Everyone knows something about aging. Everyone has a story to share.
Connecting to the experiences of the community and identifying what is most meaningful to older adults as they age is critical for impactful research.
To strengthen the relationship between older adults and researchers, the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) launched Voice Canada with people in the Hamilton area on May 12 at Shaping the Future of Aging, a community engagement event, public talk and research fair. Voice Canada is an online platform for community members to connect with and participate in research studies; hear about upcoming events; and help guide the work of researchers at all stages of the research process.
Community members can join Voice now.
Hosted in downtown Hamilton at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre, Shaping the Future of Aging featured a talk from MIRA member Jennifer Heisz about the benefits of exercise and physical activity for maintaining a healthy brain as we age. Her presentation, Move the Body, Heal the Mind led into an opportunity for audience members to ask questions, both broad and specific, about aging research. Audience members had many thoughtful questions for Heisz and the other MIRA experts on hand, Parminder Raina and Marla Beauchamp, about being active, preventing falls and connecting research with the community.
Following the question-and-answer session, participants learned about many of the diverse aging research projects happening at McMaster and some of the community groups supporting older adults in the area, such as the Hamilton Council on Aging, at an interactive research fair. Beyond the sixteen booths inside the fair, the Mobile User Experience Lab (MUXL), an RV that has been converted into a high-tech research lab, was parked outside in the Friday afternoon sun. MUXL, which was launched last month by Milena Head and the team at the McMaster Digital Transformation Research Centre, allows researchers to bring the lab into the community and meet people where they are.
This local launch is a first step in bringing together the insights of people from across Canada to help tell the story of what it means to grow older here. Presented in Canada by MIRA, the Voice platform was created by the National Innovation Centre for Ageing at Newcastle University in the UK. Voice is a growing global community of older adults, caregivers, family members and friends who share their ideas, questions and experiences with researchers working to shape the future of aging and help people live happier, healthier lives.
Join the Voice community today. It is free, fulfilling and needs your perspective.
