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The mission of the Okanagan Institute is to contribute to the quality of creative engagement in the Okanagan through publications, events and collaborations. » Home » Events » Publications » Collaborations » The Institute » Contact  Kelowna BC Canada Telephone 250.870.2690 Email: Click here  Click here to help us improve our programs. |
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Fountain of Youth FOUND IN THE OKANAGAN » Thursday 3 December 2009 | 5 pm » The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue An informal afternoon hour showcasing ideas and people in the Okanagan creative economy. Join us as Drs. Colin Reid and Gareth Jones share findings from their researches into the physiological and social determinants of health in aging. » $2 at the door. Refreshments are available at a modest cost. » Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE Researchers Provide a Positive Prognosis for Health and Aging The Okanagan Valley's burgeoning population boasts, at over 20%, the highest proportion of seniors - those 65 years and older - of any region in Canada. As the Baby Boom generation enters its "golden years," our valley's gentle climate and attractive lifestyle will continue to draw an even larger cohort of those anticipating their "third age." The Okanagan offers a relatively high standard of living, rolling landscapes abundant in orchards and vineyards, and year-round opportunities for recreation and cultural involvement - a Mecca for modern "young" seniors who envision for themselves continued good health and independence, and seek to maximize their engagement with life. Most Canadians entering their senior years today can feel fortunate that they are the beneficiaries of excellent nutrition and medical care. Many have also made healthy lifestyle choices - quitting smoking, starting exercise programs, staying mentally active - with the goal of prolonging vitality and forestalling the natural age-related processes of decline. But are these individual choices and the benefits of our Okanagan lifestyle enough to ensure we age successfully? On Thursday, December 3rd at 5 pm the ongoing weekly Okanagan Institute Express series at the Bohemian Café presents Fountain of Youth: Found in the Okanagan. Join us as UBC Okanagan researchers Drs. Colin Reid and Gareth Jones share findings from their studies into the physiological and social determinants of health in aging. Drs. Reid and Jones are researchers with the Faculty of Health and Social Development at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan. At this session they will outline the factors that promote optimum health outcomes in our senior years. It may very well be that the fountain of youth is indeed here in the Okanagan - not captured in a hot tub or a bottle of wine, as delightful as they may be - but found in a pair of sneakers, physical effort and a coterie of cheering supporters!  Gareth Jones, PhD, CEP, is Assistant Professor Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health and Social Development at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. He moved here to help establish the new Human Kinetics program, which will specialize in training clinical kinesiologists. His primary research interest is in utilizing exercise to mitigate the effects of age associated chronic disease and to support functional independence in older adults. Current research initiatives include; 1. development and evaluation of interventions that target the prehabilitation and rehabilitation needs of frail older adults, including those with dementia, 2. understanding the contribution of sarcopenic obesity on functional decline and eventual frailty, and 3. exploration of the built environment and its influence on successful aging in the Okanagan. Colin Reid, PhD (University of Victoria) is Assistant Professor in Health Studies at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. He is a social gerontologist and demographer, with particular interest in quantitative and mixed methods. His research Interests are the quality of care and outcomes for institutionalized seniors with dementia, along with health services research with a focus on seniors populations and health and seniors in rural areas. His focus will be what current research in health says about what makes for successful retirement.The current cohort of seniors reaching or approaching retirement age is a generation that has spent a lifetime redefining roles. Throughout their years of influence they have broken barriers of gender, class, race - and age. They are healthier. They live longer. And other than some inescapable restrictions of the natural ageing process (although medical science continues to challenge even these - is 65 the new 42?), today's seniors are reluctant to let outmoded expectations about ageing and retirement constrain them. Working part time, undertaking new challenges, mentoring those who follow in professional footsteps, many "retirees" now find that they are busier than ever. There is a new vision of aging. It embraces engagement with life. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE CLICK HERE  Fountain of Youth: Found in the Okanagan takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 118th event the Okanagan Institute has held since the Express series got underway in July 2007. Express has played host to many Okanagan luminaries, including former deputy secretary general of Amnesty International Derek Evans, artists Lee Claremont and Gary Pearson, BC Book Award nominee Don Gayton, CBC Literary prize winner poet Harold Rhenisch, distinguished editor and author Jim Taylor, poet and professor John Lent, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, community activist Don Elzer, dancer David LaHay, architect Jim Meiklejohn, culinary artist and writer Heidi Noble, broadcaster Marion Barschel and others from a wide range of creative fields.
Our mission is to ignite cultural transformation, catalyze collaborative action, build networks and foster sustainable creative enterprises. We invite the participation by all members of the creative community.
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