CIHR-IA Summer Program in Aging 2025
Training a Healthcare Workforce to Meet the Needs of Older Adults
The CIHR Institute of Aging Summer Program in Aging (SPA) 2025 was hosted by the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education in Toronto, Ontario from June 8-13, 2025. The objective of SPA 2025 was to inspire trainees to pursue research that positively addresses the challenges faced by the healthcare workforce, which would result in system-wide benefits across Canada. It was an immersive, interprofessional, and impactful event and was the first SPA to be hosted at a healthcare-based research institute. SPA 2025 gathered 40 trainees from across Canada for a unique and integrated program featuring research, education, and innovation experiences across Baycrest's hospital, long-term care, and community care settings. There were a variety of opportunities to learn about the diverse healthcare workforce, hear from clients, caregivers, and healthcare providers with lived experience, and ask meaningful questions to inform trainees' future research.
To set a foundation for the week, SPA trainees first learned about "brain aging basics" to better understand the needs of older adults, including the interactive effects of age-related cognitive, sensory, and motor changes. Equipped with this foundational knowledge, they then heard from healthcare professionals and care partners across the continuum of care about their lived experiences and challenges that could be addressed by research. These stories were enriched through interactive tours of Baycrest settings, which included a research-focused community centre, an adult day program for those living with dementia, outpatient clinics, a hospital inpatient unit, and a long-term care home. Trainees also had hands-on opportunities to interact with simulated participants and wear a 'frail aging suit' to simulate common age-related physical conditions like vision loss, joint pain, and muscle loss.
Trainees gained critical skills and applied the knowledge they learned throughout the week. Through workshops, trainees practiced implementing research and innovation in healthcare, including how to co-design and conduct collaborative research with people living with dementia and other important stakeholders. They were also very successful at working together in interdisciplinary groups to develop research proposals examining educational and training innovations for use in healthcare settings. Examples included games-based and virtual reality education in hospitals and long-term care.
The SPA 2025 experience was further enhanced by the deep engagement of the trainees with each other as they learned a lot from each other and their multidisciplinary backgrounds. SPA trainees also had a variety of socialization opportunities during art and dog therapy sessions, and a sunset dinner cruise around the Toronto Harbour to enjoy each other's company. SPA trainees have reported ongoing benefits of their expanded SPA network, such as future research collaborations or new prospects for supervisors and mentors.
The Baycrest Academy for Research and Education thanks the organizing committee (Dr. Rosanna Olsen, Dr. Meaghan Adams, Dr. Rosanne Aleong, Anosha Tariq, and Dr. Linda Truong), mentors (Dr. Meaghan Adams, Dr. David Conn, Dr. Alisa Grigorovich, Dr. Lillian Hung, Dr. Karen Li, Kiira Poerschke, Tyler Redublo, Dr. Adriana Shnall, Dr. Susan Vandermorris, and Dr. Walter Wittich), and more than 50 speakers who were all instrumental to the success of SPA 2025.
- Date modified: