Resource Webinar 4

Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2007 at the age of 58, Jim Mann has been active in the community promoting the inclusion of the voice of lived experience and seeking to reduce the stigma of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia through volunteering in the community, collaborating with researchers on research projects, and through writing as a published author. Current research projects include a focus on technology and robots in long-term care; the reduction of stigma and the promotion of social inclusion of people with dementia; and investigating consent and engagement in research with people with dementia, ethically and legally.

Jim is a member of the CIHR Institute of Aging Older Adult Advisory Council, Advisory Council of Research Ethics BC, and the Research Management Committee of AGE-WELL NCE, which is focused on technologies and services for healthy aging. He is also a member of the World Health Organization’s Global Dementia Observatory focus group.

In recognition of his advocacy efforts toward the rights of people with lived experience of dementia, he was awarded in 2020 an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of British Columbia.

Lisa Poole is a family care partner and provides insight from a perspective of lived experience. Her father John, recently deceased, lived with dementia and resided in LTC. Lisa sits on Dementia Network Calgary’s Strategic Council, Alzheimer Society of Calgary’s Board of Directors, AGE-WELL’s Older Adult and Caregiver Advisory Committee, is co-chair of Dementia Advocacy Canada and the founder of Dementia Connections Magazine.

Dr. Tetyana Schippee is a social gerontologist with a Dual-Title PhD in Sociology and Gerontology. She is a tenured Associate Professor in the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, and Associate Director for Research at the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation. She spent two years living in a long-term care facility to better understand factors that impact quality of life for older adults in long-term care settings.

Her work aims to eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in access to and use of long-term services and supports and improve quality of life for older adults. She was recognized as the University of Minnesota President’s Community-Engaged Scholar for Public Health and has a broad network of community collaborators and partners, including the state chapter of MN Diverse Elders Coalition. She leads multi-million dollar projects to address equity and quality of life in long-term care, funded by the AHRQ, the NIH, and MN Department of Human Services. She was elected to serve on the advisory Board of the Gerontological Society of America and is the Vice Chair-Elect of the GSA’s Section on Research, Policy and Practice.

Dr. Matthias Hoben is a registered nurse and holds an undergraduate degree in nursing management, an an MSc and doctoral degree in health and nursing sciences. He is an Associate Professor and Helen Carswell Chair in Dementia Care with the School of Health Policy and Management, York University, Toronto. His research focuses on evaluating and improving the quality of life of older individuals living with dementia, as well as, the health and well-being of their paid and unpaid caregivers.

Examples of his research projects include:

• a study to assess the feasibility of routinely measuring and publicly reporting the quality of life of individuals living with dementia in assisted living and long-term care,
• studies on assessing the impact of COVID-19 on those who live and work in assisted living and long-term care homes (including an evaluation of the impact of COVID-19 on resident quality of life),
• an evaluation of health and social services in the York Region, Toronto, aimed at supporting individuals living with dementia and their families to prevent or delay institutionalization and improve their quality of life.

Dr. Sienna Caspar is an Associate Professor at the University of Lethbridge in the Faculty of Health Sciences—Therapeutic Recreation program. Her areas of research include: organizational behaviour, empowerment, interprofessional teamwork and collaboration, quality of care and quality of work-life in dementia care.

Dr. Caspar is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and a dementia care specialist; she has worked as a clinician and consultant in long-term care homes in both Canada and the United States for over 20 years.