APPTA National Innovation Hub

12/22/2025

✨ Happy Holidays from the APPTA Team! ✨

As we wrap up another year of collaboration, innovation, and meaningful work in support of healthy aging, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our partners, researchers, policy makers, caregivers, and older adults who make this community so special.

Your commitment to advancing evidence-informed policy and improving the lives of older adults continues to inspire us.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a bright start to the new year!❄️✨

May 2026 bring continued connection, creativity, and impact.

— The APPTA Team

12/17/2025

We’re pleased to announce the publication of our latest APPTA Knowledge Translation blog, written in collaboration with Mireille Gagnon-Roy. This piece explores innovative ways to optimize communication between health-care providers and caregivers by integrating functional, social, and personal data—not just medical information—to better support personalized care.

To complement the blog, we’ve also shared her new policy brief. The brief outlines key policy considerations and opportunities to strengthen communication pathways and improve care experiences for older adults and their caregivers.

The policy brief is attached directly to the blog, allowing readers to move seamlessly from the research discussion into practical, evidence-informed policy insights.

👉 Read the full blog and access the policy brief here:https://agewell-nih-appta.ca/2025/12/05/optimizing-communications-between-health-care-providers-and-caregivers-to-support-personalized-care-moving-beyond-medical-data-by-integrating-functional-social-and-personal-data

AUTHOR(S) & CREDENTIALS: Mireille Gagnon-Roy, OT, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher, Véronique Provencher, OT, PhD, Associate Professor, Bessam Abdulrazak, PhD, Full Professor AFFILIATED INSTITUTION(S): Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke (QC), Research Center on Aging, Sherbrooke (QC) and Centre de r...

12/10/2025

We’re excited to share our latest AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub APPTA Knowledge Translation blog, developed in collaboration with Urooj Khan, which takes a deeper look at important research exploring how technology can better support older adults and caregivers.

To complement the blog, we’ve also released Urooj's new policy brief, that highlights key policy considerations and opportunities for action. This brief is attached directly to the blog so readers can explore both the detailed research discussion and the policy implications in one place.

Together, these resources aim to bridge research and policy by translating evidence into meaningful insights for decision-makers, service providers, and anyone interested in aging and technology innovation.

👉 Read the full blog and policy brief:

AUTHOR(S) & CREDENTIALS: Urooj Khan, MSc — PhD Candidate, University of Toronto & Cassy Hemphill, Communications and Engagement Coordinator at AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub APPTA (Advancing Policies & Practices in Technology & Aging) AFFILIATED INSTITUTION(S): University of Toronto, Rehabilitat...

12/08/2025

We at APPTA we're pleased to be able to join many other researchers, innovators, caregivers, policy makers and older adults at the 10th Annual AGE-WELL Conference this past October.

It was an incredible opportunity to connect, share ideas, and reflect on the future of aging and technology in Canada. From inspiring keynote sessions to dynamic presentations and meaningful conversations, the conference highlighted the importance of collaboration in driving innovation that supports healthy aging.

AGE-WELL has put together a full recap of our takeaways and conference highlights. Take the time to read it by clicking here:

https://agewell-nce.ca/archives/22029

12/05/2025

We’re excited to share our latest Research Roundup: Personal Emergency Response Programs—a timely review exploring how these technologies support aging in place, enhance safety, and improve response outcomes for older adults.

This Research Roundup highlights:

🔹 Key features and benefits of personal emergency response programs
🔹 Evidence on effectiveness and user experiences
🔹 Policy and practice implications for decision-makers
🔹 Opportunities to strengthen system navigation and equitable access

📄 Available in both English and French:

English:https://agewell-nih-appta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/RR12-Formatted-1.pdf
French:https://agewell-nih-appta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/RR12-Formatted-Word-French-1.pdf

This Research Roundup is designed for policymakers, care providers, researchers, and anyone interested in innovative approaches to healthy aging.