radio-frequency connections. Based on the results of this research, we will develop a set of best practices that can be adopted by music venues across Canada and around the world, removing barriers to participation in live music events for seniors experiencing hearing loss, contributing to healthy aging and wellbeing.

• AWNIH-APPTA - AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub in Advancing Policies and Practices in Technology and Aging
• AWNIH-CTAAN - Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North – CTAAN
• AWNIH-DHC - Digital Health Circle
• AWNIH-SAM3 - AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub in Sensors and Analytics for Monitoring Mobility and Memory
• AWSIP-Apr20-025 - Knowledge Mobilization by Social Media There is a research consensus that isolation and loneliness among older adults is a public health crisis, threatening quality of life and lifespan. AGE-WELL research project A-W4.1 set out to “design, create and commercialize communications technologies for older adults focusing on reducing social isolation”. We published research papers and conference presentations at reputable international venues. We built a company and a unique communications solution, FamliNet.app, that attracted early stage customers. They are like Richard Radcliff, an 89-year-old Veteran, who said, “I use it every day, it’s meant the world to me.” However, there is a large gap between research success and wide commercial use. Bridging that gap requires communicating the success of AGE-WELL research to large numbers of everyday people -- through channels they use, in language and media they find engaging.
• AWSIP-Apr20-026 - 4VRYoung: Using Immersive VR Travel Videos to Motivate Arm and Leg Exercise Physical exercise is known to improve longevity and cognitive status, but most people get insufficient exercise and this problem worsens with age. Lack of exercise can lead to frailty, falls, and cognitive impairment. VR (virtual reality) has been used to promote exercise, in contexts where it occurs naturally as part of an immersive experience (e.g., rowing). However, VR solutions tend to focus on the upper body and there is an urgent need for products that can motivate people to exercise their legs as well as arms. We will create two products that motivate people to pedal in order to move through engaging travel videos. The first product (“Forever Young” or more simply 4VRYoung) will require people to pedal in order to move through engaging 360 degree travel videos (e.g., a helicopter ride over Manhattan) presented either immersively in VR goggles, or else on large screens. The second product (2RaceWithMe) motivates hand and/or foot exercise using engaging video courses. People can pedal alone on these courses or race against others in their care home, or with people in remote locations. These products should revolutionize exercise programming for older people by making exercise meaningful and an integral part of scenic travel experiences.
• AWSIP-Apr20-027 - Health Sensing Algorithms for Pressure Sensitive Mats - Commercialization Smart homes of the future will be able to monitor the health and function of the residents. Since people spend about a third of the day in bed, that location would be an ideal location to provide passive monitoring. Our group has been working on techniques to extract mobility information (e.g. turning and exiting) and such health parameters as breathing and risk of pressure ulcer formation from pressure sensors placed under the mattress of a bed for over a decade. Currently there are a number of bed sensors on the market that can detect some vital signs, but there are none that can provide location-based information required for more complex analyses for mobility change and pressure ulcer risk. This project will strengthen the partnership between the AGE-WELL researchers and a Canadian company specializing in the production of a patented visco-elastic polymer gel. The researchers have been collaborating with Hexyoo Scientific Inc. to combine the sensing ability of a new infra-red technology and the comfort of the gel to create a new pressure sensing mat. This project focuses on formalizing the partnership to prepare for the production of the new bed mat for future smart homes.
• AWSIP-Apr20-028 - Accelerating Commercialization of the TOM (Top of Mind) a Personal Aide for Activity and Medication Scheduling and Reminders This project will improve the commercial success of our new product called Top of Mind (TOM™), a personal aide for scheduling and reminding about important daily activities and medications. TOM™ is intended for people with mild cognitive impairment to help them to be self-sufficient. It will help reduce medication errors and hospital visits by improving compliance with prescriptions. It will help older people to age in place by making them more self-sufficient in performing activities of daily living related to caring for themselves. TOM™ is designed also to reduce stress and needs for respite resources for family caregivers. It does it by giving caregivers timely information about how their loved one is doing, involving them directly in scheduling and monitoring activities, and reduce the need for them to travel, especially if they live far from their loved one. We will launch a social media campaign that will make our product known in the social media networks of older people and their caregivers who are potential users. We will examine how TOM™ can improve family caregiver interactions with users about things like giving consent, taking meds, and keeping appointments, without confusing an older adult. We will better attune our marketing messages and materials to the needs and preferences of family caregivers. We will develop reliable and valid measures of outcomes from using TOM™.
• AWSIP-Apr20-029 - Acceptance and reliability of digital (web-based) version of Alberta Rating Index for Apps (ARIA) There are over 300,000 mobile apps for health. These apps can enhance self-management and access to health services, provide health information, and facilitate communication between patients and healthcare providers. However, not all mobile health apps have acceptable quality or are useful. As the sale of apps is not regulated, there are minimal safeguards to protect users from apps with low quality or harmful content. To evaluate the quality of health apps, users are limited to available reviews and ratings that may not be trustworthy. We developed the Alberta Rating Index for Apps (ARIA) that offers a way for users, including older adults, family caregivers, and health service providers, to evaluate the quality and usability of health apps based on nine quality criteria. In this proposed project, we will develop and examine the acceptance and reliability of a web-based version of ARIA in English and French. Web-based ARIA calculates a rating score for each app and allows users to visualize areas of strength and weakness based on users’ ratings. We will use the ratings to create a crowd sourced repository of mobile health apps and share the summary of ratings with website visitors.
• AWSIP-Apr20-030 - Preventing falls and injuries in older adults through education and sharing of a video database of real-life falls among a community of practice Falls are the number-one cause of injuries in older adults, and are especially common among seniors in long-term care (LTC). Lack of evidence on “how falls occur” in this setting is a barrier to prevention. This project will translate evidence to a community of practice (older adults, care providers, researchers and industry) generated from the “falls video database” generated under our previous award (WP5.2). The database consists of video footage and clinical incident reports of 2579 falls experienced by 692 older adults in LTC. Under Aim 1, we will develop educational modules, in the form of short videos, that incorporate case studies of real-life falls to convey best practices in fall and injury prevention related to physical activity, exercise, environmental modifications, assistive devices and wearable hip protectors. The modules will hosted by the Fraser Health Authority (FHA) LearningHub and the Canadian Falls Prevention Curriculum (CFPC). Under Aim 2, we will share video footage of real-life falls for reuse and innovation by researchers, educators and industry through the Databrary network. By mobilizing knowledge and evidence from our real-life falls database, our efforts should improve care delivery, foster innovation in prevention strategies, and ultimately improve the quality of life for older adults.
• CC1 K-MOB - Knowledge Mobilization

  Knowledge mobilization is connecting people with people and people with evidence. It is about getting the right information to the right people in the right format at the right time, with the intent of influencing decision-making among older adults, caregivers, and key stakeholders.

  CC1 will support AGE-WELL network members by:

  • providing knowledge mobilization tools, workshops, and advice, at the project and network level
  • conducting research and evaluation of knowledge mobilization activities
  • contributing to the overall knowledge mobilization strategy for AGE-WELL
• CC1 K-MOB Research - Knowledge Mobilization Research

  CC1 will identify knowledge mobilization opportunities for the network, participate in research and evaluation of outcomes and will be responsible for the overall knowledge mobilization strategy for AGE-WELL.

• CC1 K-MOC - Knowledge Mobilization and Commercialization

  Knowledge Mobilization and Commercialization will support a fully integrated knowledge mobilization approach, which includes commercialization, to encourage researchers to jointly develop research agendas with stakeholders, and to support innovation.

• CC2 EP - Ethics and Practice

  Ethics and Practice will support and advise projects, partners, and stakeholders on ethical issues relating to technology development and delivery, including disparities in access and usage of emerging technologies.

• CC2 TECH-TRANS - Commercialization and Technology Transfer

  Commercialization is the process of making a new product or service available on the market. At AGE-WELL, our researchers hope to see their efforts improve the health and well-being of Canadian older adults and their caregivers. The commercialization and distribution of products make this a reality.

  CC2 will support AGE-WELL network members by:

  • working with our industry partners and project leaders to better understand pathways for innovation
  • developing novel and innovative approaches to commercialize the outcomes (both technology and services) of AGE-WELL
  • providing practical advice and tools to conduct market and policy analyses, service and business modeling, development of ethical guidelines and technical standards 
• CC2 TECH-TRANS Research - Commercialization and Technology Transfer Research

  TECH-TRANS will focus on working with our industry partners and project leaders to better understand pathways for innovation and to develop novel and innovative approaches to commercialize the outcomes (both technology and services) of AGE-WELL. Activities will include market and policy analyses, service and business modeling, development of ethical guidelines and technical standards. Outcomes will include practical support to commercialization that can be applied across all Workpackages. 

• CC3 COLLAB - Collaborative Research

  Collaborative Research will transcend disciplinary boundaries across AGE-WELL`s eight Challenge Areas by providing practical advice on project team-building, relationship building with partners and stakeholders, working collaboratively and inclusively, dealing with complex problems.

• CC3 T-WORK - Transdisciplinary Working

  Transdisciplinary working is an approach to research that involves scientists from diverse academic disciplines and experiential stakeholders (e.g. older adults and caregivers, industry and community, policymakers) as researchers or partners. The aim of this type of approach is to solve complex social problems by developing innovations and knowledge that have real-world impact.

  CC3 will support AGE-WELL network members by:

  • developing shared concepts and understandings, goals and working practices in order to work effectively as a single team to tackle the complexity of real-world problem domains
  • organizing workshops, journal clubs, seminars and other activities to ensure that AGE-WELL develops a common frame of reference and shared concepts in the area of transdisciplinary working
  • conducting research to capture the learning from transdisciplinary working activities across the network
• CC3 T-WORK Research - Transdisciplinary Working Research

  T-WORK aims to transcend disciplinary boundaries by developing shared concepts and understandings, goals and working practices in order to work effectively as a single team to tackle the complexity of real-world problem domains. Workshops and other informal and formal communication strategies will ensure that AGE-WELL develops a common frame of reference and shared concepts, while later work will aim to drive and inform different Workpackages.

• CC4 IMPACT - Evaluation and Impact

  Evaluation and Impact will develop and apply best practices in methodologies and evaluation approaches that are suitable to the type of work being completed in AGE-WELL.

• CC4 TRAIN - Training and Mentorship

  Through the EPIC (Early Professionals, Inspired Careers) program, CC4 emphasizes the development of skills, ideas, teamwork, and relationship-building to train HQP to be industry, academic, and community leaders in the development and introduction of technology to the health system and marketplace.

  CC4 will support AGE-WELL network members by:

  • developing a unique training environment that exposes AGE-WELL trainees to multi-disciplinary research environments and to our industry and community partners through collaborative partnerships
  • conducting research that aims to both evaluate the current training program and to inform future programming
  • facilitating collaboration and mentorship, and offering experiential learning opportunities, courses, workshops, lectures, webinars, journal clubs, book clubs, and a summer institute
• CC4 TRAIN Research - Training and Mentorship Research

  TRAIN will develop a unique training environment that exposes AGE-WELL trainees to multi-disciplinary research environments and to our industry and community partners through collaborative partnerships. Through our EPIC (Early Professionals, Inspired Careers) program, we will emphasize the development of skills, ideas, teamwork, and relationship-building to train HQP to be industry, academic, and community leaders in the development and introduction of technology to the health system and marketplace.

• CC5 DRIVE - User-Driven Research

  User-Driven Research will provide support and resources to the entire network research enterprise so that it is driven by user involvement in all stages of the research process from setting agendas through to knowledge mobilization, commercialization and evaluation.

• CC6 EDI - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

  Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will build upon the outcomes of our 2019 network audit and policies and practices provided by the Tri-Council Agencies to ensure that all research projects learn about and apply equity, diversity and inclusion principles and tools in their research.

• JDQ-CSR - JDQ - Collaborative Service Robots for Eldercare Facilities: Fostering Reciprocity with Lessons Learned from People with Developmental Disabilities

  Our aging population imposes various challenges in Canada related to caregiving supply/demand imbalances and their
  associated costs, and elders’ quality of life and level of independence when moved to eldercare facilities. Even though
  technological solutions like AI and robotics appear to be promising, there still exist significant challenges that affect their
  adoptability by the user. Understanding the needs of all stakeholders, and involving them from the very early stages, would
  inform designers, developers and researchers to build better collaborative service robot (CSR), and educate the users
  about the potentials of adopting such a technology.
  We have studied the needs of people with developmental disabilities and their caregivers in group homes, and have
  defined the scope and challenges of a CSR. We are also aware that the world of people who live with developmental
  disabilities from birth is similar to the world of many people who begin to experience mental and physical disabilities much
  later in life. Our research and experience suggest that a CSR, like the prototype we have designed, built and tested for
  group homes of people with developmental disabilities, will be a significant contributor to the demand for managed care at
  home for seniors, with or without mental disabilities.

• NMO Project - Network Management Office
• PCHT - Point of Care Health Technologies