Quantifying Aging and the Use of Technologies, an Interview With Dr. Stephen Katz
Release Date: 06/03/2019
MileAGE Podcast
In this episode, Dan speaks with Dr. Vipan Nikore, founder and CEO of Homecare Hub. What is Homecare Hub? Homecare Hub is a purpose-driven team with a bold vision to keep people out of large institutional nursing homes by building creative solutions that decrease the cost, and improve the quality and experience of receiving home care services. Our healthcare system is overwhelmed, and people with complex healthcare needs face challenges to preserve their current living situation. Homecare Hub was created to address the housing and home care needs of these individuals offering...
info_outlineMileAGE Podcast
Daniel Smiley, Research & Logistics Specialist, is your new host as Jenna takes on more responsibilities at the APPTA Hub. He welcomes Dr. Patrick Patterson to discuss his recent publications on long-term care policies pre- and post-COVID-19. We’re all aging, and everyone’s talking about it! Key Takeaways [:41] Daniel Smiley introduces himself as your new host and welcomes Dr. Patrick Patterson and asks him to share a top-level summary of his paper. [1:38] Dr. Patterson talks about how Canadian differences in pandemic responses guided the focus of this...
info_outlineMileAGE Podcast
Jenna welcomes Dr. Grant Handrigan, professor at the Université de Moncton to talk about his long-running project Dance Your Way to Health and the upcoming results. We’re all aging, and everyone’s talking about it! Key Takeaways [:41] Jenna welcomes Dr. Grant Handrigan and asks him to share how his project Dance Your Way to Health came about, four years ago, and how it was anchored with the Grouille ou Rouille community group, founded in 1981. [5:11] Dr. Grant explains sedentary behaviour and lists the multiple benefits of regular physical activity. [8:11] The...
info_outlineMileAGE Podcast
Jenna welcomes Dr. Grant Handrigan, professor at the Université de Moncton and principal investigator for the Implementing Virtual Reality in Advanced Fall Prevention, Building Resilience and Balancing Risk research project. They discuss the relative lack of fall management and prevention programs, the fear of falling as a barrier to a more active life, and the need for sustainable programs for both seniors and youth with regard to falls. We’re all aging, and everyone’s talking about it! Key Takeaways [:41] Jenna welcomes Dr. Grant Handrigan to talk about his most recent...
info_outlineMileAGE Podcast
Jenna welcomes Karine Levesque, Co-lead of the Enhanced Community Pathway program, currently in its pilot phase. They discuss the importance of offering a comprehensive and centralized health and social development proposition for frail seniors in crisis. We’re all aging, and everyone’s talking about it! Key Takeaways [:41] Jenna welcomes Karine Levesque to talk about her project and the inspiration for it, but first, she asks her to define Enhanced Community Pathway. [2:53] Karine talks about the combined health and social system approach her project takes with the...
info_outlineMileAGE Podcast
Jenna welcomes Judy Murphy, Executive Director at Elizabeth Fry New Brunswick, and Cecile Proctor from the University of New Brunswick to discuss their project using the creative arts to create intergenerational connections between low-income youth and seniors. We’re all aging, and everyone’s talking about it! Key Takeaways [:41] Jenna welcomes Judy Murphy and Cecile Proctor to discuss the project they are co-piloting, Creative Pathways to Healthy Aging, Senior and Youth Engaged which works with older and younger generations. [1:27] The Bridging the Gap project was the...
info_outlineMileAGE Podcast
Jenna welcomes Carole Goodine, a practicing pharmacist, manager, and researcher for Horizon Health Network, Pharmacy services. Carole maintains a clinical pharmacy practice on the Healthy Aging and Rehabilitation unit at the Doctor Everett Chalmers Hospital (DECH) in Fredericton, NB, and participates in antipsychotic review rounds on the Transitional Care Unit at DECH. Carole’s training includes a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, Accredited Hospital Pharmacy Residency program, Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and post-doctoral fellowship. Her research interests include inpatient medication...
info_outlineMileAGE Podcast
In today’s episode, Jenna welcomes four guests to talk about a novel research project! From Centiviser Incorporated and the University of Toronto, Dr. Mark Chignell, Developer of the 2RaceWithMe device and Lisa Fannin, Educator and Volunteer. And from the Center of Innovation and Research in Aging (CIRA), Executive Director Justine Henry and Research Coordinator Debbie Barton. The project team would like to acknowledge the contribution of Principal Investigator Dr. Jalila Jbilou, M.D., Ph.D., Professeure agrégée, From the School of Psychology and the Centre for Medical Training in...
info_outlineMileAGE Podcast
Jenna welcomes Dr. France Chassé, co-leader of the Madawaska’s Elders Initiatives Project with Micheline Plante, Community Health Representative at the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation. They discuss the health needs of the aging population of the community. They talk about technology to assist them, especially a custom mobile app and other services developed to help seniors live safely at home longer. We’re all aging, and everyone’s talking about it! Key Takeaways [:45] Jenna welcomes today’s guest, Dr. France Chassé. [1:13] Dr. Chassé explains the Madawaska’s Elders...
info_outlineMileAGE Podcast
Jenna welcomes the team working on a deprescribing pilot project to the show. The project’s Research Coordinators Cody Davenport and Marc-Éric Nadeau accompany Justine Henry — executive director at CIRA — as well as project lead Dr. Emily MacDonald from McGill University in a discussion on the impacts of polypharmacy and the benefits of deprescription in older adults. We’re all aging, and everyone’s talking about it! Key Takeaways [:40] Jenna welcomes today’s guests and starts off the conversation with Justine Henry on an overview of who CIRA is and what they do. [3:07] Dr....
info_outlineToday we talk to Dr. Stephen Katz, Ph.D., a Professor (Emeritus) of Sociology, Distinguished Research Award winner, and founding member of the Trent Centre for Aging & Society, at Trent University, Peterborough, Canada. He is the author of several books, journal articles, book chapters, and media interviews on aging bodies, critical gerontology, biopolitics, cognitive impairment, and health technologies. His current research involves partnerships and collaborations on funded projects related to quantified aging and digital technologies, as well as a new book project on Self, Mind, and Body in Later Life.
We’re all aging, and everyone’s talking about it!
Key Takeaways
[:39] Jenna introduces today’s guest and we launch today's interview by asking Dr. Katz to tell us a bit more about the ACT Project.
[3:25] Dr. Katz talks about how his current research integrates into all three aspects of the ACT Project, as well as some of his offshoot interests in Boomer music!
[5:51] We ask Dr. Katz to dive deeper into the communications aspect of his research and he explains how the three aspects of the projects were eventually developed.
[8:07] What is the Quantified Self Movement? Stephen explains how that phenomenon drove his use of the term “Quantified Aging” as a way to explain a new set of cultural practices that are shaping aging and the research he has been leading on this front.
[12:32] We ask if Dr. Katz actually tests the devices and he shares all of the areas of research he’s involved in, from code design to walking ethnography.
[15:19] What is Dr. Katz’s take on the potential for technologies to increase independence in the future.
[19:14] Emily asks if Stephen sees a way for technology to help change the image in the culture around aging.
[23:25] We talk about technologies problematizing and stigmatizing aging as well as the elitist, caucasian, heteronormative language and imagery used to promote programs.
[31:52] Stephen touches on the improvements he would like to see in terms of responsible, socially contextualized technologies as well as a real commitment by tech companies to offer tested products to older markets.
[34:22] We ask Dr. Katz to weigh in on the sources and effects of the Neoliberal narrative and policies on health and aging.
[40:46] Emily goes off script again and asks Dr. Katz to talk about his research around gaming and brain plasticity, and weigh in on the possibility of us being able to change, improve, and protect our own brains from decline.
[47:24] We ask Dr. Katz to share his thoughts on data privacy issues as they pertain to the use wearable technology as well all the impacts of the bigger companies’ involvement in the healthcare field.
[55:36] What legacy is Dr. Katz hoping to leave behind with his research?
[59:59] We thank Dr. Katz for coming on the podcast. Until next time, subscribe, rate, and share!
If you enjoyed today’s episode, make sure to subscribe, rate us and visit our website at agewell-nih-appta.ca/mileage-podcast for more information.
Mentioned in this episode
More about your hosts
Dr. Emily Read at the University of New Brunswick
More about today’s guest